Is it safe to fast?

[Om Gnome]

Is it safe to fast with a bio-prosthetic valve? I don't mean 40 days or some multiple day fast, I'm talking about
16 to 20 hour fasts several times a week. Short fasts are a way to treat insulin resistance which is a precursor to
Type II diabetes. There are a lot of positives to giving yourself rest from food but I can't find anything definitive
about the effects of short fasts on the heart or valves. There are a few stories about people who participate in
Ramadan but that is only for a week, not a long term lifestyle choice.

 

[pellicle]

I can't imagine why it wouldn't be but then equally during a time of your body healing from a rather massive surgery (and were it not for modern medicine including antibiotics equivalent to a fatal wound) it would be (to my mind) critical to eat well during this period.
I would of course skip any high sugar foods and focus on (what I call) proper foods:

• vegetables (including greens and tubers)
• meats (including fish and land animals)
• cereals (like plain oats not sweetened or flavoured)
• milk (and milk products like plain yoghurts, cheese)

I fast occasionally but other members here fast more consistently than me that's for sure.

Actually all of the above (and cutting out bread from your diet or at least minimising it) will be good for you generally.

Best Wishes

 

[Chuck C]

I had my valve surgery 15 months ago and I have done regular fasting for 14 to 20 hours several days per week since then. It is also known as intermittent fasting or time restricted eating. As suggested by Pellicle, I think that in the immediate recovery period following surgery it is probably not a good idea to fast. I would estimate that I probably waited about 8 weeks following my surgery before easing back into limiting my feeding window.

Short fasts are a way to treat insulin resistance which is a precursor to
Type II diabetes.

Yes, absulutely. I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes at the time of the discovery of my valve. My current blood work would suggest that I have now reversed this with normal fasting and A1c levels. Some would refer to this improvement as somewhat of a remission, because I will still get hyperglycemia spikes if I eat high carb foods, especially if processed. Intermitent fasting has played a big part in improving my insulin resistance. I also have eliminated virtually all sugar, processed foods and starchy foods, which I believe plays an even bigger role in controlling hyperglycemia and improving insulin resistance. Regular exercise really helps too. Probably the best thing that a person can do to improve insulin resistance is to get to the recommended BMI range, which is 18.5 to 25.

You really want to avoid developing T2D and if you do develop it, you want to control it as much as possible with lifestyle adaptions.

 

[Om Gnome]

I had my valve surgery 15 months ago and I have done regular fasting for 14 to 20 hours several days per week since then. It is also known as intermittent fasting or time restricted eating. As suggested by Pellicle, I think that in the immediate recovery period following surgery it is probably not a good idea to fast. I would estimate that I probably waited about 8 weeks following my surgery before easing back into limiting my feeding window.



Yes, absulutely. I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes at the time of the discovery of my valve. My current blood work would suggest that I have now reversed this with normal fasting and A1c levels. Some would refer to this improvement as somewhat of a remission, because I will still get hyperglycemia spikes if I eat high carb foods, especially if processed. Intermitent fasting has played a big part in improving my insulin resistance. I also have eliminated virtually all sugar, processed foods and starchy foods, which I believe plays an even bigger role in controlling hyperglycemia and improving insulin resistance. Regular exercise really helps too. Probably the best thing that a person can do to improve insulin resistance is to get to the recommended BMI range, which is 18.5 to 25.

You really want to avoid developing T2D and if you do develop it, you want to control it as much as possible with lifestyle adaptions.

Thanks for the positive comment. Wasn't planning on fasting right away but I am trying to get a healthy lifestyle in place for the long term.

 

[dornole]

Hey Ramadan fasting is 30 days not just a week, and every day. Give credit where credit is due!

 

[pellicle]

Hey Ramadan fasting is 30 days

but they can eat at night right?

Fasting during Ramadan means abstinence from all food or drink, including water and chewing gum, from dawn to sunset​

in hot dry country that seems like a pretty stupid thing to do to me.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5525471/
but then given that "Gods Plan" is a mystery it may indeed be a good way to kill off the weak in society.

Shalom

 

[Om Gnome]

Hey Ramadan fasting is 30 days not just a week, and every day. Give credit where credit is due!

My bad. I'm not up on most religious rituals.

 

[dornole]

Yes during Ramadan you can eat and drink during evening and predawn hours, hence why it’s similar to an intermittent fasting regime, though definitely a challenging one. Living in Northern latitudes has its own challenges as the days are longer.