Intermittent Fasting: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide – Part 2

How to break your fast

Recap: In Part 1 of Fastic’s Beginner’s Guide you learned about implementing IF in ways that fit your daily life. Welcome to Part II, where we’ll talk a bit more in depth about the best ways to transition from the fasting window to the eating window, or ‘breaking the fast.’

Reconnect with your body

We consciously decide to give our body a much-needed break from overconsumption through IF, and internal ruckus dies down. Our inner voice becomes louder, and we can reconnect with ourselves! Honoring your true needs is a way to show your body the love and respect it deserves.

Breaking your fast the right way is one of the best ways to actively indulge in self-care.

Honor your hunger

When you hit the end of your fasting period, it’s important to be prepared. Fastic helps you to avoid overeating, balancing the amount of overconsumption we face everyday, but it also guards against undereating. If your fast ends while you’re at work or doing another daily activity, plan ahead and bring a snack!

When it’s time to eat, it’s time to eat. Listen to your body

Break your fast right

“Ok, I’ve got that part down, but what should I be breaking my fast with?”

Let’s get scientific for a moment: remember your blood sugar. After going some hours without food, your blood sugar levels are low, so it’s important to eat a balanced meal to ensure you don’t cause any extreme spikes.

Breaking your fast with a balanced meal means including protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats, ensuring that your blood sugar rises and falls calmly and that you feel satisfied and happy! Also, when combining protein and healthy fats, the body slows down its absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, meaning even steadier rises and falls!

Want to know what to look out for?

Maybe you’ve heard of the term ‘empty calories’ before, maybe you haven’t. Basically, this means that a particular food is high in calories, but low in nutrients. Think potato chips, alcohol, cakes and sweets… We encourage you to enjoy these treats every once in a while, we all need the occasional indulgence, but steer clear of them when breaking your fast if possible. These foods will wreak havoc on your blood sugar, sending it skyrocketing and plunging back down just as fast, leaving you with a ravenous appetite all over again!

Delicious ways to break your fast

Protein: fish, chicken, tofu, chickpeas, lentils/pulses, seitan, etc.

Complex carbs: quinoa, whole grain products, bulgar, sweet potatoes, etc.

Healthy fats: avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds etc.

Here are some ways the Fastic team loves to break their fast! Which sound the best to you?

• Buddha bowl with leafy greens, roasted chicken or chickpeas, roasted sweet potato and avocado
• Plain yogurt with a handful of nuts and seeds and some seasonal fruit
• Roasted eggplant with tzatziki and a Greek salad
• Blackened salmon with cilantro-lime rice