Welcome to Episode 455 of The Intermittent Fasting Podcast, hosted by Melanie Avalon, biohacker, founder of AvalonX, and author of What When Wine Diet: Lose Weight And Feel Great With Paleo-Style Meals, Intermittent Fasting, And Wine, and Barry Conrad, actor, singer-songwriter, and creator and host of Banter with BC.
SHOW NOTES
SPONSORS & DISCOUNTS
HYPERLIGHT
Hyperlight goes way beyond typical blue light blockers and are a daily essential for modern life! Not only do they help regulate circadian rhythm and reduce eye strain and fatigue, they actually transform harmful junk light from screens and artificial lighting into beneficial light. Hyperlight Optics uses patented Swiss nanophotonic technology with Fullerene C60, which acts as a quantum light transformer. This biocompatible light supports physiological balance by optimally energizing biological structures at the cellular level. They come in myriad designs, and also look SUPER cool. (Prepare yourself for people to ask you where you got your glasses. ) Get 10% off with code Melanie10X at ifpodcast.com/hyperlight
LINKS
Featured Restaurant: Fenchurch Restaurant
STUDIES
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a review in Apple Podcasts!
Original theme composed by Leland Cox, and recomposed by Steve Saunders.
Our content does not constitute an attempt to practice medicine and does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider for medical advice and answers to personal health questions.
TRANSCRIPT
(Note: This is generated by AI with 98% accuracy. However, any errors may cause unintended changes in meaning.)
Melanie Avalon
Welcome to Episode 455 of the Intermittent Fasting Podcast. If you want to burn fat, gain energy, and enhance your health by changing when you eat, not what you eat, with no calorie counting, then this show is for you.
I'm Melanie Avalon, biohacker, founder of AvalonX, and author of What, When, Wine. Lose weight and feel great with paleo-style meals, intermittent fasting, and wine. And I'm joined by my co-hosts, Barry Conrad, actor, singer-songwriter, and creator and host of Banter with BC. For more on us, check out MelanieAvalon.com and BarryConradOfficial.com. You can submit questions for the show by emailing questions at iapodcast.com or by going to iapodcast.com. We would love to hear from you. Please remember, the thoughts and opinions on this show do not constitute medical advice or treatment. So pour yourself a mug of black coffee, a cup of tea, or even a glass of wine if it's that time, and get ready for the Intermittent Fasting Podcast. Hi, everybody, and welcome. This is episode number 455 of the Intermittent Fasting Podcast. I'm Melanie Avalon. I'm here with Barry Conrad. Barry, happy first episode of 2026.
Barry Conrad
Wild. It's so crazy. Hey, Mel. Hey, everyone. This is a huge, huge episode. That's an amazing moment. I can't believe it's the new year. Crazy.
Melanie Avalon
I know. I can't believe 2026. Oh my goodness.
Barry Conrad
Far out. I know. How do you feel about January in general? Do you feel like it's a depressing month for you, or do you feel like it's an exciting month for you?
Some people are like, oh, it's another year, and some people are like, it's another year. So which one are you?
Melanie Avalon
So I've actually thought about this in that it's changed for me because growing up, January made me sad because it meant I felt like the whole year, like when you're a kid, I'm like looking forward to Christmas and then there's like, you know, like the Halloween season and the Thanksgiving season and the Christmas season and then it's like January, now we just have to wait a whole other year for, we know we have to wait for summer and then we have to wait for the holidays. But now as an adult, life is just so fun all the time and so amazing and the holiday season is the busiest for work.
So it's amazing. It also kind of wipes me out. So January is kind of like, huh, I can like breathe for a second, but it's still cold. So yeah, I love January. How about you?
Barry Conrad
Well we'll see because you don't apparently over here january will not so much January february march ish you're supposed to take a vacation somewhere sunny up because it's really really really really really cold in new york how does it get that bad in atlanta.
Melanie Avalon
No, it never gets bad here. I mean, it'll get, the coldest, it'll get like maybe like 19 degrees if there's like a really cold spell. That's nothing. Well, 19 is very cold.
Barry Conrad
Oh yeah, sorry, it's not 19 Celsius, it's...
Melanie Avalon
19 Fahrenheit.
Barry Conrad
Yeah. Okay. That is not a thing at all. That's a lot.
Melanie Avalon
But it's normally like in the 30s, I feel.
Barry Conrad
I do like January because I like new beginnings are like a clean slate new chapter because it gives me a sense of anticipation and that there's new possibilities new breakthroughs to be had, you know, new more potential. That's exciting to me.
I love that.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, I love it. I just I don't have one. I don't do like one like a new year. What is it New Year's resolutions? I don't really do that because I always have like a million resolutions going on.
Barry Conrad
Yeah, I don't, I don't do resolutions anymore as well. I feel like it's just, it's a constant thing, right?
You constantly have goals and new things that you want to implement like all year. I mean, at least I do.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah. And then things like, here's what it is. If it's something that I would want to do all year, like a health thing, like a typical New Year's resolution, I would just want to do that indefinitely. So why would it be like for one year?
But then if it's something like a project, like I want to do this one thing, what are the, like, that, that has its own timeline relevant to itself. Like all the projects have their own timelines and they're starting at different times, ending at different times. So I mean, I support New Year's resolutions. I don't want to be like a Debbie Downer, but I don't do like one big resolution.
Barry Conrad
Yeah, same. Also, on that, there is something that I want to do in 2026 that I've decided I want to give a go. Do a half marathon.
Melanie Avalon
Whoa. Okay. Whoa. Whoa. Okay.
So, um, okay. So questions, questions, Barry. So you know what I'm thinking about? Thinking about how last episode you were saying that you talk about your diet and then the girls are like, you know, that's not so good for you. Um, how do you feel about marathons not being the best?
Barry Conrad
Yeah, I feel like you're asking me, but you really tell me.
Melanie Avalon
How do you feel about the physiological effect of marathons on the human body?
Barry Conrad
I purposely like, I'm not going to do a marathon, but I was inspired to, especially after, you know, this is a while back now, but the lung situation has sort of put me off like running long distances. So I want to prove to myself that I can do at least a half.
I think that's more of a saying thing to try, you know, it's like not as crazy. It's still pretty far and long, but I started actually training. I went for my first run this week, actually, actually last weekend, I should say it wasn't long, but I actually was fine. So I reckon I'm going to smash it.
Melanie Avalon
You know what I feel like? Okay, I have quite a few thoughts. Thought one, I feel like this is gonna be another Barry Conrad thing where you'll just do it. You're just gonna be able to do it.
Barry Conrad
Would he be able to do it? What do you mean?
Melanie Avalon
Just like show up and run it.
Barry Conrad
What do you mean? Just like not trying? I have to try and I can't.
Melanie Avalon
I feel like you do a lot in life where it's like you just do it, you know, like, I'm gonna do this now and then you do it. And I will say I support people doing marathons with caveats. For a lot of people, it's like what they love, like it's a passion for them, they, you know, it's something really personal to them. I completely support that.
I also support just being aware of the effects of a full marathon on the body. And I think like Mark Sisson in his book, Born to Walk, I'm paraphrasing, which by the way, I met him finally, I met him at the Unimonia conference, I have to tell you about that. I think he says like, he had a protocol, it was like, do a marathon and never do it again or do it if you really want to do it, but don't keep doing it.
Barry Conrad
Yeah, I think a lot. Well, I think, okay, because when I went to DC to support runners and stuff out there, you hear, you get those two things.
You get the one group of people who marathons their thing, like to do like several a year, which is just crazy to me how hard it is in your body. And then some who just want to go, yay. I want to try doing this thing and they just do one. That's it.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah.
Barry Conrad
So I'll do a half and that's it. Well, I just, I feel like it'd be more like a, a goal for me in light of what happened and to say, yeah, I can do, I can run, I can do it.
I don't need to be a nonrunner just because of this thing that happened to me. And then after that, I can just leave it alone.
Melanie Avalon
I think that's amazing. I really do. Awesome. Keep us updated. When would you run it?
Barry Conrad
So it'll be like one of the New York marathons. So it'll be one of the New York runs. So to be, I think it's early next year. So I'm early this year, I should say 2026. So I will keep you posted for sure.
But Mel, I need to hear all about this conference, this convention.
Melanie Avalon
Oh my goodness. Yeah, so we're recording a bit in the past and I just got back from the Unimonia conference and oh yeah, it was really fun. I met so many people, I met so many people and brands and people, people, like guests on the show that you guys have heard about. I got to hang out with friends, so let's see.
Well, I saw Dave Asprey, of course, we had matching glasses. I finally met Mark Sisson in real life and that was such a moment for me because I've had him on the show multiple times. He's one of the three, like there's three people who really inspired me for my current trajectory in life and that's Rob Wolf and Dave Asprey and Mark Sisson and I hadn't met, Mark Sisson was the only person I hadn't, well, I haven't met Rob in person but I feel like I know him better. I had not met Mark in person and I like went up to him at the booth and it's so funny. He was, so he, Barry, do you know what he looks like? Tell me. He is so fit, so fit, it is insane and he is how old? He's 72.
Barry Conrad
That is a ripped 72 year old man, like very, very impressed.
Melanie Avalon
But it's so funny because he looks so young, but talking to him, I was like, oh, he is kind of like a granddad situation because I had my glasses on inside, my hyperlight, which are like, I'll talk about those at another time. They're amazing.
They're blue light blocking, but they actually have C60, which is a supplement I've talked about as a supplement. They put this into the glasses and it actually transforms light into a beneficial light for the body. They're a big company in Europe. They're coming to the US. In any case, they had sent me three pairs of the glasses to wear around the conference. I was wearing one of the pairs inside and it was the one where you actually can't see your eyes. They're made for outdoors. He was like, take your glasses off. He made me take them off, kind of like a grandfather would be. I was like, no, I was like, the lighting in here is bad. I want to keep them on. He was like, I got to see your eyes. He made me take them off.
Barry Conrad
That's really granddaddy for sure. That's really funny though.
Melanie Avalon
Isn't it? And then we were taking the pictures and he's like, yeah, he's like, yeah, you have to take one without the glasses. Yeah. So that was absolutely amazing.
I actually didn't go to any of the speakers. I just went around the expo both days and then went out at night. But I met so like sunlight and saunas, of course. Oh, Crunchy, the makeup brand I talk about all the time, they were there and they have that was so exciting because I've had the founder on my show and they just randomly went because they're in Florida locally. So they've never been to like a biohacking type thing. So that was amazing to meet them in person.
I met, let's see, so upcoming podcast interviews I booked, I met this company called Neuropod. They make a big old nerve simulation device for your ears and they, they gave me one to take home. So I'm really excited to try that. I met with Essentia Mattress, which I have been trying to get them on the show for years, years, years, years, because I think they probably make the perfect mattress. Like literally, how do you feel about Mattress's barrier? Are you like a mattress snob? Like, do you have a?
Barry Conrad
It's got to be a good bed because sleep is king. Like if you don't sleep comfortably, then what are we doing? So yes.
Melanie Avalon
so important. And listeners know about my current mattress, which is the GOAT mattress. You probably remember that story, right? Yeah.
But this Asenjiya mattress, he's been formulating it for like decades and it does so many things. Like it's cooling, helps with like EMF protection, recovery. And it feels amazing. So they're gonna come on the show and they're gonna send me a mattress. I'm so excited.
Barry Conrad
That's so exciting. That's awesome.
Melanie Avalon
But actually Barry you so just a few funny things about it. I actually almost left the second day Because I was so wiped out the first day I don't know why but I really was and I was really stressed because this time of the year This isn't the past right now But it's like the busiest time with Black Friday coming up in Thanksgiving And I was like I could like just sneak home tomorrow and have like a whole extra day to catch up on work So that night I rescheduled my flight canceled my hotel for the next day I was gonna leave and then I woke up and I was like I want to stay so then I like changed it all back And I stayed
Barry Conrad
That's so funny.
Melanie Avalon
I was gonna say I did speaking of wine. I don't know if we were talking about wine, but you and I were before you probably don't like ever bring wine when you travel. Do you?
Barry Conrad
No. I mean, I know that... Well, I don't... Do you travel with one, though? Let's fly with one.
Melanie Avalon
I do, in my packed luggage. So I bought four bottles of my own wine because you would think these conferences would have, I don't know, options, but they really don't.
So I stocked myself up and I brought my wine to everything. I went to one party though and they actually had all dried from wine. So I drink that there.
Barry Conrad
I'm so impressed now that you have never met again anyone that's trial like going to a dinner going to a show sneaking in a one or taking one is one thing but traveling that is next level. That's like, wow, that's awesome.
Melanie Avalon
I went to so many bars and drink situations. I forget, have you been to West Palm Beach before?
Barry Conrad
I really want to go, but I have not, sadly.
Melanie Avalon
So there's the, you would love, there's this hotel called the Breakers and it's like old school Hollywood glamour, like Hollywood Tower Hotel feeling and we went to the bar there and I brought my own wine. Like I drank my own wine everywhere.
Friends, if you're into the whole like biohacking stuff, go to Unimonia. There are so many incredible guests. So like Cynthia was speaking, Huberman was speaking, Mark Hyman, Dan Buettner, Rich Roll. I did want to go to Rich Roll and I didn't see him, you know, obviously like Dave Asprey like all the people are there. You can like go to the talks, you can go to this expo, try all these products, meet all these brands. It's, we got to go to one together someday, Mary.
Barry Conrad
Yeah, yeah, seriously, we know that I'm here. I would love, absolutely love to do that. We've got to do it for sure. Imagine how much fun we're going to have too.
Melanie Avalon
I mean, it's exhausting, but it's so fun. And it's just, you meet, okay, so A, you meet everybody you know. I'm like so many friends, but then you meet so many new people. So it's like stimulation overload of like all the people, but highly recommend.
Barry Conrad
What drew you to Mark Sisson in the first place? Was there a specific book that he wrote?
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, so he used to have a blog, does he still have it? I don't know, called Mark's Daily Apple. And it was kind of like the OG paleo blog. He called it primal. He came up with a primal diet, but like paleo primal. And then he had, okay, oh, he did the he did the primal blueprint, which kind of like made the primal paleo diet pretty popular. But he has so many books. But back in the day, I used to be always reading, I'd be like listening to Rob Wolf's podcast, I read the paleo solution, and I'd be reading Mark's Daily Apple.
Actually, he, I think he had something on intermittent fasting. He had he had content on it back on the back in the day that made intermittent fasting more popular as well.
Barry Conrad
And he did the cuter reset as well, right, so he's done quite a few.
Melanie Avalon
And his co-author is Brad Kearns who, shout out to Brad, one of my favorite humans in the entire world, a dear, dear friend. But now Mark's main focus is, I asked him if he was going to write another book.
He said he's like kind of done with books, but he would like to write a book for Paluba, which we've talked about Paluba. We've had him on the show for that and they make, you know, the barefoot type shoe. So he might do something about, about that. I think he was there. His, his booth was a Paluba booth.
Barry Conrad
Really? Yeah. That's when it fits your foot and maximizes what your toes are supposed to be doing rather than your feet being squeezed into shoes and changing.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah. And oh, oh, shout out to you. Because if listeners listen to the biohacking podcast, I did, I paled around a lot with Ian Clark from Activation, who I've had on that show. And he's kind of like Dumbledore in real life. I love him.
So he's amazing. And then I hung out with Dave Rabin from Apollo Neuro and Barry, we must go.
Barry Conrad
We'll make something happen for short. Let's do it.
Melanie Avalon
I was telling my friend when I was debating about leaving, I was like, I've never left a conference early before, but I'm, I was just wiped out.
Barry Conrad
You were saying even yesterday or the day before that you really... traveling really wipes you out, doesn't it?
Melanie Avalon
It does. It's getting way better.
Barry Conrad
Is it the flying part like an isolation like the flying or is it like getting to the airport? Is it like what's the main thing that really wipes you out from it?
Melanie Avalon
It's getting all of my stuff that I need to sustain my life and feel happy and good into a suitcase across the country or on a plane. I mean, this wasn't across the country, but onto the plane, into the hotel.
It's getting my life and moving a miniature version of it, a slice of it, into a hotel room, which I did realize game changer. I think I'm only going to stay at a residence in Marriott, which is the suites where you have a kitchen. That's a game changer.
Barry Conrad
Of course, of course, because then you can prepare food, right, you know?
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, it's like the Airbnb because you have a kitchen, but it's like room service because it's a hotel. So I think I'm, if I think if I just stay at Suites like that from now on, I might be okay.
Barry Conrad
So, okay, question. If you could only take five things on a flight, I wouldn't go. on a trip, what would you take?
If you had to, had to, had to. Like, if you absolutely had to. Like, you could take all your clothes and shoes. Oh, like, if we make clothes and shoes. You could take all your clothes and shoes. It's more like five... Actually, no, let's make that harder. You can take all your clothes and shoes and make them and stuff or whatever, but three, like, biohacking type things that you really like and that you feel like you... Makes your traveling experience better. What would you choose and why?
Melanie Avalon
So does this include, do I get to bring like my supplements and stuff like that?
Barry Conrad
So that would be one of the three.
Melanie Avalon
Oh my gosh, Perry.
Barry Conrad
Let's supplement. That could be class class one thing like
Melanie Avalon
As one, okay, so supplements.
Barry Conrad
That's not so bad because someone says actually quite a lot.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, that does cover actually a lot of it. My blue light blocking glasses. Last time I forgot them. I don't know how, but I did and I literally had to order some from Amazon because I need them that much.
Supplements.
Barry Conrad
blue light blocking glasses.
Melanie Avalon
So supplements includes my like, okay, that includes like my NAD patches and glutathione and stuff like that. Right. Okay. I I'm too embarrassed to say the third one. Say it. I don't think I can. Okay. And I won't do that.
Cause I could, um, let me think. Do you, what would your, well, you don't really, do you have three?
Barry Conrad
No, like, no, where are you? This is you. You have to choose it. Whatever it is.
Melanie Avalon
Okay, so I do have like a okay, so I like getting like colonics when I travel if things are which actually this relates to the first question today, I would bring my like my like colonic bucket thing, just in case I'm like stopped up and I can like fix that. Wow.
Yeah, it's like a whole system that I can fit in my Oh, wait, I forgot about my organic wine though.
Barry Conrad
Yes, I mean, the wine is... That's a biggie because you go to events and parties and stuff and you're not going to want to rely on their choices or not drink, right?
Melanie Avalon
So I might actually have to do, I might take out the Klonik bucket, organic wine supplements and blue light blocking glasses.
Barry Conrad
Wow, there you go. Okay. That's not so bad.
Melanie Avalon
You can't feel the anxiety in my body right now.
Barry Conrad
Because the supplements wouldn't take up that much room.
Melanie Avalon
Oh, wait, Barry, Barry. This is part of the reason it's so stressful. They take up like half my suitcase. How? How? What do you mean? I have a lot of supplements.
Barry Conrad
Okay, next time you travel, okay, you don't have to do this, but if you want to, you take a photo. I want to see how much room it takes up.
Melanie Avalon
Shout out to Chris Gethin, we've talked about this. He brings a whole other suitcase for his supplements.
Barry Conrad
a mini one.
Melanie Avalon
I don't think so.
Barry Conrad
Oh my gosh, that's, I mean, you know what, you got to do it, you got to do whatever makes you feel good and, you know, for you to get through the day and, and to sleep well and to function at your best.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, and I will say now that we're out of the you can only pick three things game. A game changer that a friend told me that I have since integrated is bringing silk pillowcases.
So like bringing my blissy silk pillowcases game changer because then it makes your pillow cooler makes your your pillow more comfortable. So yes.
Barry Conrad
I love silk pillowcases by the way, I totally get that.
Melanie Avalon
So shall we talk about some intermittent fasting stuff? Let's do it. So I have a study. I am so excited about this study berry. Are you ready?
Barry Conrad
I'm ready for it.
Melanie Avalon
Okay, so this study is called Breaking the Fast, Meal Patterns and Beliefs about Healthy Eating Style are associated with adherence to intermittent fasting diets. It was published in Appetite in 2019.
And so the purpose of this study was the researchers were saying that, and we talked about this last episode, but there's this whole idea out there that eating three meals a day is healthy and that skipping meals is problematic for health. So they wanted to see how this actually affected people doing intermittent fasting or not, like the beliefs surrounding things. So they had 312 people talk about their experience of intermittent fasting and their beliefs about healthy meals and snack frequency, and also their non-fasting days and their fasting day eating patterns. And they put them into current fasters and former fasters. And the former fasters were essentially people who had tried fasting but quit. And then the current ones were ones that were still doing it. So their theory was the people who were former, like they could see what sort of belief systems led people to quit intermittent fasting or to keep doing intermittent fasting. And they looked at some very specific things. So let's see if you can guess, you know, I like guessing games. So former, okay, so former fasters versus current fasters. What do you think they felt about eating three meals a day and snacks?
Barry Conrad
What do the former fastest think?
Melanie Avalon
So again, former fasters, that's going to be the category of people who quit fasting and then current are the ones keep doing it. So how do you think they felt in general about three meals a day?
Like whether it's healthy, whether it's not healthy?
Barry Conrad
I think that the formal fast is because they've quit fasting. I think that they think it's healthy and more sustainable for them.
Melanie Avalon
Yes. So the former ones were more likely to believe that it's healthy to eat three meals a day with several snacks.
And okay, so this is fascinating. So when they were actually fasting, both the current fasteners and when the former fasteners were fasting, when do you think they were more likely to eat? And like what? So like what meals, what snacks? The win question though.
Barry Conrad
The when, okay. I would say afternoon, performer, performer. How about for current, for current, I would say more evening.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, so you're really close. So former, they were more likely to eat breakfast, a mid-morning snack, a lunch, and a mid-afternoon snack. So they basically, that's the order that they listed in. So I guess they ate breakfast and then they had like a snack and then they had lunch and they had another snack and that was like their window.
These are the people who like ended up quitting intermittent fasting. The current fasteners, the ones still doing it, they tended to have dinner and a late evening snack.
Barry Conrad
Hmm, yep.
Melanie Avalon
so late night eaters. And then here are just some other things.
So former fasters, they were more likely to be concerned about the negative consequences of missing a meal. They were more likely to, this is big, we've talked about this before, to eat an anticipation of future hunger. And one other thing, but just to pause on that for a second. So basically, the ones that ended up quitting fasting were ones that were anticipating being hungry and would eat more, like an anticipation. Isn't that so interesting? And it's interesting because you would be doing that to keep doing your pattern adequately, but it seems like it had a non-sustainable effect. It made them not keep up with fasting.
Barry Conrad
It's like eating for future hunger, which is like, why do that? It's interesting.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah. Although I definitely remember doing that. Did you ever do that? I remember doing that when I first started fasting.
Barry Conrad
I definitely, I think I definitely ate more than I probably will definitely ate more than I do now. Like maybe I thought, Oh, I've got to just eat, you know.
Melanie Avalon
And then this is one of my favorites. So the former fasters, they were more likely to prioritize fullness over taste when selecting food.
So when they were picking their meals, rather than eating what they wanted to eat for the taste, they would pick things that they thought would keep them full longer. And so the researchers were saying that that might have had an effect on the sustainability of the diet because they weren't happy with what they were eating.
Barry Conrad
So what kind of foods do they does it say in the study what sort of foods they were more attracted to then.
Melanie Avalon
I don't know if they said that just said they pick stuff that they thought would keep them fuller
Barry Conrad
That's so interesting to me because you want wouldn't you want to be eating things that you enjoy and look forward to what you want actually want to eat, right?
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, I know. And it's so interesting because it speaks to what we've talked about a lot, which is the importance of really enjoying your food.
And we talked about the hedonic pleasure versus I don't know, we talked about the role of pleasure in eating and how it doesn't have to be this negative thing that people associate it with. So they were basically saying that depending on what your mindset is surrounding all of this, following an IF diet can lead to feelings of missing out on the pleasure of eating or missing out on eating with family at mealtimes or feeling that fasting is otherwise disruptive to your schedule. And if so, it just makes it a lot less sustainable. So what are your thoughts?
Barry Conrad
It's a really interesting study meal. I think that what I keep thinking about when I hear this is the former fastest, a just didn't have a lot of fun doing it, you know, didn't really enjoy the process and it's almost like once that clock hit, you know, end of fast, just sort of gorge out on really, really filling food just to feel full and then sleep and go to the next day and you know, which is not really the point, it's about still eating nutritionally dense foods that you actually enjoy and it's about that feast and enjoying it, not enduring it.
You don't know what I mean? So that, so that's really stood out to me and it's not surprising at all based on what you shared that they quit because who, who, I would want to do that. I'd want to enjoy it. And, and also what was interesting to me was when you shared what with the when I actually don't, I probably they're definitely are people who for sure have a morning window for me personally. I think, I think an evening window maybe is better, well, personally speaking, because it's more social. You can also have like a little snack while you watch some TV and wind down. Like it's more like a winding down thing. Maybe that's a bit more sustainable for a lot of people. I'm guessing it is for me anyway, in that way. So yeah, it's interesting that the former fast is more morning slash afternoon. Yeah. What do you think about that?
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, it's so interesting. I feel like this study touched on all the things we talk about all the time. I really do agree.
At least for me, having an eating window, just so much easier, easily aligns up with things. Also, since I'm such a wine drinker, and I don't like, I do not like day drinking, so that's kind of out the window doing an earlier window for me. It's really interesting though, just how, especially with, I guess this was 2019, so this was a while ago, but it's interesting that just how much the idea, the zeitgeist of you need to eat three meals a day, how much that affects whether or not people can sustain fasting.
Barry Conrad
And even eating the three meals within the fasted, um, in the any winner as well, you know, why is that it's such a embedded.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, like the snacking aspect like the multiple like they gotta eat and then snack and then eat and then snack
Barry Conrad
I have done that like, you know, on, on days where just like my schedules has had to do that, but I just prefer to have my own med. It's just easier for me. I feel better doing it.
Melanie Avalon
I feel so good, even though we can debate what that means.
Barry Conrad
Oh, here we go. Shout out to Jim Stevens, though, G. What is one meal? What is it? Have a snack? Wait a little bit? Eat? Wait a little bit?
Melanie Avalon
Didn't we revisit that on one of our first episodes together?
Barry Conrad
We did actually, which is really funny. We have to find it and put it in the show notes.
Melanie Avalon
Like what season was it during our first episode? Like when was that? Do you remember?
Barry Conrad
I think it was summer for me in Bondi. We were talking, I do remember it was sunny for me, so it would have been summer. I'm pretty sure I could be wrong, but I think so. So like winter.
Melanie Avalon
for me. Have we had like a year anniversary? Did we miss that?
Barry Conrad
Melanie, we haven't even thought about this. Did we miss our anniversary? We should look this up.
Melanie Avalon
We both forgot our anniversary. It's fine. Wait, let me check. Let me check right now.
Barry Conrad
I can't believe I didn't even think about that because I think it was November. I think that the first episode I did with you was in a November, wasn't it?
Melanie Avalon
Oh, my goodness, Barry, guess what? So, this episode airs that we're recording right now. January 5th, next week is episode 4.56 on January 12th, 2026. Our first episode was January 13th of 2025.
Barry Conrad
Oh wow.
Melanie Avalon
So next week would be our one year anniversary what and I was gonna do a guest Episode for that, but I think I should change that because we should be here for that, right?
Barry Conrad
Yeah, we should be here. Of course, we should be here for that. We should definitely do that. What should we do? Oh my gosh. Ah, this is... We need to talk about this on the Mythical. We need to...
Melanie Avalon
We gotta talk about this offline.
Barry Conrad
This is a big deal.
Melanie Avalon
Oh, my gosh, next year is going to be our anniversary. Or the day before the day before anniversary. you
Barry Conrad
Yeah, but still it's like, you know, we get to, we should still celebrate on.
Melanie Avalon
Okay, so offline on our mythical call, we'll figure this out.
Barry Conrad
Yep. You're hearing this in real-time listeners. This is happening.
Melanie Avalon
I know, listeners, this is how this show goes down.
Barry Conrad
Wow, that's exciting. Why did we think about that? Because you're talking about, yeah, how did we think about that?
Melanie Avalon
Oh, I asked when, like, what time of the season was it that we were recording, yeah.
Barry Conrad
And then you said, wait, was that? Yeah.
Melanie Avalon
whoa okay well on that note shall we jump into some listener questions let's do it and this is perfect timing because the first question relates to what I was talking about for one of the things I want to bring with me when I travel so would you like to read the question from Mary
Barry Conrad
If Mary on Facebook asks, from start to finish, how long does it take food to digest? How long does it take to go through your system?
Melanie Avalon
Okay Mary, thank you so much for this question. I probably have thought way too much about this question like throughout my life.
It blows my mind that some people never even think about this and I have thought about it so much and I've had like so many therapy sessions about this. Do you remember Barry when they did the, was it like the blue muffin challenge thing?
Barry Conrad
Yes.
Melanie Avalon
Did you do it?
Barry Conrad
I didn't do it.
Melanie Avalon
I remember thinking this really shows me how different people's mind, like people's mental experience of the world can be. Because if I were to do something like that, that would give me so much anxiety.
Why? Because then I'd be thinking about like, how long is food potentially? Like what if it's like backed up or like not moving at a good rate through my system? It's like two. Yeah, two. I don't like to think about that. So yeah, and it blew my mind that some people like never think about that at all.
Barry Conrad
Yeah, but no, like, sorry to interrupt as well, but also, I haven't really thought about that that much until now.
And you said, like, you had some therapies, what were you, what worried you about food digesting or concerned you or, yeah, tell me, I'm curious, I'm genuinely curious.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah. So I went, I, I've talked about this on, hmm. I know I've talked about it on various biohacking podcasts that I've had and I've talked about it on me going on other podcasts, but I don't know if I've, I probably talked about on this show. I'm not sure.
But basically, I, I had a period of time where I was really hypothyroid and my digestion really slowed down. And I kind of got like at that time, and this was like in 2013, this was like, yeah, probably like 2013, 2013, 2014. I kind of developed like this mental complex fear, because I felt like I was like eating a lot of food, but nothing was moving through me. And so I, I started imagining like food fermenting and like a negative gut microbiome and like a toxic feeling like it made me feel very toxic. So I got I literally got like a fear of food not like moving through me like the way it should be.
Barry Conrad
Well, thanks for sharing that.
Melanie Avalon
Of course, yeah, so if other people have those, but then it was so mind-blowing to make some people like never think about it like at all, you know?
Barry Conrad
It makes me think about it now though.
Melanie Avalon
It made me realize too, it's so interesting, like just in general, like life fears, like there's so many things we could like be focused on or worried about. And it's all our choice what we focus on and get worried about.
So it's just interesting to me that like that was something that affected me so much and really distressed, like really stressed me out, but some people never think about it. And I'm sure there are so many other things that other people stress about that I never think about.
Barry Conrad
But also to be fair, if you were feeling bad as well, and if you had a hypothyroid, like it's very different. It's not like you were just like regular, regular, regular, and then all of a sudden I'm worried about digestion, you know, you had a reason to think about that.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah. And it wasn't just hypothyroid. It was like mold. I was in a moldy apartment. I had carbon dioxide poisoning, heavy metal, like anemia, like all this stuff was going on. So that's why I'm so grateful for health. You know, they say like when you're, like when you're not healthy, like the one thing you want is your health back. Like when you're sick, the one thing you want is your health. And then when you're, no, when you're healthy, you want like the world or you want everything, but when you're sick, the only thing you want is your health. So shout out to people who may be experiencing anything like that, because it can get better.
I promise. Yeah. So Mary's question, food digestion time. I'm getting different answers for things, but in general, it looks like it can be anywhere from like 14 hours on the low end to up to 72 hours on the high end, like three days. Really? Yeah.
Barry Conrad
Oh my god, it's a long time.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, but it's probably more like probably more like 14 to like 58 hours, but it you know It can take that that longs and so the digestive process Well, there's in your mouth, you know when you're chewing and swallowing and and that's where you first start breaking down Starches, so if you have any starch you have amylase in your saliva that can actually break down starches This is why if you have some bread and you chew it in your mouth for a really really long time It'll start tasting sweet because you actually break down the starch into more simple sugars But that's obviously like seconds or you know a minute.
Oh, which which by the way, well, I know the answer berry I don't know if I know the answer. I was gonna ask how much you like to your food or do you think about it?
Barry Conrad
You know what, I happily admit that I need to slow down because I inhale food. Like I just really smash it. I just go, I could afford to slow down.
Melanie Avalon
even like protein and steak and stuff.
Barry Conrad
I do definitely chew my protein more, but I can't afford to slow down more. It's a wonder that I don't actually have digestion issues because I do probably eat quicker than I do.
Melanie Avalon
Gotta get made of steel. For now. I feel like I chew a lot. I do, I don't know. I feel like I do chew a lot. And at restaurants, you know, I go really slow.
Barry Conrad
Like what? Give an example like five times?
Melanie Avalon
I don't know. I don't really count the restaurants. I like really chew slowly.
Barry Conrad
That's good. It's mindful eating.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, uh, yeah, it's more like I don't want to like it's more about like social awareness, I think Then being mindful with the food
Barry Conrad
This goes all the way. Look away. Watch me.
Melanie Avalon
Oh, which by the way, I was reading an article yesterday about the proper way to cut steak at a restaurant and how to eat a steak at a restaurant properly.
Barry Conrad
How is it? What did they say?
Melanie Avalon
So you're supposed to, tell me if you do this, you're supposed to have the fork in your left hand, the knife in your right hand, put the fork onto the steak, cut off a very small bite, then switch hands, the fork goes into the right hand, and then you eat the one bite. And you're not supposed to pre-cut the whole steak, you're supposed to eat one bite at a time.
Barry Conrad
Okay, I don't switch hands. I've never done that. Have you done, do you do that? Well, I'm going to, next time I'm going to do it. Just try it.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah. Okay. Now we know. But back to the digestion, so then food goes into your stomach and in your stomach, that's where your stomach releases HCl, which is hydrochloric acid as well as digestive enzymes, which side note, I think the biggest game changer for me in my digestion is digestive enzymes, like the food combinations that I choose and then digestive enzymes. And I have launched my AvalonX digestive enzymes, they're called AvalonX Digest. They are the result of me finding the enzyme blend that I personally love the most historically, which was pure encapsulations, Digest Ultra, taking that formula essentially, and then removing what I didn't like about that formula, which was like the other additives and such, and then putting it into a glass bottle. So it's literally like my dream digestive enzymes. It will optimize change of digestion, help with digestive distress, it will help you absorb nutrients better. If you're trying to have more protein, it'll help you break down protein. Definitely get it friends.
It's at AvalonX.us. It's called AvalonX Digest. And you can use the code I have podcast to get a 10% discount on that. And you can also get a one time 15% code if you get on my email list at AvalonX.us slash email list. And you can get a one time 20% off code. If you text AvalonX, so Avalon A-B-A-L-O-N-X to 877-861-8318. That is AvalonX to 877-861-8318. Now that I sound like an ad, love digestive enzymes. They will help, they're released by the pancreas endogenously, your own digestive enzymes are, and they help break down food in your stomach. So again, that's two to six hours. And then food goes into the small intestine. That can be another like three to five hours. And also in the small intestine, you release enzymes as well. And then the majority of the transit time is in the large intestine, which is your colon. And that's where there can be another like 12 to 48 hours. So the whole process together can be anywhere from like, like I said, like 14 hours up to maybe 72 hours. Things that affect the speed of digestion is the type of food. So protein, fiber, and fat take longer to digest. Carbs are actually absorbed relatively quickly, especially simple carbs. So simple sugars and things like fruit, compared to starches, which do have to break down a little bit more, but all of them are absorbed faster than protein, fiber, and fat. And then fiber, you will hear things all over about fiber. You'll hear that it speeds up digestion, you'll hear that it slows it down. In general, it seems to show that fiber slows down digestion. But some people, I think like insoluble fiber might find that it speeds up, but in general, fiber probably slows it down. And then gender differences. So men tend to have a shorter transit time in their large intestine compared to women. Food digestion times. Do you have thoughts on all of that?
Barry Conrad
I feel like you answered that perfectly. I mean, you're really qualified to answer this by thinking about it so much.
Way too much. I do notice when I'm one thing that does help with digestion in general is making sure that you're drinking enough water, staying active, everything just flows better, literally, you know, get the drift. So yeah, I did it, you know, it's important. And also to pay attention to how you feel after different foods, you know, what you feel, searching your gut more, what's sticking around more. I didn't actually didn't know those figures and all, like that's quite a long time for up to 78, 58 to 72 hours. That's a long time to.
Melanie Avalon
And so that's another thing too is that I think this will really help people understand how complex it can be because you just mentioned how important it is to listen to your body. I just mentioned like multiple processes along the digestive process and things could go wonky at any, you know, at any point during that process.
So when you're reacting to a food. Like yesterday.
Barry Conrad
Which is interesting, right? Because that way, like sometimes if somebody has a funky gut the next day, it's like, they try to pinpoint, was it what I ate today? Was it last night for dinner? Like, what made me sick? And they try to think back, you know?
Melanie Avalon
Exactly. And then like two other thoughts. So that's why doing like an elimination diet can be really important where you're eating the same thing over and over and then you add in one thing. So then you can really see Oh, it was that one thing.
And also this this can create kind of like a false, like a false positive with digestive issues because anytime you eat, even though you're eating at the top of this, like the mouth, it actually stimulates motility all throughout your GI track. So people can have an experience where there's distress and they're cold in, but they're not feeling it because it's not really moving and then they eat and then they feel bloating, but it's from food that was already there from like yesterday and they're colon. And it's just being stimulated from the eating process.
Barry Conrad
It's a process.
Melanie Avalon
Yes. And I will say magnesium is a game changer for this as well, for motility. So you can also get my Avalon X magnesium 8. That really, really helps with that.
Barry Conrad
I wonder what, Melanie, I wonder what Mary's trainer thought, like what made her want to ask this question, if there's something bad that she ate, or it's just an interesting question to be asked, right? Like how long does it take for food to digest? Wonder what brought that on.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, that's so true. I mean, it's kind of like, it's like kind of like me, my past, like it'd be coming from a place of I don't I don't think I have the anxiety as much anymore.
Barry Conrad
The interesting thing for me is protein takes longer to digest and break down, right? And at the same time for me, I feel like it feels the most seamless for me to eat. Does that make sense?
Melanie Avalon
It does. And I actually was going to give this nuance. So I'm glad you're bringing it up.
Protein, like lean protein without fat, actually can digest faster. It's really the fat that really slows it down more. But I feel the same way like going back to what you're talking about, knowing what you're knowing your body and what food combinations work. Depending on the combination of food, I can definitely feel a difference of like how how fast it digests. And if I were to just like pure like lean protein, I digest that like really well.
Barry Conrad
It's interesting hearing those figures because it's almost like I don't even feel it, like I feel satiated but I don't feel bloated or full. You know what I'm trying to say?
It just feels easy to eat.
Melanie Avalon
So to bring this literally full circle from the beginning of the episode because I do have a lot of concerns with digestion because traveling can I feel like mess with people's digestion anyways and like just even normal people. Like I feel like normal people. I feel like a lot of people without digestive issues will have it when they travel.
So one of my like hacks for me personally and this is what I did on the at the eudaimonia conference, I will just eat some of the nights like just like just chicken like just because I won't get any digestive distress from that. Like I know it's like a safe food. Like you said, I like barely I don't even really feel it. If that makes sense.
Barry Conrad
You can eat lots and lots of it.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah. And that's why a lot of people do carnivore diets and it radically helps their bloating and GI issues and stuff, just eating meat.
Barry Conrad
on this topic as well. I went to Olive Garden for the first time.
Melanie Avalon
For the first time?
Barry Conrad
for the first time.
Melanie Avalon
Did you feel like you were in Italy? Disney World doesn't even feel like a Disney World version of like, wait, it feels like a mass produced Disneyfied version.
Little bit low caliber, though, of Italy, not to like put down Olive Garden, but you know, it's like, it's a vibe. The theming is there. They play the music in the bathroom.
Barry Conrad
It blew my mind just how much food was being served and at such a like cheap price, but it's just like pounds and pounds and pounds, like what is happening? Where am I?
It was like a Disney Land for food for sure.
Melanie Avalon
I haven't been forever. Isn't it like unlimited, like stuff?
Barry Conrad
bread and 20 bucks for like unlimited pasta Melanie like what the heck what
Melanie Avalon
What loss did you get?
Barry Conrad
Well, you can change because basically after the first big plate, then you get to have unlimited like smaller plates of different parts of it. I started with fettuccine and then you can also pay like six bucks for like.
Melanie Avalon
Alfredo.
Barry Conrad
Yeah, you can also get like proteins like sausage chicken and stuff but the point I'm trying to weave into this is that I definitely felt felt it felt that meal it was just you know it's just different. What is used to processing just the quality of it or yeah versus protein for example.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah. Yeah.
And it's so interesting, like just speaking about that, because I think a lot of people, a lot of people think meat is really hard to digest and slows down digestion. And I just did mention protein about it being slow to digest. But if you're eating like clean protein without fermenting foods along with it, I mean, I just digest it really well. And I feel like a lot of people can and do.
Barry Conrad
Yeah, it was delicious, but yeah, it's you definitely knowing what works. Your body is really, this is just so, so key just to enjoying eating, enjoying fasting, having a life that is just, just a quality, just a quality way of eating and just going through everyday life.
Like it's, it's a game changer. Cause if you're guessing constantly, is this good, is this bad? You're going to feel bad a lot of the time. It's really important to know what works for our bodies.
Melanie Avalon
It really, really is. That's why no pasta for me, unfortunately, or cheese. All right. Speaking of, shall we have our proverbial breaking of the fast moment?
Barry Conrad
Let's do it!
Melanie Avalon
All right friends so this is our part of the show where we focus on the importance of what you eat in your eating window not just the fasting since we spent like the whole episode talking about our focus on eating anyways and we like to profile restaurants that we find where we think they have a cool vibe or something that is really intriguing or a nice menu.
So Barry what restaurant do you have for us today?
Barry Conrad
Well, the restaurant that I have for us today, Melanie, is in London in the UK. It's called Fen Church Restaurant, and I'll send you the link there. And why this place rocks is they offer a full, like, a la carte situation alongside a tasting option, so punters and people going to visit can choose exactly how they want to eat, which is what you'd like, whether you're in the mood for like one standout dish or like a full spread, which, you know, we'll probably get the full spread. It sits right at the top of the sky garden, which means the entire dining room is wrapped in like this high altitude, sweeping views of London. It's one of those spots where the setting becomes like the experience. So you'd like huge glass walls, dramatic city lights, lush indoor garden atmosphere. Oh, plants? Yeah. Wine-wise, they highlight an award-winning wine selection mill, which pairs beautifully with their modern European plates. It's the kind of list that invites you to explore a bit, whether you're in the mood for a clean white or something bold. The vibe is meant to be contemporary, airy, elegant. It's got that DRE destination restaurant energy without ever feeling stuffy. So perfect for people wanting somewhere impressive and scenic and a little glamorous AKA Melanie Avalon, but still relaxed enough for the good night out.
So let's get into it.
Melanie Avalon
Is DRE an acronym that's like used or did you come up with that just now?
Barry Conrad
I just can't for that.
Melanie Avalon
Oh, I love that you like throw it in like it's a thing, you know, some DRE energy, we just started saying that DRE, do you ever wonder how acronyms or like how things get started? Like who was the first person to say like a phrase and how it like took off? Like what if we're starting DRE right now?
Barry Conrad
We actually are, literally, so...
Melanie Avalon
We should start saying it to everybody and like just act like it's normal and then it'll take off.
Barry Conrad
Yeah, that place has some, let's call it D-I-E, like destination ratio energy. Like, I feel like that's the thing.
Melanie Avalon
Do you know any good DRE restaurants around?
Barry Conrad
Have a good luck.
Melanie Avalon
Well, this is totally DRE energy. I love it. The windows, the plants, it's kind of like my apartment with windows and plants.
Barry Conrad
I thought you'd like it.
Melanie Avalon
I love it!
Barry Conrad
There's quite a few things there, so we'll go to the ala carte, there's also the tasting menu, but I reckon the ala carte situation would be good, and then there's also the tasting menu that's more like a set thing.
Melanie Avalon
Oh, it's a set one. Yeah.
Barry Conrad
ish.
Melanie Avalon
It is a sad menu.
Barry Conrad
I know you don't like that too.
Melanie Avalon
So should we go to the a la carte?
Barry Conrad
Let's go to the Ella cart and what I like about this as well, which I haven't seen before is listeners. If you go to the URL, it actually says they're like a snack while you wait delta dot, which is cool. Like that's even before the starters, which I love.
Melanie Avalon
is that do you think they do you think that's at the table or do you think it's literally while you're waiting oh wait probably for the food waiting for the food
Barry Conrad
Yeah, while you're waiting for your starters and mains to come out.
Melanie Avalon
So it's like a pre appetizer.
Barry Conrad
Yeah, which I love. I love that idea.
Melanie Avalon
That's fun. Okay. Should we start with that then? Yes.
Oh, and the first word. And I feel bad because I don't remember what we learned, but we learned, we learned the difference between prawns and shrimp, right? And who uses what and what it more likely is. Okay, wait. So the US uses shrimp and it's most likely going to be shrimp, right? And then prawns is, I don't remember. There was like two options for Europe. Like one option they use prawns and it was more likely prawns, I think. And one option it was prawns, but it was more likely shrimp, maybe.
Barry Conrad
Okay, so the main difference between prawns and shrimp are the prawns that have claws, while prawns often appear larger, shrimp are smaller and more curved.
Melanie Avalon
Really? We found out though, like the name. Hold on, I'm gonna find it. I think it was in my chat history. Let's see. Oh, I found it.
So, okay, yeah. So the US, maybe we will learn this eventually. So in the US, we more likely call it shrimp and it typically is shrimp. In the UK, they call it prawns and it's most likely cold water prawns, which are actually shrimp. So the UK, they call it prawns, but it's more likely shrimp, even though they're cold water prawns. Australia, you people, they actually say prawn and it actually is more likely to mean a prawn.
Barry Conrad
That's very confusing.
Melanie Avalon
So this is UK, right? Yeah, this is the UK. This is probably going to be a cold water prawn, either a northern prawn or a warm water prawn, but it's actually a type of shrimp.
Barry Conrad
But also listening is just letting you know it's going to it's pretty much the same. Same like it's going to taste, it's going to give you that same taste, look, everything. It's a miracle.
Melanie Avalon
I wonder if I've had prawns, like real prawns.
Barry Conrad
You probably have with a, it's basically like a prawn. Well, it doesn't sound as cool as a shrimp cocktail, prawn cocktail. A prawn cocktail. A PC. A PC.
Melanie Avalon
Let's just start talking in acronyms. Let's have a PC at the DRE.
Barry Conrad
That's really funny. There are a few things there. What's anything catching your eye?
Melanie Avalon
Obviously, I got to get, well, wait, but it's going to be shrimp, but I'm going to get the prawns, which come with pickled seaweed, green curry, and coriander. And as we know, these prawns are most likely shrimp.
Barry Conrad
I'm gonna get oh I'm gonna get that also the glazed chicken wings and whiskey barbecue which I love chicken wings and then gotta get a rock oyster.
Melanie Avalon
Okay, I was going to say I skipped over the oyster.
Barry Conrad
Yeah, cucumber, Vietnamese dressing, so those three, because it's little things, I think. I feel like the trinkets are not really... Yeah.
Melanie Avalon
Trinkets, which is also a Barry Conrad word, which you use that word like it's a normal word like
Barry Conrad
I do, yeah. Just go with it.
Melanie Avalon
Okay, are you gonna get a signature cocktail? I'm going in order are you gonna get a signature cocktail or a sparkling champagne?
Barry Conrad
You know what I feel like this place is giving me champagne vibes. I don't know why I don't normally go there But I reckon let's do it Don't print on belong.
Give me glass of that. Maybe get a bottle bottle of that
Melanie Avalon
You know, I don't really like champagne or sparkling wine.
Barry Conrad
You said this before, but I can't remember the reason why.
Melanie Avalon
Well, it's normally too sweet, but I don't like the carbonation, even though it's not that intense, because of, speaking of digestive issues, it's funny, carbonation, some people that really helps their digestion, some people it upsets it, it upsets mine, but they tend to be sweeter, the champagne, and I get headaches from champagne, I don't know why.
Barry Conrad
But I feel like my mom, for example, gets headache from champagne if it's bad champagne, but if it's expensive, good champagne, she doesn't.
Melanie Avalon
Well, I did I had a defining moment because dry from wine sent me a bottle of some I don't know if it was champagne or I think it was champagne. And so it was like the perfect chance to try like a low alcohol low sugar organic champagne. And I liked it but I still I just don't like we had it on my birthday with my family and I so I had like a sip but then I you know kind of gave it to everybody else.
Barry Conrad
Yeah, I kind of want to actually try to drive home wines now that I'm here.
Melanie Avalon
Oh, I know. We got to get you set up. You got to get some.
Barry Conrad
got to do it. So Champagne, are you gonna have anything to drink while we wait? With your while we wait?
Melanie Avalon
Do they have a wine list?
Barry Conrad
Yes, they do. If you go back to the main thing and go to one list, there's the middle one there.
Melanie Avalon
Okay, so looking at the wine, okay, so they have a sommelier selection wines of the month. They buy the glass though. Oh, buy the glass. Oh, this is a, wait a second, wines by the glass. Oh my goodness, they have a corvan. Okay, so that means that you can taste really expensive wines that normally would not be by the glass. I feel really good about this menu. I would have to, they have a lot of French wines, so that's good. I'd have to look through the wines, but I would probably look at the, well, maybe start with a rosé, one of the French rosés, or one of the French red corvan options. So they've got a burgundy. Yeah, I would look, I would look those up, but they've got a lot of good options. This was a good wine list.
Okay, back to the menu.
Barry Conrad
Jump to our a la carte starter section, which over here, again, listeners, Melanie won't like this because they're calling it how we, how we say it in Australia. It's not like the.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, they're using the word main for the main for them.
Barry Conrad
You're like, what is this?
Melanie Avalon
I do like the word starter because it's very universal. You know, like you say starter, I know what you're saying, I say it, you know what I'm saying.
But when we go down the route of like entree, now you're saying, yeah, then we're done. Well, before that, are you gonna have some of the sourdough bread?
Barry Conrad
Absolutely. Got a, I love a good sourdough bread. I feel like it's good on my gut.
So definitely have some fresh sourdough bread with some, it comes with caramelized onion, artichoke, aged balsamic butter. Let's go.
Melanie Avalon
I see what you did there.
Barry Conrad
Seated LaRouche.
Melanie Avalon
skip the word that he didn't know.
Barry Conrad
Seated Lavroche, Cara Vila's Artichoke. I wonder if anyone ever listens, like, look this up at the same time and go, you got that wrong, you got that wrong, got that wrong.
Melanie Avalon
sneaky sneaky trying to like skip the words okay starters oh okay oh oh oh i see i see things i see two things i want same so do you want to go back and forth
Barry Conrad
You go first, you stand on us.
Melanie Avalon
Okay, I'll get the cured jerk salmon. Although I need to talk actually, that's a maybe I have to talk to them, because it might it's probably cured in like some sort of seasoning and that seasoning might have like sugar and a lot of stuff in it. So if it's cured, and it doesn't have a lot of additives, I will get that it comes with spring onion and green mango, yuzu ponzu and plantain chips, I'll get that on the side. So that's my first one.
Should I do my second one? Or do you want to go?
Barry Conrad
Yeah, you do for the corner.
Melanie Avalon
Okay, and then I'm gonna get steak tartare, of course, which comes with spice relish, smoked mayo, cured yolk, and crispy potato, rusty. But, and I always get my steak tartare deconstructed.
And just so you know, friends, restaurants do this. I've done this at so many restaurants. Have you ever seen or ordered deconstructed steak tartare? No. Cause you know how like normally like tartare is like, it's the steak mixed with all that stuff. So they bring it out in separate bowls, like the steak, the egg, the relish.
Barry Conrad
Good to know, actually. So how about you?
I'm going to go to the crab rigatoni, but they have an orange font there to the side of lobster. So if you can maybe substitute lobster instead of crab, I think that's what that means. I'll get that.
Melanie Avalon
I wonder if it's adding crab or substituting.
Barry Conrad
If it's an ad, I'll take both. It's courgette, confit, lemon, roast smoked butter sauce. It sounds delicious.
And then I'm also going to do the steak tart as well. And also because you're deconstructing yours, I've never tried it before. I'm going to do that as well.
Melanie Avalon
Experience really? Yeah.
I mean, okay, you might want to get it not deconstructed though because it's not that exciting It's really only if you want to eat like steak plain then. Oh, no, you don't want to like mimic me here This is not like a mimic Melanie situation
Barry Conrad
So we're going to go into the mains. Look pretty good. Yeah. Yes.
Melanie Avalon
Oh, oh, I see exactly what I want. This is so easy.
Barry Conrad
Really?
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, they have one of my favorites. What are you going to choose? The Suffolk Wild Venison Loin. So I love venison.
Shout out to Maui Nui. We love Maui Nui venison. So it comes with curried sausage. Oh, a curried sausage roll, beetroot. I should know how to say this because it's a very common thing. I've never said it out loud. Celeriac. I've never said it out loud. Celeriac. I know what it is. Purple cabbage and Huntsman sauce. So I will get all of that on the side and cooked rare. Oh, wait. Oh, they have a to share. They have a ribeye and they have a crust. They have a veal chop. I love veal.
Barry Conrad
The real topic, he sounds great.
Melanie Avalon
Do you think they can like half crust it? What do you mean half? Can we order a veal chop half Parmesan crusted?
Barry Conrad
We could ask.
Melanie Avalon
Remember what we talked about on the cheese episode parmesan is like
Barry Conrad
Yeah, high protein. It's high protein though.
Melanie Avalon
I love veal chop though, this is hard.
Barry Conrad
Well, you could we could ask and if they don't, you could always like take a tiny bite and see how it feels to eat it.
Melanie Avalon
Could we like get it that way? And then can you cut me a bite from the center?
Barry Conrad
Yeah, this is going to be such an extra. This is going to be so fun. I'm going to get the peppered lomina lamb. I love lamb so much. Pickled cucumber, black garlic, gungio peas, couscous. It sounds really, really good.
Yum. And then the parmesan crusted veal chop. Yeah, we'll share that. And then sides. Do you want any sides, Mel? How are we getting the veal chop prepared? We'll ask for the half crust and we'll see what they say. You mean, how do you want it?
Melanie Avalon
Like, rare?
Barry Conrad
Yeah, we'll do right, I could do right.
Melanie Avalon
We can do like rare plus or medium rare if you insist.
Barry Conrad
Very plus, maybe very plus, and then sides got to try those truffle new potato, love potatoes. So I've got to do that.
And, Hmm, what else looks good there? No sides, because I feel like their portions are going to be massive. So.
Melanie Avalon
are going to be or will not be.
Barry Conrad
What weren't because from memory, like the portions in the UK aren't that big, like they're pretty conservative.
Melanie Avalon
I'm good on sides. So I mean, I would have if you got the broccoli, I might have like a broccoli, a broccoli.
Barry Conrad
And then, let's go to the Desserts menu.
Melanie Avalon
Also wait quick question. Yes, so broccoli cauliflower and then the the broccoli cauliflower situation I don't have you seen that it's like cauliflower, but it's green.
Do you know I'm talking about no I'm not seeing it right now, but broccoli or cauliflower. What do you like better?
Barry Conrad
That's odd because my mom used to make this cauliflower with like white creamy sauce, which is amazing, but I probably eat more broccoli, personally, like cook more broccoli, but I do love cauliflower as well.
Melanie Avalon
same and I found it type in romanesco it's like romanesco oh wow isn't that wild it's like broccoli cauliflower hybrid it's like
Barry Conrad
a Commutant.
Melanie Avalon
I know. It looks cool. Okay, and then are we getting dessert?
Barry Conrad
We have to check out that dessert menu. It looks pretty good.
Melanie Avalon
Let us see. I also want to look I'm gonna look really quick at the tasting menu. I want to see oh and the set menu. I just got to make sure there's nothing like oh man the tasting menu has
Barry Conrad
We could always ask, can you make an exception and.
Melanie Avalon
They have a grilled venison.
Barry Conrad
Well, they do have different things. They have joke, salmon, and ceviche.
Melanie Avalon
Then they have a tis the seat of vegetarian.
Barry Conrad
We could ask about the Google venison, you never know.
Melanie Avalon
Chef set menu. What's on that? Okay, okay, I'm good. Um, so desserts.
Barry Conrad
Desserts. Is anything catching your eye?
Melanie Avalon
Okay, let's see. So for dessert, I think I will get... Probably just get more of whatever I like the most from before.
So maybe the tartare, maybe the salmon, maybe the prawns, probably like one of those.
Barry Conrad
I'm going to go with the Chef Kurth Gums seasonal souffle, which is orange and dark chocolate, candied lemon, marble cake. Yum, that sounds great.
Melanie Avalon
Nice. Are you going to get an after dinner?
Barry Conrad
Yeah there's others also got to do a i want to old-fashioned actually an age old-fashioned belay bourbon and rywhiskey demerara sugar and gusto and orange bitters that sounds like a smash sounds great.
Melanie Avalon
Nice. What about you?
I'll just keep sipping on the wine. It looks like they had a lot of wine, so I might... Sometimes for dessert, I might go like the white wine route. Like I know a lot of people go like white wine and then red wine, but I kind of like to like have the red wine and then like end with a white wine. Awesome, awesome. Well, good find. We will have to visit.
Barry Conrad
Yeah, I know. Well, just any of the many restaurants, I can't wait for our first meal. It's going to be so much fun.
Melanie Avalon
I know which our first meal
Barry Conrad
Yeah, it's got to be a good one. It's got to be great. It can't be all of good on a comfy.
Melanie Avalon
Lots of pressure. If you come to Atlanta, we might... Well, I don't know. You know, my favorite restaurant is Lazy Betty, Michelin Stars, all the things, but it is a set price menu. So that's kind of complicated, but I've never eaten there and it's like my favorite restaurant.
So that might need to happen. I would just have to do like a... I don't know. I don't know. I don't know if we should eat at a set price restaurant though, because we order like some... Maybe not.
Barry Conrad
Because we like to choose things.
Melanie Avalon
Yeah, and we like a lot of food. So maybe not backtrack. We'll think about it. We'll brainstorm. So awesome find and friends, we hope you had the best time with us today.
Thank you so so much for being here. The show notes for today's episode will be at ifpodcast.com slash episode 455. Those show notes will have links to everything that we talked about. So definitely check that out. And then if you would like to submit your own questions for the show, you can directly email questions at ifpodcast.com, or you can go to ifpodcast.com and submit questions there. You can also ask questions in our Facebook group, I have biohackers, intermittent fasting plus real foods plus life. And you can get all the stuff that we like at ifpodcast.com slash stuff we like. And then lastly, follow us on Instagram. We are I have podcast, I have Melanie Avalon, Barry is Barry underscore Conrad. I think that's all the things Barry. Now we have to go figure out what we're going to do next week for our anniversary.
Barry Conrad
Yes, we have to.
Melanie Avalon
We gotta figure that out but this has been so so fun anything from you before we go.
Barry Conrad
Now thank you so much listeners for tuning in. We'll catch you next week. Can't wait!
Melanie Avalon
and happy 2026 to everybody!
Barry Conrad
FA2026, everyone! Bye!
Melanie Avalon
Thank you so much for listening to the Intermittent Fasting Podcast. Please remember, everything we discussed on this show does not constitute medical advice, and no patient-doctor relationship is formed.
If you enjoyed the show, please consider writing a review on iTunes. We couldn't do this without our amazing team. Editing by podcast doctors, show notes and artwork by Brianna Joyner, and original theme composed by Leland Cox and recomposed by Steve Saunders. See you next week!