Are you considering adding intermittent fasting to your routine to reduce weight loss or increase your metabolic activity? Then you might be wondering what the best foods are to break the fast.
Having an idea about the best food to break intermittent fasting would help you increase the effectiveness of the fast. While some foods have a lot of effect when you break your fast, others have minimal impact. Read below to know in detail about the best foods to break intermitted fasting:
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating that changes the period of eating with the period of not eating or consuming minimal calories. It focuses on the time you eat and not eat. Intermittent fasting is not a new thing, even though it has recently gained popularity. Earlier, people followed this fasting for multiple benefits, such as health, spirituality, or even survival.
The goal of practising intermittent fasting is not only to reduce weight by reducing calories but also to focus on the health and maintenance of the body. Some take 12 to 16-hour fasting, while others may prefer 12-hour fasting or alternate-day fasting.
Your body will undergo many metabolic changes when you take fasting. After some time, fasting will make your body use the unused energy when carbohydrates are available. Also, fasting will reduce the insulin level.
There is evidence to show that intermittent fasting helps in weight loss, improving heart health, lowering blood sugar, reducing inflammation, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
Why it is Important to Break the Intermittent Fast Correctly?
It is important to break the fast correctly to get the overall benefits of the fasting regime and increase its effectiveness. The importance of breaking intermittent fasting correctly includes the following:
- Weight management: Eating food that doesn’t suit your body, like those with higher carbohydrates, can negatively impact your weight loss result. So you should break intermittent fasting correctly.
- Digestive comfort: Eating heavy meals can cause digestive issues like bloating while breaking the fast. So, it is better to introduce those foods gradually into your eating window to prevent any discomfort.
- Preventing health concerns: To prevent any issues related to blood pressure and blood sugar levels, it would be better to start with a balanced meal. Eating the right food can also help avoid dehydration and avoid acid reflux.
Foods to Eat During Intermittent Fasting
According to the standard definition, while fasting, you should not take any food. However, you can still take some beverages at the same time preserving the benefits of intermittent fasting. Some experts say it would be better as long as you keep your carbohydrate intake below 50 grams during intermittent fasting.
Here are some of the beverages and foods you can take while you follow intermittent fasting:
- Water: Drinking water will help you stay hydrated during fasting.
- Tea and coffee: You can drink tea and coffee as long as you don’t add any milk, sugar, or cream. If you feel hungry, you can add very little fat or milk.
- Bone broth: With this rich source of nutrients, you can replenish the electrolysis that you may lose by only drinking water.
- Diluted apple cider vinegar: For some people, drinking 5-10 ml of apple cider vinegar along with water can help them stay hydrated and prevent any cravings.
Best Foods to Break Your Intermittent Fast
Here is a list of foods you can mix and match to break your intermittent fasting:
- Leafy greens: Leafy greens like kale, spinach, arugula, and others would be an excellent choice to break your fast as they have rich nutrients and have a gentle impact on the human digestive system. The greens are high in minerals, vitamins, and fibres, and can help the body back after having the fast.
- Fermented food: Taking fermented food like kimchi, sauerkraut, veggies, and yoghurt for completing the fast can help reintroduce the bacteria to the digestive system.
- Cooked vegetables: To soften the fibre content, taking cooked vegetables would be of great help. They make it less taxing for the digestive tract and provide essential minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. The wise choice of food to eat when breaking the fast includes carrots, zucchini, and bell peppers.
- Raw fruits: To provide a gentle introduction to vitamins, carbohydrates, and minerals, eating raw fruits would be the right choice. This helps to increase energy levels and also minimizes the potential discomfort in digestion. They also have a high water content that helps with hydration and promotes a feeling of fullness.
- Vegetable juice: Vegetable juices are easier to digest than solid foods. So it will allow us to reawaken without feeling overwhelmed. It also has concentrated sources of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.
- Meat, fish, egg, and poultry: For the body to benefit from amino acids and nutrients, meat, fish, and poultry can be very useful. It also supports immune function, muscle repair, and overall well-being. The protein from animal-based foods is high in quality, and it also comes with vitamins and minerals that help promote the reeling of fullness and restore energy. Choose unprocessed and lean options to restrict overwhelming the digestive system.
- Butter and nuts: Nuts help provide a source of energy that helps stabilize blood sugar levels and restrict any quick spikes after fasting. As they are rich in fibre, they promote a feeling of fullness and support digestion.
- Healthy fats: To stabilize blood sugar levels and provide a steady source of energy, healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, ghee, and grass-fed butter can be consumed to break intermittent fasting. They help in a smooth transition to regular eating and also play a crucial role in the absorption of nutrients. So, after fasting, eating healthy fats can help prevent overeating and provide enough nourishment for the right digestive process.
- Bone broth and soups: Any discomfort that happens when taking solid foods after intermittent fasting can be alleviated with the help of bone broth, which has soothing and easily digesting properties.
Things to Avoid While Breaking an Intermittent Fast
Taking the right food helps break intermittent fasting and get maximum benefits. At the same time, it is important to understand the things to avoid while taking intermittent fasting. Here are some tips on things to avoid:
- Avoid carbohydrates: Taking too much carbohydrates on an empty stomach can negatively impact weight loss. So, avoid taking carbohydrates while breaking intermittent fasting.
- Don’t take sugary drinks and snacks: Snacks and beverages with a high sugar content can increase blood sugar levels and also elevate the insulin level.
- Don’t overeat: You may feel hungry after fasting, but that doesn’t mean you should overeat the food to break the fasting. Eating junk foods or overeating can reverse the benefit of fasting.
- No smoking: You will get acid reflux symptoms if you take tobacco smoking while fasting. So, you must avoid smoking while breaking your fast.
Final thoughts
Having a clear understanding of what to eat while breaking the intermittent fasting is the key to reap the full benefits of this dietary plan. Choose whole foods and be mindful of the portion sizes to successfully transition to eating from fasting. You must remember that your food choices during the fasting window will have an impact on your well-being.
FAQs
- What should be the general calorie intake during intermittent fasting?
Taking 500-600 calories during the fasting days is generally recommended, but it may differ based on individual needs.
- When is the right time to break intermittent fasting?
Breaking the intermittent fasting is a matter of convenience and personal choice. For some, breaking their fast in the evening can be suitable and some may find it convenient to break fast in the morning. So, it is based on energy levels, health, dietary needs, and personal choice.
- When can one see the results of intermittent fasting?
Results will depend on how long your body switches from getting energy from glucose to getting energy from fat. So, you should not expect the results very soon after intermittent fasting. In general, you may need to wait between 2 to 4 weeks to get the better results.
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