14/03/2024
Eat plenty of the below foods and you wonât end up in a hangry rage while fasting.
1. Water
This isnât technically a food, but itâs gosh-danged important for getting through fasting.
Water is central to the health of basically every major organ in your body. Youâd be foolish to avoid this as part of your fast. Your organs are pretty important for, ya know, being alive.
The amount of water each person should drink varies based on s*x, height, weight, activity level, and climate. But a good measure is the color of your urine. You want it to be pale yellow at all times.
Dark yellow urine suggests dehydration, which can cause headaches, fatigue, and lightheadedness. Couple that with limited food and youâve got a recipe for disaster â or, at the very least, really dark p*e.
If the thought of plain water doesnât excite you, add a squeeze of lemon juice, a few mint leaves, or some cucumber slices to your water.
Hereâs why H2O is the champion.
2. Avocado
It may seem counterintuitive to eat the highest-calorie fruit while trying to lose weight. But, because of their high unsaturated fat content, avocados will keep you full during even the fastiest of fasting periods.
Research from 2017 suggests unsaturated fats help keep your body full even when you donât feel full. Your body gives off signals that it has enough food and isnât about to go into emergency starvation mode. Unsaturated fats keep these signals going for longer, even if you feel a bit hungry in the middle of a fasting period.
A 2013 study even found that adding half an avocado to your lunch may keep you full for hours longer than if you hadnât eaten that green, mushy gem.
Out of inspiration? Weâve got 36 avocado recipes to blow your mind.
3. Fish and seafood
Thereâs a reason the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest most adults eat 8 to 10 ounces of fish per week.
In addition to being rich in healthy fats and protein, it contains ample amounts of vitamin D.
And if eating during limited windows is your bag, donât you want more nutritional bang for your buck when you do chow down?
There are so many ways to cook fish that youâll never run out of ideas.
4. Cruciferous veggies
Foods like broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower are all full of the f-word â fiber! (We know what you were thinking, and no, the f-word is not âfarts.â)
When youâre eating during certain intervals, itâs crucial to eat fiber-rich foods that will keep you regular and help your p**p factory run smoothly.
Research indicates that fiber can also make you feel full, which may be a good thing if you canât eat again for 16 hours. Oof.
Cruciferous veggies can also help reduce your cancer risk. Learn more about anticancer foods here.
5. Potatoes
Repeat after us: Not all white foods are bad.
Case in point: Research in the â90s found that potatoes were one of the most filling foods. And a 2012 study found that eating potatoes as part of a healthy diet could help with weight loss. (Sorry, but french fries and potato chips donât count.)
We took a closer look at the link between potatoes and blood sugar.
6. Beans and legumes
Your favorite addition to chili may be your best friend on the IF lifestyle.
Food â specifically carbs â supplies energy for activity. Weâre not telling you to carb-load to ridiculous levels, but it definitely wouldnât hurt to throw some low calorie carbs like beans and legumes into your eating plan. This can keep you perked up during your fasting hours.
Plus, some research suggests that foods like chickpeas, black beans, peas, and lentils may help decrease body weight, even without calorie restriction.
7. Probiotics
You know what the little critters in your gut like the most? Consistency and diversity. That means they arenât happy when theyâre hungry. And research suggests that when your gut isnât happy, you may experience some irritating side effects, such as constipation.
To counteract this unpleasantness, add probiotic-rich foods â like kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut â to your diet.
We spoke with the experts about how probiotics work in the body.
8. Berries
These staples of your favorite smoothie are ripe with vital nutrients. And thatâs not even the best part.
A large 2016 study found that people who consumed a whole bunch of flavonoids, such as those in blueberries and strawberries, had smaller increases in BMI over a 14-year period than people who didnât eat berries.
9. Eggs
One large egg provides 6.24 grams of protein and cooks up in minutes. And getting as much protein as possible is important for keeping full and building muscle, especially when youâre eating less.
A 2010 study found that men who ate eggs for breakfast instead of a bagel were less hungry and ate less throughout the day.
In other words, when youâre looking for something to do during your fasting period, why not hard-boil the heck out of some eggs? Then, you can eat them when the time is right.
10. Nuts
They may be higher in calories than many other snacks, but nuts contain something most snack foods donât: good fats.
And if youâre worried about calories, donât be! A 2012 study found that a 1-ounce serving of almonds (about 23 nuts) has 20 percent fewer calories than listed on the label.
According to the study, chewing doesnât completely break down almond cell walls. This leaves a portion of the nut intact, and your body doesnât absorb it during digestion. So if you eat almonds, they might not make as big a dent in your daily calorie intake as you thought.
Have a look at our ultimate guide to nuts.
11. Whole grains
Being on a diet and eating carbs seem like they belong in two different buckets. Youâll be super relieved to know that this isnât always the case. Whole grains provide lots of fiber and protein, so eating a little goes a long way toward keeping you full.
