Hey guys im trying to get into longer fasts To maximize weight loss and maybe even get into Autopahgy when i can manage even a bit longer fasts and i have a few questions regarding..
1.Do vitamins/supplements break a fast (if the contain only the minerals with no extra additives) Im assuming the are zero to maybe 2,3 calories? Do the actually disturb a “clean” fast?
Same thing with Pills (obivously pills that must be taken i will take regardless) but still wondering if the affect a fasted state at all or even Autopahgy
2.How necessary are minerals during 48/72 fasts?
Can the be taken at tablet forms or must be dissolved into water bottles?
3.Do you break fasts with Keto-Low Carb high fat meals?
Or just Low carb foods? high protein etc..(not necessarily keto)
Is it less recommend /healthy/possibly damaging? To break a fast with High carbs? Such as grains/breads etc.
Or do people only avoid higher carb fasting because of cravings?
Thanks!
#1 - Fasting is not an on/off switch. The stricter you stay, and the longer you go, the more the positive benefits increase, but minor things like zero-to-low calorie supplements would at worst just slightly dampen those benefits temporarily. Unless you were malnourished before the fast (in which case, don’t fast anyway) you don’t really need to take vitamins during 48-72 hr fasts. Just eat well in between them, and maybe take your vitamin pills then.
#2 - I’m assuming by minerals you’re referring to electrolytes. Those you could still go without for 2-3 days (your body typically has weeks of storage of them), but you’ll probably feel like crap by the end. They are essential for long fasts, but you’ll barely be dipping into your reserves in 3 days. However, the drop in blood electrolytes does take a while to get used to, and you’ll end up with things like headaches and dizziness quickly if you don’t take them daily.
#3 - It’s best to break fasts slowly with some form of low carb eating. Partially this is to keep the beneficial hormones you just ramped up going, but it’s also to prevent issues like refeeding syndrome. For fasts of 2-3 days, this risk is low in healthy adults, but better safe than sorry. If you’re doing rolling fasts, staying low carb will make the subsequent fast easier because you will already be in ketosis. There maybe something to be said about not slamming your hormones up and down by going “no food & low insulin” to “carbs & high insulin” and back over and over. I don’t know of any research on it though.