Cheers!

This is high on health. Your weekly splash into healthcare, life's surprises, and everything in between.

First work week of the new year: Done. Post-holiday, it was smooth sailing - catching up on emails, reconnecting, and picking up where I left off. Here's hoping for more weeks like this. 🌟

But there's a twist. Remember my Baltic Sea vacation home? Well, mix a heavy storm surge, breached sea defenses, and relentless rain, and what do you get?

A flooded basement. So much for an easy week, right? 😅

This mishap led to an unexpected experiment with time-restricted eating. Stuck at the house with a packed schedule and no food options, I unintentionally started eating just once in the evening. Surprisingly, it felt great! No midday crash, more clarity, and less hunger. So, I embraced it: One Meal A Day (OMAD) during the week and a more sociable 8-hour eating and 16-hour fasting schedule on weekends.¹

This week's edition dives into the world of time-restricted feeding. Plus, I'll keep you updated on the basement saga. Fingers crossed for a dry update next week!

Life's full of ups and downs – we all ride that wave (pun intended). 🌊

Take care!

¹ Adding to life's quirky turns, I crossed paths (on the internet) with Mickey Musumeci. On the surface, he's super nice, but in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling, he's a legend. Think of multiple world titles and a black belt at 18 - the guy's a force. My mind was all ears when I heard about his unique approach:

Time-restricted Eating aka Intermittent Fasting

Introduction

Time-restricted eating (TRE) is a practice or, more precisely, a lifestyle shift that's been catching on for the last 7-8 years. It's about syncing your meals with your body clock for better health. 🕒 🍽️

Here's the scoop: When you eat, your body burns carbs first, storing what's left as fat. Stop eating earlier or fast longer, and your body switches to burning this stored fat. Say you finish dinner at 10 PM and skip breakfast until 10 AM - that's extra fat-burning time. 🔥

Dr. Satchin Panda's been leading the TRE research charge. One study had folks eat within a 10-hour window for 16 weeks. The results? They shed weight and felt more energized and less hungry at night. In another study, men at risk for type-2 diabetes showed improved insulin sensitivity after a week of TRE.

But remember, TRE is still new in the science world. Most studies are short-term. So, while the early results are promising, there's more to learn. 🧪📚

Time-restricted eating echoes our ancestors' lifestyle, back when hunting and gathering ruled the day. Imagine this: you're in the prehistoric world. Food isn't a fridge away. It's feast or fast. You hunt, you gather, you eat. If the hunt goes south, you fast. This was the rhythm of life, a natural cycle of eating and fasting.

These ancient eating patterns were synced with the sun. Active by day, hunting and eating; resting by night, fasting. Our bodies adapted to this rhythm. Today's time-restricted eating taps into this ancient cycle. It's like a throwback to our roots, where our bodies burn and store energy, just as they did ages ago. 🌞🏹🌙

TRE's more than a diet - it's about tuning into your body's natural rhythm for a healthier you.

The Science Behind It

In time-restricted eating, timing is everything. Sleep repairs our bodies, including autophagy, which cleans up cells. Fasting boosts this. Best eating times? Stretch your night fast into the morning or start early evening. Wake up, wait an hour to eat, and extend fasting to mid-morning.

Food matters too. Big meals digest slowly, fats delay emptying, liquids and sugars speed it up. Find a feeding window that fits your life - 6, 8, or 10 hours. It's about syncing with your body's natural rhythms. 🌞🍽️⏲️

Exploring Time Restricted Eating (TRE) reveals some fascinating science:

• Mice Studies: Mice on calorie control and TRE, especially skipping night eating, lived longer.

• Human Research: In us, TRE focuses on eating times. But, how much we eat is still key for weight loss.

• Circadian Rhythm: Eating in sync with our body clock is vital. It aids metabolism and digestion. Irregular eating? It throws off our rhythms.

• Effects on Body and Mind: Off-schedule meals can leave us feeling 'hungover,' physically and mentally.

• Light and Sleep: Our sleep and health are tied to light exposure. Too much light can shift sleep cycles.

Consistent eating patterns, aligned with our natural rhythms, are central to TRE's benefits.

Different Approaches

Time Restricted Eating (TRE) offers various approaches for different lifestyles and goals:

• 16/8 Method: Eat within an 8-hour window, fast for 16 hours.

• 14/10 Method: A 10-hour eating window and 14-hour fast.

• OMAD: All daily calories in one meal, extending the fasting period.

• Warrior Diet: Small, raw foods during the day, one large meal at night.

• Extended Fasts: No food for days, such as 24 or 36 hours.

• Alternate-Day Fasting: Normal eating one day, no eating the next.

• Calorie-Reduced Days: Regular eating followed by a day of minimal calories.

• 5:2 Approach: Five days of normal eating and two days of fasting.

Each method (and there may be more) provides a unique way to synchronize eating patterns with your body. According to Dr. Satchin's research, the ideal fasting protocol suggests avoiding food for 60 minutes after waking and 2-3 hours before bedtime. An eight-hour feeding window is typically effective for most, balancing health benefits and practicality. Shorter windows, like 4-6 hours, might lead to overeating, and one meal per day has mixed research support. 🍽️📊

Consistency in timing is crucial to avoid disrupting circadian rhythms. Different feeding windows have varying impacts. An eight-hour window shows balanced benefits. Alternate-day fasting shows promise but may not be sustainable long-term. 🔄🌿

Another debate mainly based on elevating blood glucose levels is what breaks a fast. Water, tea, and black coffee won't break a fast, but simple sugars will. The effects of artificial sweeteners are debatable, and plant-based sweeteners like Stevia minimally impact blood glucose. Lemon, lime juice, and cinnamon can lower blood glucose, and moderate salt intake helps maintain electrolyte balance during fasting. 🕒🥗🤯

My Personal Experiences

I've tried various diets shaped by my competitive wrestling days when I frequently had to cut weight. My food intake has always been experimental, swinging between high-calorie phases for muscle gain and strict diets for competition weigh-ins. 💪⚖️

I'm not someone who struggles to gain muscle. Carbs especially make me gain weight easily – btw, unlike my wife, who seems immune to pasta binges. 🍝 🍝 🍝

I’m now revisiting those dieting days with the One Meal A Day (OMAD) experiment. While I'm hesitant to endorse this TRE method due to limited research backing fully, the mental clarity and absence of post-lunch sluggishness are real perks. 🤩😵

For me, time-restricted eating helps regulate my food intake. I might not always control portion sizes, but I'm disciplined about fasting schedules. This January, I'm sticking to TRE as my version of Dry-January. 🫸🍗⏰

Have you given TRE a go? How was your experience?

I would love to get your thoughts and comments!

I’ve had this in the mail today. I’m a happy kid. Check it out for yourself and tell me how cool this is:

The Flipper Zero is a versatile and sleek gadget designed to appeal to seasoned technology experts and newcomers to the world of digital exploration. This multi-functional tool is a must-have for any tech enthusiast, thanks to its serious pen-testing power and playful design.

The Flipper Zero is equipped with advanced functionalities that allow it to handle everything from radio protocols to intricate access systems, making it a hacking whiz. Despite its impressive capabilities, it is easy to use and is the perfect tool for anyone looking to learn more about technology.

One of the best things about the Flipper Zero is its open-source nature. This makes it transparent and encourages users to customize and tweak it to their liking. The possibilities are endless, and it is a unique tool perfect for learning and serious tech work.

In addition, the Flipper Zero is a powerhouse in vulnerability detection. It can detect security gaps in everything from radio waves to access controls and hardware. Users can even craft their exploits, making it a tailored tool for any scenario.

But first and foremost, it will be lots of fun in my hands. 🤡 🤭 😁

I grew up with punk music. Including pop-punk music like blink-182. I still believe Travis Barker is one of the ultimate best drummers of all time. Try to change my mind.

This chorus from First Date is like a battle cry against overthinking and the jitters that hit when you're stepping into new territory. Think first date vibes – you're nervous, questioning every move, but deep down, you just want to make it epic. It's about smashing through those 'what ifs' and the fear of messing up.

These lines are like saying, "Hey, chill. Time's flying. Let's make the most of it." It's a call to grab the moment and live it full throttle. In the context of the song, it's not just about a date; it's a life lesson. Whether you're worried about your dance moves, your hair, or that first kiss, the song's telling you to forget the small stuff, dive in, and make memories.

So, "Let's go, don't wait" isn't just about a night; it's a mantra for life. Don't sweat the small stuff. Make every moment count. Be bold. That's the cool, smart takeaway from this song.

Like writing a newsletter.

DISCLAIMER: None of this (such as text, graphics, images, and other materials) is medical or health advice. This newsletter is strictly for informational, educational, and entertaining purposes only. While I’m a medical doctor and a dentist by training, I’m not your doctor. The content is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on high on health! Please be careful and do your research.