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How My Opinion of Fasting Changed After Talking to Dr. Jason Fung

  • Writer: Dr. Mindy Pelz
    Dr. Mindy Pelz
  • 2 hours ago
  • 3 min read

EP359 with Dr. Jason Fung




I’ve been teaching fasting for years. So when I sat down with Dr. Jason Fung, I expected us to agree on most things.


But there were also several moments when I found myself reconsidering how I have thought about fasting, especially longer fasts, modified fasting, and what it actually means to “break” a fast.


Dr. Fung has been one of the most influential voices in the fasting movement. His work helped move the conversation away from calories and toward hormones, insulin, and the way the body decides whether to store or burn energy. Now, ten years after publishing The Obesity Code, he says newer research has made him even more interested in the potential value of longer fasts.


What surprised me was how flexible his approach has become. He explains that a strict water-only fast may not always be necessary. In some cases, bone broth, olives, avocado, or another small fasting aid may help someone continue for several days while preserving many of the metabolic benefits. That challenges the idea that fasting only works when it is perfect.


It also raises a better question: What approach helps you go far enough to receive the benefit without turning the experience into a battle with your body?


We also talk about hunger and why it is much more complicated than an empty stomach. Dr. Fung describes three types of hunger: physical hunger, reward-seeking hunger, and conditioned hunger. Once you understand which one is driving you, food noise begins to make much more sense.


This conversation did not change my belief in fasting. It expanded it, and I believe it will do the same for you.


In This Episode:


  • How Dr. Fung’s thinking has evolved since writing The Obesity Code

  • Why the calorie-focused model of weight loss leaves out hormones

  • What the body decides to do with the calories you eat

  • The difference between water-only fasting and modified fasting

  • Why modified fasting may be easier to sustain

  • Whether eating during a fasting window automatically eliminates the benefits

  • Dr. Fung’s perspective on GLP-1 medications

  • How to approach the first meal after a fast

  • Dr. Fung’s three foundational rules for metabolic health


Resources Mentioned:



Meet the Guest

Dr. Jason Fung

Dr. Jason Fung

Dr. Jason Fung is a physician (kidney specialist), researcher and New York Times best-selling author currently practicing in Toronto, Canada. trained in Los Angeles and Toronto and currently practices as a nephrologist (kidney specialist). His books, including The Obesity Code, The Complete Guide to Fasting, The Diabetes Code and The Cancer Code have challenged conventional thinking about these diseases, and introduces dietary strategies to manage them. The Obesity Code has sold over 2 million copies and has

been translated into 33 languages in 36 territories across the world. He is the co-founder of The Fasting Method (www.TheFastingMethod.com), which provides the education, tools and community needed to successfully implement intermittent fasting and is the medical director of the The Diabetes Code Clinic in Toronto, focused on type 2 diabetes remission.




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This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial, legal, or medical advice. Please consult a qualified professional about your individual situation.

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