Light fasting has many benefits, one of which is weight loss. And when it is used in conjunction with a ketogenic or low-carb diet, it can maximize the fight against hunger and regulate blood sugar, and put the body into ketosis faster, accelerating fat-burning and weight loss.
Light Fasting is Not for Everyone
Like anything else, nothing is perfect, and neither is light fasting. What works great for you may not work as well for another person, or may take longer to see results. The same goes for the opposite.
This is especially true when it comes to diet, which involves everyone’s body, so you can’t generalize. Generally speaking, many people can go without food for 16 hours or more. But if this is difficult for you, you don’t have to force it. You can adjust your eating and fasting cycles as you wish, depending on how your body feels and your work schedule.
What Can Break Light Fasting and Affect Weight Loss?
Any calorie-containing foods and beverages can interfere with fasting. Because your body alternates between fasting and eating every day, those ten or so hours every night when you sleep are fasting. After you eat, your gut goes to work – digesting and absorbing the food – and during this process, your blood sugar level rises and your pancreas secretes insulin to control it.
If you keep eating, insulin will be released in large amounts, and over time, cells will become resistant to insulin, the same way that bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. If you suffer from insulin resistance (or “hyperinsulinemia”), blood sugar will always be at a high level and will not come down, which will eventually lead to diabetes and obesity.
The purpose of fasting is to increase the sensitivity of insulin. By not eating, there is no more digestible food in your body, your pancreas does not have to produce insulin, and your body and brain get a break.
Therefore, any diet that will stimulate a rise in blood sugar will likewise stimulate insulin, thus breaking the fast. In addition to all the calorie-laden foods you should not eat, the following drinks contain sugar and therefore should not be consumed:
- Soda water
- Coconut water
- Apricot milk
- Milk
- Fruit juices
- Coffee with added sugar and creamer
- Carbonated beverages
- Alcoholic beverages
- Milkshakes
Which Drinks Can I Drink During Light Fasting?
Many of my friends ask me, “Fasting means not eating or drinking, right?
Yes: You cannot eat any food.
No: You can drink certain beverages and they will help you stick to the fast more easily.
Which drinks can be drunk without raising blood sugar?
1、Water
No matter what time of day, water is the healthiest drink. During a fast, drinking more water will reduce hunger and help calm a hungry stomach. You can add a few drops of lemon juice to the water to enhance the taste and it won’t be too much of a problem.
Drinking too much water will increase urination and lead to loss of electrolytes in the body, which can be dangerous if not replaced in time. So you can use Himalayan sea salt or ordinary table salt because it contains more minerals and trace elements. It can replenish the body with electrolytes, increase energy and reduce the dizziness and headache that may occur during fasting.
2、Apple cider vinegar
Although you can’t eat an apple during fasting because of its high sugar content, the vinegar obtained from its fermentation is a good thing to help you lose weight during light fasting.
- Apple cider vinegar contains 0 calories, so it will not stimulate blood sugar and insulin.
- The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar will promote the absorption of minerals in the body, which is especially important during fasting.
- The polyphenols in apple cider vinegar act as prebiotics to increase the number of healthy bacteria in the gut, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
- Drinking a glass of diluted apple cider vinegar water can help you feel less hungry and prolong your fast.
- Drinking a glass of apple cider vinegar water before the first meal after fasting can prevent blood sugar spikes after eating.
3、Black coffee
Black coffee does not contain calories, so you can drink it safely during the fasting period. It has the benefit of prompting the body to produce more ketone bodies to speed up fat burning. Secondly, coffee has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity over time, which means it can keep blood sugar stable.
However, black coffee is very bitter and not everyone can drink it, so choose other beverages and never add sugar and creamer to enhance the taste, but it is okay to add some cinnamon powder. Also, some people can be allergic to caffeine and experience heart or stomach discomfort. You can choose black coffee without caffeine, or just give up.
4、Tea
Long-term drinking tea itself also has a weight loss effect. Especially green tea in vitamin C, vitamin B1, and caffeine, can help digestion and fat burning. The catechol in it can promote metabolism and reduce the accumulation of fat cells. In addition, green tea can also improve intestinal health and increase the number of probiotics, which helps to eliminate fat detoxification and improve the effect of light fasting weight loss.
Conclusion
Light fasting is a very effective way to lose weight, in addition to triggering the body’s cellular autophagy mechanism, which can be beneficial for improving overall health. It is important to note that most calorie-laden diets stimulate blood sugar and insulin, which can breakfasting and affect weight loss.
But certain drinks can be consumed safely and will even improve efficiency. In the initial stages of intermittent fasting, do not stress too much and adjust to your habits and routine as much as possible to allow your body to adapt gradually. I hope this article will help you to understand more clearly how to do light fasting properly to achieve the most ideal weight loss results.
