New doctor is a rough situation since there’s no rapport. Take evidence/studies to their doorstep. Outline your plan for preparing, during, and exiting the fast. Do whatever you need to give this new doctor a reason to trust your judgement. If you can build this relationship well, it’s worth it imo
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In my case, I have an established relationship (good one) with my GP. When I first talked about it, she was hesitant. We have a history of me experimenting with my illness in safe ways so she trusted my judgement and the bit of information I’d brought to the table
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After my first few extended fasts and went back for a followup and she had very well informed questions prepared like how I was handling refeeding, my electrolytes, what my entry/exit conditions were, how I was replenishing - things like that. After we discussed that, her reservations were eased to the point that she’s now pretty excited at the possibilities. Drastic changes in my symptoms where nothing to date has made such a big impacts really perked up her ears. In our last appointment, she mentioned she has a convention in a couple of weeks and has already reached out to some colleagues who are deep into the ideas of fasting as a medical tool and will bring what she finds out back to me
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Some professionals you aren’t going to be able to get through to but it’s always worth trying. If you can’t build a trusting relationship, you might want to consider looking into a transfer if that’s an option (keep in mind that’s something you shouldn’t even consider for a long time since it’ll take time to build a trusting relationship and you won’t know in the short term if it’ll work out)
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Sorry to hear about the resistance you’re fighting and good luck in changing their opinion of you and your choices
Not surprising. Extended fasting is still kind of a fringe thing in the medical world, although shorter intermittent fasting is starting to be more accepted. Doctors are mainly trained in how to deal with illnesses with drugs, with very little knowledge about nutrition and lifestyle counseling other than to tell people to “eat healthy and exercise more.” I went to medical school (though I’m not a physician), and I can remember only a few lectures on diet and obesity!
Get another doctor. Mine doesn’t blink about fasting. I was in a Mayo hospital earlier this year, admitted from the ER. I was in the middle of a week-long fast and told them when I got into the room that I didn’t want to eat (minor, non digestive system injury). Nobody had a negative thing to say. They simply stopped my getting a menu request form each day. And one of my nurses was an intermittent faster.
They don’t know you you have no relationship so I wouldn’t take it that they are being anti fasting they are giving advice based on written documentation that could be used against them. The medical world has become very litigious and they are more likely wanting to avoid being sued. Refeeding syndrome is a real thing so they aren’t just making this up. I had it after a fast for no apparent reason doing the same thing I’d done every other time and it was a wildly unpleasant experience. It’s fair that they would want to warn someone of that.
Of course they won’t promote it. If fasting can fix the insulin resistant, cure certain cancer, reverse aging process then the need of pharmacology is lessen. However, you should do lots of research and check your BMI or your health condition before getting in prolonged fasting as well. I just don’t think it’s necessary to ask our family doctor since most likely they’ll be against it anyways. https://youtu.be/hlkhGTGOGaYFollow this doctor. He’ll simplify what you need to know n how to refeed yourself safely afterwards as well. Good luck !