There is a lot of commotion these days about the keto diet and its partner in crime, intermittent fasting. Together, they are two of the world’s most popular health trends and we don’t see these going anywhere anytime soon. When people see amazing physical and mental results, word spreads fast!
Fasting has been around since ancient times and is still a part of most religious practices today. Fasting gives the body a chance to rest, clear out old cellular debris, restore homeostasis and optimize efficiency. It also impacts gene expression to support longevity.
As you know, the keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that encourages your body to burn fat rather than sugar for energy, and intermittent fasting limits when you can eat on the keto diet.
Intermittent fasting is a scheduled pattern of eating, cycling a period of eating freely with another period of time when you do not eat anything at all.
Types of Intermittent Fasting:
As intermittent fasting has become more popular, many fasting variations have developed. Regardless of which method you choose, you can always adapt the version that suits your lifestyle best. These are a few that are most popular:
- 16:8- This method of intermittent fasting is the most common. It involves a 16 hour fasting period followed by an 8 hour eating window.
- 18:6- Eating for 6 hours and fasting for 18 hrs. (for example: Eating from 12 to 6)
- 20:4- This method involves eating for 4 hours and fasting for 20. This is most common for people who have dipped their toes in the waters of fasting before and want to kick it up a notch.
- 24 Hour Fast- This fast is a longer fast that involves not eating for a full 24 hours. Typically this method is done sporadically; some choose to do this fast once a week or a few times a month. This intermittent fasting method is recommended to reboot after an over indulgence or to aid in weight loss.
The key to intermittent fasting is easing into it... especially if you’re just starting out on the keto diet. These changes involve an extreme shift in physiology, so allow your body time to adapt. First consider your schedule to decide on the best feeding window: A common fasting window is between 7PM and 11AM the next morning. This allows you to fast the majority of the time in your sleep.
What Are The Benefits?
We were misled to believe that skipping meals was unhealthy. Now we know that science favors fasting! Fasting is like hitting the “reset” button on our physiology. Receptors become sensitized, the adrenals can recover, the autonomic nervous system starts to achieve a new state of balance, and autophagy is optimized; Autophagy is the process by which old debris is cleared out, allowing the regeneration of new, healthier cells. We are better able to detoxify and encourage proper cellular turnover!
The beauty of fasting is that it provides countless health benefits by ELIMINATING an action versus adding more into our busy daily regimes.
Fasting allows us to optimize insulin, glucose, ghrelin (hunger hormone), and triglyceride levels. This may help to support cardiovascular health and the body's ability to manage inflammation! It also supports human growth hormone secretion (HGH) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)...which can support our ability to stay youthful in both body AND mind. Fasting can even help the body to boosts sirtuin activity, which is directly related to longevity.
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself reaping any or all of the following benefits:
- Lower blood sugar
- Weight loss
- Improved mental performance
- Increased energy
- Reduced inflammation
- Boost longevity
What about Weight Loss?
One of the most popular reasons a person starts intermittent fasting is for weight loss. Fasting activates something called the AMPK signaling pathway. Activating AMPK results in fat breakdown, and efficiency in burning fat as fuel for energy production. Keep in mind that fasting incorrectly can lead to malnourishment, so don’t skimp on calories from fat! Eat a high quality keto diet with sufficient calorie intake.
Can You Eat or Drink Anything While Intermittent Fasting?
During the fasting window do NOT eat any food, as doing so would break your fast. However, you are able to drink zero-calorie beverages such as water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea. Be careful not to add any cream or sugar to your coffee because even a splash of milk will break your fast. Consuming enough water is very important when fasting, so make sure you’re staying hydrated!
Although we are not feeding for a set number of hours, the body does not stop. Therefore nutrients are needed to sustain physiological processes like metabolism and energy production. It is important to choose a product with no added fillers or sugars that could throw you out of a fasting or keto state. Adapted Nutrition provides the best options on the market, combining the natural sea minerals, with no sugar electrolyte formulas to aid your efforts. Adding these electrolytes help maintain energy and hydration while in a fasted state.
Tips To Intermittent Fasting
As you can see intermittent fasting can be a wonderful thing. It can seem challenging at first, but just try again and work your way up to a full 16:8 fasting period. Keep these tips in mind:
- Stay busy and keep your mind occupied- this will make the time go by faster.
- Stay hydrated- If you feel quenched or groggy, consider replenishing with no sugar, high quality electrolyte products from Adapted Nutrition. These supplements will help you feel well during intermittent fasting and keep you in ketosis.
- Don’t binge- overindulging during your eating window will make you feel sluggish and can even defeat the purpose of intermittent fasting in the first place.
- Be patient- Ride out the hunger waves and give yourself enough time for the body to adapt.
With a full understanding of physiology, we are now able to enjoy the benefits of fasting instead of being afraid to miss a meal. Join the hundreds of thousands of people who are feeling and looking more youthful than ever thanks to the science behind intermittent fasting. If you’ve been on the fence for a while, now is the time to try it out!