BV #23: Keto Raises Stress, Sugar Lowers It (Ray Peat on Fasting & Blood Sugar).
From The Energy Balance Podcast by Jay Feldman Wellness
February 3, 2026 · 1h 15m · Episode 169
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
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