Intermittent Fasting Keto Benefits: How it Works

Fasting Keto benefits include weight loss, increased energy levels, and improved mental clarity. Fasting also helps to improve digestion and reduce inflammation.

Some of the benefits of intermittent fasting keto:

This is in no way a complete guide- that would be a book. But there is no downside. Take a look….

1. Fasting can help you lose weight & burn fatty tissue.

Intermittent fasting can helps propel weight loss and FAT loss not only by limiting daily calorie intake, but also by creating this calorie deficit without hunger.

When you fast, you don’t consume any food or calories which of course means that you not eating any net carbs.

That’s why fasting is the Ultimate Ketogenic Diet, when you eat no carbs, your blood sugar will drop. When blood sugar drops insulin drops, when both sugar and insulin are at fasting levels, your body will enter ketosis.

Ketosis

Ketosis is a metabolic state in which you burn fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. When you fast, first your body uses stored glucose AKA glycogen for energy.

Most people store about 600 grams (2400 calories) of glycogen in their muscles and liver. While you’re fasting, that glycogen will not be replenished.

With no calories, no glucose and no glycogen, you will shift to burning ketones which your liver makes out of fat.

Low levels of insulin will allow adipose cells to release triglycerides into your blood where they will be processed by your liver into ketones which are then circulated to your muscles and organs to burn as energy.

To be clear- ketosis is the ONLY large scale way your body turns fat into energy.

And to achieve it you MUST have very low glucose levels and very low insulin.

Further, if you want to burn your paunch- you MUST consume less calories than you burn – calories matter.

I cannot stress this enough.

Everyday I talk to people about their 100 or 200 calorie snack choices and point out that 3 of them can lead to overeating by as much as 600 calories a day. Keto is not a low calorie WOE, it’s low carb.

But the calories STILL MATTER.

The Keto Diet and Intermittent Fasting TOGETHER Reduces Insulin Resistance.

Fasting has been shown to be beneficial in the long term for those who suffer from insulin resistance. And, by combining Keto and intermittent fasting you can really improve your insulin sensitivity.

When you fast, your body is forced to burn all your glycogen stores (glucose) in your muscles.

This decreases insulin resistance by making space for blood glucose to be absorbed into muscle cells.

The process goes like this:

You eat food with carbs that are broken down into glucose.

The glucose in your blood stimulates your pancreas to release insulin which tells your muscle cells to open up and take in the glucose which is then burned or stored as glycogen.

But here’s the thing, if the muscles are full (i.e. they have no more storage space), they refuse delivery and the sugar stays in your blood. But your pancreas sees these glucose levels and releases more insulin, but since there is no more room in your muscles they become more and more resistant to insulin.

But this sugar has to go somewhere, and the one place that has unlimited storage capacity is adipose tissues – AKA fat cells.

By contrast, when you are using intermittent fasting, you will consume no carbs, create no blood glucose, and stimulate no insulin this combination will reverse the process and muscles will have more insulin sensitivity.

3. Fasting can help you reduce your risk of heart disease.

One of the most common risk factors for heart disease is high levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.

Intermittent fasting improves heart health by lowering these levels, as well as reduce inflammation throughout the body.

One of the major benefits of fasting is that it reduces inflammation by reducing the levels of inflammatory cytokines in the blood.

Cytokines are proteins that are released by cells in response to infection or inflammation.

Some cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), are pro-inflammatory, meaning they promote inflammation.

Inflammation also stimulates your liver to produce more cholesterol, so by reducing inflammation, fasting can also reduce cholesterol levels.

Heart health is also improved by lowering blood pressure which is another benefit of a fasted state. The jury is still out on the mechanisms by which this works, but it seems to be connected to autophagy and improved mitochondrial function.

4. Fasting can help you improve your mental health.

Fasting can help improve your mental health by reducing inflammation and improving your mood. It can also help you to focus and concentrate better.

Fasting reduces inflammation in your brain by reducing the level of a molecule called NF-kB. This molecule is responsible for causing inflammation in your brain.

Fasting also helps to improve your mood by increasing the level of endorphins in your brain. Endorphins are hormones that make you feel happy and relaxed.

In addition, fasting can help you to focus and concentrate better by getting rid of distractions. It can also help to improve your memory recall by up to 20%.

Fasting has been shown to improve mental clarity and increase productivity. When you fast, your body is able to focus on repair and healing, which can lead to better cognitive function.

5. Fasting can help you increase your lifespan.

Fasting increases your lifespan by reducing the risk of chronic diseases

Fasting also has many benefits for your body and brain. (see the rest of this post)

It can help you lose weight, improve your metabolism, and reduce inflammation.

Fasting has been shown to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and diabetes.

It can also help improve your cognitive function and memory.

6. Fasting can help you protect your brain from aging.

Fasting protects your brain from aging by providing ketones for energy.

Fasting on a ketogenic diet can help protect your brain from aging. When you fast, your body produces ketones, which are an alternative source of fuel for your brain.

Ketones have been shown to protect against neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

7. Fasting can help you improve your immune system.

Fasting improves immune function by reducing inflammation and stimulating the production of immune cells. Studies have shown that fasting can help improve the function of the immune system, making it better able to fight off infection and disease.

8. Fasting can help you reduce your risk of cancer.

Since cancer cells feed on sugar, keto and intermittent fasting can reduce your cancer risk by reducing the amount of sugar available to the cancer cells.

Cancer is a devastating disease that affects millions of people around the world. The chances are that everyone reading this has lost someone to cancer, both Brandy and I lost our fathers to it.

While there is no cure for cancer, there are treatments available that can help to improve the quality of life for those affected by the disease. One such treatment is fasting, which has been shown to have positive effects on cancer patients.

A number of studies have shown that fasting or restricted eating can help to treat cancer. One study showed that fasting helped to improve the quality of life for cancer patients. The study found that fasting helped to reduce fatigue, pain, and nausea in cancer patients.

Another study showed that fasting helped to improve the survival rate of cancer patients. The study found that those who fasted had a lower risk of death from all causes, including cancer.

Fasting is a safe and effective treatment for cancer. It is important to speak with your doctor before starting any new treatment, as fasting may not be suitable for all cancer patients.

9. Fasting can help you detoxify your body.

One of the primary ways that your body deals with toxins that you consume is absorb it into your fat tissues. That’s why combining the keto diet with intermittent fasting you will not only get the health benefits of weight loss but you will also be detoxifying.

Fasting is the quickest way to a state of ketosis, and since it’s the only way that your body is going to burn fat, the health benefits are enormous.

That’s how fasting helps to break down and release stored toxins in your body fat. When you fast, your body is able to better access these stored toxins and excrete them from your body. This process can help to improve your overall health and well-being.

10. Fasting can help you live a healthier life.

Fasting by itself can have some health benefits because humans are evolved to live with food scarcity – not just for hours, but for days even weeks.

Throughout the 300,000 years of human evolution, and only during the last 100 years has food been readily available.

When you fast, your body has to adapt to using stored energy (fat) for fuel instead of its usual source (glucose from carbohydrates). This process can have some health benefits including:

– improved insulin sensitivity – some people have even reversed type 2 diabetes with fasting.

– decreased inflammation

– increased autophagy (a normal process that helps clear out damaged cells and recycle their contents)

These are just a few of the potential benefits of responsible healthy intermittent fasting.

FAQ’s about fasting:

If you’re considering keto or intermittent fasting, or keto and intermittent fasting together you probably have some questions.

Is fasting good with keto?

It seems like there’s a debate out there about whether or not fasting is good for you when you are on the keto.

Some people believe that it can help speed up weight loss, while others think that it could actually stall your progress.

So, what is the truth? Is fasting good for keto?

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of fasting while on keto.

Pros of Intermittent Fasting with the Keto Diet:

1. Fasting can help to increase your overall calorie deficit, which can lead to weight loss. And because your insulin levels will be low enough, that weight loss will be from fatty tissue loss.
2. It can also help to lower insulin and blood sugar levels, which can be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes.
3. Fasting can help to reduce inflammation throughout the body, which can be beneficial for people with chronic conditions like arthritis or Crohn’s disease.
4. It can also help to improve brain function and protect against neurodegenerative diseases.
5. Some people find that fasting helps them to focus and increase their productivity.
6. Fasting is the quickest way to get into the metabolic state of using fat for energy.

Cons of Intermittent Fasting with the Keto Diet:

Full disclosure: I’m pro fasting. So I’ll answer each of these concerns

1. Fasting can cause side effects like headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.

These are also the symptoms of the “Keto Flu”. They can be avoided by getting your electrolytes in balance.

2. It can also lead to dehydration if you’re not careful.

A fasted state will dramatically reduce insulin. In addition to allowing fat burning, low insulin levels also tell your kidneys to stop recirculating sodium. When sodium is excreted, water follows i.e. you pee a lot. The bottom line is that, during periods of fasting, you will need eat more salt, and drink more water.

3. If you have a history of eating disorders, fasting could trigger unhealthy behaviors.

Okay this one is a legit concern, if you have a history of disordered eating, you should seek medical advice anytime you want to change your diet or “way of eating.”

4. Some people find that they are hungrier when they fast, which can make it harder to stick to their diet.

A couple things here:

First, if you’re a carb-oholic – as most people are, your blood sugar levels drop at the beginning of a period of fasting.

Your body is going to release the ghrelin – “the hunger hormone”. And that is going to make you hungry for carbs. If you power through that hunger, you’ll find that you can fast for days without getting hungry again.

Second, if you’re following a ketogenic diet before you start fasting you won’t get hungry in the first place. Mostly because you’re already burning fat, and your body will have no trouble shifting from fat burning from your diet to burning adipose tissue.

5. Fasting can also disrupt your sleep if you’re not careful.

This one bugs me because it could be about anything.

Big life changes always disrupt your sleep, and deciding to fast is a big change. Deciding go from a high carb to a ketogenic diet is also a big change.

If it will make you feel better here’s some other things that will disrupt your sleep: eating ice cream before bed, drinking vodka, going on vacation, sleeping in different place. You see where I’m going with this right?

So, should you fast while on the keto diet? You know where I stand, ultimately, the decision is up to you.

Is fasting good with keto?

I would have to say yes because ultimately the goals of fasting and Keto are the same.

Fasting and Keto both aim to control insulin and address a whole bevy of health conditions by becoming a fat burner. And, when you do break your fast, you won’t be inclined to eat as much.

Keto controls insulin with a low carb high fat diet. A ketogenic diet works because you remove the calories from carbs that create a huge insulin response and replace them fat has almost no effect on insulin.

Intermittent Fasting controls insulin with an eating window of 4 to 8 hours per day, with a fasting window of 16 to 20 hours. This eating pattern allows enough time your insulin to drop low enough to start burning fat. And once you do “break your fast” it’ll give you enough time for your glucose to drop before you eat again.

I got a comment recently from a nice reader that had never heard of an “eating window”. So I’ll address that now – an eating window is a specific number of hours each day that you can consume food.

Think of this “eating window” as your “window” of opportunity to eat. And your fasting window is your opportunity to burn blubber. See? Easy peasy.

Keto and Intermittent Fasting together have what amounts to 24 hours of insulin control. While your’re fasting, you have no food, so no insulin response.

Then if you eat high fat, keto friendly food during your eating window, the moderate protein will not stimulate enough insulin to blow your opportunity of 24 hours of burning adipose tissue.

Will a 16 hours put me in ketosis?

Maybe. It depends on how many carbs you have normally been eating. Everyone is different.

If you are already eating a healthy Keto diet – yes. If you just started and you are not used to carb cycling, maybe not.

How long does it take to get to a ketogenic state when fasting?

If you’re trying to get into burning fat quickly, you may be wondering how long it will take to start seeing results. People have asked if 12 hours long enough? What about 14 hours?

Again, the answer mostly depends on where you start.

If you’re insulin resistant or type 2 diabetic, it will take you longer to get your insulin low enough. Reminder: medical advice is always a good idea.

If your normal eating is not too high carb, and you exercise regularly might be able to get into ketosis with a 16 hour fast.

How much weight can you lose with keto and intermittent fasting?

You can lose as much weight as you have to lose. What I mean by that is eating Keto and fasting activate your body’s ability to burn, so as long as you have fatty tissue to burn you will burn it as long as you maintain a calorie deficit.

If you’re interested in trying a ketogenic diet for weight loss, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, it’s important to eat mostly healthy fats, moderate protein consumption, and eat very few carbs. This can be a challenge, especially if you’re used to eating a lot of carbs, but you will only need will power in the beginning until you establish good eating habits and a Keto Mindset.

Second, it’s important to stick with it long enough to see results. It can take a few weeks or even a few months for your system to adjust to using adipose tissue for fuel and start seeing results.

Finally, remember that the keto diet is not a magic bullet.

The Keto WOE is a tool that can help you lose weight, but it’s not going to work miracles. If you’re struggling with your weight, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian to see if the keto diet is right for you.

If you’re trying Keto for health conditions, such as to treat epilepsy or cancer, it’s important to work with a medical professional to make sure you’re doing low carb eating safely.

If you decide to give the keto diet a try, there are a few things you can do to make it more successful.

If you know what to eat and what not to eat, you can make Keto and low carb eating a healthy habit.

And if you find some recipes you like, you can make it a delicious habit as well.

How much weight can you lose in a week with keto and intermittent fasting?

The amount of weight you can lose in a week depends on a number of factors, including how much body fat you have to lose, how strictly you stick to the keto diet, and how often you fast.

If you have a lot of water weight to lose, you may be able to lose up to 10 pounds in a week. This is usually only in the beginning of your Keto Journey.

How much weight can you lose on keto and intermittent fasting in a month?

If you stick to the diet and fast regularly (12-16 hours a day), you may be able to lose up to 2 pounds (0.9 kg) of FAT per week.

That’s 8 pounds a month! Depending on how much you want to lose – think of where you will be in 10 months!

What can I eat during keto fasting?

During your fasting window, you can drink water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea. You can also consume bone broth, which is a great source of electrolytes.

And, if you are thinking “I hate black coffee”. Keep going. You will learn to love it over time, even if it makes you “super sad” in the beginning. You can do it if you want this bad enough. The long term health benefits are worth it.

If you’re feeling hungry during your fast, you may need to work up to longer and longer fasting times. Don’t start a 72 hour fast for your first try.

Try a 8 hour or a 12 hour window first, then a 14 hour or 16 hour, then a 24 hour fast and see how you’re doing. Don’t set yourself up for failure. It’ll cause discouragement.

An 8 hour fast is better than none. Celebrate what you CAN DO.

The Takeaway

Keto combined with intermittent fasting can very effective for weight loss.

By themselves, both intermittent fasting and a keto diet have health benefits, together they can for the foundations of long healthy life.

Studies have shown intermittent fasting and a keto diet improves your immune function by reducing inflammation throughout your body.

Intermittent fasting has also been shown to improve brain function and protect against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

The ketogenic diet has been shown to improve blood sugar control, insulin resistance, and help reverse type 2 diabetes.

A keto diet can also help reduce the risk of disease of the heart by improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

If you’re looking to improve your overall health, intermittent fasting and a keto diet are two great ways to do it.

There is lots of up-side and almost no downside to combining intermittent fasting with healthy Keto friendly lifestyle. To say the combination is a good idea would be a huge understatement.

Cheers to your good healthy lifestyle!

When you are done fasting..here are some low carb recipes to love:

• 11 Easy Low Carb Ice Cream Recipes
• Easy Tuscan Chicken