036 - Fasting: The Good, the Bad, and the Unnecessary

Podcast Description

Fasting has become one of the most talked-about tools in health and performance — and one of the most misunderstood.

In this episode, Joe takes a long-form, no-hype look at fasting: the good, the bad, and the unnecessary. Drawing from personal experience, current research, and decades-old wisdom, this conversation breaks down what fasting actually does in the body, when it can be helpful, and when it quietly becomes a liability.

Joe shares his own six-month fasting experiment, including daily time-restricted eating and a 72-hour water fast, and explains how his thinking evolved through exposure to researchers like Dr. Satchin Panda and Dr. Rhonda Patrick. The episode explores fasting through multiple lenses — metabolism, digestion, cognitive function, fat loss, hormonal health, sleep, performance, and recovery — while addressing common misconceptions and oversimplified claims.

You’ll learn:

• What fasting actually is (and what it isn’t)
• Why fasting can feel powerful at first — and why it sometimes backfires
• How fasting affects digestion, brain function, fat loss, and metabolic flexibility
• Why fasted training is often unnecessary for most people
• Who should not be fasting, including athletes and women trying to conceive
• Clear signs that fasting is no longer serving you
• How to use fasting as a short-term, corrective tool instead of a lifestyle identity
• Practical guidance on journaling, meal timing, and knowing when to stop

This episode isn’t about convincing you to fast. It’s about giving you a framework to decide — intelligently — whether fasting belongs in your life at all.

Because fasting isn’t the goal.

Function, recovery, and long-term health are.

Episode Sponsors

BIOptimizers

High-quality digestive enzymes, magnesium, gut health, and performance supplements that Joe personally uses and trusts.

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👉 https://bioptimizers.com

👉 https://bioptimizers.ca (Canada)

ATP Labs

Clean, pharmaceutical-grade supplements focused on performance, recovery, and long-term health.

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