Interesting new data

[Pbsoup]

Just saw this USC study about possible use of intermittent fasting and increasing effectiveness of hormonal treatment. (And read it right after I had seconds at supper...so much for fasting!)

news.usc.edu/173485/fasting...

[Hidden]

Wow! Thanks so much for sharing! I've been doing IF for....a long time? A couple of/few years?...after having read something about it from UCSF Osher.

What I found especially interesting - and news to me - about the study you shared is that they think the fasting can delay resistance to fulvestrant/faslo (and Tamoxafin..I wonder if these were the only drugs they tested it with?) And I've seen in other studies that fasting prior to chemo treatments reduces toxicity...

I've definitely logged the fasting as "might help/won't hurt, so why not?", plus I did notice very quickly that I felt better in general. And I lost about 5% of my body weight (I'm a healthy weight so 5% was significant, but still kept me within a good range).

I know we've got a number if IF-ers on the site...I do scratch my head wondering why everyone wouldn't just make this simple change...but of course "to each her own"...

Again, thanks for sharing...

Lynn

[Pbsoup]

Adding the link to the Nature article that talks in more depth. It seems to suggest IF supports Ibrance as well. My sense on this is no harm, no foul? nature.com/articles/s41586-...

[Hidden]

Thanks for sharing. I try IF, thanks to Josie who introduced me to it.

I’m not strict with it and eat if I get hungry, which doesn’t happen often.

Sometimes I have seconds for supper as well!!

Clare x

[viennagirl]

I think intermittent fasting is very helpful. I have tried it and I felt absolutely loaded with energy. I stopped eating for 5 days in a row at 3:00 p.m. and I didn't eat again until about 10:00 a.m. the next day. It felt great and I am going to do it again starting today. But I think 5 days might be a bit long so I will do it for three days this time. It is not easy in the summer when such lovely food abounds. But it does feel like the body heals during this period of time. Hugs Marlene

[caw517 in reply to viennagirl]

I am thinking about trying this . But I wondered what did you drink during this time of no eating. I have had issues with dehydration this summer.

[viennagirl in reply to caw517]

Hi, I drink tea and sometimes miso broth when fasting but no juices or anything sweetened - mostly just water and green tea. I am happy to hear that you want to try it. It is not difficult at all. Stop intaking food by 3:00 pm and don't eat - just drink fluids that evening. I take two or three of ounces of soy milk with my Ibrance and Letrozole in the early evening around 6 or 7 o'clock in the evening. There is about a 15 minute spell of feeling hungry and then I drink tea and the hunger goes away. In the morning I am not hungry at all and don't feel like eating until about 10:00 a.m. One day I went to 11:00 a.m. It still surprises me that fasting like that makes me feel better. But I don't plan on taking a 5 day fast any more because it seemed like I was losing weight too fast. So I think 3 days s still helpful. Then I go back to normal eating (stopping around 6:00 pm). I no longer snack in the evenings. I think I sleep more soundly during my IF. Let us know how you feel on such a fast as it is helpful to know. Hugs Marlene

[ktopaz]

Interesting Information!

[Hidden]

The article doesn’t mention fasting hours. Could any of you share how many hours you fast and how often? I am very underweight so I probably shouldn’t fast for too many hours. There is also an article underneath it that mentions fasting with high dose vitamin c. Anyone on here do both? Just curious as I rely heavily on supplements/alternative treatments alongside ibrance/letrozole. Thanks for any info that can be shared! Mandy

[Pbsoup in reply to Hidden]

If you are underweight you might want to share the studies with your oncologist and ask him/her.

[Hidden in reply to Pbsoup]

My onco is so by the book that she won’t comment on anything that hasn’t been proven in studies. I probably need to seek out an integrative onco! I feel like if I could get all my calories in 10 hours or so I would be ok. I’m just wondering how many hours are needed to fast and be beneficial?

[Pbsoup in reply to Hidden]

I think some people do 8/16. That’s what I’m trying. It’s hard because we tend to eat late. Even so as weight loss can occur I’d be careful.

[caw517 in reply to Pbsoup]

I am very new to this so by that do you mean not eating for 16 hours.

[Pbsoup in reply to caw517]

In my dreams lol. Other way around. You eat for 8. But the 16 includes time you are sleeping.

That said do your own research too. I think the UCSF Osher center website might have articles. They are a proper integrative medicine center affiliated with a major research hospital

[Barbteeth in reply to Pbsoup]

That’s easy to do then...have your last meal at 6 pm and breakfast at 10 am the following day...think I’ll do this as I’m terrible for picking at cheese and crackers before bed!!... and it’s habit not hunger

Barb xx

[viennagirl in reply to Pbsoup]

Thank you for those details. Hugs M.

[viennagirl in reply to Hidden]

Hi lluvpuppies, Jane McLelland says that taking ordinary Vitamin C tablets when you have cancer is not useful because the cancer feeds on it. But taking Lipsomal Vitamin C or intravenous Vitamin C is okay because it goes straight into the blood stream. I don't know if she is right about this but I do love her book and believe that her system of eating and drugs did save her life. I haven't fasted at the same time as taking Liposomal Vitamin C but I don't think it would hurt. Because you are under-weight I think you should ask your Oncologist if fasting is good for you. I fast for about 18 to 20 hours. I stop eating at 3:00 pm and don't eat until the next morning around 10:00 a.m. If I hear anything else I will put the information out there. Fasting does make me feel good. Hugs Marlene

[WordNerdSharron]

My husband has had splendid success with intermittent fasting for healthy weight loss and maintenance. I have not tried with him as seriously since I need to gain weight. We are exploring ways to modify so that I might push more calories into a tighter time frame. Thanks for the link!

[viennagirl]

Thank you Sandra. I read the first big section of this article and I am happy to hear that STF is useful for people like us with mbc. Hugs Marlene

[hurricaneheather]

i'm a 'participant' and supporter. one of "my" doctors (friend, too), Kristi Funk, is a proponent of the aforementioned, particularly ProLon, the 5 day fasting mimicking kit. i own the book, The Longevity Diet. further, under the guidance of Kristi, i have started ProLon. i spoke with Dr. James Kelley, L-Nutra & ProLon, about ProLon. he has high regard for Kristi and was ok with me using the 'kit,' particularly since Kristi is "my" doctor and recommended it to me.