Believe it or not, food is important for fasting. Who knew? In my recent fasts, I have been trying to create what Dr. Mindy Pelz calls a metabolic switch. I had never heard of this before my fasting. The switch is when you move from burning sugar to burning fat. There is an art to this.
The question at hand is how do we prepare for fasting using food? If we want to switch to a fat burning system as fast as we can, we have to prepare by eating these foods:
If we are going to eat carbs, they need to be nature's carbs. For instance, a green apple has less sugar than other types of apples and it's a better natural carb. Also, vegetables that are lowest in sugar like zucchini vs sugar snap peas.
Next is good fats like avocado, coconut oil, nut butters (not peanut), and olive oil.
Adding more protein stabilizes blood sugar and helps move the switch to fat burning. The measurement is 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight you want to be.
Another concept is that a healthy liver helps us burn fat. Too much sugar, too much alcohol, and medications, can damage the liver. We need to take care of the liver. Some foods that help us do this are radicchio cabbage, lemon, and ginger. These foods cleanse and support the liver.
Last, is fermented foods. These foods support the microbiome in the gut. Interestingly, our gut bacteria control our blood sugar. If we want to get our bodies to burn fat, we have to support the liver and the gut with certain foods before we fast. Examples of fermented foods would be pickled vegetables, Greek yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut.
We don't just want to burn fat, but we want to produce ketones that repair the body and support the brain. The suggestion is to bring these foods into the eating window 3 to 4 days before beginning a fast. This will prepare the liver and gut for the fast.
Melissa Saulnier survived Ovarian Cancer in 2006.
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Melissa Saulnier does not take responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.