I encounter a lot of confusion about what breaks a fast, and what throws you out of ketosis.
Timestamps:
0:00 Confused about what breaks a fast? I explain.
1:00 Anything you eat will break your fast except water and most supplements
1:32 People really want to know what will knock them out of ketosis
3:10 MCT oil won’t block ketosis
In this video, I explain what breaks a fast, and how fasting and ketosis are different.
When you’re fasting, you’re not eating anything. You’re drinking water, and you’re fasting. If you consume supplements that aren’t bone broth, amino acids, carbs, or shakes then you’re still fasting.
If you’re taking vitamins and minerals you’re still fasting. It may not be a true fast, because a true fast is just water. I’m pointing this out because I don’t want people to fast without taking sea salt, electrolytes, and B vitamins because I’ve had people faint, have side effects, and issues.
My point is that anything you eat will break your fast except water and most supplements.
But what I think people really want to know is if something they eat will knock them out of ketosis. Here’s what you need to know.
There’s something in your small intestine that causes insulin to spike every time you eat. The more carbohydrates there are in what you eat, the more your insulin will spike. The more it’s fat, the less it will trigger insulin.
Pretty much any meal will bump you out of ketosis. But there’s a huge difference between consuming a meal laden with refined carbohydrates, sugar, and starch, and a low carbohydrate meal. But even eating an apple with 19 grams of sugar, or bread, pasta, cereal, and candy has the potential to knock you out of ketosis for 48 to up to 72 hours. Or even longer!
If you eat a vegetable with steak and some fat, you can also reduce your ketosis, but not for very long. Let’s say you consume MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oil. It won’t block ketosis but if you consume this or pure fat, your fat burning will decrease because your body will turn the dietary fat into ketones instead of using your body fat. You won’t see much weight loss.
If you take supplements, they won’t affect ketosis very much. If you drink coffee, it won’t throw you out of ketosis much either. Water won’t affect ketosis, but sugar water will.
If your goal is to lose weight and burn fat, make sure you’re not adding a lot of extra fat to your diet, eating only infrequently, and avoiding refined carbs. And of course, fast as much as possible.
Dr. Eric Berg DC Bio:
Dr. Berg, age 56, is a chiropractor who specializes in Healthy Ketosis & Intermittent Fasting. He is the author of the best-selling book The Healthy Keto Plan, and is the Director of Dr. Berg Nutritionals. He no longer practices, but focuses on health education through social media.
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Disclaimer: Dr. Eric Berg received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1988. His use of “doctor” or “Dr.” in relation to himself solely refers to that degree. Dr. Berg is a licensed chiropractor in Virginia, California, and Louisiana, but he no longer practices chiropractic in any state and does not see patients so he can focus on educating people as a full-time activity, yet he maintains an active license. This video is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, and prescription or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Berg and you. You should not make any change in your health regimen or diet before first consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam, diagnosis, and recommendation. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The Health & Wellness, Dr. Berg Nutritionals, and Dr. Eric Berg, D.C. are not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis, or any other information, services, or product you obtain through this video or site.
Thanks for watching!
Often when people ask what breaks a fast, they are really asking about getting tossed out of ketosis.