EP 21
Is Ramadan Just Fasting — or a Full Mental and Physical Reset?
About this episode
Recorded on day two of Ramadan, Dr. Humayun Naqvi and Dr. Adil Ahmed explore whether fasting is a full mental and physical reset, covering caffeine withdrawal, discipline, and the metabolic science behind Ramadan-style fasting. As a preventive cardiologist, Dr. Naqvi explains counseling diabetic and heart-failure patients on insulin, diuretics and Jardiance, why cardiac events cluster at iftar, and shares data showing reductions in systolic blood pressure, A1C, LDL and triglycerides. They also dig into continuous glucose monitors, the gut-brain axis, wearables like WHOOP, and Peter Attia's fall from grace in the Epstein files.
What we cover in this episode
- Does Ramadan fasting lower blood pressure and improve metabolic health
- Why do cardiac events spike at iftar when breaking the fast
- Counseling diabetic patients on fasting with insulin and diuretics
- Intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating benefits
- Continuous glucose monitors and personalized nutrition
- The gut microbiome and how food affects individual glucose spikes
- Wearables like WHOOP, Oura ring and health data privacy
- Fasting effects on LDL, A1C, triglycerides and insulin resistance
- Caffeine withdrawal and dependence during fasting
Your hosts
Dr. Humayun NaqviPreventive Cardiologist · West Houston Heart Center
Dr. Adil AhmedOrthopedic Surgeon · Baylor College of Medicine