Saturday, July 9, 2016

A new study with an app from the Salk Institute, My Circadian Clock ( Time Restricted Feeding Windows)

 Oh yeah!  I was listening to Rhonda Patrick (Found My Fitness) interview Satchin Panda, PhD on a podcast/youtube video about time restricted feeding windows. Eating within a restricted time window is of interest in the obesity and disease world.

Here's the Youtube video. You can also pick up the podcast from Found My Fitness (Rhonda Patrick). A great episode, so shout out to Dr. Rhonda Patrick. Women in science ROCK. Just saying...


Soooooooo, Dr. Panda's department has an app called myCircadianClock (iTunes link here)


Here's the overview, you have to answer some questions and be accepted into the study before you can use the app.


  1.  14 week formal "log everything" time frame. Each bit of food, water, medication, exercise, sleep. You photograph every bit of food, water, medication you eat!
  2. The first 2 weeks are baseline, then
  3. The next 12 weeks are the "intervention" where you are given suggestions on eating within a time window.
Here's my food collage for the last half day. 


The data graphics are sweet. I don't have enough accumulated right now to show, but it's load of fun. There's some integration with the health apps on my iPhone, too, so I don't have to enter every data point. 

I'm just reaching the end of the first week. I'm excited to get some recommendations and contribute to the study at The Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA.

I used to work for many years just a few blocks from The Salk and I have a sweet spot in my heart for researchers in the San Diego's Golden Triangle. I used to be one of them, since my lab had a strong R&D section. I was involved in bringing lots of  esoteric laboratory tests from R&D into the clinical lab. My time working with rare childhood diseases is my favorite so far in my career. 

I digress!  After Oct 2, 2016, I'll post a follow up on my experiences and learning from my tracking and recommendations. I'm also double tracking in My Fitness Pal.

Here's what's working for me now

1. Continuing to track and take data- My Fitness Pal & The My Circadian Clock app and the iPhone Health app.

2. Keeping an open mind about food timing and restricted eating windows.

3. From my past n=1 self experiments, I know that eating 3X a day rather than 2X a day just works a little better for me.  Even if it's a cup of coffee with 1TBS of coconut butter OR a half a tin of smoked oysters, so far the 3X a day produces a better outcome. 

Here's what didn't work in the past

1. No tracking anything. Trust me, binge eating due to food addiction, was never easier than when I wasn't tracking. I was the queen of my own BS. LOL. 

2. I snacked constantly "Eat frequently 6-8 mini meals". No better way to keep my hormones in obesity modes. Except when I did Medifast, the 6 meals a day were okay then due to the super calorie restrictive nature of that food template  ( I don't eat any of the Medifast food products today)

3. Eating 1X or 2X a day. Something horribly bad happens to me. My body tells me after 1-2 days, "Don't do that!!".  It feels like being kicked me in my midsection 10 times in a row. There's some icky line between the top half of my body and the lower half of my body. It's not good, so I don't do that anymore. I've tried 3+ times and my body responds poorly each time I try. 

All righty, if any of my readers try the app, let me know. Also, do any of my readers time restrict their feeding window, IF? I know some do, remind me.

Next up, part 2 of 2 eating Paleo in Hawaii. 

6 comments:

  1. very interesting

    If someone wanted to be very simple about it, eating set meals, and then not eating between meals, is a good baseline (for those who have a long history of spontaneous eating or continuous grazing).

    And yes, having a beginning time and an ending time to a meal is really smart (in general, again for someone reading who is not going to be involved in study). Eating (only) at a table with no electronic devices and no reading material is really helpful for some people.

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    1. Thanks, Vickie. There's an additional podcast/youtube video by a Public Health official- Ruth Patterson also interviewed by Rhonda Patrick and the rates of breast cancer are lower- incredible power of meal timing. And it's free, too, no costly Metformin or Victoza.https://youtu.be/8qlrB84xp5g I'll be blogging about this podcast/youtube video, too.

      One thing I didn't realize is that plain black coffee starts the feeding window clock, so when I thought I was eating inside a tighter window, maybe not. I can't wait to see how it effects my HA1c, my glucose, my hs-CRP.

      I save over $200 a year on my health insurance since I get discounts galore when I manage those parameters. Combined with my weight and waist measurements- I figure I save about $600 a year for managing my biomarkers- on my paycheck and Amazon cards combined. Not to mention the savings in doctors visits, not having to buy Ibuprofen, etc.

      I'll be blogging more about the financials later this summer or early in the fall. Oh the money made off commercial diet plans and snack/candy bars. It makes me shake my head nooooooooo. Sigh.

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  2. How cool is this study, Karen? I can't wait to hear the results of your experience. I prefer to have coffee with a teaspoon/tablespoon of coconut oil in the morning, two additional meals, and two snacks. I know that's not technically intermittent fasting, but it is better than three bug meals a day. I really like to backload my calories and save up for a bigger dinner so I am not too hungry at night. I just started tracking my meals some days. What an eye opener! I'm only 5'1" as you know and trying to lose (endlessly trying to lose!), and I realized I eat more than I estimated. I am eating about 1700-1800 calories, which is a lot for us short people. I have not lost a lot these past four weeks, but I took picture to gauge my measurements, and I know those have changed because I can see it, and my clothes fit better. I still battle with the scale.

    I think Vickie's point about only eating at set times is good and helpful. On less focused eating days, I tend to graze more, and I know that is not good for my insulin spikes. But I recently had some glucose testing, and my blood sugar levels are actually good and tend toward the low side. Nonetheless I am trying to watch how often I put food in my mouth each day.

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    1. I sometimes put in coconut oil- tsp or so. On the weekends. Once you get your food template optimized, then I found there's just no way I could eat at night anymore. Once I removed the trigger foods, I can feel my full feelings from my last meal and I can't even think about putting anything in my mouth other than a hot drink or some natural calm.

      I could eat 1600 calories and maintain like a champ before menopause. Now all that does is create a fat pant situation. But on the other hand, I'm not hungry either, and maintaining my muscle strength and good biomarkers.

      Glad you've got a good glucose situation. Work to keep that. :) Thanks for stopping by the blog. :)

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  3. Is Nescafe organic? If not I'm wondering why you aren't using an organic instant coffee? Thanks for posting so much wonderful information!! I've learned a lot from your journey and bought many of your suggested books.

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    1. Hello Terresia!!! That's a good point. I really should switch to organic either instant OR ground coffee. I picked up some Allegro fancy pants decaf at Whole Foods. It's very good and should last a long time. Thanks for stopping by the blog.

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