Fasting is going well, not too much problem resisting food, just have to ignore the habits. No pain, no unreasonable cravings, and not actually that distracting.
Just a quick word about fasting and “ketosis.” If I understand this correctly, during fasting your glucose levels start to drop so the liver shift to metabolizing fatty acids. Some of the fatty acids metabolize into ketones which can function as sources of energy. The liver cannot use the energy itself so the ketones spill out to the rest of the body much of it ends up in the brain. Obviously, this is a very simplified explanation.
In one of the groups today, the fearless leader mentioned he was going to do a “niacin flush.” A niacin flush is what happens when you take a large amount of niacin at once. For an hour or so your capillaries dilate, and you experience a “prickly heat” sensation to your face and upper body. There are a lot of Google search entries dedicated to alleviating this apparently unpleasant experience. But the flushing is harmless.
But fearless leader is doing this on purpose. There are apparently a lot of benefits to doing this, including lowering cholesterol and, in his words, “cleaning out any fats and triglycerides.”
Niacin Flush: Heart-Healthy Treatment or Hazardous Health Risk?
The literature also says that flushing can contribute to weight loss, detoxes the body and some other good qualities.
Well, stay tuned folks I may try this. Sunday might be a good day for it. Obviously, I will not be able to attest to the benefits, since I will not have any scientific tests to back me up, and I am already on a path to weight loss. But I will be able to describe in detail what the experience is like and provide a subjective report. And at some point, I might get those tests done.