BV #23: Keto Raises Stress, Sugar Lowers It (Ray Peat on Fasting & Blood Sugar).
Tue Feb 03 2026
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 and elevated fatty acid metabolism characterize the stress response
34:50 – ketosis mimics starvation and lowers the metabolic rate
36:50 – sugar is anti-stress and whether sugar is addictive
41:46 – once you add in carbs you won’t go back
44:12 – how your body adapts when you add in carbs following low-carb diets
48:30 – Ray Peat on the harmful effects of fasting
50:14 – the cost of stress and increased fat metabolism
52:06 – the dangers of releasing PUFA from storage and how long it takes to deplete PUFA
55:11 – strategies for protecting against PUFA
1:01:50 – how long it takes to see benefits from lowering PUFA and setting expectations for progress
1:06:00 – binge-eating and food addiction resolved with a bioenergetic approach
1:10:48 – how low-carb and keto diets cause intense cravings and food obsession while a bioenergetic approach resolves them
More
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 and elevated fatty acid metabolism characterize the stress response 34:50 – ketosis mimics starvation and lowers the metabolic rate 36:50 – sugar is anti-stress and whether sugar is addictive 41:46 – once you add in carbs you won’t go back 44:12 – how your body adapts when you add in carbs following low-carb diets 48:30 – Ray Peat on the harmful effects of fasting 50:14 – the cost of stress and increased fat metabolism 52:06 – the dangers of releasing PUFA from storage and how long it takes to deplete PUFA 55:11 – strategies for protecting against PUFA 1:01:50 – how long it takes to see benefits from lowering PUFA and setting expectations for progress 1:06:00 – binge-eating and food addiction resolved with a bioenergetic approach 1:10:48 – how low-carb and keto diets cause intense cravings and food obsession while a bioenergetic approach resolves them