One of the many questions of those who wish to start IF and improve their health and wellness is this: “Does intermittent fasting cause ketosis?” In a way, intermittent fasting causes ketosis. Before getting into details, let us first define what IF means.
What is IF and How Does Intermittent Fasting Cause Ketosis?
Intermittent fasting is a term that involves different methods to restrict calories. One of these approaches is alternate-day fasting. Here, you get to consume fewer than 500 calories every other day. It is also known as a 5:2 approach. That is, you have to eat fewer than 500 calories for two days a week. The remaining days of the week will include up to a 10-hour window every day.
As you eat, your body stores energy in the liver in the form of glycogen. If you fast for 12 hours, your glycogen reserves will be low. During this stage, you will feel hangry or irritable.
But there is an upside to it. When your body is low in glycogen, it releases fat cells in your bloodstream. These fat cells go straight to your liver so they are converted into energy. In other words, you are burning fat.
In several blood samples for individuals who did not eat for at least 12 hours, they showed that these people experience a 60% boost in energy from the fat. The biggest change happened after 18 hours of fasting.
It is one of the biggest advantages of intermittent fasting as it puts your body to ketosis, which could be the key to a healthier life.
When your body burns fat, it releases ketones. Ketones activate BDNF, which is a vital molecule that builds and strengthens neurons responsible for memory and learning. It explains why you experience improved memory when fasting for six weeks. Boosting ketones in the body is a typical treatment for those who suffer from severe epilepsy.
If you do not like to fast but wish to increase your ketone levels, you can still do so by eating more healthy fatty foods while reducing carb intake. Those who followed a low-carb, high-fat diet lost weight and body fat, as well as a reduction in their blood pressure. They also experienced a decrease in a certain hormone responsible for aging and disease.
Does Intermittent Fasting Cause Ketosis and Boost Ketone Levels
Scientists found that fasting boosts ketone levels more than just following a high-fat, low-carb diet. This diet increases ketones fourfold. However, fasting boosts ketones up to twentyfold. In that case, fasting could have more beneficial effects if you wish to enter the state of ketosis.
Unfortunately, most of us cannot reach ketosis because we eat three times a day, plus snacks in-between meals. That said, we do not produce enough ketones to undergo ketosis.
Our ancestors utilized fasting and ketosis for survival. These two helped them survive by starving themselves. Today, scientists recognized the fact that fasting and ketosis could help us to be mentally fit and physically disease-free.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Cause Ketosis? What to Do?
Time-restricted eating. It is a common intermittent fasting approach. Here, you do not eat for 16 hours each day. During your 8-hour eating period, you can eat anything. You can eat from 10 am up to 6 pm. Then, fast from 6 pm to 10 am. But you have to complete your meals early because your body becomes less efficient in storing sugar as the day goes by.
The alternate fasting, as mentioned earlier, is another approach. It restricts yourself to 500 calories a day. The next day, you can eat whatever you want.
Suppressing Hunger During the Fasting
Does Intermittent Fasting Cause Ketosis if You Consume High-Fiber Food
During your eating window, you must focus on eating nuts, fruits, and vegetables. You should also eat high-protein foods, like fish, nuts, meat, and tofu.
Drink More Water
Before you eat, make sure that you are not just thirsty. Drink water first. If you are still hungry after 30 minutes, then that is the time you eat.
Opt for Black Coffee
Coffee is known for its appetite-suppressing effects. However, make sure to only drink black coffee or tea. And don’t put sugar in it.
During your eating period, avoid eating junk foods, if you wish to go on ketosis and lose weight. Keep in mind that no matter how beneficial this fasting is, it will not convert junk food into healthy food.
Some people who are following intermittent fasting are asking why they are not losing weight despite fasting for 16 hours. One of the reasons is that they ate unhealthy foods during their eating window. And it is one of the issues of intermittent fasting and keto diet.
That said, you must only consume a diet that involves a balanced consumption of carbs, fats, and protein. Plus, you must not overeat.
To boost your body’s ability to lose weight, visit our health and wellness weight loss products. For those of you who did not read the entire post about “does intermittent fasting cause ketosis,” the answer is yes, it does. But it depends.