The OneYearFast Environmental Experiment

Turning Fasting Into an Environmental Experiment

The OneYearFast project naturally lends itself to measurement.

Most fasting experiments focus on the body:

• Weight
• Body composition
• Blood markers
• Ketones
• Blood pressure
• Resting metabolic rate
• Exercise performance

But why stop there?

Food consumption also has an environmental dimension.

What Could Be Measured?

A year-long environmental fasting experiment could record:

Fasting

• Fasting days
• Fasting duration
• Eating windows

Food

• Total calories
• Food weight
• Meat
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Fish
• Plant foods

Waste

• Food purchased
• Food consumed
• Food discarded

Environmental Estimates

• CO₂e
• Land use
• Water use

Establish a Baseline

Before changing anything, establish a baseline.

What does a normal month of eating look like?

How much food is consumed?

What percentage is animal-based?

How much is wasted?

Then compare subsequent months.

The Scientific Caveat

These calculations will contain uncertainty.

Food production varies enormously by:

• Country
• Farming system
• Climate
• Production method
• Season
• Supply chain

Global averages are therefore useful for comparison but should not be interpreted as precise measurements of an individual farm or meal.

What Would Success Look Like?

Success isn't necessarily:

"I fasted 150 days."

A more interesting result would be:

"My annual food consumption changed by X%, my estimated food-related emissions changed by Y%, and I can explain why."

That is a genuine experiment.