Implementing the Bredesen, KetoFLEX 12/3 Diet
- Dr Andrea Haas
- May 29
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 4
I’ve been intermittent fasting for about three years, usually from 10.30am to 6.30pm. It fits into my routine and I know I can cope with this physically. My gut feels better on it, I sleep better and I have more energy.
I then went to Spain for four weeks, a different environment and a different routine. I started going out in the mornings exploring, and would be back by about 2.30pm because everything shut for “siesta” from 2pm until 6pm. I found myself not eating until 3pm, and then finishing eating by 7pm. The routine was forced on me, and there were no distractions to derail me. I found that my body coped with it very well.
The question was, how could I replicate this once back home, in such a way that it was easy?
If I wanted to continue this on returning to the UK, there were a couple of principles I needed to put in place:
Mindset. I had to change my mindset around my beliefs of eating this way. I knew I could, because I’d proved it to myself by doing it. I had to tell myself that this was easy, and I was capable of going this long without food back home! I also told myself that it was ok to break this routine on the odd day.
Daily Routine. I needed to tweak my daily routine to fit in with my new eating schedule. It also involved breaking old habits. I was used to having a snack between clients, and in reality, I didn’t need that snack. I found something else to do instead.
The Bredesen diet is the ketoFLEX12/3 and is the foundation of the Bredesen protocol for reversing cognitive decline. In fact, it is the diet that everyone would benefit from being on because of its many health benefits.
In essence, this means:
The food you eat needs to put you into ketosis, done by cutting out sugar and most carbs, and eating more proteins and healthy fats.
It’s flexible, in that it can be vegetarian, vegan or for meat eaters.
You eat within a 12-hour window.
Your last meal is at least three hours before going to bed.
When changing any habit, there are certain principles to follow which make it easier. It’s very easy to fall off the bandwagon six to eight weeks into any habit change. This is partly due to the subconscious realising that this change just may be permanent, and in order to protect itself from this change, it sabotages you in some way.
Here are a few ideas to get started.
1. Decide what your ultimate goal is in the eating frame. This will depend on your daily routine. If you start work at 6am, it may be better to have a goal of 6am to 6pm. If you start work late and go to bed late, it may be more feasible to commit to 9am to 9pm. Or, perhaps you want to reduce your eating window to even less.
2. Start making small changes each week to get yourself there. A sudden jump from eating over 16 hours to 8 hours may find your body retaliating. Start by reducing your eating time frame by one hour each week until you get to your goal.
3. Look at other parts of your daily routine to adjust to your new meal times. Meal prep and eating do take up a chunk of time. One of the biggest challenges is having time on your hands at a time when you used to eat. If you used to eat at 8pm, you could find that you’re at a loose end in the evenings. This perceived boredom could sabotage you. So, find activities that you could do to fill this new time.
4. Look at your diet, and make one change a week. It could be deciding to increase the amount of water you drink or cutting out all chocolate. Or, maybe you’re in the habit of snacking in the evenings. One of my clients started to brush her teeth about 30 mins after eating to prevent herself from snacking.
5. Don’t be tempted to make a lot of changes and rush it. This is heading for failure. It is far better to take things slowly and strengthen the changes before adding a new change.
Implementing the Bredesen protocol can be overwhelming. If you’re interested in finding out more, why not book a free 20-minute call with me to discuss?
Download the free 5 tips to starting the ketoFLEX12/3 diet now.
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