In recent years intermittent fasting has exploded in popularity.
Fasting is great for most people and has many benefits like:
- Rapid weight and body fat loss.
- Increased mental clarity and focus ( after an adjustment period.)
- Reduced risk of diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
One of the biggest reasons why most of us start fasting is because of the weight loss benefits.
Fasting can be hard to acclimate and you may be tempted to consume some calories to stave off hunger.
Fortunately, there are many different types of fasting that you can practice. If you’re looking for the purest fast consuming any amount of calories is naturally not permitted.
But there are ways that you can reap the benefits of fasting while consuming some calories.
Bulletproof fasting is the most popular way to consume some calories during your fasting period
Bulletproof fasting was popularized by Dave Asprey and the concept has been skyrocketed ever since.
Instead of traditional intermittent fasting, Bulletproof fasting allows you to drink coffee with grass-fed ghee and his version of MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) oil.
When you drink a bulletproof coffee a number of things happen.
- Little to no hunger– the reason why is the full-fat ghee allows your ghrelin levels (the hormone which signals hunger) to stabilize.
- Intense fat burning– Consuming Bulletproof coffee won’t kick you out of ketosis and spike your insulin.
- No caffeine jitters-The fat in the coffee slows the release of caffeine so you’ll feel energized and focused for hours. You’ll still be able to sleep at night.
Obviously, with Bulletproof fasting, you’re consuming some calories so it’s not technically pure fasting.
But it makes fasting easier and allows you to still reap most of the benefits of pure fasting.
When you consume fat only this doesn’t kick you out of ketosis (which is the body’s fat-burning mode) and raise your insulin.
The consumption of carbs raises your insulin and causes your body to start burning glucose for fuel.
Doing so causes you to be knocked out of your fasted state completely.
A while back I tried Bulletproof fasting. I liked that I wasn’t hungry and I could drink the coffee without the worry of being too high on caffeine.
I stopped because I’d rather practice plain fasting with one black coffee or tea. I’m at the point now that I can fast for over 24 hours without trouble.
Water fasting is the most common way to “pure” fast
Most people that practice water fasting drink coffee or tea as well. This is done without any sugar, cream, or artificial sweeteners.
While artificial sweeteners don’t technically cause an insulin response they are extremely harmful to you.
Studies show that artificial sweeteners cause:
- An increased risk of obesity
- Natural sweeteners like fruit become unappealing
- Damage to the gut microbiome
Aspartame which is one of the five artificial sweeteners approved in the US is linked to causing cancer.
Many fasting advocates promote the use of diet soda while fasting because it doesn’t technically break your fast.
But it’s best to steer clear of diet soda because it can cause sugar cravings and binge eating during your eating window along with the other side effects mentioned above.
The best way to practice water fasting is to:
- Drink coffee or tea (one cup should be sufficient)
- Apple cider vinegar or other herbal compounds may be used for cleansing benefits.
- Lemon water can also be used but it does contain a minimal amount of calories.
Keep in mind that excessive caffeine use can raise your insulin and blood glucose levels.
Water fasting is the best way to practice fasting long term.
You’ll also see the biggest results and benefits over time.
Dry fasting is the most extreme form of fasting
Growing up my parents practiced dry fasting for religious reasons. They typically fasted for only about 12 hours so it wasn’t too difficult for them
Dry fasting is found in many religions and can be very beneficial for spiritual growth.
When you dry fast you don’t partake in any food or liquid.
For most of us, this isn’t sustainable long term.
If you want to practice fasting for weight loss water fasting is the way to go.
Through my years of fasting, I’ve grown spiritually without the use of dry fasting.
I’ve found that longer water fast for 48 hours or more will facilitate the spiritual effects that dry fasting has.
It’s up to you to decide which type of fasting you want to practice.
No matter what form of fasting you choose your future self will thank you for years to come.
Here’s a Guide That’ll Help You with Hunger While You Fast
Download the Stop Hunger While Fasting Guide. Implement the 5 tips suggested. You’ll see a positive change in a short period of time.
