You're welcome! But if you ever meet someone who is trying to lose weight or get off diabetes medication and seems like they've plateaued, this sardine fast could bump them back into motion.
Great to hear you did it Tim. There are different foods you can use for the so called "monodied". As we discussed in our podcast there is also the possibility of steamed vegetables like Asparagus, courgette, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato etc. So maybe next time you write about another choose ;-)
Yes, as Kristi pointed out, Salmon would work too. I think rather than try it with any sort of carbs it’s easier to do and more effective while in ketosis, so a straight up water fast would also get similar results I bet. But without any food it can be difficult! The sardines had the advantage of being very filling and I didn’t eat much, where something like Brussels sprouts would lead to me eating a lot, since I love those.
Yes at the end you could also use salmon or sardines or go for the vegetables I mentioned. Nevertheless, each food in the MonoDiet has a different approach.
Like you already stated, sardines give a more ketosis-oriented approach due to their high fat content. Salmon on the other hand, follows a similar path but is loaded with Omega-3s, supporting anti-inflammatory processes. Vegetables in contrast are e.g. more fiber-based, which enhances digestion and gut health.
Another completely different approach is water fasting, where you consume nothing but water. By the way, I just completed a 60-hour water fast and I will write an article about my experience.
Water fasting works through autophagy, where the body breaks down old, damaged or toxic cells (including misfolded proteins and "zombie" cells that no longer function properly). Since no new food is coming in, the body redirects its energy toward self-cleaning, which may help in preventing diseases.
That’s why we always need to define the purpose of fasting, what exactly do we want to achieve? Different fasting methods serve different goals, so choosing the right one for our needs is key.
Thanks for the great discussion! Looking forward to more insights.
I used the strips you pee on. Not the best measurement I know, but I’m on a budget here! Especially for someone who has used intermittent fasting and stints of carnivore diet like I have, most of the ketones get used up by the body and I wouldn’t be peeing them out. Only the excess would show up on the test so most likely my numbers in a blood ketone test would have been higher.
I’m sure it will wear off in a couple weeks, but right now the thought of even one sardine is a tad bit off-putting. I could go for the soya sauce, lemon and Serrano pepper though!
This is so interesting. Thanks for documenting your experience. I didn’t realize sardines would kick up your ketones. I did a 90 day keto challenge once and ended it with a 72 hour fast. I felt great!
The only ones I could find were canned. My least favorite were the Brunswick sardines, which were bigger and had a challenging flavor, to say the least. The best were the Italian ones in seasoned olive oil.
Salmon would be okay, I bet. I could totally eat salmon every day. Maybe I will try it again but without the canned yuck fish! I could compare results.
One thing this challenge does is show you how food cravings and hunger are totally tied to what you’ve been eating on a daily basis. By eliminating everything else but sardines, all of the food noise was entirely gone. Super interesting from that point of view.
Thanks for doing that, so I don't have to!
You're welcome! But if you ever meet someone who is trying to lose weight or get off diabetes medication and seems like they've plateaued, this sardine fast could bump them back into motion.
Great to hear you did it Tim. There are different foods you can use for the so called "monodied". As we discussed in our podcast there is also the possibility of steamed vegetables like Asparagus, courgette, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato etc. So maybe next time you write about another choose ;-)
Yes, as Kristi pointed out, Salmon would work too. I think rather than try it with any sort of carbs it’s easier to do and more effective while in ketosis, so a straight up water fast would also get similar results I bet. But without any food it can be difficult! The sardines had the advantage of being very filling and I didn’t eat much, where something like Brussels sprouts would lead to me eating a lot, since I love those.
Hey Tim,
Yes at the end you could also use salmon or sardines or go for the vegetables I mentioned. Nevertheless, each food in the MonoDiet has a different approach.
Like you already stated, sardines give a more ketosis-oriented approach due to their high fat content. Salmon on the other hand, follows a similar path but is loaded with Omega-3s, supporting anti-inflammatory processes. Vegetables in contrast are e.g. more fiber-based, which enhances digestion and gut health.
Another completely different approach is water fasting, where you consume nothing but water. By the way, I just completed a 60-hour water fast and I will write an article about my experience.
Water fasting works through autophagy, where the body breaks down old, damaged or toxic cells (including misfolded proteins and "zombie" cells that no longer function properly). Since no new food is coming in, the body redirects its energy toward self-cleaning, which may help in preventing diseases.
That’s why we always need to define the purpose of fasting, what exactly do we want to achieve? Different fasting methods serve different goals, so choosing the right one for our needs is key.
Thanks for the great discussion! Looking forward to more insights.
How did you measure ketones?
I used the strips you pee on. Not the best measurement I know, but I’m on a budget here! Especially for someone who has used intermittent fasting and stints of carnivore diet like I have, most of the ketones get used up by the body and I wouldn’t be peeing them out. Only the excess would show up on the test so most likely my numbers in a blood ketone test would have been higher.
I love sardines w soy sauce, lemon and serrano peppers 🐟🐟🐟💕
I’m sure it will wear off in a couple weeks, but right now the thought of even one sardine is a tad bit off-putting. I could go for the soya sauce, lemon and Serrano pepper though!
lol yeah, you almost started meowing 🐟🐈
This is so interesting. Thanks for documenting your experience. I didn’t realize sardines would kick up your ketones. I did a 90 day keto challenge once and ended it with a 72 hour fast. I felt great!
If you ever do another keto adventure, you could kick it off with sardines!
Yes! Thanks for the tip!
Just the term '72 hour sardine fast' makes me cringe. I don't mind them, but couldn't imagine eating only that for so long!!! 😂
It was a rough go. I have a few cans left over that are gonna collect dust. Might have to donate them.
Haha! Did you have any dried sardines? That sounds like an interesting snack, but I can't find any for sale or a good method for making them.
The only ones I could find were canned. My least favorite were the Brunswick sardines, which were bigger and had a challenging flavor, to say the least. The best were the Italian ones in seasoned olive oil.
Gross 😝 Kudos to you for even trying. Can't we do the challenge with salmon instead?
Salmon would be okay, I bet. I could totally eat salmon every day. Maybe I will try it again but without the canned yuck fish! I could compare results.
Maybe I'll give it a shot with salmon!
Just be careful with salmon. Farm raised has a ton of toxins in it. Wild caught is ok.
Our house has a strictly enforced farmed-fish ban. Would not eat.
I watched Seaspiracy. 🤢 It changed my entire opinion about eating fish in general.
I haven’t heard of that show, but I’ll look for it!
Definitely watch it. It's pretty sad and mostly shocking.
I watched that too. Eye opening
I may give this a shot. Great read.
I would love to hear about it if you try it! We could do a Live Video
Deal
Wow interesting experiment but not sure if I could brace myself to try it! I don’t mind sardines but I probably would hate it after if I did this lol
One thing this challenge does is show you how food cravings and hunger are totally tied to what you’ve been eating on a daily basis. By eliminating everything else but sardines, all of the food noise was entirely gone. Super interesting from that point of view.
Okay now that's an interesting tidbit.
Hey, you don’t know unless you try. And now you know!!!
Too true. I've done other experiments, this won't be the last!
I reckon canned salmon would deliver similar results with less suffering