Fasting and Fighting Cruise Ship Viruses: What You Need to Know

Summary

Chasing Life: Fasting and Fighting Cruise Ship Viruses – What You Need to Know

Host: Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Episode Release Date: February 11, 2025
Podcast Series: Chasing Life by CNN

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Dr. Sanjay Gupta dives into two pivotal health topics in this episode of "Chasing Life": the practice of intermittent fasting and strategies to prevent norovirus infections during cruise vacations. Drawing from personal experiences, scientific research, and expert insights, Gupta provides listeners with comprehensive guidance to enhance their well-being and enjoy healthier lifestyles.

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Intermittent Fasting: A Lifestyle Choice for Health and Longevity

Personal Journey and Introduction
Dr. Gupta opens the discussion by sharing his long-term personal commitment to intermittent fasting, a practice rooted in his upbringing and sustained over two decades. He emphasizes that for him, intermittent fasting transcends being merely a health trend, evolving into a fundamental aspect of his daily life.

Understanding Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting. Common approaches include fasting for 16 to 18 hours daily, followed by a 6 to 8-hour eating window. This method, also known as restricted eating, aims to create periods where the body depletes its sugar stores and begins to burn fat, a process referred to as metabolic switching. Gupta explains:

“Metabolic switching… Think of your body as flipping a switch from storing energy to instead using the energy efficiently.”
[02:15] Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Health Benefits and Scientific Insights
Gupta outlines several health benefits associated with intermittent fasting, including:

• Improved Blood Sugar Levels: Enhanced regulation of blood glucose.
• Weight Management: Effective control and reduction of body weight.
• Reduced Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Lowered likelihood of developing diabetes through metabolic health optimization.

He references a study from the Journal of the American Heart Association (2023), which followed 500 participants over six years. The study found that restricted eating windows alone did not correlate with significant weight loss. Instead, overall portion control and total caloric intake were more influential factors.

Expert Perspectives
During a previous episode, Dr. Gupta conversed with Stanford Professor Christopher Gardner, who highlighted a critical consideration in intermittent fasting:

“If it's just a window, I fear that people say it's the window. So I can have the pint of ice cream or I can have the cookies or I can have whatever… there's no emphasis on quality.”
[05:08] Professor Christopher Gardner

This underscores the importance of not using the eating window as an excuse to consume unhealthy foods, which can negate the benefits of fasting.

Practical Implementation Tips
Gupta offers actionable advice for listeners interested in adopting intermittent fasting:

1. Start Gradually: Begin with shorter fasting periods and gradually increase as the body adapts.
2. Align with Daylight: Synchronize eating windows with daylight hours to naturally regulate eating patterns.
3. Maintain Consistency: Regular fasting schedules yield better metabolic benefits.
4. Monitor Food Quality: Focus on nutrient-dense, balanced meals during eating periods to maximize health outcomes.

Cautions and Recommendations
While intermittent fasting offers numerous benefits, Gupta advises:

• Avoid Overeating During Eating Windows: Consuming excessive or unhealthy foods can undermine fasting benefits.
• Consult Healthcare Professionals: Especially important for individuals with underlying health conditions or those considering significant dietary changes.

Conclusion on Fasting
Dr. Gupta encourages listeners to experiment with intermittent fasting mindfully, emphasizing that it's a personalized approach to health that should be tailored to individual needs and lifestyles.

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Preventing Norovirus on Cruises: Essential Tips for a Healthy Voyage

Listener Inquiry and Context
The second segment addresses a question from Molly, a listener planning a cruise vacation who is concerned about preventing norovirus infections. She inquires about additional precautions beyond standard handwashing and sanitization to avoid getting sick, particularly from the notorious "cruise ship virus."

Understanding Norovirus
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes gastrointestinal illness, often referred to as the stomach flu. It spreads rapidly in confined environments like cruise ships due to:

• Low Infectious Dose: Only a small amount of the virus is needed to cause infection.
• Environmental Stability: The virus can survive on surfaces for extended periods.

Preventive Strategies
Dr. Gupta provides a comprehensive set of strategies to minimize the risk of norovirus infection:

1. Hand Hygiene:

   • Soap and Water Over Sanitizers: Soap and water are more effective against norovirus because the virus's tough protein coat resists alcohol-based sanitizers.
   • Regular Washing: Clean hands thoroughly before eating, after using the restroom, and after touching high-contact surfaces such as railings and elevator buttons.

   “Norovirus has this tough protein coat… So really use soap and water. Do it often on your hands.”
   [08:40] Dr. Sanjay Gupta

2. Surface Disinfection:

   • Use Bleach-Based Wipes: Ensure that cleaning products are effective against norovirus by checking for EPA approval.
   • Regular Wiping of Surfaces: Frequently disinfect personal items and high-touch areas in your cabin, including knobs, handles, phones, and remotes.

3. Avoid Touching Face:

   • Minimize Contact: Reduce the frequency of touching your face, especially the mouth, nose, and eyes, to prevent viral transfer from contaminated surfaces.

4. Health Preparedness:

   • Carry Oral Rehydration Solutions: These can be invaluable if you become ill, helping to maintain hydration and electrolyte balance.
   • Basic Medications: Items like Pepto-Bismol can alleviate symptoms and support recovery.

5. Stay Informed and Report Symptoms:

   • Engage with Ship’s Medical Facility: Promptly report any symptoms and adhere to medical advice to contain potential outbreaks.

Understanding Cruise Ship Protocols
Gupta notes that cruise lines are vigilant about norovirus control, often implementing measures such as passenger and crew quarantines and enhanced cleaning protocols when outbreaks occur.

Recovery Insights
Most individuals affected by norovirus recover within one to three days with proper hydration and rest. Dr. Gupta emphasizes the importance of maintaining hydration to support the body’s recovery process.

Final Recommendations
Dr. Gupta assures listeners that by following these preventive measures and being prepared, they can significantly reduce their risk of contracting norovirus and enjoy a healthy, worry-free cruise experience.

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Key Takeaways

• Intermittent Fasting: When implemented thoughtfully with attention to meal quality and portion control, intermittent fasting can offer substantial health benefits, including improved metabolic health and weight management. It is essential to approach fasting as a sustainable lifestyle change rather than a temporary diet.

• Norovirus Prevention on Cruises: Effective hand hygiene with soap and water, regular surface disinfection using appropriate cleaners, limiting face-touching, and being prepared with necessary medications are critical steps in preventing norovirus infections on cruises. Awareness and proactive measures can ensure a safer and more enjoyable travel experience.

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Additional Resources:

• For more insights on intermittent fasting, listen to the previous episode featuring Professor Christopher Gardner titled "Do Diets Really Work?"
• Visit asksanjaynn.com for more health questions and answers.

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Produced by CNN Audio and the Chasing Life team, including Aaron Mathewson, Jennifer Lai, Grace Walker, and others. Special thanks to Ben Tinker, Nadia Kanang of CNN Health, and Katie Hinman for their contributions.

Transcript

[Sanjay Gupta]

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[Sanjay Gupta]

Welcome to Paging Dr. Gupta. This is the show where I get to answer the health questions that you've been asking, and you've been sending in a lot of questions. And Kira, one of our amazing producers, is here to help us out again. What's the first question?

[Kira]

All right. Hey, Sanjay. So today's first page is coming from a listener whose name's Stephanie, and she wants to know your thoughts on intermittent fasting. So what's your take?

[Sanjay Gupta]

All right, Kira, thanks for bringing that one in. You know, intermittent fasting is something that I've thought a lot about, really my whole life, because my parents practiced this when I was a kid, and I've now been practicing intermittent fasting regularly as an adult for some close to 20 years. It's not just a health trend for me. It's become a part of my lifestyle. So let me start this way, Stephanie, with a little bit of the science behind behind intermittent fasting, as the name suggests. And as you might guess, the idea is to simply cycle between periods of eating and periods of fasting. That part makes sense. Typically, you may fast for 16 to 18 hours a day, for example, and then eat in a smaller window six to eight hours a day. Some people refer to this as restricted eating as well. That's a good name for it because essentially you have times of your day when. Or you're weak, when you're not eating at all. That's the key. Now, why is there so much excitement around this? I think it's because there's data around some of the compelling health benefits. Improvements in blood sugar, for example, improvements in weight management. That one makes sense. Also even reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Now, why this occurs is a little bit unclear, but it may be linked to a process known as metabolic switching. This is when your body essentially transitions from burning sugar or glucose for energy to instead burning fat. That shift can happen when you are fasting, and that's what has been linked to better cellular health. So again, remember that term metabolic switching, and essentially Think of your body as flipping a switch from storing energy to instead using the energy and doing it pretty efficiently. So if you think, well look, that sounds great, how do I do it? The way I did it was to find periods of my day when I typically eat. So I sort of really adopted what I referred to earlier, that 16, 8 approach 16 hours out of the day. And remember that includes night as well when you're not eating eight hours a day, when you're allowed to eat again, some people might use 18 hours not eating, six hours eating, but start off slow. That would be sort of the key. And people could basically do it as well based on when it is daylight outside. If you don't want to pay attention to the actual hours in the day, pay attention to the sunshine. Don't eat when it's dark outside. Simple as that. That's something I've done as well. And it's really in particular kept me from eating late at night. That was a big problem for me, got me out of the habit of late night snacks and things like that. Now another way to approach it is to do what's called a five, two approach. So five days out of the week, you eat two days, you really don't eat, or you eat a really, really low calorie diet on those two days. Whatever sort of floats your boat here. One thing I will say as you're starting this journey is that I cheated from time to time. I wasn't always eating just when the sun was out. I wasn't perfect right out of the gate. So don't beat yourself up too much if you're starting this process of intermittent fasting. But again, start slowly. And keep in mind an important caution that intermittent fasting is not a free pass to essentially binge on unhealthy foods during the times when you can eat. That'll quickly undo a lot of the benefits. The reason I say this is because there was a study published in the Journal of the American Heart association. This was back in 2023. They followed 500 people for six years. So long term study, some of whom were intermittent fasting, some who weren't. And what they found was no clear link between restricted eating windows and weight loss. What did matter in the study though overall was portion sizes and the total number of calories that a person ate throughout the day. So it's not necessarily just when you eat, it is what you're eating as well. That should be obvious if you're fasting but not paying attention to how much or what you're Eating it's probably not going to make that big a difference. It reminded me when I read that study of a conversation I had with this great professor, Christopher Gardner. He's out of Stanford. I talked to him for an episode of Chasing Life.

[Guest Expert]

Intermittent fasting. You look at your watch. Is it time to eat?

[Sanjay Gupta]

No.

[Guest Expert]

Okay, I'm not going to eat. Wait, let me look again. Ah, I get to eat now. And so if it's just a window, I fear that people say it's the window. So I can have the pint of ice cream or I can have the cookies or I can have whatever. Because the most important thing is the window. And I really appreciate how simple that rule is. And there's no emphasis on quality.

[Sanjay Gupta]

It's an important point. Perhaps as you think about intermittent fasting, Stephanie, the most important point. But bottom line, advice from me. If intermittent fasting sounds appealing, give it a try. If you're gonna make big changes to your diet, do talk to your doctor to make sure it's right for you. And if you want to hear more about intermittent fasting or from Christopher Gardner, who was really fantastic, check out our episode called Do Diets Really Work? We'll link to it in the show notes coming up after the break. If you're planning to go on a cruise this year, got a lot of questions about this. We're gonna answer one to talk about how to stay healthy and not ruin your vacation.

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[Sanjay Gupta]

All right, Kira, who's paging me next?

[Kira]

Sanjay. This one's coming from a listener named Molly, and she called in for her question, so let's take a listen.

[Molly]

Hello, my name is Molly from Fieldsbrook, California. My husband and I are going on a cruise soon. We are very religious about washing our hands and using hand sanitizer before and sometimes during meals. The cruise line is also very diligent about keeping commonly used surfaces clean and sanitary. Are there any other steps we should take to avoid getting sick on the cruise? Especially avoid getting the norovirus? Thank you for answering my question.

[Sanjay Gupta]

You're asking a great question, a common question. A lot of people heading into cruise season and norovirus outbreaks are quite common. Unfortunately, norovirus, also called the cruise ship virus for obvious reasons. It's not just one virus, but all these various viruses that are called norovirus have something in common. They spread really easily in confined spaces. And cruise ships are confined spaces. For those of you that have not heard about norovirus, it is a virus that can sometimes be referred to as a stomach bug, stomach flu, because most of the symptoms are GI symptoms. You know what I'm talking about. Vomiting, diarrhea. This is something you do not want to get. So first of all, I'm happy to hear that your cruise is taking sanitation seriously, because in addition to being a GI virus that spreads in confined spaces, it is really contagious. And that means that only a tiny amount can make you sick. Some viruses, you need a huge dose to really get sick. Not so with norovirus. It can take just a small dose and it can survive on surfaces for long periods of time. Keep those two things in mind. A small dose can make you sick, and it can survive on surfaces for long periods of time. Okay, so how to stay safe? Wash your hands, obviously, because washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating, after using the restroom, after touching high contact surfaces. Think about the cruise ship. You got railings, you got elevator buttons, all those things. They're high contact surfaces, easy places for norovirus to spread. Now, when it comes to things like hand sanitizer, know this hand sanitizer won't actually do a good job against norovirus. It's really interesting because norovirus has this tough protein coat that protects the genetic material. Viruses like the flu, they have more of a membrane coating and are more susceptible to alcohol as a result. So really use soap and water. Do it often on your hands. Other things you should do to stay healthy on your cruise, bring along some cleaning wipes, bleach based cleaning wipes, in particular sanitizers. Those things are going to neutralize the virus. Check the label, Check the EPA website to make sure they work against norovirus. Interestingly, many household disinfectants don't do a good job with norovirus. Make sure norovirus is on that label. And then again, wipe down anything in your room that is touched. Knobs, handles, phones, remotes. Avoid touching your face as much as possible. You may not recognize it, but you touch your face all the time. When you're in high contact areas, try and avoid doing that because you can easily transfer the virus from a contaminated surface to your body through your mouth, nose or eyes. If you do get sick on board, report your symptoms to the ship's medical facility. Follow their recommendations. There's not a specific medicine they're going to give you for norovirus. Antibiotics aren't going to work. This is a virus we're talking about, not a bacteria. But it is really important that you stay hydrated with water if you can, or over the counter oral rehydration solutions. Sometimes people have a hard time keeping things down when they're really nauseated. Those oral rehydration solutions or salts, they can be really effective. Bring some along just in case. Although they should have some on the cruise ship. Things like Pepto, Bismol. The basics. Bring those things as well. Know this, that most people are going to recover within one to three days. And also know that most cruise lines are really aware of norovirus. Sounds like yours is. They take pride in taking these steps to control the outbreaks. You may hear about quarantining of passengers or crew with symptoms to increase cleaning and disinfection of impacted vessels. You may see that happening even on your cruise. So with these tips, some medications to take along lots of precautions. I think you're going to be well prepared. Stay healthy and enjoy your trip. Bon voyage. That's it for today's episode. You have a lot of questions out there. I know. Send them to me a voice memo. Email it to asksanjaynn.com or give us a call. The old fashioned way. 470-396-0832. Leave a message. Thanks for listening. I love being here. And we'll be back next Tuesday. Chasing Life is a production of CNN Audio. Our podcast is produced by Aaron Mathewson, Jennifer Lai, Grace Walker, Lori Gallaretta, Jesse Remedios, Sofia Sanchez and Kyra Daring. Andrea Cain is our medical writer. Our senior producer is Dan Bloom. Amanda Seeley is our showrunner, Dan Dazzula is our technical director. And the executive producer of CNN Audio is Steve Lichti, with support from Jamis Andrest, John Dionora, Hailey Thomas, Alex Maniseri, Robert Mathers, Lainey Steinhardt, Nicole Pesaru and Lisa Namoro. Special thanks to Ben Tinker and Nadia Kanang of CNN Health and Katie Hinman.

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This week on the Assignment With Me, Adie Cornish. Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, otherwise known as doge, have rattled the federal civil service to its core. So now that the richest man in the world has been put in charge of remaking the US Government, the questions are, how is he doing it? Who's helping him to do it? And what does it mean for the government you might just be taking for granted? Listen to the Assignment With Me, Audie Cornish. Streaming now on your favorite podcast. Applause.