You might have also fasted or will fast in the future. So you are here! There are things you should know about fasting before and after, like what needs to be taken care of. The topics we will cover here are what to eat after a 24-hour fast, how to break a fast, and many other issues.

1. What Is Fasting?

Simply, it is absenteeism of food for a day or more than a day (extended period).In some types of fasting, you can drink water, coffee, tea, or even a small amount of food during that ‘fasting period.

2. What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting¹ is a way of fasting in which you don’t eat for a certain period of time in a day, only at a particular time. You can eat food and any quantity at a specific time. This type of fasting works for fat-burning and weight loss. When the body does not get food for a long period, sugar gets stored and begins burning fat.

2.1. Types of Intermittent Fasting

1. The 5:2 strategy involves eating a healthy diet for five days every week and ‘fasting’ for the remaining two days.
2.  16:8 strategy- This involves fasting for 16 hours, and for the rest of the 6 to 8 hours, you can eat foods each day, and when you are fasting, you can drink water, milk, coffee, and tea. There are two simple rules to this. Skip breakfast and no snacks.
3.  Alternate-day fasting involves fasting every other day with days of not eating. We can consume 500 calories in between, but it is difficult to maintain in the long term.
4.  Twenty-four hours- From the word itself, it suggests stopping eating food for the entire day, monthly or weekly.

2.2.Benefits of Intermittent Fast

• Helps to improve immunity function
•  It helps to improve insulin sensitivity ²and metabolic health
•  Helps to promote weight loss
•  Help to promote fat-burning
•  If you add exercise( like cardio, etc.), for even more weight loss
•   Reduces the level of blood sugar
•  Helps to reduce acne and inflammation
•  Helps to improve sleep and mood, which increases focus and energy

3. What Is Prolonged Fasting?

A prolonged fast is a long period, typically over three days, without food. You can only consume noncaloric beverages³; water is only allowed. It is more powerful than intermittent fasting, in which we can eat at least a meal; in this prolonged fast, we are not permitted to eat a meal.

3.1. Benefits of Prolonged Fast

1. Improves Memory: As we age, our memory begins to deteriorate. Fasting for a long period can help by stimulating the brain cells’ renewal and regeneration.
2.  Reduce Inflammation: Chronic inflammation⁴ harms the entire body, frequently causing disease and pain. Fasting for an extended period can reduce inflammatory markers.
3.  Autophagy: During a prolonged fast, one can use the body’s inherent cell recycling system. Fasting activates autophagy,⁵ which causes the body to clear damaged cells and replace them with new, clean cells. It also provides anti-aging effects and boosts the immune system, etc.
4.   Anti-aging: Fasting activates the release of human growth, which is responsible for burning fat, increasing metabolism, and helping you look young.

4. Side Effects of Fasting Periods

As everything has some benefits and side effects, we have discussed the benefits of fasting. Let us now discuss its adverse effects.

4.1. Diarrhea:

This unpleasant adverse effect can be extremely tough and is the most prevalent adverse effect experienced by people who are new to fasting, especially those who enter by consuming high carbs. It could be due to the reduction in insulin levels that stimulate the kidney to flush excess water.

The solutions are:

• Take one tablespoon of psyllium in at least one cup of water, stir it well, and let it sit for 10 minutes before drinking first in the morning. Remember, while taking psyllium husk, it’s important to bring a lot of fluid because it produces proper results.

4.2. Headache, Laziness, And Dizziness:

This can be due to a decrease in the level of sodium. When we start fasting, insulin levels significantly drop because insulin enhances water retention. This drop in insulin signals our kidneys to release extra water. Most people feel like they urinate quite a lot when they are fasting, and this is a reason.

The solutions are

•  To take a drink of bone broth
•   A sip of pickle juice with no sugar in it

4.3. Constipation:

Some people’s digestive tract moves much lower than others. So eating frequently helps things stay moving. When you begin fasting, you do not consume anything to aid in moving the previous meal through the system. You may feel discomfort after a few days.

 The solutions are:

•  Do more and more exercise 
•  Drink and take a photo when you are thirsty, especially

5. What to Eat After A 24-hour Fast?

Let’s look at some of the best foods to consume after breaking a fast, as these will be easy-to-digest foods and boost the health advantage during your eating window.

5.1. Begin With A Drink:

Try not to jump towards solid foods directly. Begin with something liquid. In liquid, there are plenty of options like fruit juices, smoothies, bone broth, etc., but don’t overload your digestive system.

You can even try apple cider vinegar as it has a lot of health advantages; try diluted apple cider vinegar from one part of vinegar to 5 to 10 parts of water.

5.2.Soups:

Another excellent option is to take soup, as you can still consume nutrient-dense foods without overeating. After fasting, overeating is a common problem. So, if you consume processed foods and high glycemic carbohydrates like cookies, jellies, pasta, etc., there can be a rapid increase in the level of blood sugar. So liquid items are the best to consume after a fast.

5.3. Dried Fruits:

The next method is to reintroduce meals after intermittent and prolonged fasting. Fresh or dried fruits naturally increase energy without adding much sugar to many high-carb meals.

5.4. Vegetables:

Begin with non-starchy vegetables; raw vegetables are good, but you can also eat cooked veggies if you do not like uncooked vegetables. Tomatoes, avocado, leafy greens, veggies, etc., are great to begin with after a fast. And cooked broccoli is best.

5.5. Chia Seeds:

These seeds are rich in Magnesium, iron, copper, etc. They are consumed while you are breaking fast and provide various additional nutrients.

5.6. Lean Protein:

Once you are back to your diet after fasting and adding abundant protein, choose lean protein sources.

5.7. Healthy Fats:

And finally, after a proper diet, don’t forget to get healthy fat, which includes ghee butter, grass-fed butter, coconut oil, etc.

6. Avoid Foods After A Day Fast

If there are best foods to eat after a fast, there are some foods to avoid. These are as follows:

6.1 Eggs:

These are usually good if consumed during your eating window or on a ketogenic diet. But right after a fast, they can make you feel bloated.

6.2. Junk Food:

Many things can come from junk food. So the simple rule is anything with high sugar foods, fat, little dietary protein, vitamins, etc., should also not be consumed just after the fast. This may include sweets, fast food, ice cream, etc. Some food seems healthy but contains high sugar levels, which is not good.

6.3. Drinking too Much Water:

As discussed above, we should start with a drink, but consuming too much water continuously after the fast is also not good because it may cause problems like vomiting, etc.

6.4. Dairy Products:

These are rich protein sources; after breaking a fast, consuming protein directly is unsuitable for health. In your regular diet, it is a very good source. Dairy products include milk, paneer, etc.

7. Best Foods To Break A Fast

7.1. Bone Broth:

It is basically a soup only and is often used as a base in making soup. It is rich in protein and collagen, which is good for your health. As it does not contain calories, it helps break your fast. It also supports digestion and is generally easy on the stomach. Prefer eating homemade organic bone broth because it is considered natural and excellent.

7.2. Avocados And Fruits:

Suppose we talk about the world’s most excellent super fruit, the avocado. Exactly what your body needs after a fast is nutrients and healthy fats. Avocados are the best. Experts also say to go easy on fruits. They are a great source of vitamin C, natural sugar, and many other nutrients, but just remember to eat slowly because the digestive tract has been hibernating.

7.3. Cauliflower And Broccoli:

As cooked veggies like broccoli and cauliflower are rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B 5, iron, etc., they are easy to prepare for breakfast. Ensure you cook them before eating, which makes them easy to digest.

7.4. Fermented Foods:

Such as yogurt, good gut bacteria can be found in fermented yogurt, kimchi, etc. This means they consume the gut with beneficial bacteria and enzymes that aid digestion.

7.5. Fish:

It is a rich source of protein compared to other animals. After a fast fish is a great option. In contrast to most other animal proteins, it is fairly easy to digest. Fish is also rich in nutrients like vitamin D, Omega-3 fatty acids, and protein.

8. How Can You Do 24 Hours Fast Safely?

Most individuals can do a 24-hour fast safely, but it’s not suitable for all. If you are less than 18, pregnant, breastfeeding, or for any type of medical issue, then you should avoid fasting. Before beginning a fast, do your research and visit a medical professional if necessary.

Some key points or tips must be considered before proceeding fast. They are as follows:

8.1. Slight Start:

If you have never done a fast before, don’t go directly for 24 hours fast. Start by skipping one or the first meal of the day; once you are comfortable, then proceed to intermittent fasting, in which you are restricted to eating food for 8 to 12 hours a day. Slowly, your fasting period builds up, and you are ready for prolonged fasting.

8.2. Don’t Overstate Yourself:

Some people prefer not to eat anything during the fast. Fast food involves eating 500 to 600 calories during the day. This approach will help beginners who want to fast.

8.3. Drink up Or Hit The Bottle:

During fasting, remember to keep your body hydrated because 20% of the water in our body comes from the food we eat. At the time of fast, we might need to increase the water intake as too much water is also not good for our body because it causes problems like hypotension.

So the best option is to listen to your body; it can tell you whether it needs water. Secondly, drinking tea and coffee reduces the level of hunger.

8.4. Break Your Fast Safely:

When you break your fast after 24 hours, remember eating a heavy meal directly after the fast can cause bloating, gastric discomfort, etc. So eat normally as you eat on the non-fasting days; go with that eating pattern.

9. Stay Motivated during 24 Hours Fast

Taking three meals a day by not taking a single meal is difficult. Follow the strategies you can easily do.

• Stay Busy:  Be active throughout the day because when you are busy, you will think less of food and all the day will pass on, and the fast will also end. Things to do to keep yourself in that period are watching series and movies, reading novels, doing yoga, and meditation.

• Eat A Healthy Meal: If you want to fast without causing any problems related to health issues or anything, then eat a healthy meal on the non-fasting days. Eating nutritious, well-rounded food with a lot of nutrients, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Iron, etc., will keep the body in top shape, and you will easily be able to do the fast for a longer time.
• Take Light Snacks: If you want to eat something, then go for light snacks or meals during the fast, nutrient-dense food, opt for low calories like fruits, nuts, veggies, etc. Fasting does not mean completely stopping yourself from eating food. Fruits, veggies, or liquids can be taken in the fast, which makes it easy to do and will give your mind and digestive system a break.

10. What Is Refeeding Syndrome?

It is a disturbance of electrolytes and fluids. It can occur due to an extended period of strict fasting, dieting, and then suddenly beginning to eat ample food.

When a person is on a diet or fasting for a long period, fasting for an extended period may cause malnutrition, leading to refeeding complications. Usually, the refeeding syndrome has been seen within 4 to 8 days of fasting.

10.1. Symptoms of Refeeding Syndrome

The risk that occurs with refeeding syndrome is fatigue, abdominal pain, low blood pressure, rapid weight gain, vomiting, weakness, difficulty in breathing, swelling, muscle pain, etc. These symptoms are seen after 2 to 4 days of refeeding. Twenty-four hours is too short compared to 2 to 3 days fast.

A 24-hour fast also puts your body in a depleted state, but that doesn’t mean you should not be aware of exercise and this syndrome. There are a few ways to decrease the refeeding issues when you break a fast.

1. Focus on hydration during your fasting period.
2.  It would help if you preferred low-carb, high-fat meals rather than high-carb meals after you break your fast.
3.  If you fast for more than 2 to 3 days, keep it under medical supervision or with a medical consultant before fasting.

10.2. Who Should Not Fast?

Intermediate fasting or fasting for a short period is generally considered safe. However, talk to your medical practitioner before attempting changes in your eating pattern or behaviour. People with medical problems like high blood pressure, women who are breastfeeding or pregnant, heart disease patients, and older adults should not do fast, and if they want to, then go for proper medical supervision.

In The End

As discussed above, have a Mediterranean diet when you break your fast. Because this diet is rich in plant-based food like leafy green veggies, etc. Fruits and dried fruits, bone broth, Chia seeds, etc. There are things that need to be avoided, like carb-loaded meals, junk foods, and too much drinking water continuously.

Lastly, remember to listen to your body. After breaking a fast, remember to start with the liquid and slowly intake over the main course. Stay hydrated throughout the day and drink water every hour or half an hour. Always consult a medical professional before you start fasting or dieting.

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Last Updated on August 17, 2024 by Sathi