Can Fasting Improve Metabolic Health? | Dr. Alan Goldhamer

SoulSpeak Episode 1: In this inaugural episode of SoulSpeak, we explore a question at the intersection of science, discipline, and personal responsibility: What role might medically supervised water‑only fasting play in metabolic health and long‑term healthspan? We begin with Dr. Alan Goldhamer’s professional journey. What led him to focus on prolonged, medically supervised fasting, and how his work has challenged conventional paradigms in prevention and lifestyle medicine.In this conversation, Donna Karaba speaks with Dr. Alan Goldhamer, founder of TrueNorth Health Center, to explore his experience supervising more than 25,000 medically supervised fasts and contributing to clinical research on water-only fasting and whole-plant-food nutrition. Dr. Goldhamer shares research-informed insights into:✔️ The physiology of prolonged water-only fasting✔️ Clinical research examining markers associated with metabolic health✔️ Safety protocols and medical supervision✔️ Whole‑plant‑food nutrition and structured refeeding✔️ Visceral fat and metabolic risk✔️ Emerging questions in longevity and healthspan researchIf you’re interested in fasting, metabolic health, longevity, or medically supervised dietary interventions, this episode offers a grounded, research-informed perspective.About Dr. Alan Goldhamer Dr. Alan Goldhamer is the founder and director of TrueNorth Health Center in Santa Rosa, California.  Since 1984, the Center has specialized in medically supervised water‑only fasting. Dr. Goldhamer has supervised over 25,000 medically supervised fasts and has published research on water-only fasting and plant-based nutrition in peer-reviewed medical journals. He is the co-author of The Pleasure Trap and Can Fasting Save Your Life?About TrueNorth Health Foundation Founded in 2011, TrueNorth Health Foundation advances evidence-based knowledge regarding the study of medically supervised water-only fasting and exclusively whole-plant-food nutrition. The Foundation conducts clinical research, trains clinicians in supervised fasting protocols, and publicly shares research findings to expand biomedical understanding of fasting and its relationship to long-term health.Resources Mentioned For information about TrueNorth Health Center’s services and screening process, visit: • TrueNorth Health Center: https://www.healthpromoting.com • TrueNorth Health Foundation: https://www.truenorthhealthfoundation.org • Fasting.org: https://www.fasting.org Books: • The Pleasure Trap • Can Fasting Save Your Life?About Donna KarabaDonna Karaba is an executive coach and host of SoulSpeak: Where Purpose Meets Presence. After two decades in enterprise technology leadership, including managing global accounts at Applied Materials and leading worldwide strategic alliances at Sun Microsystems, she pivoted into executive coaching. For more than twenty years, she has coached C‑level executives, founders, and leadership teams navigating growth, reinvention, and change. Her work explores the intersection of authentic leadership, alignment, and purposeful transformation.Topics covered:  Water‑only fasting • Medically supervised fasting • Metabolic health • Cardiometabolic risk • Hypertension research • Plant‑based nutrition • Visceral fat • Metabolic syndrome • Longevity science • Healthspan research • Preventive health #MetabolicHealth #FastingScience #SoulSpeakPodcast Medical DisclaimerThe views expressed in this interview are those of the guest and are provided for educational and informational purposes only. This content is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Prolonged fasting and dietary interventions are not appropriate for everyone and should only be undertaken under the supervision of a qualified medical professional. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, medications, or health regimen.This discussion references medically supervised fasting conducted in a licensed clinical setting with appropriate screening and monitoring. It is not intended as instruction for unsupervised fasting. This discussion does not constitute medical advice and reflects current research perspectives, which continue to evolve.