BV #23: Keto Raises Stress, Sugar Lowers It (Ray Peat on Fasting & Blood Sugar).

In this episode we discuss:   Ray Peat’s ideas about fasting and the stress response Why relying on fatty acid oxidation is inherently stressful   Free Energy Balance Food Guide: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/guide The Nutrition Blueprint: https://mikefave.com/the-nutrition-blueprint/ Theresa's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingrootswellness/   Timestamps: 0:00 – intro  1:03 – Ray Peat’s view on fasting for 12–15 hours without triggering stress  4:22 – the true definition of stress and how much stress is optimal  9:18 – how the efficiency of glucose metabolism and glycogen storage impacts stress  12:23 – whether we agree that fasting for 12–15 hours doesn’t cause stress in healthy people  17:05 – do hunger signals mean the stress response has already started?  21:08 – the short- and long-term costs of low carb diets  22:22 – finding balance between eating frequently to reduce stress and spacing meals out strategically  24:47 – why meditation, magnesium, and other tools don’t stop physiological stress  27:04 – Ray Peat on what happens when stored glucose (glycogen) runs out  28:53 – hypothyroidism as a driver of poor glucose utilization and liver glycogen storage  31:50 – stress hormones and elevated fatty acid metabolism characterize the stress response  34:50 – ketosis mimics starvation and lowers the metabolic rate  36:50 – sugar is anti-stress and whether sugar is addictive  41:46 – once you add in carbs you won’t go back  44:12 – how your body adapts when you add in carbs following low-carb diets  48:30 – Ray Peat on the harmful effects of fasting  50:14 – the cost of stress and increased fat metabolism  52:06 – the dangers of releasing PUFA from storage and how long it takes to deplete PUFA  55:11 – strategies for protecting against PUFA  1:01:50 – how long it takes to see benefits from lowering PUFA and setting expectations for progress  1:06:00 – binge-eating and food addiction resolved with a bioenergetic approach  1:10:48 – how low-carb and keto diets cause intense cravings and food obsession while a bioenergetic approach resolves them