Intermittent Fasting, OMAD, Ketosis, Autophagy for Scleroderma: Medical Doctor Explains Pro/Cons

fasting for scleroderma does it help and is it sustainable that’s the topic we’ll dive into today we’ll be discussing various fasting methods such as water fasts intermittent fasting one meal a day and the pros and cons of ketosis hi I’m Dr Tan ooser a surgeon who specializes in reversing complex inflammation naturally using the Mind get immunity method we’ve refined our methodology over the past 12 years and helped thousands of patients recover and we look at conditions such as Scleroderma and solve the root cause as you know by now from the hundreds of research papers on the topic the gut microbiome plays a significant role in modulating the immune response in Scleroderma and if you want to find out how we fix these issues schedule a discovery call with me and I’ll provide you with some helpful tips and how to get started there are several studies that describe fasting in the setting of scleroderma here’s a 2023 paper that analyzes the effect of intermittent fasting on autoimmune disease such as claraderma I’ll break down the study on fasting but I’ll also share personal insights into how fasting impacts claraderma in the long run to begin it’s important to understand that 80% of your immune system resides in your gut this area is known as mucosa Associated lymphatic tissue or malt Mt for short this tissue contains trillions of immune cells that react to what’s inside of your intestines so what’s in there mainly food and a bunch of microbes including bacteria fungi and viruses these microbes break down food particles and produce secondary and tertiary metabolites these metabolites can trigger an immune response and that’s why it’s crucial to not only eat the right types of foods but also maintain a healthy and balanced microbiome to address Scleroderma check out my other video titled ideal diet for scleroderma which I’ve Linked In the description below in that video I discussed four criteria use to determine if the diet is going to be effective or not and spoiler I’m a big supporter of the phytonutrient diet or phyto diet and we use it frequently at the clinic and see excellent results when combined with a Precision microbiome recalibration many of our patients experience rapid improvements in their symptoms often within weeks I encourage you to watch that video to understand more about the role of phytonutrients in Scleroderma management now the four criteria I use to evaluate whether any dietary approach Works including fasting phytonutrient density and diversity macronutrient requirements microbiome specificity and food sensitivity if you’re curious about why these factors matter check out the ideal diet for scleroderma video like I said earlier which is linked in the description I’ll also give you a quick recap here so you don’t have to switch between videos phytonutrient density and diversity phytonutrients are powerful micronutrients that play a key role in reducing inflammation in Scleroderma and other Ana positive Auto immune diseases numerous Studies have highlighted the role of phytonutrients in managing Scleroderma here’s a 2023 study that reviews the role of the gut microbiome disbiosis and potential microbiome based interventions such as prebiotics probiotics dietary modifications and personalized treatments in Scleroderma this 2024 study analyzed the potential benefits of circumin a natural compound found in turmeric for treating skin diseases emphasizing its well-known anti-inflammatory anti oen antimicrobial properties here’s a 2023 study that explored the impact of Resveratrol a natural polyphenol on Scleroderma revealing its ability to reduce fibrosis and inflammation and highlighting its potential as a treatment option phytonutrients are molecular compounds found primarily in plants and fungi and they offer significant health benefits in Scleroderma these include commonly known terms such as superfood micronutrients and an antioxidants research consistently shows that incorporating phytonutrients into the diet can help alleviate symptoms of Scleroderma and these phytonutrients fall into several categories you have Turpin polyphenols chlorophyll thiocyanates phyto enzymes phyto oils prebiotics and alkaloids while there are other smaller groups such as betal Lanes from beets and herone from mushrooms focusing on these eight categories will cover most of your phytonutrient needs a lack of these crucial nutrients can disrupt the important mind gut immune connection making it harder to manage inflammatory conditions like Scleroderma the goal is always to maximize and optimize your intake of phytonutrients from everyday foods and by maximize and optimize I mean increasing both the variety and the density of phytonutrients in the diet this is essential for overall health and a Diet lacking in phytonutrients makes it much harder to overcome inflammation during fasting we tend to consume very few if any phytonutrients while you may feel temporary really better when your digestive system has less to process the absence of these crucial nutrients means that proper immune regulation isn’t happening as soon as fasting ends the Scleroderma symptoms can return one suggestion I have is to incorporate herbal teas into your routine and if you’re considering a water fast or several days of intermittent fasting with six or 8 Hour eating window herbal tees are rich in phytonutrients like polyphenols and Turpin which can help reduce inflammation without adding calories next macronutrient requirements for scleroderma macro is short for macronutrients these are the carbohydrates fats and proteins all of which the body requires to function properly I’ve got a tool on my website called the macro calculator which will help you figure out your body’s maintenance requirements based on factors like height weight age gender and activity level it’s important to understand that these macronutrient estimates are based on ideal physiologic function however when fasting you won’t be able to get these nutrients in the long term or at best you may be getting them in reduced amounts now let’s take a look at the different types of fasting you have water fasts which are 24 48 or 72 hours or even up to 5 to 14 days you have total caloric restriction which is consuming fewer than 800 to 1,000 calories a day without any eating window restrictions you have intermittent fasting which is eating within a 6h hour 8 hour 10 hour or 12-h hour window and you have one meal a day omad consuming all of your calories in just one meal whichever fasting method you use the underlying benefit comes from ketosis in ketosis your body stops using carbohydrates for energy and starts relying on stored fat and muscle instead supporters of fasting also emphasize a process called autophagy where the body cleans up old and damaged cells which has anti-inflammatory effects but here’s the issue while fasting strategies May temporarily relieve Scleroderma symptoms they almost always return so what happens is second time the third time or long term if you just keep fasting when the symptoms return eating can become even more challenging you might feel bloated fatigued or low energy after meals and these symptoms can make it very difficult to eat properly creating a vicious cycle that’s hard to break especially if you’re underweight a body mass index BMI of 18 or lower can be particularly concerning for people with Scleroderma and you can easily calculate your BMI using a BMI calculator that’s on our Clinic’s website if you’re if your BMI is below 18 that’s a serious issue I’ve treated patients with BMI as low as 13 which is extremely rare when someone with Scleroderma has a low BMI it means that their body is in a catabolic State breaking down muscle and protein instead of building it up which can slow healing many of these patients struggle to tolerate food and need careful coaching to reintroduce it into their diets and the reason I emphasize this is that the solution to a dysfunctional gut microbiome should never involve food or stopping eating altogether even if fasting makes you feel better in the short term trust me I used to fast myself and I can understand the appeal but instead of avoiding food focus on reducing inflammation first then return to normal eating habits and when I made this switch and when my patients did as well the results were more sustainable unfortunately many people with Scleroderma have given up on finding the right diet and may end up avoiding food entirely here’s a recent study that shows how intermittent fasting for prolonged periods can increase the risk of cardiac death furthermore if you have a caloric restriction for long periods of time and we’re talking over several days weeks and months of intermittent fasting various issues can arise you have weight loss and muscle wasting thyroid dysfunction cortisol and sympathetic endocrine dysfunction sleep disturbances protein calorie malnutrition which impedes wound healing and inflammation control nausea reflux of feeling of fullness and decreased appetite severe intermittent fatigue and the reason that I emphasize this is that the solution to a dysfunctional gut microbiome should never be to stop eating or avoiding food altogether instead the focus should be on reducing inflammation first and then returning to a normal balanced diet unfortunately many people struggling with Scleroderma have given up on finding the ideal diet and may resort to just avoiding food which only makes the problem worse if you’re trying to determine the ideal macronutrient balance for managing Scleroderma the key is to focus on fats carbohydrates and proteins to reduce inflammation I recommend that around 50% of your daily calories come from fats with carbohydrates and proteins each making you up about 25% the reason carbohydrates make up a smaller portion of the diet especially at first is because harmful gut bacteria and candida in particular thrive on sugar they love carbs and if your microbiome is already out of balance feeding it sugar will only make the problem worse you essentially have bad bacteria and funguses in your intestine which are being fed sugars carbs and fats and creating inflammation that inflammation is traveling to your connective tissues all over your body and creating symptoms associated with Scleroderma simple sugars like glucose and fructose can stimulate the growth of both harmful bacteria and fungi and similarly simple starches such as those found in processed flour can lead to bacterial and fungal overgrowth this observation comes from my extensive experience working with thousands of patients rather than specific scientific studies if your goal is to lose weight you may want to reduce both carbohydrates and fats further while increasing your protein intake and lowering overall calories on the other hand if you’re trying to gain weight you want to increase your total caloric intake and adjust your carb and fat ratios for a more balanced approach tracking your macronutrients can significantly help you achieve your desired health goals in Scleroderma recovery it takes effort but it’s well worth it this approach will not only improve your diet balance but also contribute to better long-term Health outcomes and scarer so just a recap the criteria I use to judge whether a diet will work for reversing the inflammation longterm in patients with Scleroderma are the following phytonutrient focused meeting nutritional requirements microbiome specificity and avoiding food sensitivity as I mentioned earlier feel free to check out some of my other videos or refer to the description below for additional resources you’ll find links to a body mass calculator a guide to different types of phytonutrients needed to manage Scleroderma a macronutrient calculator to help you track your daily carbs fats and protein needs and a fiber and starch guide to help you avoid carbohydrates that can worsen gut microbiome dysfunction as I’ve mentioned before I help my clients formulate their diets based on these principles and they tend to do quite well the severity of these symptoms often decreases significantly within a short period of time and many people with Scleroderma are able to reduce or even completely stop their medication and live healthier more fulfilling lives I’m a strong advocate of the phyto diet which which I use routinely for my clients it’s an effective diet for recalibrating the gut microbiome and addressing issues related to phytonutrient deficiency this diet also helps avoid food sensitivities while meeting long-term nutritional needs for those who are undereating this typically means increasing your food intake specifically eating more foods that will not only help you gain healthy weight but also heal inflammation in the right way by following this approach you can avoid many of the negative consequences of long-term undereating reversing the effects of fasting can be hard work but with the right plan it’s entirely possible okay one last thing I would love to hear your thoughts below comment on the type of foods that exacerbate your inflammation especially if you have Scleroderma and what have you done to avoid them and finally if you like this video please like And subscribe and be sure to share this video with someone you think it can help this is Dr tanri with the Mind G immunity clinic and I’ll see you next time