A Six-Part Series and Getting Started

This collection brings together a six-part series exploring the science of fasting alongside a practical guide to getting started with 16:8 intermittent fasting.

The series begins by questioning long-held assumptions about meal timing and examines what actually happens in the body during a fast — from the metabolic switch to fat burning, through autophagy and cellular repair, to hormonal changes, immune renewal, and the neurological effects that fasting practitioners often report as mental clarity. Each installment weighs the research honestly, distinguishing strong evidence from speculation and noting where the science is still
catching up to the claims.

The final piece shifts from understanding to doing, offering a stepped approach to building a 16-hour fasting practice, drawing on personal experience rather than theory.

I’ve been doing 16:8 intermittent fasting for years and recently started 48-hour fasts — dropping about three pounds each fast, gaining one or two back, and trending steadily downward. I wanted to understand what the research actually says about what I’m doing to myself, so I worked with Claude (Anthropic’s AI) to produce this series. I set the structure, chose the topics, pushed back on claims that felt hand-wavy, and guided the editorial tone. Claude did the writing and research synthesis. My curiosity driving Claude’s research and prose.

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