As you’re probably aware, I’m a big fan of time-restricted feeding.  In my last blog I covered why I think it’s a valid alternative to calorie restriction, check it out here.  And in incredibly good timing, there’s a new Found My Fitness podcast covering this very topic!

While I don’t think this is an overly complicated topic, most of the time people seem to ask the same questions.  In this Youtube video, which can also be found in podcast form here, Dr. Satchin Panda and Dr. Rhonda Patrick cover a lot of the questions people ask.  In addition, they cover some cool areas of science you may not be aware of.

Some of the wonderful nuggets found in the episode include:

• How TRF affects general cancer risk and some specific data in breast cancer
• Does TRF benefit IBS?
• How does TRF affect gastric acid output?
• The negative implications of shiftwork and how TRF may help
• How can shiftworkers use TRF to prevent the negative health aspects of shiftwork?
• Mouse studies showing increase in lean body mass from TRF
• Does TRF affect autophagy?
• Protection from childhood obesity with TRF
• When can you start a child on TRF?
• Does the time of day you’re fasting matter?
• Do you need to do this every day?
• Does meal frequency matter?
• What’s the best feeding window length?
• Do things like coffee count?
• Future studies in TRF

They also discuss an ultra-cool way that Dr. Panda is using to crowdsource data in Time-restricted feeding.  Basically, he and the folks at the Salk Institute have developed an App that allows you to participate in research by sending in pictures of the food you eat.  Since the pictures are time-stamped, they can look at how TRF affects your health, anonymously of course, provided you are 21.  That App can be found here.

This is a pretty innovative way to speed up the science in this interesting new field.  Certain things that TRF affects have a very subjective component, such as how you’re sleeping or how TRF affects digestion.  Since you can’t ask a mouse how they’re sleeping or pooing, they can ask you through the App and can go back to look at stored mouse tissues.  This helps identify which mechanisms from TRF need to more study.

Now, I’m fully aware that many people would prefer that I just dissect the episode and give away this information in a blog.  But since Drs. Panda and Patrick put in 2 hours of their time and countless hours of preparation, I don’t think that’s cool.  So put it on and go for a walk, a run, or listen to it on your way to work.  Trust me, it’s worth 2 hours of your time so check it out!