Foods List And Meal Plan
To maximize the potential health benefits of your diet, its important to stick to nutritious whole foods and beverages during your eating periods.
Filling up on nutrient-rich foods helps round out your diet and supports a healthy weight. Try balancing each meal with a wide variety of whole foods, such as:
- Fruits: apples, bananas, berries, oranges, peaches, pears, tomatoes, etc.
- Veggies: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumbers, leafy greens, etc.
- Whole grains: barley, buckwheat, quinoa, rice, oats, etc.
- Healthy fats: olive oil and avocados
- Protein sources: eggs, fish, legumes, meat, poultry, nuts, seeds, etc.
Drinking calorie-free beverages like water and unsweetened tea and coffee, even while fasting, also helps control your appetite while keeping you hydrated.
Its best to avoid ultra-processed foods like packaged snacks, deep-fried items, sugary drinks, and most frozen meals. These negate the positive effects of 16/8 intermittent fasting and may harm your health.
Summary
To begin 16/8 intermittent fasting, choose an 8-hour window and limit your food intake to that time span. Be sure to follow a balanced diet based in whole foods.
Summary
Animal and human studies suggest that intermittent fasting may increase weight loss, improve blood sugar levels, and extend longevity.
Best Foods To Eat When Intermittent Fasting
When intermittent fasting, the following properties characterize the best foods to eat:
- They are rich in nutrients, especially electrolytes
- Their carbohydrates are primarily limited to dietary fiber
- They are easily digestible and flatter the intestinal flora
On top of that, the following list of the 24 best foods to eat when intermittent fasting brings additional benefits to your daily life.
What About Taking Supplements During A Fasting Period
This depends on the fasting schedule you’re following, and you should discuss any supplements with your doctor before beginning to take them, says Palinski-Wade. If you fast for a set amount of hours each day, take your supplements during the eating hours , since most supplements like a multivitamin are better absorbed when taken with food.
If you practice intermittent fasting that involves fasting on specific days, like the 5:2 diet, taking supplements is still recommended to ensure you are meeting your nutrient needs each day. Palinski-Wade recommends taking a high-quality multivitamin daily when following any IF plan.
âGenerally, the small amount of calories found in a chewable/gummy/liquid vitamin would not offset a fast day,â she says. “But do discuss this with your doctor or dietitian first to make sure you can take your supplement on an empty stomach.â
The bottom line: At the end of the day, you want to consume close to zero calories during fasting periods. By avoiding sweetened drinks like soda and bottled iced tea, as well as caloric add-ons in your hot beverages, you can ensure you follow your IF plan correctly and successfully.
Also Check: Can Fasting Raise Your Blood Sugar
Foods To Eat When Following A 16/8 Intermittent Fasting Method
When it comes to what foods to eat on 16/8 intermittent fasting the best thing is that there are no food rules or restrictions, or maybe just some rules that you need to stick to.
The advantage of intermittent fasting no matter what method you will choose is that you dont have to waste time on calorie counting or monitoring your intake of carbs.
But you need to follow some rules. It is recommended to limit intake of junk and processed foods. As you know these foods are associated with weight gain and an increased risk of diseases such as obesity and heart disease.
Theoretically, you can eat anything you want in the 8-hour eating window but by doing this you wont see any results. People often reward themselves after fasting hours with junk food, thereby alternate-day fasting is incredibly popular.
No matter what intermittent fasting method you choose to follow there are two things that you need to remember:
- You should aim eating more healthy and quality food during eating hours
- Discipline is mandatory
If you do intermittent fasting and you eat junk and processed foods during the eating period you wont see any results, no matter if you are doing this to lose some weight or to improve your health.
So picking the right foods on the 16/8 intermittent fasting method or any other IF method is crucial.
Drinks To Avoid While Fasting
It is always good to avoid drinks with sugar and artificial sweeteners. There isnt a rule that says you cant drink soda, juice, or milkshake during your eating window, but when it comes to your fasting period there are some drinks that you must avoid.
During your fasting time you should avoid:
- Diet soda
- Juice
- Coconut water
- Alcohol
Two main things that you need to remember for drinks while fasting is to make sure you are drinking enough fluids and to avoid drinks that contain calories.
Caloric drinks like juices, smoothies, diet soda can be consumed during your eating window, but if you can it is best to stick to water, tea, coffee, or mineral water.
To learn more about drinks while intermittent fasting, here is a detailed article with all drinks to consume and avoid during the fasting window.
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Intermittent Fasting Rules: Methods
Because intermittent fasting is a broad and flexible term, a variety of methods exist. However, this is not necessarily a disadvantage.
Because of these possibilities, you can and should adapt your eating habits to your individual everyday life. Only in this way can you achieve long-term success with intermittent fasting.
Nevertheless, different methods have individual advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, lets find out which intermittent fasting plan suits your everyday life.
16/8 Intermittent Fasting
The 16/8-method is also known as the peak fasting or lean gains method, as it allows you to gain muscle while losing body fat.
In this method, you eat between 12 and 8 pm. For this reason, your digestive tract can rest for the remaining 16 hours. After you sleep 8 of the 16 fasting hours, 16/8 intermittent fasting is easier than you might think.
- Fasting window: 16 hours
Crescendo Method
The Crescendo Method is a softer form of 16/8 Intermittent Fasting.
Instead of fasting every day, you fast on several days throughout the week, for example, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
It is especially suitable for starting intermittent fasting. You can try out how your body and its hormonal balance react to the change. If you feel comfortable, you can then move on to the 16/8 Intermittent Fasting plan.
- Fasting window: 12-16 hours
Alternate Day Fasting
This method is just as simple as it sounds eat one day, fast one day.
For this reason, I would not advise this method.
One Meal A Day
What To Eat During Intermittent Fasting
When eating during intermittent fasting it is crucial to avoid foods that damage your cells.
Unfortunately, most foods on the Standard American Diet are processed, and loaded with added sugar and vegetable oils, making them highly inflammatory.
Heres a list of foods to avoid while practicing IF:
- Processed grains
- Properly-prepared low-carb vegetables
- Low-toxin veggies like sweet potatoes
It is no surprise that these healthy whole foods have been the cornerstone of traditional cuisines for millenia.
Thanks to pioneering researchers like Weston A. Price, we know that peoples who practiced nose-to-tail eating lived longer and had extremely low incidences of the chronic inflammatory diseases that kill most people today like heart disease and cancer. 4
These are also the foods featured in modern ketogenic and carnivore diets.
It is worth noting that combining intermittent fasting and keto have been shown to mutually increase the benefits of each dietary approach.
Now lets take a closer look at the nutrition and benefits of specific foods to eat while fasting.
Read Also: Can I Lose Weight By Fasting
Foods You Can Eat While Fasting
Some experts say as long as you keep your carbohydrate intake below 50 grams per day during a fast, you can maintain ketosis .
Below are some foods and beverages you can consume while fasting.
- Water. Plain or carbonated water contains no calories and will keep you hydrated during a fast.
- Coffee and tea. These should mostly be consumed without added sugar, milk, or cream. However, some people find that adding small amounts of milk or fat can curb hunger.
- Diluted apple cider vinegar. Some people find that drinking 12 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar mixed into water can help them stay hydrated and prevent cravings during a fast.
- Healthy fats. Some people drink coffee containing MCT oil, ghee, coconut oil, or butter during their fast. Oil breaks a fast, but it wont break ketosis and can tide you over between meals.
- Bone broth. This rich source of nutrients can help replenish electrolytes lost during long periods of only drinking water.
Remember that foods and drinks containing any calories like bone broth and the healthy fats listed above will technically break your fast.
However, small amounts of these low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein foods wont throw your body out of ketosis .
SUMMARY
Some people choose to consume small amounts of certain foods and beverages while fasting, such as bone broth or healthy fats. Others consume calorie-free beverages.
Lean Into Healthy Foods
Fasting doesn’t mean that when you eat, it’s a free-for-all. You should keep your post-fast meals healthy, too, per Harvard Health Publishing. It’s familiar territory: Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lentils, healthy fats and lean protein. Just because you’ve gone without food for awhile doesn’t mean you should overindulge afterward.
Did you know that keeping a food diary is one of the most effective ways to manage your weight? to easily track calories, stay focused and achieve your goals!
Also Check: How Long Do You Fast With Intermittent Fasting
What Not To Eat After A Fast
Fasting plans don’t focus too much on what not to eat after the whole thing is over, but it’s certainly not an excuse to binge on junk. Eating unhealthy, highly processed food, and foods high in sugar and fat will undo whatever health benefits you obtained from the process, plus could cause bloating and discomfort. It’s always best to eat nutrient-dense, soothing foods in small portions as you ease back into a regular diet .
Furthermore, when you’ve been fasting for a longer period, your intestinal tract loses some of it’s protective layers, leaving it more sensitive. It’s important that fruit is not the first thing you eat. The sugar in fruit is difficult for your body to process and can irritate your gut, causing uncomfortable side effects. Protein shakes and dairy are also out as a first meal, because they too can irritate your vulnerable intestines. And lastly, cruciferous veggies are not a great option for the very first snack after a fast, because they basically encourage gas in your gut .
Answers To The Most Common Intermittent Fasting Questions
Welcome to the first Reader Mailbag!
Im taking a page from the playbook of one of my favorite sportswriters, Bill Simmons, and answering a boatload of your questions today.
Questions are rolling in all the time mostly through the free newsletter or and I love hearing from you. Keep them coming! I’m happy to help however I can.
My hope is that this mailbag will bring useful answers together in one place and make it easier for you to find the information you need to make the changes you want. My goal is always to make it easier for you to lose fat, gain muscle, and live healthy.
Boom. Lets get this party rolling.
As always, these are real emails from real readers.
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Read Also: What To Eat When You Are Doing Intermittent Fasting
Recipes For 52 Meal Plan Day 8
Breakfast: Make a fruity concoction with a strawberry and almond yogurt, using 25g low-fat Greek Style yogurt, 50g strawberries, and 4g ground almonds. Calories so far: 56.
Lunch: For lunch, rustle up our crushed new potatoes and shoots. Calories so far: 226
Dinner: For dinner, its a roast cod and parma ham .
Total intake for the whole day minus snacks = 496 calories
Can I Drink Anything Besides Water During A Fast
No. Juice, coffee, soda, and other beverages can get in your bloodstream and affect your results. In addition, you should not:
- Chew gum
- Exercise
These activities can also affect your results.
But you can drink water. It’s actually good to drink water before a blood test. It helps keep more fluid in your veins, which can make it easier to draw blood.
Recommended Reading: How Many Calories Should You Eat When Doing Intermittent Fasting
Foods You Should And Shouldn’t Eat After Breaking A Water Fast
So you’ve had exclusively water for quite some time and now it’s breakfast or break fast if it’s not the morning. But what should you eat now? It’s important not to reload your body with the wrong things, and it’s also important not to reload the wrong way. Perhaps most importantly, though, you need to be aware that while there are some health benefits associated with water fasting, the risks and dangers can be quite high, including dehydration, worsening of medical symptoms, muscle loss, and other health concerns .
After a brief water fast, some ideal foods to eat for your first meal are: vitamin-rich juices, raw fruits and veggies, broths, fermented foods like unsweetened yogurt and kefir, leafy greens, starchy veggies like potatoes, and healthy fats like avocados, eggs, and coconut oil. These foods are easy to digest and packed with all sorts of nutrients your body needs after going without food. For your second meal you’d be wise to eat things like beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds, as well as meat and poultry .
How Can I Suppress Hunger During Intermittent Fasting
Eat high-fiber foods, such as nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables, and high protein foods, including meat, fish, tofu, or nuts, during your eating window, Varady advised. Chewing high-fiber gummies can also help.
Drink lots of water. People tend to think they’re hungry, when they are really just thirsty, she said.
Go for black coffee or tea, or cinnamon or licorice herbal teas. These beverages may have appetite-suppressing effects, Varady noted.
Watch less TV: I know this sounds strange, but while you are watching TV, you are bombarded with dozens of ads for food. This can make you feel hungry, when in actuality, you are not hungry at all, she said.
Remember, being “a little hungry” is the best thing that can happen to you, wrote Madelyn Fernstrom, health and nutrition editor at NBC News, calling it a “true mind-body connection” that helps you recognize fullness.
Recommended Reading: How To Lose Weight Doing Intermittent Fasting
Overeating And Potential Weight Gain
Restricting your intake to just 8 hours per day may cause some people to eat more than usual during eating periods in an attempt to make up for hours spent fasting. This may lead to weight gain, digestive problems, and unhealthy eating habits.
Interestingly, current research doesnt suggest that intermittent fasting leads to any more weight loss than typical diets that recommend overall calorie restriction. Both eating patterns may lead to modest weight loss .
If weight loss is your primary goal, you may therefore prefer to lower your calorie intake instead of fasting intermittently to prevent the overeating that may occur when restricting intake to a certain time window.
What Can You Eat Or Drink While Intermittent Fasting
Reviewed by Briana Rodriquez, RD
- There are certain things you can eat and drink while intermittent fasting, but you should be mindful of the portion size and calorie content.
- After 12 hours of fasting, your body will switch from burning glucose to fat for fuel this is known as fasting ketosis.1
- Its important to make healthy choices once you break your fast to reap the health benefits of intermittent fasting.
New year, new eating routine? If youre an intermittent fasting beginner, you might be wondering what you can eat or drink while intermittent fasting. Good news: Youve got options! We spoke with Briana Rodriquez, Jenny Craigs Registered Dietitian, to find out what you can eat and drink during your fast without breaking it and reap all the amazing health benefits.
Always consult your physician before beginning a new weight loss program.
Recommended Reading: What Fasting Does To Your Body
What Can You Eat While Fasting
As previously stated, any amount of calories will, technically, break your fast. Even foods with extremely low calories, like celery, still contain fiber and other nutrients that could potentially trigger your bodys digestive process. Its also possible that the effect of chewing may get your digestive system working, which will actually make you feel hungrier. Therefore, it is not generally recommended to eat during the fasting window.
However, everyone is different, and you should always find what works and feels best for you. Whats key to any weight loss planand essential to learning how to curb hunger during intermittent fastingis consistency. If a small boost helps you see your fasting window through to the finish, and to start fasting again when scheduled, then go for it! And, as always, if youre feeling faint or ill, you should listen to your body and eat or drink when needed.
Plus, even if your body is no longer in fasting mode, you can still benefit from some of its processes fat-burning ketosis, for example, still occurs after feeding, so long as you remain under 50 grams of carbs per day. Keeping your blood sugar levels stable is also possible after fasting just stick with low carb foods to avoid spiking your blood sugar, and keep your body in fat-burning mode. Ultimately, whats important about intermittent fasting is finding the right tools that help you stick to your routine, rather than preserving the technicality of the fast.
