About this episode

The episode discusses Ray Peat's views on fasting, stress responses, and the effects of sugar and low carb diets on health.

In this episode we discuss: Ray Peat’s ideas about fasting and the stress response Why relying on fatty acid oxidation is inherently stressful Free Energy Balance Food Guide: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/guide The Nutrition Blueprint: https://mikefave.com/the-nutrition-blueprint/ Theresa's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingrootswellness/ Timestamps: 0:00 – intro 1:03 – Ray Peat’s view on fasting for 12–15 hours without triggering stress 4:22 – the true definition of stress and how much stress is optimal 9:18 – how the efficiency of glucose metabolism and glycogen storage impacts stress 12:23 – whether we agree that fasting for 12–15 hours doesn’t cause stress in healthy people 17:05 – do hunger signals mean the stress response has already started? 21:08 – the short- and long-term costs of low carb diets 22:22 – finding balance between eating frequently to reduce stress and spacing meals out strategically 24:47 – why meditation, magnesium, and other tools don’t stop physiological stress 27:04 – Ray Peat on what happens when stored glucose (glycogen) runs out 28:53 – hypothyroidism as a driver of poor glucose utilization and liver glycogen storage 31:50 – stress hormones…

People in this episode

Host: Jay Feldman Wellness

Guest: Ray Peat

Topics covered

• fasting
• stress response
• glucose metabolism
• low carb diets
• ketosis
• sugar

Keywords

• fasting
• stress
• glucose
• ketosis
• sugar
• low carb
• metabolism

More episodes of The Energy Balance Podcast

• BV #27: GLP-1: The Metabolic 'Credit Card' You Can't Pay Back? · April 27, 2026 · 1h 8m
• FaceIQ Realizes the Truth & Carnivores Can't Cope · April 16, 2026 · 45 min
• BV #26: Carnivore Doctors Don’t Get Insulin, Stress Hormones, and the True Cause of Fat Gain · March 25, 2026 · 1h 8m
• BV #25: Carb Confusion: Blood Sugar Spikes, Fat Gain, and the True Cause of Alzheimer’s · March 19, 2026 · 1h 7m
• Low-Carb and Fasting Caused Bloating, Low Energy, and Constipation · March 5, 2026 · 55 min
• BV #24: Nick Norwitz Says Calories Don’t Cause Obesity. Is He Wrong? · February 24, 2026 · 53 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Energy Balance Podcast podcast page.