Ep. 313 - Foundational Fasting for Holiday Stress | Why Emotional Eating Isn't Willpower Failure | The Gut-Brain Loop | Using Fasting to Reset Metabolism | Starting 2026 Strong | Join Our Next Fasting Challenge!
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In this timely New Year's episode, Dr. Scott Watier and Tommy Welling unpack groundbreaking research published in Cell Host and Microbe revealing why holiday emotional eating isn't a character flaw but a metabolic brain loop driven by gut-produced molecules that hijack your stress response. They explain how the microbial metabolite imidazole propionate (IMP) crosses into the brain and fundamentally alters stress-coping circuitry, causing a "freeze" response that makes you reach for food when overwhelmed rather than exploring healthier options. The hosts connect this mechanism to the 88% of Americans living with metabolic dysfunction, demonstrating how insulin resistance, gut dysbiosis, and blood sugar dysregulation create a vicious cycle where stressed brains default to emotional eating as a neurobiological coping strategy. They provide actionable solutions including establishing foundational fasting habits, using continuous glucose monitors for real-time feedback, removing ultra-processed foods that feed harmful gut bacteria, and implementing simple stress-management tools that rewire the gut-brain-metabolism connection. This episode offers scientific validation and practical strategies for starting 2026 with momentum rather than guilt-driven New Year's resolutions.
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Article Links: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41297540/