Transcript
Hey, it’s Ellen Britt, co-publisher of the IF Insider, here with your IF longevity tip of the week. You can read our tips, learn how to integrate them into your longevity practice, find links to other info, and leave a comment if you like by going to IFInsider dot com.
Here at the Insider, Denise and I consider it our duty to keep you informed about the latest tips and trends regarding longevity. So when I ran across references to something known as the sardine fast, I knew I had to investigate.
Sardines are one of those foods that most people either love or hate. You likely already know these tiny fish are considered a superfood, as they are high in protein and Omega-3 fatty acids.
Plus, they are very low on the food chain, so are not as apt to have a significant accumulation of mercury or other toxic heavy metals in their flesh. I happen to like sardines, but I’m not overly crazy about them, so the idea of a sardine “fast” got my attention.
The sardine fast is the brainchild of Dr. Annette Boz, known as Dr. Boz to her social media followers. She runs a 21-day metabolic reset type of challenge from time to time and the sardine fast is something that she advises everyone who is participating in her 21-day program do for the first 3 days…that’s 72 hours…so they can quickly get their blood glucose numbers down and their levels of blood ketones up, which is a signal they are burning fat.
Here’s what she instructs them to do:
For the following 72 hours you are only going to consume one food item and that item is…you guessed it…sardines. She also specifies sardines in olive oil. This is not a “fast” in the traditional sense, in that you are not abstaining from eating during these 72 hours.
In fact, you can eat whenever you are hungry…but, when you eat, it must be only sardines, whether that’s eating them in the morning, or at night or both…Dr. Boz does not care. And the amounts don’t matter either. Just so it’s all sardines, all the time.
The reason Dr. Boz advocates sardines is they contain short and medium-chain triglycerides, good fat from the olive oil they are canned in, and a good amount of protein so they are very satisfying to the appetite.
Because you have absolutely NO carbohydrates coming in, this 3-day regimen is supposed to quickly lower your blood sugar and increase your body’s production of ketones so it’s a kickstart for people, especially those who are really insulin resistant.
Really if you think about it, it’s a 3-day ketogenic diet, but using fish instead of other sources of fat and protein. Even outside the 3-day sardine fast, Dr. Boz is a big advocate of having people eat a ketogenic diet all the time but I have my reservations about that.
As for what I think of the idea of the sardine fast, I don’t think for anyone who is in reasonably good health it could hurt, although even if you like sardines, but by the end of that 3rd day I can see how someone could develop a lifelong aversion to them.
Could you substitute other kinds of cold water fatty fish such as salmon for the sardines? I can’t really see any reason why not, especially if you hate sardines.
So, there you have it, the mystery of the sardine fast solved. If you have tried this fast, we would love to know about your experience with it, so just post a comment under this recording at the IF Insider.
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Want to take a deeper dive into increasing your health span? Check out The Longevity Experience by going to The Longevity Experience dot com. Don’t forget the “The.” See y’all next time!
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IF Insider Longevity Tip: Could a 3-Day Feast of Sardines Unlock Your Health Potential?