Microblog: How to Break an Extended Fast
Some people can eat a full meal as soon as they break an extended fast and have no issues. But many do better by easing back into foods.
💊You can have ACV 15-30 mins before eating or take digestive enzymes. This will wake up your digestive system and prepare your digestive juices for food.
🍴Ideally start with a small meal. Think of your digestive system as having gone through a reset and start clean and simple.
💡Especially when breaking a fast over 3 days, go with foods that have the least amount of known toxins and known food sensitivities.
🚫This means no eggs, dairy and nuts. Many people following a keto diet break their fast with nuts. We have been taught that eating a handful of nuts, staves off hunger but it also rips holes in our guts. Nuts are pretty much high in every antinutrient and so very damaging to the gut.
🥜If you eat nuts, do your healing gut a favor and DO NOT break your fast with nuts. And try cutting out nuts from your diet. Your gut will thank you.
🥚Eggs seem to cause many bloat, aches and even nausea as a first food. If you’ve been able to use eggs to break a fast, by all means continue but ideally eggs should not be a extended fast breaking food.
🥛Many have lactose intolerance and other sensitivities to dairy. Raw dairy is different but most of us consume processed dairy. Dairy can also be insulinogenic and no need to spike insulin as soon as you start eating.
🍗Ideally, start a meal with a small amount of bone broth or meat stock or a small amount of fresh meat. Then about 30 minutes later you can eat your full meal.
🧘🏻♀️Likely your satiety will come with less food. Honor it. Don’t undereat but listen to your hunger cues. Follow your mindful eating tips and eat less variety in a sitting. These all help support satiety cues.⠀
❗️Don’t undo all the hard work from extended fasting.⠀
🚨And remember, if you start to feel anxiety with your next extended fast nearing. If you notice you are overeating or bingeing, maybe it’s time to take a step back.⠀
💡By trying to get the benefits of fasting but doing harm during the days of eating makes no sense. Know thyself. Sometimes, eating a clean diet is healing enough.