Live At 9: One Doctor Explains Why Intermittent Fasting May Not Go Far Enough

After a three-day weekend, filled with all the food and drink that goes with that, could you follow up with another three days of no food? Dr. John Jaquish says the answer is “yes,” and goes further to say that the popular intermittent fasting trend does not go far enough.

Full Transcript

Alex Coleman: We are facing a three-day weekend, likely filled with parties and picnics and all the food and drink that goes with that. But could you follow that up with another three days of no food?

Marybeth Conley: That may be the secret. Dr. John Jaquish says the answer is “yes,” and goes further to say that the popular intermittent fasting trend does not go far enough. He is live with Daniel Maygar who’s been following the principles of the doctor.

Daniel, as I understand it, you use these principles to lose fat and we’ll get to that in a second but Doctor first, this 2 - 3 day total fast can also boost the immune system, which during this covid time is important. Explain your idea here.

Dr. John Jaquish: Yes. All the ideas are observations made in studies by others. Most Western physicians don’t realize how much research has been done in the Middle East during Ramadan and other religious holidays. The results are fantastic and they fast and while they are not doing it for weight loss or health-related purposes, it gives them clarity of mind, they become more alert, a little faster and they do that for spiritual reasons.

When you look at the health implications, they are phenomenal and they do outperform calorie restriction.

Marybeth Conley: Wow. So, Daniel, I’m wondering how this will work for you? How are we talking about fasting as the doctor pointed out vs calorie restriction? What burns fat and creates muscle for you?

Daniel Magyar: So for me, intermittent fasting gives a variety of foods after I break my fast and I fill up on essential nutrients that my body needs and I don’t have to portion small meals as I used to. So right now, it is a lot easier for me and my clients to get the right nutrients and not have to prepare six small meals every 2 - 3 hour basis. So pretty much, we will eat 1 - 2 big meals a day and then we fast for the rest of the day.

We also use the X3 which stimulates muscle growth and helps us to build muscle after we get the nutrients in intermittent fasting helping us burn fat.

Marybeth Conley: As I understand it, intermittent fasting might take you 18 hours without food, you are suggesting that with a longer period, your body produces a hormone that at 36 hours helps your body produce muscle.

Dr. John Jaquish: Well at 36 hours, you are producing about 2000% of your normal resting growth hormone. Now growth hormone is inappropriately named. It should be called repair hormone and it doesn’t grow muscle, it protects you from losing muscle so your body prioritizes body fat to be sacrificed as opposed to muscle tissue when you are dieting. Now, this doesn’t happen when regular caloric restriction.

Another thing that Daniel and I talk about all the time is the fact that when you are fasting, you are not hungry. This is obviously what screws people up. You have small meals and insulin goes up until you are satiating.. so basically people who are eating these small meals are just angry all the time.

So intermittent fasting keeps you in a controlled mental state.

Marybeth Conley: How long do you do it and how long a period is an ideal fast? I gotta tell you I did it for 37 hours this week, to test it out and I was about to eat my computer. So what’s the ideal length and how often should you do it?

Dr. John Jaquish: My favorite is 72 hours because that fully regenerates your immune system. So your white blood cells are completely refreshed and ready to handle anything and in the times we live, that’s very important to people.

Marybeth Conley: Like once a week, once every 2 weeks?

Dr. John Jaquish: Well I can do 3 days once per week.

Alex Coleman: Wow. That’s great. Well thank you Doctor and thank you, Daniel.