A ketogenic diet and (intermittent) fasting go together like peanut butter and jelly. Call it a trend or a newly found method of keeping oneself fit and healthy, nonetheless, one can’t deny its significance and beneficial impact. Some health experts might even call it an entire way of life due to the manner it defines one’s schedule.
Conventionally, the concept of fasting has been associated with religious purposes for many people over the years. However, as scientists and food experts began researching the concept of fasting, its numerous benefits were brought to light. In today’s time, several influential personalities around the globe have adopted the practice of following the ketogenic diet along with intermittent fasting.
What exactly is a ketogenic diet?
If looked upon historically, patients of epilepsy were advised to strive off of a ketogenic diet because of the medicinal purpose it served to them. With the progression of time, it was observed that keto diets are always an excellent way to go about your dietary routine if you are rooting to drop a few kg. What more could one ask for, right? As if this wasn’t enough, ketogenic diets also have other primary benefits such as improving the health of cardiac and cancer patients.
The question, however, remaining unanswered is what makes the ketogenic diet an all-in-one package deal for a healthy lifestyle? To put it simply, the keto diet is fundamentally based on the principle of low carbohydrates. This sole rule cuts short most of the unhealthy food we consume daily. Instead of carbohydrates, it is high in fats and modifies your body pattern in a manner that burns fats for the production of energy. If you are keen on the topic of a healthy and nutritious way of life, you are sure to know of the different types of ketogenic diets. The four basic types are designed in a way that makes it easier for each individual (with contrasting body requirements and types) to adjust accordingly.
What is intermittent fasting?
An important aspect we often tend to forget when we set out on a healthful path is that the quantity of carbohydrates a food contains is not the sole factor that is a hurdle in your journey. These ignored aspects are the target of intermittent fasting. Its focal point is divided into the following elements;
- When you consume a meal.
- The quantity of food you consume.
- How often do you have your meals?
In intermittent fasting there are principal time divisions; when you are eating (feeding) and when you are taking your time away from food of all sorts (fasting).
Furthermore, there are two kinds of intermittent fasting; short-term fasting and long-term fasting. Short-term fasting is when you go on a food boycott for any time less than 24 hours. Long-term fasting, on the other hand, is when you avoid eating for more than 24 hours. Both of these sorts of fasting include the time you spend sleeping i.e. during the day or the night.
With that being said, it isn’t necessary to go on a hunger strike straight away, especially if doing so makes you unhappy. None of this is worth enough to cost you your happiness and an optimistic state of mind. As a beginner, you may also find the entire concept of intermittent fasting exceptionally laborious. If that is the case, there is some good news for you! You are allowed to have eating windows. Experts suggest fresh starters opt for eating windows first and practice confining their food consumption to a particular time. Once you find yourself in the right place and mind, to begin with, fasting at stretched hours, nothing is going to stop you.
How to break an Intermittent/ Keto Fast?
Despite the different time ranges of long-term fasting and short-term fasting, it is integral to plan regarding how you are meant to break your fast. A handful of people who are new at following ketogenic ways of life and intermittent fasting are of the perspective that the breaking of one’s Keto fast is freestyle. Unfortunately, that is not the case. You have to make the prior hunger-striking hours worth it at the end of the day. Accordingly, that will only be possible if you break your fast in an approximate manner that is appropriate to your keto diet. On that note, here is a list of foods you may eat to break your fast;
- Bone broth
- Whey protein
- Seafood (preferably wild-caught)
- Pasteurized meet
- Vegetables (with low carbohydrates i.e. green leafy vegetables)
- Soups (make sure they are keto-friendly)
- Avocados
An appropriate circumstance may also be that you want to opt for a meal that does contain carbohydrates to fulfill your body’s minimal requirement. In such a given scenario, be mindful that you opt for foods that contain a comparatively lesser quantity of carbohydrates. Some of the preferred and most suggested options are;
- Dry fruits
- Oatmeal
- Bananas
- Eggs
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Broccoli
How does intermittent fasting work as a concept?
It wouldn’t be wrong to call intermittent fasting a fix for the loophole in our dietary routines. Primarily, fasting reduces the tension between your body and the fridge. You will find yourself to be less hungry once you develop the beneficial practice of intermittent fasting. Besides that, when you are in a fasting state, particularly in a long-term fast, your body is automatically switched to making use of the stored fats. Since that is the only available alternative, fasting automatically helps you cut down on weight. However, that is not where it ends. Once you have transitioned back from your fasting meals to your normal ketogenic meals, you will be required to acquire a standard amount of carbohydrates as well.
Do‘s and Don’ts of breaking your keto fast.
Before we jump right into it, congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of your intermittent fast. You should be exceptionally proud of yourself for choosing to walk the pathway of a healthy individual. Pat yourself on the back and start thinking about what you’re going to eat (if you are close to the designated time of breaking your fast or an eating window).
Avoid going for a huge meal before you come for my throat, I know you’ve been fasting for quite a while now and are eagerly looking forward to eating. Nevertheless, following this approach is for your physical wellbeing. Trust me when I say, no matter how many times your mind convinces you otherwise, eating excessively in the fast-breaking meal will lead to unasked for the inconvenience. This is for the reason that your stomach digestive enzymes have shrunk greatly in number (they participate actively in the process of digestion) during your fasting hours. Ultimately, that makes digestion as a whole slow down. The burden on the stomach might make space for stomach distress and symptoms like stomach pain, nausea, and in cases of extremity, diarrhea.
Steer clear of Alcohol
Unlike the common misapprehension amongst people, alcohol is not your worst enemy if you follow a keto diet or are fasting. Regardless, alcohol is a beverage rich in carbohydrates. Where it is acceptable to remotely consume foods containing carbohydrates, alcohol is known to break bonds of the keto limits (especially if drunk in a huge quantity). On top of that, many health experts have also claimed for alcohol to not be the healthiest option out of all other food and beverage items. Other alternatives to alcohol are; black coffee, lime water, and lastly, tea (herbal tea).
Carbohydrates are your worst enemy.
Carbohydrates juggle the fundamentals of the ketogenic lifestyle as a whole. Think of carbohydrates like that one child at every birthday party that has an impulsive urge to blow the candles before the birthday person. No one wants to want that child around, not too different from carbohydrates. Biologically, an unnecessarily high amount of carbohydrates or glucose can shoot your insulin levels as well.
What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?
Needless to say, intermittent fasting has a good number of advantages, not only physically but psychologically as well. Therefore, if you are unsure as to whether you should fast, these provided reasons are sure to convince you.
A few benefits of a keto fast are mentioned below;
- Helps with blood sugar control (especially for diabetic patients)
- Enhances insulin sensitivity
- Better functioning of B – cell.
- Fat loss
- Your brain is comparatively more active
- A high metabolic adaptation
- An overall decreased appetite
