The first meal after fasting is important. Nutritional foods should always be your first choice if you want to lose weight quickly.
What to eat? When to eat? These two questions sound simple, but they can be quite difficult to answer if you want to eat well and be healthy.
Take intermittent fasting for example. You might think that it doesn’t matter what you eat before and after the fast, as long as you fast for a period of time.
However, if the purpose of fasting is not religious beliefs, but to lose weight and promote health, then the way to resume eating after fasting is still very important.
What I want to emphasize is that any diet to lose weight will have some effects on your body.
Weight loss methods such as calorie restriction may not be safe, while low-carb diets (even a moderate ketogenic diet) and intermittent fasting can be beneficial to your health.
The most important thing is choosing a nutritional and comprehensive diet, along with fasting, to achieve the best results.
If you are not sure how to start, please refer to How to Correctly Perform Intermittent Fasting from Scratch.
However, before you start, you need to understand the 9 Common Negative Effects Of Intermittent Fasting (and how to fix them).
This article will help you practice fasting in the long run.
4 Best Foods to Break a Fast
After fasting for a long period of time, immediately eating greasy, high-sugar and high-fiber foods may overwhelm your digestive system.
As a result, it can lead to bloating, constipation and other gastrointestinal discomforts.
Another important consideration when breaking your fast is how much you eat. It is easy to overeat after fasting, especially when you feel hungry.
Overeating has the following three consequences:
- Eating too many calories.
- Causes blood sugar to spike.
- Makes your next fast more difficult.
Therefore, the first foods that you consume upon breaking your fast are critical to nourish the body and should not expend much energy to digest.
These foods can not only help your stomach and intestines slowly recover but also improve the effectiveness of your weight loss.
1. Vegetable
During fasting, your body will consume a lot of vitamins and minerals. These nutrients can be replenished from vegetables.
Especially green leafy vegetables, such as kale and spinach, are rich in vitamin C, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin K, manganese, folic acid, magnesium, iron, copper, calcium, potassium and so on.
Whether raw or cooked, these vegetables can help digestion, prevent constipation and maintain blood sugar.
Try to avoid vegetables high in crude fiber (for example, celery, leeks, beans, etc.) after a fast, because they are not easy to digest.
2. Protein
Protein is an important source of amino acids, which can help your body rebuild and repair itself.
After resuming your diet, eating some protein can not only supplement energy and increase satiety, but also help prevent muscle loss caused by weight loss.
Some of the best protein-rich foods are eggs, poultry, lean meat, fish and shrimp, tofu, nuts and seeds.
3. Healthy Fat
Healthy fat can increase satiety without causing blood sugar to rise.
However, not all fats are the same. Some fats can make you gain weight and cause more health problems, while others can help you lose weight successfully. Whether it is a low-carb diet or intermittent fasting, healthy fats are essential.
Olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil are some common healthy fats. They all contain healthy monounsaturated fats, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure and triglycerides and also reducing inflammation. [*]
4. Fermented foods
When it comes to promoting intestinal health, fermented foods are always the best choice.
Eating fermented food after fasting can help activate the digestive system by supplementing good bacteria and enzymes.
Probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt, kimchi, natto and apple cider vinegar can regulate and improve the balance of intestinal flora.
A study has shown that intestinal flora may affect your hunger. When the level of probiotics is normal, it will better break down cellulose, thereby promoting the decline of hunger hormone levels. As a result, hunger will be reduced accordingly.
In addition to probiotics, foods such as bone soup, pineapple, dandelion and blueberries are also good for intestinal health. For more information, please refer to 15 Best Foods For Good Gut Health.
How to Control Hunger During Fasting
Hunger is one of the most common negative effects of intermittent fasting.
What makes you feel hungry is a hunger hormone released by the body called ghrelin. This hormone has the effect of regulating appetite and usually peaks at breakfast, lunch and dinner time. [*].
The first few days require strong willpower to overcome your hunger urges.
As the saying goes, you can’t eat hot tofu in a hurry. This statement also applies to intermittent fasting.
Take your time and gradually extend the fasting period every day to give your body time to adapt.
Here are some tips to help you reduce hunger:
- Drink plenty of water and tea.
- Drink apple cider vinegar.
- Stay busy.
- Go for a walk.
- Have a good night’s sleep.
- Try to relax with meditation or yoga.
- Take a spoonful of coconut oil.
- Eat a low-carbohydrate and high-fat diet.
Summary:
The first meal after fasting is important if you want to quickly lose weight. Nutritional foods should always be your first choices, such as protein, healthy fats, vegetables and nuts.
Following a low-carb diet while fasting can help you overcome hunger more easily and see weight loss results faster.
While fasting, you should always pay attention to the feelings of your body. If you have any discomfort such as low blood sugar, don’t force yourself.
Drinking more water, reducing stress, ensuring good sleep or taking a spoonful of coconut oil can all help you overcome hunger.
