Suggested Tips on Breaking an Extended Fast

Congratulations, if you are reading this you most likely are ending a successful fast!
How you break a fast is just as important as the fast itself. You can really cause some distress to the digestive tract if you jump back to eating your normal way. You definitely don’t want to just wing it.Take it slowly introducing food back in. You will likely go to the restroom frequently as you start eating again. Fasting is going to allow you to be in a deeper state of ketosis so after making it through a successful fast if you are following the ketogenic lifestyle you will want to stick to the ketogenic way of eating in order to stay in ketosis and not undo all of your hard work. These tips are geared toward people following the ketogenic, low carb high-fat lifestyle that are striving for deep ketosis but can be used by anyone breaking an extended fast.

 

Start slow
When introducing any foods back in, let your digestive system adjust. It is important to break your fast with fresh, whole foods. It is also important to eat small bites, take in the fresh flavors of your food because it will never taste better to you than after fasting! Chew each bite very thoroughly and take it slow. With breaking a fast always start small and work your way up. Your digestive tract has been on a break since the beginning of the fast and if you don’t ease into it can cause some stomach issues.

 

Start with liquids first.
You can use bone broth, beef broth, chicken broth (found in the soup section of your grocery store) or fresh low carb veggies(most green things- i.e cucumber, salad, etc). Starting with liquids first (bone or chicken broth) will snap you out of being super weak and hungry, it will also be easier on your digestive system. Sip a cup of chicken broth and then wait a while (30 min to an hour) and see how you feel. Whatever you eat will probably move through your body rather quickly until you readjust to eating solid foods again. Take your time and let your body adjust to digesting food again. Over the course of a few hours, continue to do liquids until you are feeling like you can take on food.

 

Introduce low carb veggies and leafy greens
After having the broth for awhile slowly introduce some low carb veggies and leafy greens. If you have a salad, darker leafy greens like spinach, have more nutrients and are great to introduce back in after a fast. Other vegetables include cucumbers, celery, asparagus, Brussel sprouts. Remember to take small bites and chew, chew, chew. Eat a little at a time and allow time in between before eating more. A very tiny amount of berries is acceptable too, but this can easily kick you out of ketosis and undo all of your hard work so it is best to stick to fresh veggies/salad, etc.

Limit meats
You will want to limit meats at first because it is harder on the digestive tract. I would go so far as to suggest waiting a couple days before you consume meats. Eggs can be consumed the first day but use caution because many people have a sensitivity to eggs. When introducing them into your diet again they can cause some discomfort if you have any type of allergy.

 

Continue to be a fat burning machine
Congratulations on successfully completing your fast. By now you should be in a pretty deep state of ketosis. Continue eating the ketogenic way, getting lots of water and electrolytes too, and you can easily maintain your fat burning status.

Again, these are suggestions only. We are not medical professionals and at no time should the info in this blog be taken as medical advice.