60. Intermittent Fasting / Brian Gryn
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Brian Gryn is an intermittent fasting expert, wellness coach, author, and human movement specialist. What began as a personal exploration into fasting has turned into a thriving business, helping spread the power of intermittent fasting worldwide with Intermittent Fasting Certified Coaches. On today's episode we talk about the ins & outs of intermittent fasting. I love Brian's approach about removing the specific rules around eating, and allowing some flexibility and freedom with the structure of fasting. Can't for you all to listen!
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Katie Kay Graham
Okay, before we dive into the episode, I am just so thrilled at some of these workshops coming up, I finally am getting some stuff together to offer workshops and some movement classes and things like that. So I want to share what I'm doing what I'm offering so that you guys can jump in and give yourself your body as much love as it deserves, which it deserves the world. So let's get into it. So the first is a body love workshop (https://katiekaygraham.com/workshops). And I'm just so thrilled. I'm just I know my heart and soul 100% is going into this, I really want to help you build a new relationship of your body. And so do we movements, and then also discussion and meditation. This includes a bottom up process of therapy, where movement, moving the nervous system, and then also top down. So we'll talk about bringing in a new perspective of your body will add in some spirituality and looking at what is your purpose of your body, and then really help you feel more grounded and stable, and then bring in that clarity and empowerment. So that will be at enlightened wellness and Park City. So if you're in Park City or close by, I really invite you to do that in person, you will get more benefit of the yoga and me being there with more hands on adjustments, and just being with a community is really valuable. However, if you're not able to be in person, the online option is also going to be amazing. So that's the first one.
And then the second one, I'm offering an outdoor yoga class,(https://katiekaygraham.com/workshops) which I just love being out in nature. And you get all those benefits of being outside and I Melanie Webb's episode was brilliant, and talking about the actual science of being outside. And those benefits of connecting to the vibration of the earth. So I love having this offering being outside that will be at Jeremy ranch at Circle J clubhouse. And I will have all the details in the show notes. That's gonna be Tuesday nights at 530.
And then the third one we're also planning an intuitive eating workshop (https://katiekaygraham.com/workshops). And this will be at PCYC in Park City, Aug 5th.
But all of this you guys, all of these workshops are here, they're here to help you move through those bodies struggles helping you achieve what it is that you truly desire, living in a body that you love, so that you can be in that expansive place. And your time and energy can be focused more on creating meaning and purpose in your life and spreading your beautiful light. When we're trapped in the struggle when we're trapped in the body, you know ups and downs and that time and energy, we really don't have a safe place to ground us in the intention of spreading our purpose and light and bringing in clarity and doing manifestations. So we really need to build that foundation first. And so healing the body these workshops are really profound, I just couldn't be more excited. These are the things that changed my life change how I felt in my body and changed my perception of my body and of myself. So that's why I really want to offer these things out to out to all of you. It's just a beautiful way to spread the light and joy and really make a big change in your life. So I couldn't be more thrilled about all of these but all of these will be on the newsletter so all of this that's what our little hub is I will be sending out all the information so if you're not on our newsletter yet, make sure to sign up that will be in the show notes as well. And then yeah the information for each workshop will be in the show notes the body love workshop, the Outdoor yoga, and then the free coaching. And then once we have the intuitive eating workshop lined up, make sure to be on that newsletter so that you get all the details. Okay, thanks for letting me rant about those epic workshops. I'm so thrilled, I hope to see you there. And let's just get into this episode.
Katie Kay Graham
Hey, guys. So today, we have Brian grin on the podcast, I am so excited I, when he reached out to me, I was thrilled because I really wanted to talk about intermittent fasting. I've known a little bit about it. But I've also kind of pushed it away, because I've been nervous about getting into something that is more structured that has maybe, quote unquote, rules around it. So I thought maybe it had more control mentality. And so I really was inviting Brian in to talk about some of these beliefs around this kind of eating. And I just want to open up and be curious and invite more perspectives on, obviously on to the podcast, and then into my own eating and into all of our eating perspectives. Because I just think that's really valuable. The more that we can learn, the more perspectives that we can share into our lives, the more that we can open up and maybe invite some of these practices in intermittent fasting could be the thing that really helps you build a new, stronger foundation of your eating practices of your relationship to food, and really help you live in a body that you love, that you can feel safe, and that you can feel empowered in. And that's the goal, right? We want to help you achieve your desires in your body and Allah into your life. So Brian is here and we talk about intermittent fasting, we kind of look at it from a lot of different angles, which is fun. And we do talk about what is intermittent fasting, and what are the benefits and give this overarching idea of what it's about, but less about the rules and less about this is how you need to do it. And that's what I really loved about Brian's philosophy of including this kind of flow and ease around it and also permission to experiment with what works for you. So even we know in the whole diet culture, there's definitely no one size fits all. But in the intermittent fasting itself, we don't have to latch on to this specific way and how to do it perfectly. And we dive into that today. You guys know me, I love to dig into the ego and question some of those limiting beliefs, and bring that sense of curiosity. So if you're interested in intermittent fasting or curious about it, and you want to learn more about it, this is the episode for you. So I'm just really excited to offer this. Brian is great. He's awesome. He has a book, a podcast, a digital course, he is an expert in the field of intermittent fasting, and wellness coaching and movement specialists. So he really knows a lot about this stuff. And it just great. It's great to talk with him. Great to have him on the podcast. So I'm really excited. And yeah, sit back and enjoy the episode.
Brian Gryn
Okay, thanks so much for having me on.
Katie Kay Graham
Yeah, this is gonna be really fun. And I'm excited to get into intermittent fasting and what it's all about. And I know a little bit I've read a few things on it. But I'm also just really curious, I've heard some good things and some bad things. So I definitely want to dive into that. And we can kind of explore this whole topic. But I first just want to know, I'm really curious about your own background, Brian, and your story about how you got into this work and why are you so passionate about teaching and helping other people?
Brian Gryn
Yeah, so Well, I've been involved in health and wellness for like 20 years now. And I used to train individuals in and out of a studio. And so I was big into strength training, I think early on, like my parents instilled that in me probably in like high school, which was great, sort of like built a foundation. And then when I got out of school, I was I just knew it was something that I wrote that I wanted to go down and it's evolved over time. I mean, regarding like, fasting and, and eating habits and things like that. I think I realized that training people was only one piece of the puzzle. So I was introduced to actually she was a client of mine had introduced me to fasting and she was like, pre diabetic and was looking for a way to sort of get her health and in order. And I sort of just watched by this, she had someone guide her through fasting, she had a naturopath, holistic practitioner, guide her, and she just got such great results. I thought it was just really interesting. I wanted to try it myself. And, you know, now I'm what 42 This is when I was like mid 30s. And yeah, I just, I don't know, I had great results as well. Just felt more mental clarity felt like I almost like got my body back to where it was maybe like 10 years ago, and just thought it was a great tool to have. So yeah, I've been involved with health for a long time. And then, you know, just got more and more to coaching people through not only fasting, but I have like a whole blueprint that I take people through. But so it's it's evolved over time. But yeah, I just love spreading the word about fasting and, and how it can just be a great tool.
Katie Kay Graham
Yeah, that makes sense. Going from focusing on strength training and exercise. So were you a personal trainer for people just helping them with strength training and exercise as well, before you got into the, into the fasting.
Brian Gryn
Yeah, I was and I was always into nutrition. But then I started to get, you know, study more and more about it realized that I needed to add that in to get max results for clients. So
Katie Kay Graham
yeah, yeah, I think that that's common, like we focus on the exercise and the doing and the training. And then we're like, oh, yeah, the whole diet piece of the puzzle is also very important. And so that makes sense that evolution. So with this intermittent fasting brand, what were those results that you personally saw, and when you kind of, you know, dove into that process, experimenting with it, where you just like a light bulb went on, and you were like, this is something this is the tool that really, you can see improvements. And that is why I want to share it with other people.
Brian Gryn
Yeah, I mean improvements for myself, I would say that the biggest thing was like, I think it allowed me to just like, not that I had like an eating problem. But like, it just helps you gain control of like, when when you're going to eat, I guess it puts structure in the day. And I think that's like really important for myself, it was really important for myself, and then also for clients. Because, you know, nowadays you can get food in like 1010 minutes, and just, you know, download an app and whatever have it sent to you or whatever. And I just think that it gives it gave me structure, I mean, the main benefits, like mental clarity. I did like find that, like my abs came back better. So I think it just helped, like, I wasn't doing it for to make a big change in my body. But I did find that it did help me lean out a little bit and but also gave me like structure throughout the day and mental clarity as well.
Katie Kay Graham
Yeah, that makes sense. I think a lot of us are looking for that structure. And the control. And the control can be a tricky thing, because we can kind of go on either end of the spectrum of control. And it's kind of finding that sweet spot where we're not, you know, gripping on with both hands to obsessively, which I feel like I can fall into and I start controlling, especially my diet. But I think for a lot of the listeners too. They're looking for something sustainable, and something with stability. And at some point, we just get so sick of this up and down cycle and the craze of the diet culture. And Brian and I were actually talking about this a little bit before we hopped on to the interview, and just getting kind of consumed by all of that. And at some point, I think you really gain that clarity of this isn't working. This is just overtaking myself, my meaning and life, my purpose, time and energy and I really need to find something that is more stable and sustainable and something that's really going to make me feel good. And so that was one thing with intermittent fasting that I shied away from was I was a little bit worried about it being a short term, like fasting for a certain amount of days or weeks and then it kind of it be maybe a little bit more time and energy consumption in that and not as sustainable. So what did what do you have to say about that, Brian?
Brian Gryn
Yeah, I mean, I think that fasting is a tool that that everyone can use, men or women and I think that as long as it's used in the correct manner, it's something that it's, it's what I like about it is it can be used with any type of eating style. So whether you're a carnivore or vegetarian, it can be implemented. And what what also is I like about it is the fact that, you know, it's simplistic, right? Like, when things get complicated, people don't follow things. And the simplicity of you're either in a Fed state or you're fasting, I think it's just makes people like, not get overwhelmed. And, you know, because we have new diets coming out every, you know, every month, or a new way of eating, or you hear oh, I should, maybe I should just do carnivore, no. But you know, vegetables have these anti nutrients, so I shouldn't eat them. And I hear all that stuff. And, you know, I think it's a little bit of a self experimentation, I'm sure you talk about, it's not like a one size fits all thing. And just because one person's eating or are doing a certain type of fast that, that you should do it. So I think that it has to evolve for each individual and find out, you know, what eating style works for them. And, and, and then maybe what type of structure around that eating style works. So
Katie Kay Graham
yeah, yeah, totally, I think that self experimentation of being in that place of curiosity. And then also, when you get to that place, that you're totally fed up with these ups and downs, you're willing to have the patience to look at new things, try them out, and see if they work or don't work. And I definitely feel like for some people, like this will probably be an awesome tool that will work. And I always love to talk about tapping into your higher self and kind of that spirituality. And that part is connecting to each of our own unique truth within, so that yeah, of course not, there's not one practice, that's going to be fitting one size fits all for all of us. But I always invite the listeners just to listen to their intuition to kind of help them be a little bit more curious and and look at these practices like intermittent fasting and just being like, Oh, this might work, this could be kind of a curious thing that I can try out. And if it feels good, then that would be something that they would want to pursue. And you're talking about all these trends. And then, like, vegetables are good, vegetables are bad. And then carnivore diet and like all of these different things, the more I read, and the more I try all these different things that always comes back to how does it feel for me and my body. And I always have to come back to that intuitive place. Because I'm gonna have every single expert out there, tell me, this is right, this is wrong, and then flip it 180 degrees. So it's all kind of this experimentation process. I just love how you said that?
Brian Gryn
Well, yeah, and you're noticing it now at least I'm noticing it. Because you know, a lot of people that let's just say some influencers that I followed from the last seven years, you know, there's some there were some big ones like Thomas de Lauer, who's a big fasting guy, and then Mike muscle with now he I just watched a video on how he's sort of scaling back fasting. So you know, I think that, and I think there's nothing wrong with that. And you're seeing that with people who you are following, or you're thinking that like, their opinion is gold. Well, you know, they've, they had this rhetoric for a while, and now they're sort of going back on it a little bit. And, you know, that doesn't mean that just because you've been doing a certain type of fasting style for a while means that you have to do that your whole life. Like even for myself, I mean, I play I'm playing around now with having days where maybe I consume a little bit more, and I'm not as restrictive as far as my eating window. And then other days where, you know, it's the other way around. So I really don't think there is a right or wrong. But just for like, people who that aren't into, like the health game like we are, I do think you have to start with something, some type of, of like, way of eating and follow that and just see how that feels for a while. Don't do it for a day or two and then get off. I think you have to give it time to evolve. I think that's important.
Katie Kay Graham
Totally, yeah. And it goes back to what we were just talking about control it you do have to have a structure for anything new that you're starting something to follow. And then you're talking about your own process of just having that day to day, kind of like that loose grip onto it so you know what you're doing, but you're also allowing yourself permission to relax in the structure of it. I think that's really, really important. And for me, it's gone back to those deeper, deeper rooted wounds. So uh, receiving some of those internal belief systems of I'm not good enough, I'm not doing enough, I'm not worthy, I really had to dress those to find that loose and kind of flow and ease with my eating with my practices with trying things. Because I think that's when we really get in that control mentality and really grip on to that structure of believing everything has to be perfect, is when we are just, basically subconsciously, we're being driven by those deeper emotional wounds. And I just bring that up, because it's, there's multiple layers, right? So I just want the listeners to know that it's not bad, like nothing is bad, I know that everybody's heart is in the right place. It's just knowing that maybe if you're having some issues with that control mentality, we might need to dive in a little bit deeper and look at what's really driving driving those decisions. Because once I, once I started looking at some of those deeper things, that's when things really started to change. And it wasn't that hard. Like, I mean, heart is in like noticing that and going into it. But I mean, the work is hard, like moving through those deeper things. But you know, diet and exercise, I feel like when we talk about this, we really need to bring up that there's spiritual components, there's limiting beliefs, there's subconscious driving factors that we just need to be aware of, and be cautious of when we're, when we're looking at these practices of changing how we're eating.
Brian Gryn
I totally agree. I mean, one of the things that I think people have to really dial in to is like, if they want to make a change, like why are they wanting to make that change? You always hear like, find your why. But no, there's there's a lot of truth behind that. Because you can if you're not totally committed, and and you don't have a true thing driving you then it's really tough to make changes.
Katie Kay Graham
Yeah, yeah. And I saw that either on your website, or on your bio sheet of having a strong intention, when you start, start doing the intermittent fasting. So let's get into this whole process of what is intermittent fasting? And like you're saying, starting with your why starting with a strong intention? And then what are the kind of those steps like what if somebody just kind of like, oh, I don't really know what intermittent fasting is? Can you give us a little breakdown of that? Brian?
Brian Gryn
Yeah, well, I mean, intermittent fasting is simply just abstaining from food for a certain period of time, you'll hear time restricted eating, you know, and you'll hear a lot of different ways that to term it. alternate day fasting, there's a lot of different ways to do to do fasting. So I would say that, yeah, it's just a period of time where you're not consuming calories. Some people get confused, or like, Oh, can I have this? Can I have this? And it can just get a little bit, you could probably drive yourself crazy. But I think a good rule of thumb is if you're not consuming calories, now people be like, Well, what about a black coffee? There's really not calories in that. And I would say, that's fine. I mean, there's a lot of these, like, fasting, like training wheels, if you want to say that you can use you know, even if you have people like well, what if I put a little cream in it? And I think that that's all good. And well as as well. I mean, we can talk about a lot of different things. But I think you can have tea and coffee and sparkling water and things to, you know, to sort of help you get through certain fasting times, especially starting just starting out. Or you could just do a water fast, you know, but the Yeah, the bottom line is it's just going periods of time without eating and, and like we talked about earlier, just a way to structure your your eating times.
Katie Kay Graham
Right. And so what are those windows? I know, it varies, and people do it differently. But what are those windows? Where your amount of time that you're fasting?
Brian Gryn
Yeah, I mean, it depends on the individual, I think that the perfect time is the one that you're going to find that you're going to do consistently, right? It's like, well, what's the perfect workouts, the one that you're going to do? And that you enjoy, and you know, obviously not everyone enjoys working out but and that everyone enjoys fasting. And definitely there's some learning curves. I mean, I remember when I first started doing it, I was like, I'm like a big golfer, I'm like, I remember going into the round, I was like okay, I'm just not going to eat and like I had like these hunger pains in the middle around like, Oh, this is not going so well. So there's definitely a learning curve, but I think if you can ease yourself into it and find the fasting times that you know just fit well within your schedule. A lot of people like to take advantage of like the overnight fast right because we're not eating in the middle of the night. And then push slowly push back breakfast back until a certain time that's like the most popular I would probably say, but you know, you're seeing a lot of date. You're seeing a lot of info now we're early time restricted eating can be advanced can be a big advantage as far as just not eating too late. And having that eating window when the sun's up And so I think that can go a long way as well. But, but again, if you're just starting out, I would just find a time where you're probably most busy, because that'll be the easiest time to fast.
Katie Kay Graham
Okay, that makes sense. And so what I've heard in the past is, and I've done, and I kind of naturally do this, but I finished eating by seven, and then I don't eat until nine or 10 in the morning. So that what I've heard is it's kind of this idea of 14 hours. Is that correct?
Brian Gryn
Yeah, yeah. If you go from seven, I'm horrible with math. But yeah, if you go to seven till 10, the next day, that's, yeah, five, and then another. Yeah. I mean, that's right around there. I mean, again, I getting caught up in the nuance, I think so like, I think maybe in the beginning, it's good to track and see, but like, now for me, like I don't like I'm like, Oh, I have to go 20 Today, or I have to go 19 hours today, I just sort of go with the flow. And depending to I've been messing a little bit around with feeling how my workouts are both in a fasted in a non fasted state? And I know that's a common question. I get a lot. And as much research as I've done on this topic, I've never found like a perfect answer. So I think it depends on the individual, I actually enjoy working out in an empty stomach and fasted, but but I have been messing around with having a little something a few hours before and just seeing how my energy is during the workout. So anyways, I know that's off topic, but so yeah, so starting out 16th eighth is probably like a really popular one where you're, you know, let's just say you fast, you have an eating window from noon to eight, and then you fast the rest of the time. But I like your early one. I personally think if you could stop eating at least three hours before you going to bed. I think that's great for you know, blood sugar regulation for helping with digestion and sleep. And we all know how important sleep is. So yeah, I liked the earlier window. I think it's a great place to start.
Katie Kay Graham
Yeah, yeah. And I like how you're just allowing it to be really flexible. I just love that mentality of like, Don't get caught up in the nuances of it. Like it's a period of time where you're not eating and then the other period of time you're you can eat. And so during that time where you're eating food, is that just kind of like this free for all situation, or what does that look like?
Brian Gryn
Yeah, oh, yeah, it's a free for all. I mean, I guess. No, I mean, I think some good rules of thumb is, I remember starting out thinking God, am I going to fit three meals in or should I sit two meals in and, and I remembered, like, trying to fit three and it just wasn't working. So I've just fallen into this two meal a day time period for myself. And I just find that easier. I would say that if you could focus on nutrient dense foods and prioritizing protein, during that time period, I think that's most important, you'll find it's easier to fast if you're not eating a bunch of junk and processed food, I think that's, you know, what I find is when you have a certain time period to just eat and maybe it's only four to six hours, let's just say or, you know, seven hours or eight hours, when you have a smaller time period to eat, you'll probably find that you'll want to focus on better foods, knowing that you're going to have, you know, 16 hours of not eating. So I think they can go hand in hand not to say that you can't just eat junk, but but the more you get into it, the more you realize God, I should probably eat some good nutrient dense foods so that the fasting is easier and and I get you know, all the nutrients I need.
Katie Kay Graham
Right. Okay, so tell us the reasoning why somebody would do intermittent fasting, like what is the purpose behind it?
Brian Gryn
Yeah, I mean, you know, you'll talk to different people and they'll be like, well, it I think most importantly, it helps with your insulin levels, you know, it helps lower blood insulin. And, you know, we know that insulin is, you know, a fat, fat storage hormone. And so a lot of people who are on this sort of insulin roller coaster, and they're eating a lot of processed foods, they're storing a lot of fat and if we can just find a way to lower insulin. You know, when you're in a fasted state, that's the easiest and most flexible and best way to do it. So I think that's one of the biggest thing and that you know, and and also to it allows you to, like we talked about earlier, maybe even realize you don't need to eat as much like I've actually noticed I don't eat like, I don't count calories and and no, there's like a calories camp and an insulin camp and, you know, what's most important? I think they're, they're all somewhat important, but I've never been a big calorie counter and And I think that if you you, if you do start fasting, you become more in tune with your sort of like hunger cues. And because then you're not just obsessively eating all day. And so you'll realize that God, I don't need to eat as much and I become full. And I think this is something that just comes over time. So if you want to call it, that helps baby you, you will consume less, and it will also control insulin. And I think those two things can can help if, especially if you're looking to maybe lose some inches.
Katie Kay Graham
Okay, that makes sense. And I've also heard about this, which sounds really lovely about just having your body time to repair itself and build new cells and just allow it to heal and repair during that time of not eating. Because once we start eating, then the body starts having to digest the food and work on that energy on that. So in the period of fasting, it allows the body to kind of focus more on repair and healing. Does that sound right?
Brian Gryn
No doubt about it. I mean, you know, I think if you just think of all this stuff intuitively, like, do we, when we're sick? What do we want to do? We, we don't want to eat? We you know, and so if you think about that, like even like my dogs, when I know if they're not eating, something's wrong, right? So they're wanting to try to heal themselves. And, and, and yeah, like you mentioned, eating takes a lot of energy. And if we're not eating, we're in sort of a healing state. And so like, you'll hear like a toffee G, which is almost like a soul cleanse, it's like our own body's way of like, it's like when you take your car and to get its, you know, the wheels, you know, aligned and oil change and things like that. It's almost like your body's way of like, cleaning out the old cells, replacing them with new ones. And yeah, an autophagy has been around, and it's talked about, but no one really knows well, how long do I have to fast to get into that state? And I think that the verdict is still out there, but but we're doing some type of a topology on a daily basis, because when we're sleeping, we're not eating. And, you know, fasting can help get us into that state, perhaps, and maybe create a little bit more salt cleanse. So yeah, I agree.
Katie Kay Graham
And then Brian, is it fasting? is fasting, a kind of a sustainable thing that you do every day? Or do you do at at certain times in the year if you're, you know, I don't know wanting to cleanse the system or something? Do you do it at certain times? Or is it this lifelong thing?
Brian Gryn
Yeah, I mean, I do think it's a lifelong thing. I think it's something for myself, I do on a daily basis. But you know, like you said, you're doing it pretty much on a daily, but I mean, we all do it to some degree, I think that someone that's never done it, perhaps maybe eliminate snacking is a good place to start. And then you can sort of start getting into fasting after that. But I do think it's sort of a lifelong journey. And you sort of, you know, my fasting times have changed over the years and depending on activity level, and just how I'm feeling but I do you think that like, maybe once a year, doing an extended fast, could be really beneficial. And more so just like from the mental part, and just like, the fact that like, you know, there's plenty of people who, you know, we're so blessed that we can get food whenever we want. But there's a lot of people who, who aren't blessed and can have food when they want, and they go nights without eating, and there may be a little bit hungry. And I think just sitting in that and experiencing that. I think that can go a long way, just from just a mental standpoint, in the sense that you don't need to, you know, food doesn't need to run your life. Because I think people think the opposite. They think like, oh, you're starving yourself. And it's far from that. You know, we live in a world where, you know, we have plenty of access to food or blessed in that sense. So, going a night without food or a day and a half or two days, you know, on a little bit of an extended fast I think can do good for not only your body, but also for your mind.
Katie Kay Graham
Yeah. And it reminds me of this idea of creating stress in your body. So I had somebody on a few people on talking about Wim Hof breathing and the cold exposure. Yeah, and just stressing the body because we do live in a comfortable and I've been really trying to work on this because I feel like I've lived most of my life in a fear state of just trying to rest in this comfortable place. But I'm trying more to push myself and knowing that getting uncomfortable and stressing yourself and your body and your nervous system can actually be really beneficial. So like jumping into the freezing cold lake and just, you know, experiencing life and being really cold, and it sucks, but then knowing that you're gonna be okay. And I think I remind myself even on my mountain bike, I'm like, my body is so much more capable than I give it credit for that I sometimes push those limits like a little bit inch by inch more, just so I can know that there is this massive amount of potential that my body can handle and myself and mentally and spiritually, I think what you were talking about is connecting to the world and looking at people that don't have access to food, that's a really beautiful spiritual practice, you can connect to other people in that way. And just allowing like this uncomfortableness to exist in almost this really positive light. I love that.
Brian Gryn
Yeah, that's well put in, you know, now, you'll hear a little bit of a push back with like some of these stressors. I've just because I've listened to a lot of different podcasts and health podcasts. And, and I think that for most individuals, the stressors, in an acute sense, right, just a small, short bursts are great. Where someone might want to just be careful is with, if they're stressed on a daily basis, and they have chronic stress throughout their lives or in work, then they maybe it's not the most perfect time to do these stressors. But I knew it's funny, you mentioned cold, cold exposure, that's something that I've really gotten into. I was lucky, you know, I'm in Chicago. So we have cold weather. But we don't have I don't have like a lake to jump into unless I went to Lake Michigan. So I put a cold plunge in my house. And so I have access to it whenever I want. And, but I pick and choose, I don't I'm not doing it all the time, obviously. But I'm picking and choosing when I'm going to use that as a way to, it's almost like become it's like a meditative state when you go in it. And like you said, you're uncomfortable, but you know, you're gonna get through it. And it just, I think in the long run, you'll be stronger for it. So yeah, I'm all for creating these stressors. And you know, fasting is a stressor exercise is a stressor. And I think, you know, we just got to be careful to not overdo it and just continually stack these stressors on top of each other. Especially if in real life, while real life, especially in like your day to day life. You are stressed like, I'm very blessed, I don't really have a very, you know, I'm not a stressed individual. So I'm going to create stress on my own through these, you know, fasting exercise and cold therapy.
Katie Kay Graham
Yeah, yeah, that's a really good point. I was just thinking while you were talking just how in my own life, I deal with anxiety. And actually just this last week, I had a ton of anxiety, I was pushing some of my limits and doing some workshops, and blah, blah, blah, I was just kind of creating this kind of pushing my upper limit a little bit, which is good for me, but it definitely created in spark some anxiety. And I think that the difference now I'm able to kind of step back and almost view it from a broader perspective of, okay, this anxiety like what's going on? Okay, I know I'm, you know, this stuff's going on. And then I can almost see exercise and things where I'm stressing the body as almost as healing this like bottom down process where my nervous system is already kind of heightened at this chronic stress level. So I'm already in that fight or flight. But I know when I go to yoga class that when I'm moving, and I'm stressing my body more, and then I'm when I'm relaxing, and I dive into that parasympathetic. And I know we're up again, we're going through Sunday, and we're flowing and we're moving and stressing the body. And then I relaxed and I step out of class. I know that I've done the therapy on my body, where I'm working the nervous system, and then I'm in a more relaxed, more balanced state. And I also mentally know like where my anxiety is coming from. So I think that it's like all of these things that we talk about here on the podcast, Brian, and what you're talking about. It's just giving us a broader perspective of just allowing us to be in that observer place or not getting kind of trapped in, in the drama in their anxiety and knowing what processes were able to do to bring therapy into the body and then bring therapy through talk therapy. And then just having a perspective on, like, where your anxiety is coming from. I know I'm like kind of off shooting on our discussion. But it's, you know, we all deal with anxiety and stress. And it's just an interesting topic to talk about, like, creating more stress in her body. And I think most of us would push that away. But I think that like there's truly and with the intermittent fasting, there's truly a ton of benefits, if we can have a perspective of it, I think that's really important. Because I think when if I was fasting, and I was getting hungry, or a, you know, whatever happened, then I could have a broader perspective of why I'm doing it. And then also, like, if I'm already in an anxious place, almost be like, this is actually going to really help with that, as well.
Brian Gryn
I would just say that, yeah, I mean, you know, when it comes to fasting, I think it's one of those things where there's a lot of fear that people have with it. But once you you know, it's like the same thing with the cold therapy. Actually, we had some people over yesterday's Mike some cut my cousins, and we invited them over. And two of them, I was like, Oh, do you guys want to plant it was like a plunge, I'm like, do you guys want to plunge, and you know, they've never done it before. And I'm sure there was a lot of fear around it, but like, it's almost like an accomplishment as well. And you feel better for it, when you're done with it. It's like that for workouts, and it can be like that a little bit with fasting, right, there's a little bit of accomplishment. And so if you're doing that on a daily basis, or even an every other day basis, some type of fasting, you know, it's a little bit of a win and accomplishment. I think that's important. When you talk about whether it's, you know, trying to lose inches or, or get to a certain goal, it's all about creating those little wins. And so if you can do those, the more you do them, I think the more successful, perhaps you can be in what you're trying to achieve. Now, you might have a day where if you don't fast as much, and you don't feel like it, and that's fine. But the days that you do, there's a little bit of an accomplishment there. And you can always say that for doing for a lot of things on a daily basis. And when it comes to like diet and exercise, but for fasting, I think you can can create little wins that that can sort of pull you along the process.
Katie Kay Graham
Yeah, yeah, definitely kind of that feeling of accomplishment and that relief and, and that feeling, again, like kind of that sense of control. And I love how the intermittent fasting has a structure to it, that allows the brain to have like, our brains love to have structure and like labels and just kind of this, it knows what it's doing it like has this container to act into. But at the same time it It allows a lot of freedom and you can you know, eat it's not so much on what you're eating, but how you're eating, I really love that concept. And and then I or VEDA, there's this same concept of 90% of your digestive issues is actually caused from how you're eating not so much what you're eating. So that philosophy is still in is kind of incorporated in that and I actually think it would be really interesting to incorporate some of the more mindful eating and aspects of either VEDA into intermittent fasting, I might have to kind of be explore that and be a little curious with that, because I think they're both really, really more of a self care and nourishment and treating your food and seeing it differently. And it really does change your relationship to food in a different way, which I think could can be really beneficial. So I like the idea of it being more about how you're eating and changing your perspective of food, and not so concentrated. I think a lot of the time we really concentrate especially when we have a tight grip grip on that control of the calories of the micro macros of the What the What food like what am I eating and kind of getting nitpicky on that. So I may actually be really beneficial for somebody that's in that place and not wanting to be so particular about the kinds of foods and changing to this intermittent fasting and exploring more of like, how does this food make me feel and I have this window to you know, try it out and eat different foods and, and bring in that kind of flow and ease and sense of curiosity.
Brian Gryn
Yeah, and as you mentioned that I was just thinking of a call I who was like, Well, should I do keto and fast? Or should I do fast and then keto. And they were trying to do both? And I said, Well, why don't you just start with one, and just go from there. And I think what happens a lot of times is one good habit can lead to another one. And so I think they started out with just creating some type of structure and intermittent fasting schedule. And then they started to realize that, okay, now I can maybe improve my eating a little bit. And, you know, maybe they felt like they were having very high carb, high processed and processed meals. And they, they cut back into that, because they realized, like, you know, that six hours or two meals they eat, and they really wanted to make the most of them. So I think it's just like anything like, people who are like, Well, should I do diet, and then workout or workout and then diet as well, one can lead to the other like, I feel like it's almost can be a domino effect. If you're, if you're strength training, and then you start to see results. And you realize, well, I want to see more results. Well, okay, maybe I should just clean up my eating more. So they can all go hand in hand. But I would definitely start with one thing first. And then once you sort of get your arms around that, then you can go into other modalities, I would say,
Katie Kay Graham
oh, yeah, yeah, I love that concept of just taking one thing at a time. Because if somebody really wants that long term and sustainable change, they're going to have to swim upstream against what the ego is telling us is like, you need to do all of it at once perfectly. And I'm sure there's a little voice in everybody's heads, that's like, that's not good enough, like I need to work harder, I need to try harder and need to do all these different things. And you really have to work upstream against what the ego is saying, and really be like, Okay, I'm just doing one thing, I'm to me taking a half a step, or one step, but you know, just a little baby amount. I love this analogy. I heard it once from I think it was Dr. Nicola pear, she has this book called the work and she talks about, it's like going to the gym, you wouldn't go to the gym for the first time and pick up the heaviest weight that you could find and start lifting. Because if you did the next day, you'd be so sore, you'd be tired, you wouldn't go back to the gym. It's this concept of going to the gym and picking up the three pound weights or the five pound weights and doing that a few reps and then going home and you feel a little feel a little bit better. The next day, you're like, Oh, that was really cool. I did that. And then you go, you keep going back, and maybe you go up to the 10 pound weight. So it's that kind of analogy makes sense. In my head of like, yeah, like I've done the gone to the gym and done the 50 pounds and never gone back because it was miserable. And I took on too fast. So yeah, we do have to stay in that observer mindset of noticing what our limiting beliefs are telling us what the ego is telling us that that constant stream of you're not doing enough, you're not good enough will always tell you to do everything at once and do it perfectly. So reminding us that there's this one step that's really going to lead us to that long term change. And I always have to remind us all that the ego wants to keep us were like the in the comfortable one, we want to stay in that place where we're comfortable, we know what's going to happen when you know, we're able to predict it. But in that place, we don't want to exist anymore. We want change, we want something new. So we're going to have to go against old beliefs and old patterns. And so doing this one step is going to lead us there. What the ego is telling us is like, oh, yeah, okay, you want to do that change. Okay, try everything at once and do it really fast and do it really hard and do it perfectly. Because it's so sneaky and knows that it's going to drive us back into exactly where we were. And so I love to look five years, 10 years ahead and be like, where do I want to be? And how am I going to make this sustainable change? And yeah, I think the framework of intermittent fasting is just a beautiful way to create structure. And also add in that ease and flow and then making what you were talking about Brian's that domino effect of just doing one little thing at a time. And, you know, I'm saying five years, but like, even in one year of doing that, it's incredible. The amount of change that you get to see.
Brian Gryn
Yeah, well done. You must be a podcast host.
Katie Kay Graham
I think I think I've really grown into it.
Brian Gryn
Yeah, that's great. Yeah, I mean, I agree you made me think of I actually have a book coming out in August. You know, We talked about a lot of these things that we've already touched on. But one of them is sort of the stepladder approach. And I just think that you can use this for a lot of different things like you talked about with the weights, not going in and trying to lift, you know, something that's way beyond what you maybe you could do right off the bat. And it's the same thing, I think, with fasting. And so I think that stepladder approach, where you just ease into it, and that's how I, I wrote a journal in 2017. And I'm sort of including part of that in the book. But it I sort of did it without even like thinking but it's it is that stepladder approach in a sense that if you're used to eating at a certain time pushing that back gradually, as opposed to just going cold turkey and pushing it, you know, six hours from when you're used to eating, because we're so we have this unconscious habits of of just being tied by what time we're so we're so habitual on when we're eating. So if you really push that you're gonna really have you know, have you know, hunger hormones are just gonna go crazy. But if you can ease into it and continually push and push and push, maybe an hour half hour, and do that stepladder approach, I think your success level will go way up.
Katie Kay Graham
Oh, yeah. And Brian, I saw that you had that journal, which looked amazing. But tell us about your book. What is the name of it?
Brian Gryn
Yeah, it's, it's in the works. The the name I keep going back and forth. But it is based around like what's called like my fat burner blueprint, which is sort of like, six steps that I take people through, which is like creating clarity. You know, small changes big. I call it small changes, small changes, big results Master Plan, which is like finding those low hanging fruits to get those small wins. We talked about, you know, activity upgrade and sleeping and stress and nutrition mealtime. So a lot of things we talked about in the book. And, yeah, so I guess, yeah, it's in the work. So it's still being done. But
Katie Kay Graham
no, that's great. And the listeners can check out your fat burner blueprint program on your website. Is that correct?
Brian Gryn
Yeah, exactly. Awesome. It's on there. And, and that's just something I work with clients on. It's a six month program.
Katie Kay Graham
So awesome. Okay, cool. Yeah. And if any of this is resonating, definitely invite the listeners to check that out. And then also, I wanted to ask you, Brian, you have something on your bio that is says fat adaptive, adapted? Could you tell us what is that?
Brian Gryn
Yeah, so becoming fat adapted. It's like a, you hear it a lot now, just with fasting and keto and things like that. But it's, it's pretty much your body's ability to convert fat to energy. So when you're fat adapted, you don't necessarily like you hear these fat adapted athletes who don't necessarily need to bring all this carbs and glucose into power them through these through the day, you can tap into your more abundant supply, which is body fat, most of us have plenty of body fat to use for energy. And so you know, if you just think of like Paleolithic times, we went plenty of days without food. And, you know, we didn't have a Starbucks in every corner. So we didn't have 24/7 access to food. So this was something that was more of a survival mechanism for us. And you know, it's just our ability to utilize fat. And a lot of times our ability to utilize fat is dependent on lowering insulin. And so that's why fasting and keto, you know, keto is more of a higher fat diet. But you can get into your body fat stores that way. So this might take some time, especially for people who are sort of on this carb, roller coaster and, and blood sugar. I know I'm not anti-car, but by no means but, but you might have to lower those down a little bit to get into that state.
Katie Kay Graham
Okay, okay. Yeah, I've seen that a few different places. And I was like, I don't know what that is. So I better ask Brian. So thank you for explaining that. And so Brian, what I love to ask the guests at the end of each episode, what their own daily wellness routine is just to give us all a little inspiration.
Brian Gryn
that's top secret, I can share that with you. Actually, I love routines. So it's, it's I asked all my guests, I might my podcast, you know, morning routines and night routines, and I'm a big proponent of them. And so your question was like, What's my daily routine? Yes. How much time do we have? Plenty. So well. I have two dogs so I get up and take them for a walk every morning. I don't want to say that too loud, they'll go. And so I think getting out and getting some sun on your face without, you know, sunglasses on and just, you know, sort of going for a walk without your cell phone is a great way to start the day. So I love that I do it even if I didn't, I would do it even if I didn't have dogs, but they for forced me out. After that, I try to do things for myself a little bit. You know, I think in the morning, I try to just get as much done, like, not just for work, but also like, for my personal time, right. Like, I think we get all caught up in emails and this that right off the bat, I think so like i I'm learning instrument like I'm learning piano. So I'll do like, even if it's 10 minutes a piano, I'll do something like that. I play for my dogs, I don't know if they like it, but whatever. They sit and listen anyways, sometimes. So I do something like that, maybe read a little bit. And then you know, maybe do a little bit of like a 10 minute mobility routine, just, you know, nothing crazy. I like yoga sounds like Katie, you're into yoga as well. But typically yoga depends on the day, and you know the time. So I'll just do a little bit of a mobility routine in the beginning of my day, and then I'll usually then I usually get started. And so that's my morning, and then evening, I just try not to eat too late. And wind down, if I do have to be on a screen for a little bit. Or if I'm reading something now, it's like everything you want to read is on a screen unless like, you know, I do like to buy books and read books. So I still do that. But I will. I will wear blue blocking, you know, the glasses, you know, maybe an hour before bed, and then just wind down with some reading. And that's my typical routine. I you know, I try to do strength training throughout probably four days a week. And then my fasting window is depends on the day. But I would say I usually eat between about two and seven is my my window right there. And that's my life.
Katie Kay Graham
Awesome. Awesome. It was so fun to have you. And I'm just so glad that we could talk about intermittent fasting and dive into all the juiciness of it. So thank you for sharing all your insights, Brian. And I just invite the listeners if they are interested about learning more, I mean, you can tell Brian's awesome. He's so open and just inviting. So I know if you reached out to him, I'll put all of his contact in the show notes that he'd be more than happy to talk with you. And yeah, on his website, he has that program that fat burner blueprint. And and then I also have that you have the intermittent fasting certification course. Is that right? Right. Yeah, certification
Brian Gryn
course. And that's for coaches who are looking to just add maybe a little bit of knowledge on regarding fasting, and then how to implement it with clients in grid and gain some CPUs, so
Katie Kay Graham
perfect. Okay, perfect. Yeah. So any other kind of last words about contacting you? Or what's the best way to reach out to you
Brian Gryn
know, you know, it's all on the website, Brian green.com. And they can reach out we could do a short call and, and that's probably the best way and then obviously, when the book is out, it'll be obviously up on the website as well. So no, I appreciate coming on, Katie. And you're a great podcast host for more podcasts host to another.
Katie Kay Graham
Yeah, I was gonna say in your podcast is Get Lean. Eat clean, correct? Yeah. So definitely listeners check that out, too. Because you guys know like podcasts is a wealth of free information. So definitely check that out. And yeah, this was super fun. Thanks, everybody, for being here listening and sending so much love to you and your body. I'll see you all next week.
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