I had a bowl of cereal and a banana for
breakfast this morning. If I was fasting,
I wouldn’t have taken in those calories
or nutrients. Is it better to eat healthy
all day or fast during that time?
It depends on your goals. One benefit to fasting and skipping cereal
in the morning is that you can eat less calories throughout the day
because your eating window has shrunk. Trying to eat 3,000 calories
in four or six hours is fairly difficult. If you shrink your window, it’s
much easier to restrict calories.
I would look at how you feel after cereal and a banana. Too much
food releases insulin and makes you tired. I remember dozing off in
the middle of a shift after eating a Subway sandwich. Now I’m wired
all day. If I were to eat a cinnamon bun with you, in 45 minutes I’d be
very drowsy.
Can you take in these supplements any
time of day without breaking the fast?
Purists say that coffee breaks a fast, that cream in your coffee breaks
a fast. I think a little fat is okay because you don’t release insulin when
you consume fat. But if you eat protein, and definitely if you eat carbs,
your body releases insulin.
If you’re fasting, I don’t think you should take in amino acids, proteins
or carbs. I like to put a little fat in my coffee, such as coconut oil and
MCT oil. I believe either of those are really helpful. It gives you a little
fat to burn.
MCT oil gets converted very quickly to fatty acids and even ketones
for fast fuel. It triggers your body into a ketogenic fat burning mode.
If you just drink water or coffee, it might take longer for your bo