#55 - Fasting vs Anorexia & Running
Intermittent Fasting is on trial for being a danger, and not to help an individual's life. In this week's blog/podcast I will be its defense attorney! A question came in from a listener last week stating the following:
“My daughter's friend has anorexia that she struggles with and when I told her about my fasting (should have kept my mouth shut). She said: (“Well in my world that is called starving yourself now they call it fasting.”) How do you respond to that?”
Ok, let's make a defense case for this question.
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Let me start off by answering the question of our listener…. “How do you respond to that?”
I would answer as follows: It's all about having a healthy relationship with food, my dear. Some friends can have a cocktail and call it fun. Others have a cocktail and they are considered an alcoholic! I'm learning that I don't have to snack all day that I'm awake.
Before I would_______________
Now I'm____________________
And I feel___________________
Example: Before, I would find myself eating sweets all day and I felt horrible. Now I’m eating healthier foods within an eight hour window and I feel much better, and getting better sleep.
In a article entitled: What Is Intermittent Fasting? Why Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey Has an Absolutely Bonkers Diet on rollingstone.com, back in 2019, the article states:
CEO Jack Dorsey’s “personal wellness habits” attracted some controversy when Dorsey shared his practice of taking daily ice baths and using an infrared desk, as well as his bizarre diet: instead of eating three full meals and a handful of snacks per day, as recommended by most nutritionists, Dorsey eats one meal between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m., which usually consists of “fish, chicken, or steak with a salad, spinach, asparagus or Brussels sprouts,” followed by some mixed berries for dessert. Dorsey also told CNBC that only eating one meal per day allowed him to “feel so much more focused. … You have this very focused point of mind in terms of this drive.”
It sounds like Jack Dorsey might have a serious eating disorder. Walking 5 miles a day while only consuming one meal per weekday and no meals on weekends is not a wellness hack…it’s a disease.
Although intermittent fasting is a broad term that applies to different eating plans that range in terms of restrictiveness, the way Dorsey practices it — by eating only one, relatively low-calorie meal per day — is highly risky. In addition to short-term health effects — like dizziness, lightheadedness, headaches, and fatigue —
According to the article, a certified eating disorder specialist stated:
“Fasting is, I do believe, a form of disordered eating,” she says. “It’s a way that you believe that you are taking care of your body, even while you are ignoring your body’s hunger cues.”
Much like the keto or paleo diets, intermittent fasting is highly restrictive, and restrictive dieting can be triggering to those who struggle with disordered eating. Additionally, “a large aspect of disordered eating is exercising control over your diet, and if nothing else, intermittent fasting can provide this feeling of control,” Kabas says.
It’s this desire for control — over one’s food intake, one’s productivity, even one’s bowel movements — that has created the conditions for Silicon Valley “biohacking” to thrive, and for fad diets like intermittent fasting to take the forefront of the cultural conversation, regardless of whether they are healthy or not. - End of the argument of the article
Let me tackle a few things before I break down the difference between fasting and an eating disorder like anorexia
Breaking Fast: The way Jack broke his fast is the exact way I broke mine on Wednesday evening and I felt amazing. Breaking your fast with healthy foods and not junk food is the best way to maintain optimal health.
Eating Disorder: Every person is different in scope. Who is to say that Dorsey has a disorder if this is how he thrives best? People fast for weeks at a time for spiritual reasons and are still alive, healthy, and more connected to their creator. Jesus fast for 40 days and nights once as mentioned in the bible.
Highly Risky: This comes from someone who has never tried it. Your body adapts to how we treat it. If we overload it with sugar and carbs all day, that is what our body will use as fuel. However, it will break down our computer system in time (Our brain) Those foods will rust out our insides in the form of arthritis. Anytime there is a change in what we eat or the amount of time between meals there will be an adjustment period. I always recommend starting out with a 13 hour fast. Do not just jump to one meal a day approach. I’m sure Jack Dorsey did not start off that way either.
Desire For Control: Don’t we all wish we had more control or else I would not have been 217lbs and had to lose 50lbs before I started to feel good again? Control sounds like a major benefit to me.
Now for those that struggle with an eating disorder, that is serious for sure, and anyone taking up fasting may want to consult their physician.
Fasting vs Anorexia
When it comes to anorexia, here is a strong identified mental component that is responsible for the biggest part of the disease. The patient feels like no matter how skinny they are, they are obese.
The root cause of anorexia and other eating issues (including overeating) is traced to the childhood of the patient. At times this same patient may go a long time without eating and then binge and feel terrible about themselves.
My Four Closing Arguments:
Fasting may have tremendously positive mental, spiritual, emotional, and health benefits when performed correctly.
2. Anorexia extends beyond fasting.
3. Anorexia and fasting may look similar. More often than not, binge eating happens subsequently to several days with no food with anorexia patients.
4.No matter who you are, you should break your fast with healthy whole foods instead of processed foods. Controlled proper fasting may be the key for anyone looking to control their weight forever.
How does this all pertain to running?
Well, how we fuel our bodies will play a mojor roll in performance. I have two clients from the same household in California, one can’t run without something in his system. Whereas his wife thrives off of running in a fasted state. Be smart, educated and listen to your body. You are ultimately the captain of your own ship.
So now you be the judge. Thank you for listening to this week's show. Please leave us a question and we will discuss it on a future episode.
Remember my friends….. We are just ONE run/walk away…….
So Keep Calm And Run To The Best You
Have a great week!
-Coach Tadris
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