Fasting Q&A with Dr Jason Fung: Magnesium, Vinegar, Dawn Phenomenon, and More
Release Date: 09/16/2025
The Hunger Code: Understanding Hunger Beyond Willpower
The Fasting Method Podcast
A deeper look at hunger — and why overeating is not a willpower problem. Episode #240 🎙️ What if the real issue isn’t overeating — but over-hunger? In this episode, Megan Ramos and Dr. Terri Lance are joined by Dr. Jason Fung to unpack the ideas behind The Hunger Code and why focusing on calories alone misses the real drivers of eating behaviour. Together, they explore how hunger is regulated by hormones, how emotional and conditioned hunger influence our choices, and why so many people feel “broken” when the problem was never willpower to begin with. This conversation reframes...
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No More Compensating: How to Start the New Year Without Regret
The Fasting Method Podcast
A practical, mindset-focused conversation about starting the new year without punishment, panic, or regret. Episode #239 🎙️ What if the biggest mistake we make in January is starting from regret — and trying to “make up for” the holidays with extreme fasting? Megan Ramos and Dr. Terri Lance unpack why compensatory fasting and compensatory eating don’t work, how regret undermines consistency, and why every decision is simply your next decision forward. Drawing on years of coaching experience, they outline how to ease back into fasting after the holidays, put weight gain into...
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Fasting Foundations: Why the Basics Still Matter
The Fasting Method Podcast
A clear, practical conversation about why the fundamentals of fasting matter at every stage of the journey. Episode #238 🎙️ You don’t need intensity to make progress — you need the right foundation. Terri and Bethany revisit the core skills that support every fasting protocol, from TRE to therapeutic fasting, and explain why going “back to basics” is often the exact way forward. Through analogies, real client examples, and grounded coaching, this episode helps you understand how to build (and rebuild) your fasting framework with confidence. 👉 What you'll learn: Why foundations...
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One Week Won’t Ruin Your Journey
The Fasting Method Podcast
A grounded, compassionate conversation to help you stay steady during the chaotic in-between week of the holidays. Episode #237 🎙️ This strange, stretchy week between Christmas and New Year’s can feel like everything is falling apart — but it doesn’t have to. Terri and Megan share practical, mindset-supportive strategies to help you stay steady, release all-or-nothing thinking, and reconnect with the foundational skills that keep you moving forward. 👉 What you'll learn: Why one meal, one day, or one week cannot ruin your journey How to recognise and break the “smash the other...
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Letting Go of Perfection: How Alicia Learned to Work With Her Body
The Fasting Method Podcast
A heartfelt conversation on self-trust, mindset shifts, and healing without pressure. Episode #236 🎙️ What if the real breakthrough isn’t in doing more, but in finally slowing down enough to listen to your body? In this warm and encouraging conversation, Coach Amy sits down with TFM Community member Alicia Peters, whose journey through perimenopause, weight gain, and frustration eventually led her to profound mindset change. Alicia opens up about releasing comparison, embracing TRE as her foundation, and learning to work with — not against — her body’s signals. 👉 What you'll...
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Mindset, Hunger Management, and the Tools That Make Fasting Easier
The Fasting Method Podcast
How mindset, hunger management, and practical tools can make fasting easier and more sustainable. Episode #235 🎙️ Building healthy habits and a strong mindset is far more important than relying on willpower. If fasting feels like a battle of will, you’ve already lost. In this episode, Jason, Megan, and Terri talk about why mindset and hunger management shape your long-term success far more than “perfect” fasting. They explore how simple tools can help you stay consistent, reduce overwhelm, and make fasting feel more doable rather than more difficult. You’ll hear why hunger isn’t...
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You Can Do Hard Things (Even at Social Events)
The Fasting Method Podcast
How to handle social events, FOMO, and food without losing your fasting momentum. Episode #234 🎙️ December can feel like a non-stop swirl of social events, food traditions, and pressure to be “fun” around food. In this special Bitesize bundle, Terri revisits three powerful conversations on FOMO, boundaries, and doing hard things — especially when everyone around you is eating. This is your reminder that you can enjoy connection and honour your fasting and food choices. In this episode, Terri brings together three classic Bitesize teachings that always land especially well during the...
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Keeping a Hand on the Wagon
The Fasting Method Podcast
A story of calm confidence, healing, and letting go of perfection. Episode #233 What happens when you stop chasing perfection and start trusting your body? In this heartfelt conversation, Audrey shares with Coach Lisa how she moved from fear and confusion to calm confidence by embracing nourishment, community, and self-compassion. Audrey’s journey reminds us that fasting isn’t just about hours — it’s about listening to your body, releasing perfectionism, and keeping “a hand on the wagon,” even when life gets messy. What you'll learn: Why fasting alone wasn’t enough for Audrey...
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Strengthen Your WHY, Transform Your Journey
The Fasting Method Podcast
A warm, encouraging reset on identity, habits, and motivation. Episode #232 Your habits aren’t random — they’re shaped by the identity you carry and the WHYs that keep you moving forward. In this special Bitesize collection, Terri revisits powerful insights on motivation, identity, and the real reasons we follow through when things get tough. These reflections are the perfect reset for anyone wanting to reconnect with their goals. In this curated Bitesize episode, Terri brings together three foundational teachings on identity, habit-building, and meaningful motivation. She explores how...
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The Cancer Code: Dr. Jason Fung on Insulin, Fasting, and Cancer Prevention
The Fasting Method Podcast
In this special Q&A episode, Dr. Jason Fung joins TFM Coach Lisa and Community Mentor Patrice Michael to revisit The Cancer Code — five years after its release. Together, they explore how modern science is reframing cancer not as a disease of random genetic “bad luck,” but as an evolutionary and metabolic condition deeply connected to insulin, diet, and lifestyle. Dr. Fung explains how hyperinsulinemia, obesity, and processed foods create fertile “soil” for cancer to grow — and how fasting and nutritional strategies can help restore metabolic balance. He also discusses the link...
info_outlineEpisode #223
In this Fasting Q&A episode, hosted by Coach Lisa Chance, Dr. Jason Fung answers questions from the TFM Community:
1. I am a healthy 46-year-old working to improve my sleep, so I want to take magnesium bisglycinate. My magnesium supplement actually contains 7 forms of magnesium, which is very convenient, but is it better to just take one form in one capsule for absorption or any other reason? [01:23]
2. Two-part question on TFM’s Fat Fasting
One: Vinegar is not on the list, but you have mentioned that we can eat salads. Would it be okay to make a dressing with a healthy oil and vinegar during a Fat Fast?
Two: I've seen some mention to only eat 3-4 of the allowed foods on a fat fast. Is this an alternative manner to step up one's game during a fat fast? [03:58]
3. I just read about a study on stem cell research. Could you elaborate further what this may mean for those with pancreas, liver, or kidney issues? [08:11]
4. Are there any research-based studies that fasting helps lower cholesterol? [09:55]
5. I’m on day four of a water fast and I am noticing a metallic taste in my mouth. Is this unusual? Why does it happen? [13:46]
6. I have various autoimmune conditions and it was suggested I consider going on LDN (low dose naltrexone), and that this can also help with weight loss. I’m wondering what your thoughts are on LDN for weight loss and, if I decided to start it, how I would incorporate it into my fasting schedule. [16:09]
7. What is the difference between The Dawn Phenomenon and Feet-to-Floor Syndrome? From what I can find they both cause a rise in morning blood sugar, one due to circadian rhythm and the other due to a stress response from getting the day started. Is there a different eating/fasting protocol that is best for one over the other, and how do you know which one you are experiencing? [18:14]
8. Is kidney disease the cause of interstitial cystitis and how do you treat it? [21:05]
9. I have high uric acid and also the APOE 4-4 gene. Would the 3T of lime juice recommended for high uric acid affect the neural autophagy I use as a prevention for the dementia risk? What is the best way to navigate fasting with these two needs? [21:59]
10. Are there any dangers to keeping blood sugars in a consistently low range (50-60’s mg/dl) if no symptoms of hypoglycemia are felt? [24:55]
11. In some fasting groups on-line, they are big into breaking fasts with watermelon and fruit juices. How do you feel about breaking fasts with these things? [25:39]
Please note that you need to be a member of the TFM Community to submit questions to the Q&A webinars with Dr. Fung but you can submit questions to our regular Q&A episodes here: https://bit.ly/TFMPodcastQs
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Summary Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:23 Magnesium
03:58 Vinegar on a fat fast
04:56 Importance of monotony on a fat fast
08:11 Stem cell research
09:55 Fasting and cholesterol
13:46 Metallic taste in mouth on longer fasts
16:09 Low Dose Naltrexone
18:14 Dawn phenomenon vs feet-to-floor syndrome
21:05 Interstitial cystitis
21:59 High uric acid
24:55 Low blood sugar
25:39 Breaking fasts with fruit
Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional care by a doctor or other qualified medical professional. You should always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before doing any fasting, changing your diet, taking or adjusting any medication or supplements, or adopting any treatment for a health problem. The use of any other products or services purchased by you as a result of this podcast does not create a healthcare provider-patient relationship between you and any of the experts affiliated with this podcast. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.