There are some details of intermittent fasting that are effective and make all the difference, so you will have good results, enjoying the benefits of this practice, which is exactly what will be covered in today’s content and below.
The diet should be based on a ketogenic or low-carb diet, which reduces your insulin production, making your body better prepared to eliminate fat and allowing yourself to enjoy other benefits that fasting offers your body during this process.
What to eat during intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting restricts your diet, allowing you to consume some foods, but in a moderate way.
Allowed foods
– Pure black coffee: Don’t add sugar, artificial sweeteners, milk, cream oils or others. Bulleproof coffee is a coffee that has its essence mixed with coconut oil and ghee butter and it breaks your fasting.
Spices
In case you feel you need to, you can add some spices, such as a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg or even Stevia.
Recommendations regarding adding spices to your foods
Another thing regarding coffee is that coffee should not be consumed in excessive amounts, as this can trigger an increase in cortisol levels, naturally increasing during the fasting process and causing the body to release insulin.
- Apple cider vinegar: the benefits that these foods have to offer, is that, besides not breaking the fasting, vinegar is also effective in causing a feeling of satisfying the hunger.
- Salt in water: Ingesting this is beneficial for the body, avoiding migraines or any type of negative effect due to the lack of mineral salts.
- Stevia: In case you need to sweeten your drink, a little stevia is recommended.
What to eat just before breaking the fasting
According to everything that has been mentioned in the content above, it is highly recommended that you reduce the levels of cortisol in your bloodstream, because while you are not having access to your food, cortisol helps to burn fat.
Cortisol’s effects
Cortisol has the effect of making your body ready. Despite being known as a stress hormone, it is released in the moment you wake up, helping you to wake up. It is linked to the energy regulation of your body, thus bringing the effect of preparation at your disposal.
Does the intermittent fasting make you lose weight?
In order to have more credibility in the functionality of this diet, it is necessary to understand the best phases in which they participate in the body’s process during your daily life: When you are satiated and the period between meals, that is, fasting.
From the moment you eat, the body looks for a destination for the energy that was absorbed in the form of glucose, activating the insulin hormone, which is responsible for inserting sugar into cells.
The energy will not be used for the cells and will be stored through insulin in the form of adipose tissue, that is, fat.
After this process, the energy is worn out and the body is obligated to take advantage of these storages.
It uses both glycogen, to store the energy projected in the muscles, as well as the adipose tissue. During this moment, the activation of hormones breaks fat, such as glucagon.
According to this method, glucagon and other hormones that are part of the breakdown of fats remain for a longer time being active in the body and contributing to weight loss.
Fasting avoids large insulin spikes, preventing insulin resistance, but you should not overdo the amount of carbs when you get back to eating.
Advantages of intermittent fasting
When intermittent fast is done well, it brings you some considerable advantages, such as more disposition, mental clarity, glycemic control and insulin. Some studies indicate that it helps your heart’s health.
A fasting body uses a substance called beta-hydroxybutyrate, responsible for the energy source and easily used by the body, which makes the heart save energy and causes less stress.
However, it should be conducted under medical supervision.
Disadvantages of intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting also has its disadvantages, which are:
Having a hard time to adapt:
Some people have a hard time when adapting to long periods without eating food, especially those who have a diet that rich in simple carbs or who always try to eat every three hours.
It offers you some risks when done without medical supervision:
People who fast without medical supervision stay for a long period without eating and do not eat properly, might lead to malnutrition, dehydration, hypoglycemia, muscle weakness, difficulties to concentrate, among other things.
Tendency to compulsion:
Due to spending a long time without eating, some people end up eating more during their next meals, consuming a high amount of carbs and calories, which causes a lack of balance in their diets and bodies, providing irregularity.
Before breaking the fasting, it’s healthy to eat these foods:
- Water and salt: water and salt are able to reduce effect of the hormone responsible for regulating natural diuresis, and they reduce cortisol as a consequence.
- Cinnamon in coffee or in your morning drink: you should add a little cinnamon in your coffee to simulate the effects of insulin, when you ingest it, it ends the process of food storage with a lesser reduction of fat.
- Now we are going to break the intermittent fasting, which is one of the most significant steps for anyone who has started this process. In this process, your digestive system is oversensitive.
How to break the fasting
- Focus on lean proteins: These proteins will be responsible for increasing some of the insulin without inserting all the food into the cells and storing it as fat.
- Do not add fats.
- Do not ingest gluten: It’s responsible for causing an inflammation that has no benefits to offer for your sensitized digestive system.
- Avoid dairy products: Dairy products also create a great sensitivity in many people, making their digestive system even more sensitive.
- Avoid vegetables: fibers have the ability to cause a feeling of abdominal bloating in this case
- The goal is to wake up your digestive system by making the insulin rise as low as possible.
What to eat after the intermittent fasting
After an hour or an hour and a half, an intermittent fasting break can be done, allowing access to a normal meal, preferably one with rich foods, such as:
- Vitamin: eggs, fish, mushrooms, liver, etc.
- Zinc: seafood, others, eggs, peanuts, pumpkin seed, etc.
- Sludge: seaweed, nori, mussels, salmon cod, eggs, liver, milk, etc.
- Selenium: chestnuts, sardines, etc.
It’s through these rich foods that comes the smooth functioning of your thyroid.
For women in particular, it is recommended to include after intermittent fasting:
- Two cruciferous vegetables: onion, broccoli, cauliflower etc.
Foods known for having good fats.
The ingredients mentioned above are intended to make the body generate the necessary levels of estrogen for a normal functionality.
Goals of intermittent fasting
- Regarding exercises, the ones you already practice during your routine may continue and you should practice in a healthy way.
- If your goal is to improve your body, it is recommended to exercise a little before breaking your fasting, so your first meal will happen after your post-workout.
- If your goal is to have a new lifestyle or to gain muscle, you can exercise after meals.
With this information, you already know how to eat during each process in order to make intermittent fasting healthy and responsible.