I will fast on Lent, but that’s it. I like my food too much. I will definitely do something like Neil did, fruits and veggies only, but not for awhile.
Neil does have some good points here. He is actually analyzing data instead of just fighting everyone. He’s learned, and that’s good. Quit bashing him. Thunder had it right.
CGB,
Yeah, that’s what you usually hear regarding glutamine supplementation - that only sevely catabolic situations benefit.
But seriously, building up the lining of the stomach and intestines is definitely a good thing for training…not directly, but it might improve the whole digestion/elimination thing and also help prevent diseases of the digestive tract. Try massive eating if you have diverticular disease! :o
The leaky gut thing is very interesting, as many many people do things that can lead to it. Things like ibuprofen, processed food, sugar, stress, and all sorts of other things can lead to leaky gut. And when you get leaky gut, it can lead to a toxic overload, which could manifest itself as auto-immune diseases. Who all here didn’t have any of those things mentioned above? I bet almost everyone has. Although the degree to which one is affected would vary widely based on many variables, it certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea to strengthen the digestive system!
This is a great thread. I’m really thinking about starting a fast in the near future. I’ve got all sorts of GI problems and I really have to down the Pepcid and anatacids. I’m looking forward to Prilosec going OTC next month! A lot of it is my diet, but even when I’m eating really clean I have a lot of indigestion problems. It also plays into my recent medical interests. Gastrointerology is my current “specialty of the month”!
Hey, I’d like to make a humble suggestion for those that wish to try a fast but really like their food.
Buy fresh avocados and and make fresh guacamole! During my fast, I was going nuts for the first few days because no matter how much fruits and veggies I ate, I didnt feel full. Then I started making the guacamole, and I’ll tell ya, it’s fairly satisfying! Just one avocado a day for dinner really was good. Plus avocados are great for you…lots of good fat WITH the enzymes in it to help digest it, not to mention lots of good nutrients.
Just a suggestion. It helped me get through not eating meat! And I loooove meat. Ask anyone that knows me lol.
Oh yeah, one more thing. People dump on NeilG WAY too much. You have to separate the chaff from the wheat, but he really does have a lot of good things to say. I’ve enjoyed our online debates. Besides, when I was his age I was very interested in a lot of “alternative medicine” type things. As I got more educated I learned to look at them a bit more critically, but I’ve also learned to separate the kernal of truth from the nonsense. So Neil please keep on posting!
Neil’s a creative thinker. I think he’s always looking for intellectual challenges. Not sure why people feel the need to beat that down. I don’t think you have to agree with every writer on T-mag…or any of them if you find logical flaws or just don’t buy certain assumptions.
On the other hand, he can handle himself. (In fact, he likes to do it in thunderstorms. Sorry, I couldn’t resist that.)
“So Neil please keep on posting!”
Um, I’m guessing that’s not going to be a problem MD2006.
Not a bash, just an observation.
I train in Ramadan, but not overly intense. It’s more of a maintenance thing. After the first 2-3 days, it actually feels pretty good.
Z-man could you elaborate in your whole fasting experience? I’d love to hear about it.
30 days? Wow, that’s absolutely incredible, although I suspect anything over 7-14 days is verging on unhealthy (iron deficiency, etc…)
-Zulu
Trappist Monks fasted for the duration of lent, except for the beer that they brewed. They felt/feel that the hearty brews supply them with nutrients. Mmmmm, beer. Perhaps I’ll do a beer fast.
Zulu,
It’s a religious fast, thus the 30 day timeframe. It starts before the sun rises and ends at sunset. After sunset and before sunrise we can eat as normal. The interesting thing as that post Ramadan portions are 30-40% smaller than pre Ramadan portions. I think the stomach shrinks significantly. And it is a test of willpower, not so much for food, but water. Winter is not bad, but a 18 hour fast in July is very tough. Ramadan moves back 10 days every year because it follows the lunar calendar. I usually lose between 5-7 pounds, although last year I lost 10. There are those that manage to gain weight in Ramadan, and that is a mystery that has yet to be solved. I suspect that they gorge themselves at sunrise, and sunset, and possibly just before bed with fatty foods in anticipation of the fast. I find it easier to fast if my portions remain the same size, and I fill my stomach with water after the meal, prior to bed, and just before the fast starts.
That’s me experience anyways.
Cheers
Ok, I misunderstood you then. So it’s something a la Warrior Diet, then?
-Zulu