Recently I decided to see what all the rage was about! I completed a 6-day keto cleanse and felt great as a result! This type of eating has been promoted for thousands of years to promote longevity and health. Many religious dialects have encouraged fasting for spiritual as well as physical health. Fasting actually allows the body and BRAIN to clear out debris and toxins by a process called autophagy to allow the system to optimize function. Cellular functions are improved and the biochemical reactions of the body optimized. A five day fast has also been shown to increase natural stem cell production.
A few things important when considering Keto Fasting:
- Important to hydrate! Drinking healthy filtered water from glass bottles drinking 70-100 ounces daily.
- Important to not embark on these fasts if you are on medications that can alter your natural insulin response. One should discuss a modified fast with one’s physician.
- Take your supplements! Important to take a multivitamin, Fish Oil, and magnesium/minerals during your fast. Spring water can also increase mineral content.
- Eating minimal amounts of healthy protein and healthy fats during days 3-5 if feeling overly hungry. Important to completely avoid carbohydrates and sugars.
Usually, participants experience a sense of elation and calmness during days 3-5 of these fasts. The brain begins to burn ketone bodies and this creates a sense of calmness. It is important to fast to achieve this as adding in extra outside ketone bodies can impair the bodies production. This fasting can reset your insulin regulation and lower overall insulin levels.
It is important to begin eating a healthy low carbohydrate diet upon returning to normalcy. This diet includes low glycemic fruits such as berries, green apples and green leafy vegetables. Good healthy sources of grass fed meats and wild caught cold water fish for healthy proteins. If one is not sensitive to lectins then some beans may be included. I like to recommend consuming healthy organic bone broth and organic ghee during the fasting days if hungry. Wild caught salmon or grass-fed beef or lamb in small amounts is also beneficial.
It is also helpful to focus on healing the gut during the fast to help diminish unhealthy yeast and dysbiotic bacteria in the gut. This will in effect decrease the bodies overall inflammatory response. I recommend adding in plenty of probiotics to help and perhaps some herbs such as berberine, oil of oregano and garlic to help diminish dysbiotic bacteria. You can also add in gut healing elements for 6 weeks after the fast including L-glutamine, zinc carnosine, aloe juice and organic bone broth and ghee.
I hope you enjoy how you feel both during and after your fast!!
References:
- Roles of caloric restriction, ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting during initiation, progression and metastasis of cancer in animal models: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Lv M et al. PLoS One. (2014)
- Ketogenic diet in neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases.Paoli A et al. Biomed Res Int. (2014)
- Ketogenic diet for obesity: friend or foe?Paoli A et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health.
(2014) - Prolonged fasting reduces IGF-1/PKA to promote Hematopoietic-stem-cell-based regeneration and reverse immunosuppression. Cheng CW et al. Cell Stem Cell. (2014)
- Saying no to drugs: fasting protects hematopoietic stem cells from chemotherapy and aging.Hine C et al. Cell Stem Cell. (2014)
- Prolonged fasting/refeeding promotes hematopoietic stem cell regeneration and rejuvenation. Mendelsohn AR et al. Rejuvenation Res. (2014)
