Episode 331 Karen Giacalone Seven years of Fasting and a Severe Health Scare Along the Way,

In this episode, I talk with Karen Giacalone, who lives in Texas, USA. Bio by Karen Giacalone On episode 135, I shared my struggles with chronic inflammation related to autoimmune disease, mould poisoning, and insulin resistance. All of these factors contributed to 20 extra lbs. that I was unable to lose throughdiet or exercise, until I thankfully discovered IF in the fall of 2019. With very little effort, I was able to reach my goal weight during the pandemic, but most importantly, I noticed a reduction in pain, an increase in energy, and significantly improved autoimmune markers. Maintenance felt easy, and life was good! Then just 8 months after recording my first episode, I suffered a near fatal heart attack that changed my life in the blink of an eye. I was the very last person anyone would have expected this to happen to. I had no preexisting conditions; zero blockages, low cholesterol, low blood pressure, I exercised, ate well, and did everything right. My heart attack was brought on by a virus that caused cardiomyopathy, which is inflammation of the heart muscle. That cardiomyopathy triggered afib, which then created a clot in my coronary artery. I then failed to recognize the warning signs of my own heart attack because I had been so illthat they overlapped with the symptoms I was already experiencing. I simply went into denial, as many women unfortunately tend to do, which is why we’re statistically more likely than men to die of a heart attack. I personally waited over 12 hours to seek help, and was told that if I had waited another 30 minutes I would not have survived. I was hospitalized for 12 days, 5 of which were spent in the cardiac ICU. The doctors were not encouraging, to say theleast. I was told that I was in severe heart failure, that I might never fully recover, and that I would likely need a heart transplant. They warned that I had a very long road ahead, and predicted that if by some miracle I did fully recover, that it would take at least a year. I was eventually discharged with awearable defibrillator that would automatically shock my heart into beating again in the event that it suddenly stopped, which I had to wear for 3 months. I was taking a total of nine medications with unpleasant side effects, but theykept me alive, and I was grateful. I completed 3 months of cardiac rehab, where I could feel my heart getting stronger every day. Before the end of those 3 months, despite all of the dire predictions, my echocardiogram amazingly showedthat my heart function had returned to a normal range. There were still a few challenges ahead, including 2 ablation procedures to alleviate persistent afib episodes, a heart monitor inserted in my chest, and flow therapy to helpincrease ejection fraction, but I had defied all the odds and had become a walking miracle. Today I take just one medication, see my cardiologist just once a year, and live a full and active life with no restrictions. I am 100% convinced that my fasting lifestyle contributed directly to my extremelyunheard-of recovery; mainly because of its ability to reduce inflammation. I wanted to share this update to remind everyone that IF is not just a tool for weight loss. I’m living proof of its drastic health benefits, and the very realimpact it can have on your body. IF can positively affect every single one of your organs on a cellular level, including your heart, and in fact it can literally save your life.