Excerpt from Amino Man Nutritional Medicine Handbook; Strength For Life ™
FEEDING, FASTING & BIOHACKING + FREE PDF RAPID FAT LOSS GUARANTEED
Full unabridged brain building protocol towards the end of this article…
Fasting is increasingly popular these days. I popularised a rapid fat loss system back in 2004 called Four Week Fat Loss. I can send you the PDF – just mail me. matt@aminoman.com
But first a joke;
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson decide to go on a camping trip. After dinner and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night, and go to sleep.
Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend.
"Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."
Watson replied, "I see millions of stars."
"What does that tell you?"
Watson pondered for a minute.
"Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets."
"Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo."
"Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three."
"Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful and that we are small and insignificant."
"Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow."
"What does it tell you, Holmes?"
Holmes was silent for a minute, then spoke: "Watson, you idiot. Someone has stolen our tent!"
Why tell you this? The reason is dealing with first things first. When there’s dysfunction then it’s best to deal with the smallest things which bring the biggest returns, then you can dig deeper, if necessary and deal with the other stuff – which will all help but which comes with diminishing returns.
An example might be if you have a client with immune dysfunction there’s no point in testing for parasites until you checked out their vitamin D status. The parasites are the universe and the stars, sure they are interesting and might need looking at – they tell you a lot. However, if you don’t deal with vitamin D (the tent) you’ll die out in the cold of exposure.
Trying to sort someone’s’ parasite out with a dysfunctional immune system due to vitamin D deficiency and you are on a hiding to nothing. They won’t be strong enough to deal with the process.
Deal with the simple things first before you dig deeper. First things first. Pick the 20% which gives you 80% of the benefit.
If fat loss is your thing or elusive then here’s
FOUR WEEK FAT LOSS IN A NUTSHELL
In a nut shell you eat in an 8 hour window (16:8) protein and vegetables with a little good fats – not too much. 3 hour gaps between meals, although you can squash 2 meals into 1 if you prefer or even 3 into 1. Macros are 2:1:1 protein, carbs and fat, according to your desired lean weight.
Boils down to the answers on the back of a stamp or post card, how do I lose fat? = create a deficit and eat sufficient protein. Find a sustainable way to keep doing this. Fasting is a neat way of helping sustain a deficit. You got less time to stuff your face.
Simple enough? Yep – this kind of thing should be taught in schools, bearing in mind the 80:20% rule. Have fun but stay of a normal weight.
Want the fast track? Email me for PDF – I’ll email you the best supplements to support your goals along with a special discount code.
FASTING OPTIONS
16:8 = easy and recommended
18:6 = good for fat loss takes a bit of getting used to
20:4 = good to do 1-2 times per week or for a whole week to reset
20:2 = as 20:4 and precursor before a 24 hour fast – however read on my thoughts on this below
Prolonged fasting should be taken only in a supported environment in my opinion. I’ve seen a few people do 3 days – not too many issues. Longer than that and if you are going for 10-20 days get medical support. I know a number of clear knock on side effects of this type of imbalance. I prefer modified fasting as a safer and more effective alternative without side effects.
What makes fasting effective is training. Then eating sufficient protein in your feeding window so you don’t lose muscle mass.
You sandwich the feeding window with a fasted training session in the AM and then something before bed. You take aminos around these sessions for metabolic pathways and also to help sleep. Using R5’s in the PMand MAC in the AM.
You drop fat fast, 1-2% per week. The AM / PM exercise you do for 14 days after stabilising your diet e.g. getting into a place where you are gradually losing fat, cleaning things up in other words.
QUICK MESSAGES FOR THE BUSY READER
- Fasting (modified) rocks
- Email me for 4 Week Fat Loss free PDF
- Aminos – especially the ones I makehelp training and just make everything easier
- There’s clear studied benefits from many herbs listed below some which you can’t find in the supermarket and which you can also supplement with
- Training stops you losing muscle as long as you eat enough protein and take your amino complex (creatine also protects muscle)
- Fasting can rebuild the brain and nervous system (with the right nutrients)
- Fast fat loss is good as long as you start from a sustainable dietary platform = clean up first
- Get the basics right before you move onto the more complex stuff
- I’m here to help you – email me if you have any questions or if you need coaching
The intensive phase of 4 week fat loss is not sustainable it’s designed to get you in shape fast then you go back into maintenance before repeating when you need to. Maintenance the diets pretty much the same with a 90:10% rule. Exercise can be once per day, unless you got to do more for your job.
Fast forwards 15 years and we now know these pathways which are stimulated through fasting one of these AMPK – a survival enzyme pathway which I’ve written about before is one of the keys to the rapid success of this type of strategy.
Now the nutrients which enhance AMPK and neurogenesis are more widely studied the outlines of a programme are listed in detail below.
The key to knowing which type of fasting is best for you lies in the hormetic dose, just enough, not too much. Push too hard and you risk over training and fatigue. Don’t push hard enough then you won’t get the results you deserve.
Having a coach, biohacking knowledge, bloods, hormones etc and various gadgets is a great way to navigate your way through this area. Read on for more information…..
HORMESIS
The solution? Introduce a hormetic dose of each system in a fashion which fits your age and training goals and requirements. The hormetic dose means the amount of an action or compound which stimulates, allowing sufficient adaptive responses to occur without compromising the hosts adaptive capacity. The obvious example is the training, super compensation model, less obvious examples can be found in the adaptogenic herbal research areas and more recently in the nuerohormetic research papers talked about and listed below where a small dose of a strong flavonoid or phytochemical can have a profound protective effect in the host.
An example of a hormetic dose of training would be enough to damage tissues and begin the adaptive response, without continuing to tax this region and build stress on stress in the area.
In other words, if you continued try to provoke a muscle group before it’s sufficiently recovered, we would move into a non-adaptive response setting. With something like intermittent fasting this would mean an excessive release of stress hormones and more catabolic processes in place over anabolic, a gradual loss of mass and depletion of stress reserve would ensue.
In terms of mTOR (a protein synthesis enzyme which is triggered by leucine in the MAC aminos) in aging, insufficient stimulation would result in loss of lean mass something we want to avoid as we age, over stimulation could in theory lead to higher incidence and almost certainly faster progression of existing cancers. Just the right amount would keep muscle whilst allowing for autophagy to keep the cells clean and healthy.
Fast helping foods and compounds are listed below, this list is comprehensive but there maybe be certain items which are also useful which are not listed here. As AMPK and fasting are so good for overall health I’ve included some items which can help rejuvenate mitochondrial health, as well as insulin supporting and direct AMPK stimulating factors. I’ll start with broad brush approach and dial it into specific compounds and supplement recommendations further on. I’ve added links to the studies and sources of some of this information if you want to look up the compounds in more detail and have a general read around the subject.
Things which will help;
All SIRT1 foods – which is basically anything with a high antioxidant or polyphenol content.
Omega 3 fats. Especially when combined with a higher polyphenol rich diet.
In fact, polyphenols plus omega 3 might be one of the keys to successful and graceful aging.
Actually the metabolic optimiser tablets still come with free fish oils– just pop both in your cart and the fish oils are free.
The Metabolic Optimiser is 270 tablets, containing 8+ proven bioflavonoids to support normal inflammation, fat burning, blood sugar control, cholesterol management and liver detoxification. I’ve had several clients resume exercise after years of being hampered by inflammation after taking this combination with collagen (which I don’t currently make) I suggest using Great Lakes off amazon.
Metabolic Optimiser contains clinicallyeffective dosages of milk thistle, curcumin, boswellia, quercetin, green tea, berberine, plus 2 unique flavonoid complexes…..
Fasting can be supported by anything which helps lower inflammation, this includes the polyphenols and omegas listed above, plus herbs such as curcumin, boswellia and so on.
Resveratrol, pine bark extract, all NO2 boosters including aminos such as arginine and citrulline.
Green tea and green tea extract. Roobosh tea.
Insulin mimicking and supporting nutrients, including alpha lipoic acid, vanadyl sulphate, blueberry extract, bitter melon, cinnamon extract, gymnemma….
To support mitochondrial biogenesis; Co Q 10, PQQ….
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211383515000891
Berberine, salicylate (white willow bark),
Synergy is often more efficacious than using single source supplementation for example combining resveratrol with quercetin appears to have additive effects.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25669932
Appetite support;
It can be common to get a little hungry when you are first getting used to fasting. Keeping fluids up is really important, using a little salt or electrolytes also can help, especially if you get dizzy or headaches.
Green tea or weak coffees, including decaf are helpful also. Many people find 5HTP really effective to reduce cravings, and you can also use a little glutamine, inositol and glycine to help – these taste slightly sweet also. Prudent use of ketones in fasting phases can be of use to some people, however taking some coconut oil or MCT’s probably has a similar and cheaper effect on appetite suppression and maintaining ketosis.
Training support. Training while fasting can be hard especially if you train before your feeding window. Using aminos to support training and supply some energy and muscle support is a good idea. Amino acid formulas need to contain the full spectrum of essential amino acids, exercise specific support e.g. taurine / betaine and additional metabolic supporting cofactors. Metabolic Amino Complex is an example of a fully comprehensive low calorie formula to fulfil this requirement.
Example Day – here’s part of a client programme to rebuild brain function following an early onset stroke;
Programme with revolve around;
- Learning new tasks
- Supporting siesta to consolidate learning when possible
- Use of fasting and ketones to assist neuro-regeneration
- Specifically increasing certain foods and herbs in day to day cooking
- Avoiding alcohol (expect moderate), stress and neurotoxins wherever possible
- Increase exercise, sunlight and sleep support
- Regular sex (when possible)!
- Semi-ketotic diet and use of ketones / ketosis, fast mimicking compounds and supplements.
- High omega 3 intake
- Alternative therapies e.g. oxygen and ozone
NGF and BGFN these 2 growth factors are required for increase neurogenesis.
R5; Use 1-2 times daily after exercise and with supper– use before siesta
Focus Formula; Use in morning before learning session number 1.
Compounds vs insulin resistance; various but focus on berberine and guggle. Get metabolic optimizer.
Fish oil; take 2-3 fish oil capsules daily.
Phospholipids like Lecithin; Use in a daily power shake.
Nootropics; consider both noopept and piracetam also focus sustain
Prebiotics and probiotics; use and cycle these
Neurohometic foods; Read the document and include and cycle foods and supplementation
These include also dark chocolate, walnuts, green tea, cinnamon, pomegranate, pecans, artichoke hearts, most of the spices, any SIRT1 enhancing foods such as broccoli family – you guessed it the plant kingdom comes to the rescue again.
Do ‘reset’ once per month 60 hour fast.
Curcumin; take 2-4 capsules daily and use in food regularly.
Gugglesterones; cycle for 4 weeks on at first and then 2 weeks on, 1 week off.
Berberine; Use Daily as metabolic optimiser + source additional berberine
Green tea; Use daily as drink and cycle as a supplement.
Fasting protocols;
Suggest following approximate daily routine.
Wake Up;
Coffee + supplements.
COLD THERAPY easy in the pool in Spain. Otherwise find some cold water or take a long cold shower.
Daily learning 30-40 minutes. Language or memory training. Rest 20 minutes
Repeat if time 30-40 minutes; different activity. E.g. Juggling
AM Shake;
Ketones or coconut oil / MCT’s + R5 aminos + berries + fats (coconut and fish oil) + curcumin.
Exercise;
Suggested daily at least 60 minutes. Needs to be HIIT or aerobic for best brain effect.
Post exercise; Aminos as recovery (use blend) + probiotics + fibre (chia seeds) and lecithin. Special Loader Recommended.
Or take small protein only breakfast. Aim to match 50% of exercise calories.
AM; Working / projects / meetings.
NEXT MEAL;
Fast until 2-6pm. Then lunch as per 4WFL macros 2:1:1
E.g. Bone broth + prawns
Or protein salad.
AFTERNOON SLEEP; important. Try and get at least 30 minutes when possible.
Wake;
Decaf coffee / green tea / fluids.
PM; Working / projects / meetings.
PM exercise; specific body part e.g. abs / sauna. Learning e.g. Musical Instrument.
EVENING MEAL;
Largest of the day to fit with social.
We will also have periods of lower calorie intake at this time and load calories up at lunchtime and potentially in the morning also. E.g. once per month 5 days of PM meals only.
High polyphenol intake in general.
https://draxe.com/fasting-mimicking-diet/
https://medicinalherbals.net/list-ampk-activators-benefits-ampk-activation/
The metabolic optimizer has many of the AMPK herbs listed. In addition to this it would be worth getting a mitochondrial energy optimizer or looking at some key nutrients for mitochondrial energy function. Co Q 10, Alpha Lipoic Acid and acetyl – l – carnitine are key areas, DMAE is very good as part of the focus formula blend.
Metabolic optimizer ingredients are listed below with references;
Inflammation and AMPK
Nutrients and habits which support a lower energy environment will support higher levels of AMPK…