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The words 5:2 Fasting Diet on a scale display to symbolize the new dieting fad or craze where you reduce calorie intake to lose weight

What is The 5/2 Diet Plan: Review and Benefits

November 8, 2021/in Methods & Schedules diet, fasting, intermittent fasting /by Liam McAuliffe

Fasting has experienced a resurgence in recent years, and for good reason: it’s an ancient practice that can offer powerful health benefits like cellular regeneration and weight loss. One of the simplest types of fasting out there is known as the 5:2 diet plan. Adherents of the 5:2 diet say it makes losing weight and boosting energy easy— and even hunger-free. In this review of the 5:2 diet plan we’ll take a balanced look at just how effective it may be.

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How to Do The 5:2 Diet

The 5:2 Diet is one of the most popular forms of intermittent fasting today. Also known as the Eat Stop Eat Diet, this diet was brought into the mainstream by a journalist named Michael Mosley.

As stated above, one of the upsides of 5:2 dieting is its simplicity. The diet’s concept is all in the name: it calls for eating normally five days a week and fasting for two days per week.

Technically speaking, the 5:2 diet isn’t a diet so much as a meal timing strategy. Some people eat whatever they want during those five ‘normal’ days. These same people attest that this dietary freedom is what makes 5:2 eating truly sustainable in the long run. [1]

5:2 Diet Plan: the Specifics

There are many ways to interpret the 5:2 diet. Some people fast on two consecutive days each week, while others prefer to space the fasting days out:

Monday: fast
Tuesday: fast
Thursday: feast
Friday: feast
Saturday: feast
Sunday: feast

Even the 5:2 diet’s fasting days are up for interpretation. While many people fast from food completely and stick with calorie-free liquids, others make allowance for 500-600 calories on fasting days.

5:2 Diet Benefits

Not many studies have been done on the benefits of 5:2 intermittent fasting specifically. That being said, study after study has illustrated the many benefits of fasting and intermittent fasting in general. It’s likely that the 5:2 diet makes available most if not all the benefits of other types of fasting. Here are some of the highlights. [2][3]

Metabolic flexibility
Satiation (i.e. sustainability)
Hormone-driven weight loss
Reduced cancer cell development

Metabolic flexibility

The 5:2 diet’s variable eating windows may force your body to become more metabolically flexible. In layman’s terms, this metabolic flexibility refers to the ease with which your body can shift between using different types of fuel.

Most Americans on the standard American diet are stuck in perpetual carb-craving mode, which can lead to hyperinsulinemia and excess glycation.

On the other hand, most health-conscious people on the keto diet are confined to complete fat-burning mode, which can produce its own form of “physiological” hyperinsulinemia in the long run.

5:2 intermittent fasting teaches the body to alternate between fat-burning and carb-burning with ease.

With time the 5:2 diet should make it easy for your body to go in and out of ketosis — a metabolic state that has many benefits but some potential drawbacks in the long run. In other words, 5:2 dieting may give you access to the metabolic best of both worlds. [4]

Periodically going without eating in this way might be better for weight loss than traditional calorie restriction alone.

Some studies suggest that the increased energy variance seen with 5:2 dieting may result in faster weight loss. Other studies suggest that intermittent fasting may allow you to lose fat while retaining your muscle mass. This type of body recomposition is basically the gold standard when it comes to quantifying any diet’s effectiveness.

Satiation (i.e. Sustainability)

The 5:2 diet is simple and sustainable. Many adherents say that the diet keeps them satiated and free from hunger. For some people, following the 5:2 diet is far easier than staying in a slight calorie deficit every single day. [5]

The low serum insulin levels seen on fasting days mean these days stay surprisingly hunger-free. [6] And then, when you do eat, your body should be insulin sensitive enough to know where to apportion the extra fuel. [7]

In this way, the 5:2 diet is an effective strategy for kicking your carb addiction

Hormone-Driven Weight Loss

While not many studies have put 5:2 fasting under the microscope, several studies have investigated the benefits of one of its closest relatives, 4:3 fasting.

Its benefits include improved insulin sensitivity, reduced body fat, and improved leptin levels. Yet the benefits of 4:3 fasting also include some less intuitive changes, including allergy relief, improved cardiac rhythm, and reduced menopausal symptoms. [8]

One of the most thorough 4:3 studies–a randomized controlled study involving both obese and healthy-weight participants–showed that the 4:3 group showed significant improvements over the control group for many health markers, including [9]

Reduced fat mass
Reduced body weight
Normalized leptin levels
No change in muscle mass
Reduced triglyceride levels
Healthier cholesterol levels
Reduced inflammation levels

Other studies confirm intermittent fasting’s hormone-driven ability to promote weight loss. One recent review found that modified IF caused a 3-8% reduction in weight and a 4-7% reduction in visceral fat after as little as three weeks. Once again, intermittent fasting seems to melt off fat while sparing important muscle tissue. [10]

Reduced Cancer Cell Development

Fasting exerts a series of changes within the body that then make it harder for cancer cells to thrive.

One study found that fasting could reduce cancer cell proliferation by restoring healthy circadian rhythm (circadian rhythm refers to the rhythmic biochemical changes caused by day/night cycles).

This finding is especially significant given many of us have a ‘broken’ internal clock, courtesy of staying up too late and staring at blue-lit devices. Here’s what the study’s authors said: [11]

“Time-restricted feeding can reset the disrupted clock rhythm, protect against cancer and metabolic syndrome. Based on these observations, we hypothesized that intermittent fasting for several consecutive days without calorie restriction in humans would induce an anticarcinogenic proteome and the key regulatory proteins of glucose and lipid metabolism.”

Intermittent fasting’s ability to restore proper circadian rhythm may be protective against cancer, DNA damage, immune system compromise, and metabolic syndrome. Circadian rhythm really is that important — and fasting really is that restorative.

How to Make the 5:2 diet Even More Effective

5:2 dieters have found ways to make the diet even more effective over time. Here are some proven tactics that could help you get your very best results out of this form of IF:

Focus on healthy fats
Add in ketone-boosters
Partake in gentle exercise (especially at first)
Stay nourished with organ meats and organ supplements

Focus on Healthy Fats

The traditional 5:2 diet allows you to eat normally on ‘fasting’ days. Yet you can do even better by swapping out junk foods and empty calories for nourishing animal products like the best cuts of steak, eggs, and bone broth and plenty of health fats. Making this change will allow you to feel even more satiated and energized.

Add in Ketone-Boosters

Some research suggests that adding exogenous/dietary ketones to a ketogenic diet can amplify its effects. [12]

The easiest way to do this is by upping your medium-chain triglyceride consumption. No need to get too fancy here — coconut oil is a great source of MCTs. so cooking with it or adding it into your coffee should suffice.

Partake in Gentle Exercise (especially at first)

Occasionally exercising in a fasted state can supercharge fat-burning and speed up your body’s journey towards metabolic flexibility.

And if you’re brand new to the 5:2 diet, doing some gentle exercise may help you get into ketosis quickly, resulting in fewer cravings. Some of our favorite modes of exercise include walking and swimming, though you really can’t go wrong if you’re doing something you enjoy.

Stay Nourished with Organ Meats and Organ Supplements

Taking premium beef organ supplements can make your fasting routine even more effective. These supplements contain energizing B vitamins that prevent your metabolic rate from dipping too low on fasting days. [13] If nothing else, supplementing with beef organs can help you avoid developing nutrient deficiencies.

Is the 5:2 Diet Right for you?

Thousands of real-life experiences and dozens of studies all attest that 5:2 intermittent fasting is simple, sustainable, and effective. Yet it’s not for everybody. 5:2 fasting isn’t right for certain groups.

Groups who shouldn’t try the 5:2 diet

Those who are underweight
Those who struggle with eating disorders
Those who don’t have excess visceral fat to lose
Those who are experiencing thyroid dysfunction
Women who are nursing, pregnant, or trying to boost their fertility

This last category deserves some extra attention. Intermittent fasting seems to affect women more intensely than it does men. This is due to the hormonal differences between the genders. [14]

Some women report that they stop menstruating on the 5:2 diet. If this happens to you, stop the diet immediately and simply stick with three nourishing meals per day and eventually try a gentler approach. Check out our article on IF for women to learn more about these potential pitfalls and solutions.

5:2 Diet Plan: The Takeaway

The 5:2 diet is a modern version of an eating pattern humans evolved to thrive on. So perhaps it’s not surprising that 5:2 fasting offers a variety of evolutionarily-primed benefits, including:

Fat loss
Muscle gain
Improved immunity
Improved gut health
Reduced cancer risks
Reduced DNA damage
Improved insulin sensitivity
Reduced diabetic/prediabetic symptoms

Just be aware that the 5:2 diet isn’t for everyone. If you try it for yourself, we encourage you to take the journey with care by listening closely to your body. If you feel great on 5:2 fasting, wonderful! If you don’t feel great after a few weeks, consider trying a different fasting strategy supported with the new knowledge you’ve learned about how your body responds.

Beef liver pancakes with vegetables on a cutting board and vi

How to Eat Liver: 4 Easy Tips

November 6, 2021/in Liver, recipes Beef Liver, Carnivore Diet Foods, Keto Foods /by Liam McAuliffe

Beef liver is one of nature’s most underrated superfoods. It’s rich in hard-to-get nutrients like iron, B vitamins, vitamin A, and zinc — no wonder humankind has been enjoying, err…relying on it for thousands of years. But beef liver isn’t the most-user-friendly food out there. Many people dislike its taste, smell, and/or prep time. So in this article, we’ll be exploring several of the most palatable ways to eat liver. Keep reading to learn more.

Benefits of Eating Liver

Why eat beef liver? Because it contains a robust blend of nutrients found nowhere else in nature:

3,400% of your RDI for vitamin B12: B12 assists with red blood cell production. It also plays a vital role in brain cell metabolism. [1]
1,610% of your RDI for copper: copper works with zinc to activate the immune system. It also activates important enzymes to regulate cellular energy production. [2]
1,000% of your RDI for Vitamin A: vitamin A is critical when it comes to maintaining vision, immunity, and skin health. It also helps your body’s own liver and other organs function correctly. [3]
250% of your RDI for riboflavin/B2: riboflavin is one of the most pro-metabolic B vitamins–it helps convert the food you eat into usable energy. [4]
90% of your RDI for choline: Choline is a B vitamin that’s especially important when it comes to cognitive development and liver health. [5]
60% of your RDI for folate/B9: folate is yet another pro-metabolic B vitamin that assists with cell growth and differentiation. It’s of utmost importance for women who are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant. [6]
80% of your RDI for iron (35% for menstruating women): iron is an essential nutrient that distributes oxygen throughout your body. The iron in beef liver takes the form of highly bioavailable heme iron. [7]

We’ve gone over many of beef liver’s top health benefits elsewhere, so we’ll introduce just one more for now: increased resilience against stress.

A 1975 article from Prevention Magazine described how liver’s anti-stress properties were discovered. Dr. Benjamin Ershoff subjected three groups of rats to swimming tests; one group was fueled by liver, one was fueled by B vitamins, and one got nothing: [8]

“After several weeks, the animals were placed one by one into a drum of cold water from which they could not climb out. They literally were forced to sink or swim.” Rats fed nothing swam for an average 13.3 minutes before giving up. The vitamin B group swam for an average of 13.4 minutes.

The rats that were fed liver fared dramatically better: “Of the last group of rats, the ones receiving liver, three swam for 63, 83 and 87 minutes. The other nine rats in this group were still swimming vigorously at the end of two hours when the test was terminated. Something in the liver had prevented them from becoming exhausted. To this day scientists have not been able to pin a label on this anti-fatigue factor.”

If a little bit (or a lot) of extra energy would make a difference in your life, don’t neglect beef liver any longer.

Tips For How to Eat Liver

Below are a few ideas to help you make beef liver palatable — and maybe even fun.

1. How to Eat Liver: Make it Smooth and Salty with Pate

“Pâté” is the French word for ‘paste.’ This paste is usually a mix of meat, veggies, spices, or even seafood. Some pates are super smooth, while others are more chunky. French cuisine has been using pates to mask or enhance the taste of organs for centuries, and this tactic has tended to work. Most people who try pate find it surprisingly tasty.

To make pate, simply blend cooked beef liver, onions, chives, and any spices of your choice in a food processor. Once it’s been mixed, place your pate in the fridge in a sealed container and serve chilled at your convenience.

2. Hide it in Other Meat

Liver usually comes in whole pieces, but you might consider asking your butcher about ground liver — it’s much easier to work with and incorporate into other dishes.

Once you’ve got a package of ground liver, you can mix it 20/80 with regular ground beef. Chances are you won’t even notice the liver. If anything, the mixture will taste slightly sweeter than normal meat.

It can be made into hamburgers, cheeseburgers, meatballs, and meatloaf. There’s no better way to get your family onboard the organ meat train.

Bathe it in Tallow or Butter

When in doubt, there’s one especially classic way to enjoy beef liver: fry it in liberal amounts of salt and butter.

This approach is both simple and effective. First, place a pan over high heat, then melt some butter or tallow into the pan. Once this cooking fat is nice and hot, add some thin strips of liver into the mix. Finish up by adding some salt and bacon for an extra crunch and flavor.

3. How to Eat Liver: Raw

Yep, you read that right. Beef liver can indeed be enjoyed raw. Hey, don’t knock it til you try it — many raw liver aficionados find that it has a sweet flavor and pleasant mouthfeel. (Some of the more nuanced aspects of liver’s taste are lost during cooking.)

Just be aware that raw liver is also pretty chewy, so be sure to slice it into thin pieces or small cubes before enjoying it. Slice the liver when it’s thawed, and then freeze the slices to save yourself some time.

The age of the liver you’re dealing with also plays a role in its flavor. Veal liver has a milder taste, while the liver of a mature animal may taste stronger and earthier.

Other Ideas for How to Eat Liver

Pan-fry liver, onions, and mushrooms with some butter
Chop some liver, then mix with regular ground beef into meatballs and serve with tomato sauce
Opt for calf or lamb liver, instead of mature beef liver (it has a milder taste)
Soak your liver in milk or lemon before cooking to reduce its flavor

4. How to eat Liver: Take Desiccated Liver Pills

Beef liver is among the natural world’s best superfoods. It’s chock-full of important nutrients, including iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and selenium. [9]

If the thought of nutritional perfection isn’t enough to persuade you to try it fresh, however, then we have a more practical solution: beef liver supplements from desiccated liver.

Dr. Kiltz’s very own Beef Liver supplements place the power of beef liver in the palm of your hand. There are no undesirable tastes or long prep times to worry about. And they’re sourced from grass-fed New Zealand cattle.

Best Liver to Eat?

Lab analysis shows that grass-fed beef liver is superior to grain-fed in nearly every way. And when it comes to grass-fed liver, New Zealand beef liver is unquestionably the best of the best.

Beef Liver Sourced from New Zealand Cattle

New Zealand cattle are among the healthiest cattle in the world. You can thank the country’s idyllic climate for that: New Zealand has sunny summers, wet mild winters, and plenty of fresh grass. While most cattle ranchers in America keep their cattle indoors during winter months, New Zealand cattle have access to fresh grass year-round.

Even the USDA can’t help but admit that New Zealand-raised beef liver is nutritionally superior to US-raised beef liver. Check out the differences for yourself below:

Nutrient	Grass-fed New Zealand beef liver compared to U.S. Beef liver
B12	43% more
B5	44% more
Iron	72% more
Thiamin	96% more
Vitamin A	459% more

How to Eat Liver: The Takeaway

Liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on earth. Prized by our ancestors for millennia, liver is making a comeback thanks to nose-to-tail diet aficionados.

But not everyone finds liver particularly delicious. Try transforming your beef liver into any of the following dishes if you’re trying to give its taste an upgrade:

Pate
Liver-infused meatballs
Liver blended burgers
Desiccated liver supplements

And if you’re feeling more adventurous try it raw, or prepare the simple classic pan-fried with plenty of butter.

Just don’t forget that quality matters when it comes to experiencing beef liver’s benefits. Source your liver from New Zealand if you don’t have access to organic cattle farms you can trust. And, regardless of what you do with liver, be sure to enjoy your journey towards better health!

buddhist monk in meditation pose over black background

The 36 Hour Fast: How to and Benefits of the Monk Fast

November 3, 2021/in Methods & Schedules fasting, intermittent fasting /by Liam McAuliffe

The 36-Hour Fast, also known appropriately as the monk fast, is one of the most intensive types of intermittent fasting. In this article, we’ll look at the best ways to practice the 36 hour fast, potential benefits and drawbacks, and what to eat after a 36 hour fast.

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How to do a 36 Hour Fast

The Monk Fast calls for 36 hours of complete fasting roughly once a week. During this fasting period zero calorie consumption is permitted — though subscribers of the diet are allowed to enjoy flavored water, coffee, and tea.

While you can schedule this fasting period whenever they want, the Monk Fast’s originators recommended fasting from Monday evening to Wednesday morning.

They also recommend drinking plenty of water, and interestingly, some nootropic use to enhance cognitive benefits. [1] Nootropics are compounds that people take to enhance memory, cognition, motivation, and other neurochemical-based qualities.

The 36 Hour Fast also requires some planning when considering what to eat after a 36 hour fast. It’s recommended that you break your fast with a very light meal, then let that digest prior to eating normally again.

36 Hour Fast Benefits

The Monk Fast long may offer significant benefits including:

Enhanced longevity
Better heart health
Increased fat burning
More mindfulness

Enhanced Longevity

Fasting may boost lifespan and healthspan. Animal studies across various species have shown that occasional calorie restriction may delay and reverse the aging process. [2]

It’s thought that a process called autophagy is at work here. Think of autophagy as cellular recycling: it involves your body identifying worn-out cells, recycling their components, and building new, healthy cells from what remains. [3]

Your body’s ability to activate this process can lower your rates of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and various cancers. [4]

Better Heart Health

Extended periods of fasting may also lead to better heart health. That’s because fasting boosts the production of energy molecules called ketones. Ketones are a preferred fuel source for the heart. They provide more ATP (cellular energy) to the heart than glucose–the default fuel when you’re eating a carb heavy diet.

Fasting may also reduce blood pressure and increase BDNF-1 (human growth hormone) levels. [5]

Both of these shifts can make it easier for your heart to fulfill its major duties. Finally, fasting has been correlated with a reduction in ‘bad’ cholesterol levels. [6]

Increased Fat Burning

Fasting for an extended period of time restricts carbs, causing your body to break down fats into fuel. When this happens you enter ketosis.

Getting into fat-burning mode may also: [7]

Reset your body’s circadian rhythm
Normalize blood sugar levels
Improve insulin sensitivity
Reduce leptin resistance
Improve mental clarity

While these benefits are diverse, they have one thing in common: they all lead to dramatically improved body composition.

Greater Mindfulness

According to Patricia Bragg’s The Miracle of Fasting, fasting’s popularity throughout time and across cultures is thanks largely to its ability to promote a more mindful and “spiritual” connection with life.

“We read in ancient history that fasting has been practiced since time immemorial by the religious people of the East and by most ancient civilizations,” she explains. “They practiced fasting not only for the recovery of health and preservation of youth, but for spiritual illumination.” [8]

“Fasting possesses great power,” Tertullian once said. “If practiced with the right intention, it makes one a friend of God.” [9]

You don’t necessarily have to be spiritual or religious to take advantage of these types of benefits, either. Fasting’s mindfulness-promoting effects could also help you be more productive at school or work.

Most people find that it’s radically easier to access full-on productivity mode (also called the flow state) when they’re fasting.

Fasting also pairs well with various types of meditation, including one of our personal favorites: loving-kindness meditation

Possible Drawbacks to the 36 Hour Fast — and how to Avoid Them

36-hour fasting is undeniably more difficult than 16/8 IF, Eat Stop Eat, the 5:2 Diet, and other types of fasting. Going without any calories for so long can cause unwanted side effects like dizziness, nausea, and irritability. Dehydration can also occur if you don’t replace your normal liquid intake (including the liquids you get from foods) with pure water. [10][11]

How to avoid the Monk Diet Side Effects

Here are some helpful tips to help you avoid the harsher side effects of the 36 hour fast:

Combine the Monk Diet with keto to reduce potential blood sugar swings
Start slowly. You may want to get acclimated to 16:8 fasting first, then try a few 20 hour and then 24-hour fasts, before going for the full 36-hour version
Try a modified 36-hour fast where you consume moderate amounts of healthy fats during the fasted period.
Boost your body’s ketone levels with the help of MCT oil, coconut oil, or exogenous ketone supplements. These products may accelerate your transition into fat-burning mode, reducing carb addiction cravings in the process [12]
Partake in gentle exercise. Getting your movement on can coax your metabolism into fat-burning mode and help you get into deep ketosis quicker. Don’t push yourself too hard, though — low-impact exercises like yoga, walking, and swimming are the best choice.
Stay nutritionally-replete with grass-fed organ meats or organ meat supplements. These foods could make your Monk Fast even more effective, as their B vitamin content can prevent your resting metabolic rate from stalling during each fast. [13] Beef organs also provide a great way to obtain hard-to-find nutrients.

Is the 36 Hour Fast Right for you?

36 Hour Fasting is one of the most effective forms of fasting, yet it’s also one of the most intensive ones. In other words, it’s definitely not for everybody. If you fit into any of the following groups, you’ll want to opt for something less aggressive.

People who have very active jobs
People who are underweight or thin
People with pre-existing thyroid disorders
People who have (or have had) eating disorders
Women who are pregnant, nursing, or hoping to become pregnant soon

Most women, in fact, might want to stay away from 36-hour fasting. That’s because their hormonal balance tends to be more easily affected by low energy intake than men’s.

Women who do more fasting than their bodies can handle may experience a type of progesterone deficiency where the stress hormone cortisol essentially ‘steals’ from other important hormones. [14]

If you try Monk Fasting for yourself, stop immediately if you experience irregular menstrual cycles, begin missing menstrual cycles, or feel on-edge. You can also read our article on IF for women to learn more about this important gender-specific topic.

What to Eat After a 36 Hour fast

What to eat after a 36 hour fast is a critical question, and will contribute to many of the 36 hour fast benefits.

When fasting for this long your body enters an intensive process of cellular renewal. Old cells are metabolized, stem cells are activated, and new cells are born.

It’s important to feed these new cells with the most nutritious and nurturing foods, while also considering that your stomach has shrunk and your digestive enzymes may take some time to return to normal levels.

For these reasons we highly recommend bone broth with added tallow or ghee. Bone broth offers robust amounts of protein and a variety of beneficial anti-inflammatory compounds like glycine and arginine. 15

36 Hour Fast: The Takeaway

The 36 Hour Fast is an intensive form of fasting that may offer numerous benefits for your body, your cognition, and your spirit.

That being said, Monk Fasting isn’t for everyone. If you don’t have monk-like discipline, or if you fall into the categories listed above that make you susceptible to its drawbacks, consider trying less intensive fasting protocols like circadian rhythm fasting.

Eat Stop Eat: Review, Benefits, and How to

October 31, 2021/in Methods & Schedules intermittent fasting, Keto Diet, Ketosis /by Liam McAuliffe

The eat stop eat diet is one of the most popular intermittent fasting schedules. Proponents of fasting say it makes being healthy simple. With IF your health and wellness isn’t dependent on pricey supplements or complicated biohacks — it’s about what you don’t do, at least intermittently.

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Eat Stop Eat, including how it’s done, how it works, and who it’s for.

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How to Do The Eat Stop Eat Diet

The Eat Stop Eat Diet is a simple form of intermittent fasting that entails fasting for two days every week. Ideally they should be spaced out and not consecutive.

Eat Stop Eat was created by nutritional researcher Brad Pilon, who introduced this new way of eating in a book by the same name.

Pilon got the idea for Eat Stop Eat based on the fasting research he’d done at Canada’s University of Guelph. To this day, Brad insists that Eat Stop Eat isn’t just a diet; according to him, it’s a lifestyle shift that acknowledges the importance of meal timing. [1]

How Eat Stop Eat is Done

As we said earlier, the Eat Stop Eat Diet has relatively simple specifications. It’s as simple as abstaining from food for two seperate 24-hour periods. During the other five days of the week, you simply eat freely.

Brad Pilon’s original protocol was pretty flexible when it came to the foods to eat during intermittent fasting.

However, we recommend fueling your body with the most nutrient rich foods like fatty fish and seafood, red meat, and healthy fats and full-fat dairy like cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese. Low carb veggies, and low carb fruits are also acceptable, but should be supplemental to avoid plant toxins and antinutrients.

Though these 24-hour fasts can be placed at any point throughout the day (or night), most people prefer to do them this way:

Eat a final meal by 7 pm on Sunday night.
Fast thru Monday morning and afternoon.
Break your fast at 7 pm Monday night.

As you might have noticed from the above, fasting for a 24-hour period doesn’t actually mean you go a full day without eating. It just means you’ll only eat one meal during your fasting days.

Some proponents of the Eat Stop Eat Diet make it a little easier by allowing for low-calorie beverages during the fasting period. If you wish to go down this route, coffee with liberal cream or butter is a good choice. Be sure to drink plenty of water during your fast, too.

Eat Stop Eat Diet Benefits

Intermittent fasting techniques like Eat Stop Eat Diet have been correlated with a variety of health benefits. Here are some of the highlights:

Improved cardiovascular health
Better blood sugar regulation
Increased longevity
Deeper spirituality

Improved Cardiovascular Health

Multiple studies show that fasting may reduce blood pressure levels to a healthy range. Part of this effect could be caused by fasting’s ability to boost BDNF-1, an important hormone that helps regulate blood pressure. [2]

Other studies show that fasting may reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol levels. [3] And if the Eat Stop Eat Diet causes you to lose weight — which it probably will — blood pressure may normalize further. All in all these changes are a recipe for radically improved cardiovascular health.

Better blood Sugar Regulation

Fasting may help control your blood sugar. One study of over a thousand type II diabetics showed that a month of intermittent fasting was enough to lower and stabilize blood sugar.

It’s widely known that fasting forces the body into fat-burning mode known as ketosis. This helps you kick your carb addiction, and eating less carbs means more stable blood sugar levels. [4]

Fasting may also increase your body’s insulin sensitivity, allowing your body to better metabolize carbohydrates when you do eat them, then to switch back to burning fat for fuel when carbs are restricted during fasting. [5]

Other studies affirm that a variety of different fasting methods all work to regulate blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. [6]

Increased Longevity

Numerous animal studies show that fasting may increase lifespan. In animals, at least, fasting delays the degenerative conditions associated with aging, leading to greater longevity. These effects are seen in bats, rodents, fruit flies, and worms. [7]

It’s thought that fasting gets its anti-aging power from a process called autophagy, which occurs when your body’s immune system recycles damaged cells and swaps them out for new ones. [8] The effects of autophagy may be broadly protective against cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and neurodegeneration.

That being said, studies haven’t yet confirmed that fasting increases lifespan in our species. There are also confounding factors: most animals in the control groups (non-fasting groups) of these fasting studies eat the equivalent of junk food. Therefore, what these studies might be highlighting isn’t the benefits of fasting — but merely the benefits of not eating toxic sugary junk.

Spiritual Connection

This last benefit may come as a surprise, but it’s true nonetheless: humans have been using fasting to escape the realm of materialistic distraction and get closer to the divine for thousands of years.

“We read in ancient history that fasting has been practiced since time immemorial by the religious people of the East and by most ancient civilizations,” Patricia Bragg explains in her book, The Miracle of Fasting. “They practiced fasting not only for the recovery of health and preservation of youth but [also] for spiritual illumination […].”

Bragg goes on to explain the role 40-day fasts played in many ancient initiation rites. Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness prior to receiving the Holy Spirit. The Greek philosopher Pythagoras required all his disciples to fast for 40 days before they could be invited into his spiritual teachings. [9]

The early Church saint Tertullian felt the same way — he was once quoted as saying that “fasting possesses great power […] if practiced with the right intention, it makes one a friend of God.” [10]

While the entire Muslim world practices a version of intermittent fasting every day for the entire holy month of Ramadan.

Drawbacks to the Eat Stop Eat Diet and How to Avoid Them

While the Eat Stop Eat Diet has been shown to be safe and effective for most adults, it has several potential pitfalls worth keeping in mind.

Nutrient Deficiencies

People with a fast metabolic rate may be unable to meet all their nutritional needs on Eat Stop Eat.

These so-called “fast metabolizers” may become deficient in B vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins, and even in calories if they fast too frequently. These deficiencies can cause a vicious cycle of appetite loss that makes it even harder to get enough nutrients in.

The good news is they’re easily overcome. All you need to do is base your diet on nutrient-rich animal-based foods like fatty meats and especially organ meats which can provide many hundreds of times your RDV in B vitamins with only small servings, or from convenient organ meat supplements.

Low Blood Sugar

While the Eat Stop Eat Diet usually improves blood sugar regulation, that’s not the case 100% of the time. People with preexisting diabetes (or the quick metabolisms mentioned above) may have a hard time going 24 hours without food without having their blood sugar drop too low. [11]

For people with advanced diabetes, going that long without food can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar. Be sure to talk to your doctor prior to fasting if you have a condition like this. [12]

Hormonal Changes

Extended periods of fasting can cause serious hormonal changes — some beneficial, some potentially negative. On the plus side, it can boost human growth hormone levels enough to improve muscle mass and reduce water retention.

However, fasting can throw off some of the very same hormones that are most important to women. Extended fasting may reduce a woman’s natural fertility and raise stress hormones. [13]

Eat Stop Eat isn’t recommended for women who are nursing, pregnant or trying to become pregnant. Stick with less intense fasting strategies specifically for women.

How to make the Eat Stop Eat Diet even more effective

The Eat Stop Eat Diet doesn’t get that specific with its dietary requirements — and that means that there’s room for improvment. Here are some ideas to help you make Eat Stop Eat even better.

Get in those healthy fats
Supplement with ketone-boosters
Try some gentle exercise (especially at first)
Stay nutritionally-replete with organ meat supplements

Get in Those Healthy Fats

Combining intermittent fasting with keto can enhance the benefits of both dietary approaches.. This combo will allow you to stay in fat-burning mode 24/7. You can’t go wrong if you focus on keto superfoods like steak, eggs, bone broth, and healthy keto snacks,

Supplement with Ketone-Boosters

Recent research has shown that supplementing with exogenous ketones can make fasting’s effects even more beneficial. [14]

You don’t even have to purchase a fancy ketone supplement to do this. Coconut oil is rich enough in MCTs to boost your body’s ketone production. You can cook with it, bake with it, or even melt it into your morning coffee.

Gentle Exercise (especially at first)

You might have heard that exercising on an empty stomach is bad for you. Thankfully, however, we humans practically evolved to exercise while fasting. Partaking in low-impact exercises can catalyze fat-burning and reshape your body. It can also help you get into ketosis faster. Try doing some swimming, walking, cycling, yoga or any other enjoyable activity.

Stay Nutritionally Replete with Organ Meat Supplements

Organ meats present a great way to avoid developing nutrient deficiencies on your Eat Stop Eat Diet. If you don’t like preparing and eating regular organ meats, we’ve developed a solid alternative: Dr. Kiltz’s premium beef organ supplements.

These supplements are packed with pro-metabolic B vitamins and highly absorbable heme iron. [15] These nutrients can keep your metabolism running on all cylinders during your 24-hour fasts.

Is an Eat Stop Eat Diet Right for you?

Thousands of people from across the world have experienced tremendous results from the Eat Stop Eat diet.

But Eat Stop Eat isn’t some sort of universal cure. Some are better suited for Stop Eat shorter fasts like the popular 16:8 fasting schedule. These groups include:

Women who are nursing, pregnant, or trying to become pregnant
Those who don’t have any weight to lose
Athletes with extra-high calorie needs
Those with thyroid health problems
People with super active jobs
Those with eating disorders
Those who are underweight

As mentioned above, intermittent fasting can have negative effects womans’ hormonal profile. [16]

Some women experience hormonal imbalances, mood swings, irritability, or irregular periods if they fast too frequently. If you wish to play it safe, you can always just stick with three animal-based meals per day. Read our IF for women article if you’d like to learn more.

Eat Stop Eat: The Takeaway

“Instead of medicine, better [to] fast today.” – Plutarch

The Eat Stop Eat diet provides modern eaters with a simple way to fast like their ancestors. The diet offers quite a selection of benefits without many downsides:

Weightloss
Muscle gain
Improved gut health
Reduced risk of cancer
Improved spiritual health
Improved insulin sensitivity

Wooden figure sit on a roll of toilet paper. Concept of the problem with digestion.

Keto Constipation: Why it Happens and How to Fix it

October 28, 2021/in Side Effects Constipation, Keto Diet /by Liam McAuliffe

Switching from a carb-based Standard American diet to a fat-based keto diet produces a major change in digestion. Keto constipation is a common side effect of this transition. In this article, we’ll bust some of the myths around keto constipation and offer some science-backed strategies for keto constipation relief.

The Myth of Lacking Fiber

Cutting high-carb foods like grains, vegetables, and fruit, reduces your fiber intake–and many people erroneously blame keto diet constipation on this “lack” of fiber.

However, contrary to what you might’ve heard, a lack of fiber does not, by default, cause constipation.

In fact, excess dietary fiber may actually be a primary cause of constipation.

A 2012 study released in the World Journal of Gastroenterology attests that “stopping/reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms.” [1]

According to the study’s authors, fiber’s importance is rooted more in dogma than in clinical evidence. “The previous strongly-held belief that the application of dietary fiber to help constipation is but a myth,” the authors affirmed.

This same study found that stopping dietary fiber intake had a “very strong correlation” with reduced constipation, not more of it.

Are you Constipated or Just Pooping Less?

Many people confuse keto diet constipation with simply pooping less.

That’s because a well-formulated keto diet is based on fatty keto meats, fatty fish, and healthy fats that provide your body with all the nutrients it needs in highly bioavailable formats. This means much less unusable waste that your body needs to expel.

On the other hand, non keto foods like corn, beans, and many other fiber-laden plant foods, are often visible on the other end, which says a lot about how useful (useless) they are for you body.

Excess dietary fiber can cause so much mechanical stress that it ferments and heats up our intestines. This excess heat can then go on to damage-heat sensitive organs, notably reproductive organs. Fiber’s fermentation process also produces noxious gasses and other chemical byproducts. [2]

“A strong case cannot be made for a protective effect of dietary fiber against colorectal polyp or cancer. Neither has fiber been found to be useful in chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome,” the 2012 study mentioned earlier goes on to explain. “We often choose to believe a lie, as a lie repeated often enough by enough people becomes accepted as the truth. We urge clinicians to keep an open mind.”

So now that we’ve put the fiber myth to bed, let’s take a truly critical look at keto diet constipation relief.

How often Should you Poop on the Keto Diet?

Most people poop less when they’re on keto diet because the body has less fibrous waste to expel. So, how often should you be pooping on keto?

Once per day or more is a nice frequency to shoot for. Your bowel movements should be just as easy — if not easier — than they were on your previous diet. If your body’s circadian rhythm is healthy, expect these BMs to come at a predictable time each morning.

However, there is a transitional period on keto when constipation is a common issue. Let’s take a closer look at the reasons behind this.

Most Common Causes of Keto Constipation

Keto diet constipation is likely caused by one or more of the following factors:

Your gut bacteria are taking time to adapt to a fattier, lower-fiber diet
Your stomach acidity hasn’t yet acclimated to higher fat intake
Your bile production is lagging behind increased bile demand
Your body is having a hard time processing the extra protein
You’ve unwittingly begun eating an inflammatory food
You’re chronically dehydrated

Gut Bacteria and Constipation

When cutting carbs on keto, carb-loving bacteria will likely die off, and when they do, they’ll need to be replaced with fat-loving bacteria before normal digestive function can resume. [3]

The reset in gut bacteria has been shown to be a good thing, resulting in reduced inflammation, and reductions in symptoms of multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. 4 5 6

Yet during the transition, constipation can occur. To enhance the repopulation of healthy gut bacteria, add in keto yogurt, and cultured cottage cheese.

Stomach Acidity and Constipation

Protein provides vital structure to our body, yet it can also be difficult for the body to break down. Every gram of protein is composed of long, web-like chains of amino acids. It’s up to your body’s stomach acid to break down protein into smaller components. [4]

This process is innate to all humans, yet it might be out of practice for those who’ve been on a low-quality diet full of low-quality proteins. It can take some time for your body to respond to a diet centered on protein-rich meats

Stick with it, though — a growing body of evidence points to the fact that ever since our caveman ancestors, our bodies were made to eat meat. [5]

Bile Function and Constipation

Bile acid is another vital digestive fluid. While stomach acid breaks down proteins, bile acid breaks down fats.

The keto diet, of course, contains lots of healthy fats. Bile is made in your liver and released by your gallbladder; the complexity of its ‘supply chain’ means it can take a while for supply to catch up to the increased demand. [6]

Too Much Protein Can Cause Constipation

Eating too much protein is one of the most common causes of keto diet constipation.

If you’re you’ve gone from eating meat a few times a week to a carnivore or lion diet where you’re eating over a pound of meat every day, don’t be surprised if your digestion takes a few weeks to catch up with the change.

Thankfully there’s a simple solution to this problem. Eat more fat. Remember, the keto diet calls for 70-80% of all calories as fat.

Select fatty cuts of meat. Opting for cuts with a high fat:protein ratio may help you avoid the metabolic inefficiency that comes with converting protein to carbs. [7]

Dehydration

When your body first transitions into ketosis your body sheds water that had been stored alongside glycogen within your muscles and liver. [8]

While dumping unneeded glycogen is a good thing, the whole process can have a laxative effect and result in low electrolytes. [9]

In other words, your transition into keto can make you become dehydrated if you’re not careful.

Be sure to drink ample water during this period, while increasing your salt intake, and supplementing with electrolytes.

Missing Nutrients

Keto can also be harder to adapt to if your body has any underlying nutrient deficiencies. If you’re running low on vitamin A or vitamin D, you may have a problem upregulating bile acid production.

Over 90% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. Roughly 80% of patients hospitalized with COVID are vitamin D deficient, too. [10]

Nutrient	% of population below their RDV
Potassium	100%
Vitamin D	94.3%
Choline	91.7%
Vitamin E	88.5%
Vitamin K	66.9%
Magnesium	52.2%
Calcium	44.1%
Vitamin A	43%
Vitamin C	38.9%
Manganese	No data

How to Avoid Keto Constipation

Now that we know what causes keto constipation let’s look at what you can do to fix it.

Stay hydrated
Avoid inflammation and allergens
Keep your electrolytes up
Try ox bile or HCL
Up your exercise
Supplement with organ meat

1. Stay Hydrated

As we explained above, the transition into keto can cause rapid water loss as your body burns up its glycogen reserves and dumps off the accompanying water. Even your colon can become dehydrated. When this happens, stool in the colon can become compact and difficult to pass. [11]

Drink lots of water and salt your food liberally, as sodium is known to help your body retain the hydration status it already has. Dr. Kiltz and other health experts advise for up to 2.5 liters of water per day. [12]

Your urine color provides an easy way to observe hydration status at home; it should be light-colored, not dark or bright.

2-2.5 liters of water per day may be significantly more than you’re accustomed to. Just keep in mind that you’re free to supplement your ‘plain’ water consumption with water-based beverages like coffee, tea, or bone broth.

Contrary to prior dogma, coffee is net-hydrating and counts towards your daily water intake. [13]

Caffeinated beverages may help tackle constipation via other pathways, too — most of them are mild natural laxatives. [14]

2. Avoid Inflammatory and Allergenic Foods

Generally speaking, the keto diet is anti-inflammatory. A keto food list cuts out most processed junk food and industrial vegetable oils while reducing plant foods high in toxins and antinutrients.

But even certain keto-friendly foods can be inflammatory for some. Dairy allergens are fairly common and can flare up when people eat large amounts of keto cheeses.

Nuts on keto are another popular food that can cause constipation. Though high in fat and protein, they’re also high in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids along with lots of fiber.

Eggs are another nutritious food that has the potential to be allergenic.

You might be able to circumvent these potential issues by switching to raw and A2 dairy. But when in doubt, cut them out. [15]

3. Keep your electrolytes up

Electrolytes are compounds that make water even more hydrating. Electrolytes also keep your muscles (including bowel muscles) firing on all cylinders. The primary electrolytes are sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

Magnesium

Magnesium has an innate laxative effect. Unfortunately, soil depletion means most foods don’t contain as much magnesium as they used to. That means most people are at least slightly magnesium deficient. [16]

Up your intake by getting a magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate supplement.

Swapping out your regular water for authentic mineral water is another viable means of getting extra magnesium into your body. [17]

Sodium

The initial stages of ketosis see your kidneys excrete far more sodium than normal. Over time this effect tapers down — but in the meantime, getting in plenty of extra salt is essential.

Dr. Kiltz recommends getting roughly 12 grams of salt (the equivalent of two teaspoons) per day during your transition into full ketosis.

You can reduce your salt intake to roughly 5 grams per day once you’re out of keto-flu territory.

4. Try ox bile or HCL

Ox bile and betaine HCL are natural acids that can help your body digest dietary fats until its own bile production has had enough time to catch up.

These supplements may also increase bile production directly. With more bile comes better absorption of vital nutrients — and reduced risk of constipation. [19]

You might also try eating plenty of liver, as the choline found in this organ meat superfood might help your body digest fat. [20] If you’re resistant to the taste of fresh liver, desiccated liver supplements are a convenient alternative.

5. Increase Physical Activity

Digestion and nutrient assimilation requires a balance of chemical and physical processes.

We’ve addressed the chemical factors that can either make or break your digestion above, so let’s look at the physical side of things.

Getting plenty of movement is a surprisingly effective way to keep yourself regular and constipation-free. Just five minutes of post-meal walking or yoga can help contract the muscles and tendons that cross over your digestive tract, speeding up transit time in the process.

Have you ever noticed that road trips and constipation go hand in hand? That’s no coincidence. Thankfully the opposite is also true, making movement a truly holistic antidote to constipation.

To get started, try this yoga for digestion sequence

6. Supplement with Organ Meats

Organ meats are a true superfood. They contain many of the vitamins and cofactors your body needs to get acclimated to the metabolic shifts of ketosis.

If you’re not into taking the DIY approach to organ meats, Dr. Kiltz’s grass-fed organ meat supplements provide high-powered nutrition sourced from grass-fed New Zealand beef.

Keto Constipation Relief: The Takeaway

Constipation is a common setback that many new keto-dieters run into. Thankfully, it’s easy to avoid or overcome.

Staying hydrated, consuming moderate amounts of caffeinated beverages, increasing salt, while supplementing with electrolytes and bile are all winning strategies for fixing constipation on keto.

Twelve hour intermittent fasting time concept with clock on plate over a rustic wooden table / background. Top view.

Alternate Day Fasting: Schedule, Benefits, and Meal Plan

October 27, 2021/in Methods & Schedules fasting, intermittent fasting /by Liam McAuliffe

Alternate Day Fasting (ADF) calls for feasting on healthy foods for one day and then entirely fasting the next. In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits of an alternate day fasting schedule, while also highlighting some potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.

[TOC]

What is Alternate Day Fasting?

An alternate Day Fasting schedule is simple. You just eat to complete satisfaction one day, and then fast the next. The end result of this alternating schedule is that you eat roughly 50-60% of what you normally would.

Some adherents of Alternate Day Fasting have attempted to make it less challenging by allowing up 500 calories on fasting days. This form of ADF is referred to as ‘modified’ Alternate Day Fasting.

Whether your alternate day fasting schedule is modified or not, the one substance that’s permitted on fasting days is low-cal or calorie-free liquids.

You can enjoy coffee, tea, sparkling water, and other beverages and still stay in compliance with ADF.

Dr. Krista Varady’s “Every Other Day Diet

The most popular modern version of Alternate Day Fasting is Dr. Krista Varady’s “Every Other Day Diet.”

Dr. Varady pioneered this way of eating after conducting numerous studies on the benefits of ADF. [2] She’s found that weight loss on ADF is predictably simple, regardless of whether adherents eat the bulk of their calories at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. [3]

Many people who try the Every Other Day Diet find that it’s surprisingly easy to stick to. One 12-month study found that participant adherence was the same for both ADF and the standard calorie-restricted model. [4]

Alternate-day Fasting vs Intermittent Fasting

The alternate day fasting schedule is considered a particularly extreme form of intermittent fasting.

When most people think of IF, they think of the 16:8 fasting schedule. It calls for fasting for 16 hours and then feasting for 8. But ADF takes this concept several iterations further. Alternate day fasters may go without food for up to 40 hours at a time!

Both types of fasting have pros and cons. Standard IF schedules, for one, are arguably more practical: those who follow them stick with the very same eating schedule every day. For more info on intermittent fasting, check out our Intermittent Fasting 101 article.

Alternate Day Fasting: the Rules

Research shows that both high-carb and low-carb diets can be effective for weight loss when one is alternate day fasting. [5] The only thing that’s truly non-negotiable with alternate day fasting is meal timing.

Strict ADF prohibits taking in any calories whatsoever on fasting days. While the most liberal forms of ADF don’t allow intake of more than 500 calories per fasting day. Even if you’re eating at all hours of the day on your feasting days, you’ll still be fasting for 36+ hours within each two-day (48 hour) cycle.

Alternate Day Fasting Rules Made Simple

Day 1: Eat a well-formulated diet to complete satisfaction. Don’t skimp on the healthy fats or calories. Preferably, finish eating by 8 pm.
Day 2: Abstain from food completely. If you’re doing modified ADF, you can consume and/or drink up to 500 calories.
Day 3: Repeat day 1.
Day 4: Repeat day 2.

How to Adapt to Not Eating

First things first: alternate day fasting requires your body to get used to not eating every once in a while.

This change requires several biochemical shifts. To fast without experiencing low blood sugar or intense hunger pangs, a person must: [6]

Become more leptin sensitive
Become more insulin sensitive
Become more efficient at burning fat for fuel
Become less entrained to former eating habits i.e. kick your carb addiction
Become more efficient at cycling in and out of ketosis

These strategies can help you make the transition to ADF:

Partake in gentle endurance exercises like walking and cycling
Get enough sleep, a bedtime yoga routine can help.
Eat more long- and medium-chain fatty acids from MCT oil, coconut oil, butter, tallow, and lard.

Getting adapted to fasting is as simple as getting adapted to ketosis.

How MCT’s could help you adapt to ADF

MCTs…LCT’s…ADF…IF…talk about acronym soup. We’ll do our best to keep this section simple.

Simply put, MCT sources like coconut oil or pure MCT oil could help you adapt to alternate day fasting by making it easier for your body to switch into a fat-burning metabolic state called ketosis.

MCT’s get turned into ketone bodies by your liver almost immediately after consumption. Once these ketones hit your bloodstream they’re an excellent fuel, keeping hunger at bay and blood sugar stable. [7]

Alternate Day Fasting Benefits

ADF fasting possesses many potential health benefits — some central to any type of fasting, but others unique. Let’s take a closer look.

Improved Body Composition

Alternate day fasting essentially makes your body recycle itself. Old cell membranes get recycled and swapped for new ones. Old fat cells get burned off as fuel. Old muscle cells are refreshed by human growth hormone. The macro-level result of all these micro-level changes is a fresher, fitter, leaner you. [8]

Studies in rodents, worms, flies, and isolated human cells all show that fasting can increase autophagy–the technical name for the cellular recycling process that rejuvenates cells.

Weight loss

Many people who begin ADF notice swift, significant weight loss. Part of this is a result of their body shedding its glycogen stores — each gram of glycogen is paired to four grams of water. But fasting’s weight loss benefit is far more profound than that.

Studies show that alternate day fasting may help a person lose 8% of their body weight after 2-12 weeks. To put those numbers into practice, a 200-pound individual could expect to lose 16 pounds in a few weeks to a few months. [9]

Other studies have found that ADF is no better than conventional calorie-restriction when it comes to weight loss, belly fat reduction, or inflammatory status. [10][11]

A study on ADF on nonobese subjects found that while “alternate-day fasting was feasible in nonobese subjects, […] hunger on fasting days did not decrease, perhaps indicating the unlikelihood of continuing this diet for extended periods of time.” [12]

The study suggested that nonobese fasters add in a small snack on fasting days.

Animal studies have been more insightful in helping us understand this topic. Several such studies suggest that modified ADF (<500 calories on fasting days) lowered hunger hormones and heightened satiety hormones compared to conventional calorie-restricted diets. [14]

Alternate day fasting may also reduce the compensatory hunger that usually comes when one’s body tries to ‘compensate’ for missing calories. [15]

Improved Blood Sugar Regulation

Alternate day fasting trains your body to become metabolically flexible. With metabolic flexibility comes a number of benefits, namely an improved ability to regulate blood sugar.

More than a third of Americans have prediabetes, which is where blood sugar is much higher than usual but not yet clinically high. If their lives don’t change these Americans will likely go on to develop type 2 diabetes (this type currently accounts for up to 95% of all diabetes cases in the US). [16]

Though most types of diets lead to improved blood sugar regulation, this is yet another area where ADF really shines. ADF induces a cyclical ketogenic state that trains your body to efficiently burn fats, carbohydrates, and even amino acids for fuel. The better your body is at using fats for fuel, the more balanced your blood sugar will be. [17]

Reduced Risk of Certain Cancers

Fasting has long been associated with reduced risks of cancer.

One recent study, the first of its kind to analyze human serum, discovered that fasting’s anti-cancer effects come from its ability to restore normal circadian rhythm. Here’s what the study’s authors hypothesized:

This hypothesis turned out to be correct. Here are some of the highlights among their findings: [18]

Serum proteomes may be protective against cancer
IF may normalize proteins responsible for DNA repair
IF may normalize proteins responsible for immune system regulation
IF may normalize proteins that protect against obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome
IF may upregulate proteins that protect against Alzheimer’s and other neuroprotective diseases

It’s likely that all or most types of intermittent fasting provide these benefits.

Improved Hormone Balance

An alternate day fasting schedule can boost your body’s production of several different categories of hormones, including sex hormones, anabolic hormones, and mood-related hormones.

Alternate day fasting and BDNF-1

Short for brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BNDF-1 is essentially your brain’s version of Miracle-Gro.

BDNF-1 plays a vital role in memory, mood, and information processing. Boosting BNF-1 is almost a universally good thing — and fasting boosts BDNF-1 pretty powerfully.

BDNF-1 may even assist with weight loss. While BDNF doesn’t directly cause the pounds to come off, it may help you stay content and mentally occupied during your fasting periods. [19]

HGH

Other studies show that fasting can boost growth hormone levels. The title of a 1988 study says it all: “fasting enhances growth hormone secretion and amplifies the complex rhythms of growth hormone secretion in man” [20]

In practical terms, fasting’s ability to stimulate HGH production can lead to a variety of benefits:

Brighter glowing, more even skin tone
Reduced swelling/water retention
Reduced wrinkles and fine lines
Increased muscular endurance
Greater muscular strength
Improved focus

Alternate Day Fasting and Testosterone

Testosterone plays a vital role in muscle growth, intrinsic motivation, and stress regulation — in both men and women. Thankfully, alternate day fasting may be great for one’s testosterone levels.

One study found that, “Short-term fasting increased […] the corresponding testosterone response by 180% […]. These results imply that food deprivation affects the pituitary-testicular axis differently in obese and non-obese men.”[21]

To expound a little more on that last sentence, obese men didn’t exhibit the same fasting-driven testosterone boost that non-obese men did. Fear not, fasting, especially when combined with keto, can be an effective approach to weight loss.

Reduced and Reversed Aging

Fasting’s ability to promote autophagy means it may also delay the aging process enough to increase lifespan.

So far this anti-aging effect has proven valid in mice, flies, yeast cultures, worms, and isolated human cells. [22]

Fasting may also increase your healthspan — the duration of time in which you’re vibrant, mobile, and disease-free.

The mechanisms through which fasting elicits these effects are quite diverse. Here are some of the highlights: [23]

Boosts internal antioxidant production, reducing oxidative damage
Allows your intestinal tract to heal from irritant-related damage
Allows your liver to detox from heavy metals, excess iron, and other toxins
Reduces systemic inflammation, allowing collagen networks to build back stronger
May help your body recycle misfolded proteins before they get a chance to influence DNA production

Drawbacks to Alternate Day Fasting and How to Avoid Them

An alternate day fasting schedule doesn’t have many inherent drawbacks. In fact, the best way to determine whether or not ADF has any drawbacks is to try it for yourself!

That being said, here are four potential drawbacks to be aware of before you begin a new ADF fasting routine.

1. Excess Stress Hormones

Cortisol is the body’s primary stress hormone. One of cortisol’s secondary functions, however, is converting amino acids into carbohydrates. This type of conversion is exactly what happens when you begin fasting or eating keto for the first time. You might experience some extra cortisol-induced stress as your body becomes accustomed to ADF’s new meal timing. This is normal — so don’t sweat it! [24]

If you’re still experiencing the symptoms of hypercortisolemia after several cycles of ADF (these symptoms include trouble sleeping, anxiety, appetite loss, and mood swings), however, then it may not be for you. Consider opting for a gentler form of fasting like 16:8 IF, or circadian rhythm fasting.

2. Hyperglycemia

ADF can also cause problems with high blood sugar if you’re eating more than normal on ‘feasting’ days.

To avoid this problem simply stick with a low-carb or ketogenic diet. If you do wish to eat fruit or vegetables opt for low carb options like keto friendly fruit or low-carb veggies.

3. Muscle wasting

Some people simply can’t consume as many calories as they need by eating every other day. Let’s say you’re a hard-training athlete, who normally eats around 4,500kcal/day. Even if you follow a modified ADF fasting schedule, you’ll still need to eat 8,500 calories on your ‘feasting’ days. That’s way more than most peoples’ stomachs can handle–unless you’re on keto and getting most of your calories from animal fats.

4. The unknowns

We’ve saved the biggest drawback of ADF for the end. It simply stems from the fact that it’s not yet known for certain if alternate day fasting is safe, let alone right, for everyone.

While “the health benefits of weight loss and energy restriction in these human clinical trials are supported by a century of laboratory research in rodents,” many of these benefits may not be related to weight loss or calorie restriction themselves. [25]

They might actually be due to the benefits that come with not eating junk food. In other words, fasting from low-quality lab food is indeed healthy. But so is eating a low-carb, animal-based diet centered on nutrient dense keto friendly foods.

Is Alternate Day Fasting Right for you?

If you have any of the following health goals, ADF fasting may be an effective approach for you:

Weight loss
Improved body composition
Improved metabolic flexibility
Relief from type-2 diabetes or prediabetes
Freedom from food addiction/dependency

While Alternate Day Fasting can be highly effective, it’s not for everybody. Some people do much better with milder forms of fasting. ADF is probably not for you if you:

Are normal-weight or underweight
Have hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
Are nursing, pregnant, or trying to become pregnant
Are naturally underweight, ectomorphic, histadelic, etc.
Have an eating disorder or have struggled with one in the past

Alternate Day Fasting Meal Plan

Here’s a 7 day sample intermittent fasting meal plan that provides ample macro and micronutrients. Healthy intermittent fasting snacks to add in if needed include cottage cheese, full-fat yogurt, and other whole food snacks, along with fatty fish and seafood.

You can also insure you’re meeting your nutrient needs with beef liver and beef organ supplements.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Lunch

8 0z. Ribeye Steak and 4 eggs

Asparagus sauteed in ghee

Fast

80z. Lamb chops

4 Eggs

½ cup strawberries

Fast

8 oz. Ground bison with butter and 3 eggs

and ½ avocado

Fast

8 oz Tri-tip roast

1 large potato baked in tallow

Dinner

8 oz Tri-tip roast

Sweet Potato with 1tbls ghee

blackberries with 3 tablespoons of heavy cream

Fast

12 oz. Beef short ribs

Fast

6 oz. Bone marrow

Asparagus sauteed in ghee

6 oysters

Fast

8 oz Bison burger with 1.5

oz liver blended in

2 Kiwis

Alternate Day Fasting Schedule: The Takeaway

Alternate Day Fasting (ADF) is a modern take on the eating patterns of our caveman ancestors. When a hunt was successful they’d feast on fresh food–mostly meat. In between successful hunts they’d have to fast.

ADF has several evolutionarily-based benefits, including:

Weight loss
Reduced hunger
Reduced risk of cancer
Improved body composition
Improved blood sugar regulation

However, alternate day fasting may not be for everyone. If you don’t have weight to lose or insulin sensitivity to restore, you may want to stick with a milder form of fasting. Nursing or pregnant women should also not practice ADF.

broiled yam and broiled corn on the broiled

High Carb Vegetables to Avoid on a Keto Diet

October 25, 2021/in Antinutrients and Plant Toxins, vegetables antinutrients, Keto Foods, plant toxins, Vegetables /by Liam McAuliffe

A well-formulated keto diet is focused on keto meats and keto fats, like steak, pork, and butter. These keto foods comprise 80-100% of your calories on a keto diet. The remainder, if there is any, is made up of keto-friendly veggies, keto fruits, and keto nuts. However, there are some high carb vegetables to avoid on keto. Let’s look at the top 7 vegetables to avoid on keto and why.

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7 veggies to avoid on keto

Though all vegetables are mostly carbs and water, the vegetables to avoid on keto have the highest carbs.

NOTE: A keto diet allows between 10 and 50 grams of carbs a day depending on your individual metabolism and activity level. Most people aim for less than 30 in order to stay in ketosis.

Veggie	Net carb content per serving
Corn	19 grams
Potatoes	37 grams
Beets	13 grams
Parsnips	24 grams
Peas	21 grams
Sweet potatoes	27 grams
Yams	42 grams

1. Corn

Corn contains 19 grams of carbohydrates per serving, which is a substantial amount of your daily carb intake.

Corn is also high in several antinutrients, the biggest being phytic acid. Phytic acid impairs the body’s ability to absorb certain dietary minerals, including zinc and iron.

Corn’s phytic acid is so impairing, in fact, that if you were to eat an equal amount of corn tortillas along with oysters (the most zinc-rich foods on earth), your body would absorb essentially zero zinc.

On the bright side, corn also contains several antioxidants like ferulic acid — an antioxidant that boosts skin health by reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Corn also contains anthocyanins that possess anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties and zeaxanthins that may improve overall eye health. [1]

Are these benefits worth the carbs and antinutrients? Certainly not on a keto diet that includes organ meats, keto seafood, and bone broth loaded with meat-specific compounds, antioxidants, and collagen.

These compounds boost skin, bone, and organ health while eliminating the sugars at the root of glycation–the process where sugar binds to proteins in the body, causing aging.

2. Potatoes

If you thought corn contained a lot of carbs, be prepared — potatoes contain 39 grams of carbs per serving. That is definitely going to take up nearly all of the carbs allowed in your daily intake.

Potatoes are high in several antinutrients, including glycoalkaloids, a specific kind of antinutrient which if consumed in high doses can lead to nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.

Potatoes also contain protein trypsin inhibitors and lectins. Similar to glycoalkaloids, trypsin inhibitors can interfere with digestive health and reduce your body’s ability to absorb nutrients. [2]

On the bright side, potatoes also contain several antioxidants, including phenolic acids and flavonoids. Phenolic acid consumption can help boost the anti-inflammatory capacity of your body. Similar to phenolic acids, antioxidant flavonoids possess anti-inflammatory benefits and protect your cells from oxidative damage.

But again, are the downsides of potatoes worth the upsides? Probably not. If you’re kicking your carb addiction and cutting out inflammatory foods like processed grains and vegetable oils, you likely don’t need the anti-oxidants from potatoes.

3. Beets

Beets contain 13 carbs per serving which is relatively moderate for a vegetable to avoid on keto. But beets are high in several antinutrients, including oxalic acid (oxalates), which has been found to lead to kidney stones and blocks the body from absorbing other nutrients it needs.

For those who have sensitive digestive systems, beets are a serious hazard. They contain FODMAPs that can feed ‘bad’ bacteria in the gut causing bloating, constipation, and may contribute to leaky gut. [3]

On the bright side, beets also contain several phytonutrients, like betalains, which help support antioxidants and detoxification in the body. A few key benefits to beets are their vitamin C, and folate (Vitamin B-9). Folate is important for specific cell formation such as red blood cells and supports cell growth. [4]

However, if you’re eating a diet rich in whole animal foods, your B vitamin intake will be more than covered. And you can get your vitamin C from small amounts of keto fruits with fewer antinutrients.

If you’re trying a carnivore diet like the lion diet that eliminates all plant foods, you can even get vitamin C from organ meats like beef kidney, and beef spleen.

You can also get vitamin C, along with other powerful nutrients from tasteless beef organ supplements.

4. Parsnips

Parsnips contain 24 grams of carbs per serving, which equates to roughly half of even the most generous keto diet’s carb allowance. These carbs could be spent elsewhere and spread out among other fat-rich keto foods like keto yogurt and cottage cheese.

Parsnips are also high in semi-toxic furocoumarin compounds. These compounds can lead to serious health consequences because they activate photoreceptors and make your skin and eye cells more sensitive to sunlight.

5. Peas

Peas contain 21 carbs per serving. Even without looking at their plant toxins and antinutrients, this makes them a vegetable to avoid on keto.

Like many of the veggies above, peas are also high in antinutrients like phytic acid and lectins. Phytic acid is the primary antinutrient that interferes with the body’s ability to absorb important minerals like iron, calcium, and zinc.

While lectins can attach to your intestinal cells trigger autoimmune responses in susceptible groups, and blocking mineral absorption. [2] This is why many people are turning to a lectin free diet.

To be fair, peas are also rich in polyphenol antioxidants that are linked to several health benefits. The antioxidants in peas may repair cell damage and prevent further damage caused by aging, environmental factors, and lifestyle choices. Peas are also a decent source of plant protein, containing 8 grams in a single cup. [5]

But, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, when you cut the carbs, you’re eliminating the root source of cell damage. And nearly every meat is far more protein rich than peas.

6. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes contain 27 carbs per serving — far too high for most people to remain in fat-burning mode. Though they do often make an appearance on carb cycling keto diets.

Sweet potatoes are also high in oxalates and other antinutrients. Oxalates are responsible for the body’s inability to absorb nutrients, especially calcium. And they are linked to kidney stones and gallbladder issues.

Focusing on the positives for a second, sweet potatoes also contain several types of antioxidants, notably the carotenoids. Carotenoids may boost the immune system and allow it to ward off diseases. Arguably the biggest pro to sweet potatoes is their sheer amount of vitamin A. One baked sweet potato contains up to 400% of your daily intake. Vitamin A is linked to eye health and overall immune system health. [6]

However, if you want to get an abundance of vitamin A without the carbs and plant toxins, there’s no better food than beef liver. In fact, beef liver is so high in vitamin A that you should only consume it in small amounts or 1-3 times per week. For this reason, beef liver supplements are ideal.

Yams

Yams might be tasty, but they’re too high in carbs to be compatible with keto. A single serving of yams contains 42 grams of carbs — more than an entire days allowance for most people.

Yams are also high in several antinutrients, including our oxalate. Unlike some of the other veggies on this list, yams are low in protein. Another serious takeaway: yams can be toxic when raw, and they need to be carefully prepared prior to being eaten. [7]

On the positive side Yams are high in vitamin C and copper, too. This mineral improves iron absorption and red blood cell production.

But as with the other vegetables to avoid on keto, you can get these nutrients from other, healthier sources in abundance.

Vegetables to Avoid on the Keto Diet: The Bottomline

The vegetables to avoid on keto are all high in both carbs and antinutrients.

Though each of these veggies has some positive qualities, especially antioxidant content, you can get these benefits from whole animal-based foods without exposure to plant toxins, antinutrients, and excess carbs.

coconuts and avocado on a wooden background

Keto Fruit List: Top 7 Low Carb Fruits

October 22, 2021/in Carbohydrates, Fiber, Foods, fruits antinutrients, Fruit, Keto Foods /by Liam McAuliffe

The keto diet is a newly popular way of eating that calls for drastically cutting down on carbohydrates. That means breads, pastas, baked goods, and, yes — most fruits — are off-limits. Some fruits are low enough in carbohydrates, however, that you can fit moderate amounts of them into the keto diet without going over 20- 60 grams of carbs per day. Let’s explore the fruits that make it on the low-carb keto fruit list.

Keto Diet Fruit List

Keto diet-friendly fruits have two major things in common:

They’re low in fructose
They’re high in fiber, which lowers net carb content even further

A note on fiber: Fiber is not essential, and surprising for most people, has not been found to provide any net health benefits.

In fact, recent studies have found that diets high in insoluble fiber are linked to diverticulitis, IBS, and constipation–just the opposite of what we’ve been told for decades. You can read more about these fiber myths and truths here. 1

The chart below highlights ten keto-friendly fruits that fit the bill according to both metrics.

Keto Fruit Chart

Low carb fruit	Fructose content	Fiber content
Raspberries (½ cup)	3 grams	4 grams
Blackberries (½ cup)	4 grams	4 grams
Avocado (1 whole)	4 grams	14 grams
Strawberries (8 medium)	6 grams	2.8 grams
Plum (medium-sized)	7 grams	0.9 grams
Clementine (medium-sized)	8 grams	1.3 grams
Kiwi (medium-sized)	8 grams	2.1 grams
Cherries (½ cup)	8 grams	1.3 grams
Blueberries (½ cup)	9 grams	1.8 grams
Cantaloupe (1 cup)	11 grams	1.4 grams
Peach (medium-sized)	13 grams	3 grams

Top 7 Keto Low Carb Keto-Friendly Fruits

Let’s take a closer look at the carbs content and health benefits of the top 7 keto-friendly fruits.

1. Coconut Meat

Though there’s the word “nut” in the name, coconut is officially a fruit, and it plays a starring role on our keto fruit list. The flesh, or ‘meat,’ of coconut is especially nutritious.

Coconut meat carb content

A cup of coconut meat contains just 10 grams of carbs. Not bad considering this same cup contains over 280 calories! These calories come mostly from fat–a great thing on the keto diet.

Coconut Meat health Benefits

Coconut meat is associated with multiple health benefits, including:

Higher satiation
Lower body weight
Better cognitive function
Improved body composition

Coconut stands out from most other fruits for several reasons. For one, most of its calories come from fat. Secondly, most of its fat calories come from highly saturated fats (89%, to be exact). [9]

Studies show that the medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs) in coconut meat are absorbed through your small intestine and converted to ketones that your body easily uses as energy. [10]

This can make coconut a helpful when transitioning to keto, while reducing keto side effects.

In addition to the satiation that comes from fat, coconut meat’s fiber content might make it even easier to stay full and avoid snacking between meals. [11][12]

Other potential benefits of coconut meat, coconut shreds, coconut manna, and coconut oil include:

Improved immunity: coconut is rich in manganese and other immune-boosting compounds. And even the medium and long-chain fatty acids present in coconut products may reduce bacteria counts and suppress viral infections. [13]
Normalized blood sugar: by boosting ketone production and shifting your body further into fat-burning mode, coconut products might make it easier to keep blood sugar under control. This fruit may lower your fasting blood sugar and alter your gut bacteria to aid blood sugar control. [14]
Boost cognitive function: some people notice a tangible cognitive boost when they eat coconut products. You can thank the medium-chain-triglycerides in coconut oil for that! In the long run, MCTs may even protect against brain metabolism problems like Alzheimer’s and dementia. [15]

2. Avocado

Avocados are a fruit that most people think of as a veggie. In fact, we also include it in our list of low carb keto veggies. Because a single avocado averages a robust 30 grams of fat and only 4 grams of net carbs, it’s truly the most keto-friendly fruit, even if you don’t find it very fruity.

Avocado Carb content

A single avocado contains around 18 grams of carbs per one-cup serving, yet only 4 grams of these are net carbs. That’s thanks to 14 grams of fiber. In other words, avocados aren’t likely to kick you out of ketosis anytime soon.

Avocado Health Benefits

Avocados are associated with multiple health benefits. They’re a rich source of vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, and folate. [2]

Potassium can be hard to come by on a keto and carnivore diet unless you’re eating a nose-to-tail meal plan that includes organ meats and potassium-rich cuts of steak like tri-tip and ribeye.

3. Blackberries

Blackberries Carb Content

Blackberries contain just four grams of carbohydrates per serving, making them one of the lowest-carb fruits of all. Their carb content is matched by an equally high amount of fiber.

Blackberries Health Benefits

Blackberries are associated with multiple health benefits. Their vitamin C content is largely the reason, at 36% RDV per 1 cup serving. Vitamin C plays a vital role in: [1]

Wound healing
Skin regeneration
Collagen formation
Safeguarding against scurvy
Improved antioxidant status

4. Raspberries

Due to being relatively low in carbs, raspberries can be enjoyed in moderation on keto. But does that mean these fruits are good for you? The jury is still out. But it’s safe to say that in small amounts there’s nothing to worry about.

Raspberries Carb Content

Raspberries contain just 7 grams of net carbs per serving: 15 grams of glucose/fructose and 8 grams of fiber. [3]

Raspberries Health Benefits

Like many other fruits, raspberries are high in antioxidants. Yet the antioxidants in fruit are poorly absorbed in the body and quickly eliminated.

If you’re looking for more bioavailable antioxidants, keto superfoods, keto meats and organ meat supplements are superior options.

That being said, a 1 cup serving or raspberries offers polyphenols, 36% of vitamin C, and small amounts of vitamin K, and copper.

The antioxidants in raspberries have been shown effective for combating aches and pains. [4]

To make your raspberries even more keto-friendly, enjoy them with heavy cream and other full fat dairy like keto yogurt and keto cottage cheese, or any number of rich keto cheeses.

5. Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe may be a surprising addition to a keto fruit list. For one, it tastes really sweet. But it’s actually one of the lower-carb fruits.

Cantaloupe carb content

For something as sweet cantaloupe, it’s surprisingly low in carbs. A one-cup serving contains 12 grams of fructose and 1.5 grams of fiber. [5]

Cantaloupe Health Benefits

A 1-cup serving of cantaloupe contains decent amounts of potassium, K1, and 73% RDV of vitamin C.

Cantaloupe is a great source of vitamin A beta carotene, at 200% RDV per serving. This orangish plant pigment boosts immunity, preserves eyesight, and gives our skin a healthy glow. [6] Feel free to enjoy cantaloupe in moderation on your keto diet.

However, the vitamin A found in plant foods is inefficiently converted to a useable form in the body. If you’re looking to significantly boost your vitamin A, beef liver, and beef liver supplements provide the richest and most bioavailable vitamin C on earth.

Perhaps the best benefit of cantaloupe is simply that it’s mostly water and will help you stay hydrated which is linked to numerous benefits including kidney health, proper digestion, and heart health.

6. Strawberries

Strawberries carb content

Strawberries contain just 6 grams of carbs per serving. If you’re dealing with extra large strawberries, think of it this way: each fruit contains one gram of carbohydrates.

Strawberries health benefits

Strawberries are loaded with antioxidants. The oxidation-fighting highlights include: [7][8]

Vitamin C
Ellagic acid
Manganese
Procyanidins
Anthocyanins

Strawberries are both delicious and truly nutritious. They’re also one of the easiest fruits to incorporate into a low carb or keto diet.

The vitamin C in strawberries may also boost libido while protecting against prostate cancer. Which can’t be said for vitamin C supplements–only the vitamin C you get from whole foods. 2

7. Peaches

Peach carb content

Peaches contain roughly 13 grams of carbohydrates per serving. While that’s higher than most of the fruits on our list, it’s still possible to incorporate small amounts of peaches into your keto diet.

Peach Health Benefits

Peaches are classified as a stone fruit, which just means they have a large, inedible inner seed. In addition to being delicious and uniquely textured, peaches are a decent source of many micronutrients. They’re rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, B vitamins, and potassium. [16]

Peaches are also associated with some health benefits on a more macroscopic level. One study involving nearly 1,400 people found that eating peacher and other fruits was associated with reductions in several heart disease risk factors. [17]

A study of postmenopausal women found that those who ate atleast 2 peaches or nectarines each day reduced their risk of breast cancer by 41% over 24 years.18

Fruits to Avoid on Keto

The above fruits may be kosher when it comes to staying keto…but the below types of fruit are not.

Dried fruits
Fruit juices
Tropical fruits

Dried fruits

Dried fruits are much more concentrated in sugar than their fresh counterparts. They’re also much easier to overeat. A 100 calorie apple may be satiating, for example, but a 100-calorie serving of apple chips definitely isn’t.

Fruit juices

Fruit juices simply can’t compare to their unprocessed counterparts. Drinking juice is simply not the same as eating whole fruit. That’s because fruit juice’s combination of high fructose and low fiber is a perfect recipe for blood sugar chaos.

Another problem? Product quality. Many of the fruit juices in today’s grocery stores aren’t even made from actual fruit. They’re just a fruit concentrate mixed with extra sugar and some water. Fruit juices are often more acidic and lower in antioxidants than you’d expect from fresher fruit. [18]

Within the past several years several studies have linked sugar drinks to unwanted weight gain. One study from 2019 found that just 100 ml of sugary drinks per day (that’s less than ⅓ of a can of soda) raised one’s cancer risk by 18%. Even pure fruit juice was correlated with increased cancer rates. [19]

Tropical Fruits

Tropical fruits tend to be higher in carbs than their non-tropical counterparts. That makes them off-limits for those who want to follow a keto diet. Unless you have impressive amounts of self-control, it’s probably best to avoid the following fruits entirely:

Pineapple
Mango
Papaya
Guava

Drawbacks to Fruit

Most fruits tend to suffer from two major drawbacks: they’re high in both fiber and antinutrients. Let’s take a look at these problems one by one.

Fiber

Many fruits are a rich source of fiber. While the presence of fiber reduces net carb content, it can also be problematic. Avocados and citrus fruits tend to be highest in fiber.

A type of fiber called soluble fiber can be especially damaging. This type of fiber forms a gel-like substance within the colon, slowing down digestion enough to raise your risk for SIBO. [21]

In other words, fiber may not be the digestive aid nutritionists once claimed it was. Fiber might actually promote the very things we once used it to avoid: bloating, inflammation, and colon cancer. [22]

A recent review from the World Journal of Gastroenterology looked at every single study involving fiber and colon health that’d been published in the previous 35 years. After going over the evidence, the study’s authors made a surprising conclusion:

“A strong case cannot be made for a protective effect of dietary fiber against colorectal polyp or cancer. Neither has fiber been found to be useful in chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. It is also not useful in the treatment of perianal conditions. The fiber deficit-diverticulosis theory should also be challenged…we often choose to believe a lie, as a lie repeated often enough by enough people becomes accepted as the truth. We urge clinicians to keep an open mind. Myths about fiber must be debunked and truth installed.”

Antinutrients

Many fruits contain plant toxins and antinutrients that can bind to the very same nutrients they contain. When it comes to antinutrients, the biggest offenders are probably tannins.

Tannins pass through the digestive tract all the way to the colon, binding to proteins and wreaking havoc along the way. Tannins can reduce our ability to absorb iron, B vitamins, and other nutrients from our food. On the bright side, tannins don’t seem to reduce the absorption of heme iron from red meat.

If it sounds like we have a bias towards animal whole foods, it’s because we do, and it’s backed by science along with an anthropological awareness that humans evolved on a diet centered on meat. In fact, our caveman ancestors were essential hyper-carnivorous apex predators who ate fruit only occasionally.

Keto Fruit List: The Takeaway

In moderation, the fruits on this low-carb keto-friendly fruit list can be a harmless and marginally healthy addition to a keto diet. That being said, fruit isn’t a must-have food item. Most, if not all, of the nutrients in fruit can be obtained in more bioavailable forms through nose-to-tail eating. Stick with the following fruits if you want to get results from your keto diet:\

Avocado
Coconut
Raspberries
Blackberries
Strawberries
Plums
Clementines
Kiwis
Cherries
Blueberries
Cantaloupes
Peaches

And be sure to stay away from the following types of fruit:

Dried fruits
Fruit juices
Tropical fruits

Dishes of soy sauce and beans on grey background, flat lay. Space for text

Liquid Aminos vs Soy Sauce: Benefits and Nutrition on Keto

October 20, 2021/in sauces and condiments Condiments, Keto Foods, Soy /by Liam McAuliffe

Liquid aminos are a newly popular type of seasoning that look and taste similar to soy sauce. Amino companies claim their product is superior. But does it actually come out on top when we compare liquid aminos vs. soy sauce? In this article, we’ll answer this question by looking at liquid aminos benefits, nutrition, and their role on a keto diet.

What’s the Difference Between Liquid Aminos and Soy Sauce?

While liquid aminos and soy sauce can both be made from soybeans, they’re far from the same thing. Soy sauce is a fermented product that contains both soy and wheat, while liquid aminos aren’t fermented and don’t contain any gluten.

Some liquid aminos are made of coconut, which makes them soy-free in addition to gluten-free.

Despite these differences, liquid aminos and soy sauce look and taste similar. However, liquid aminos are milder and a little sweeter.

Another difference is the price. A 16-ounce bottle of Bragg’s liquid aminos costs about five dollars, while a 15-ounce bottle of Kikkoman soy sauce goes for half that.

What are Liquid Aminos?

What are liquid aminos? Precisely what the name implies: amino acids derived from soybeans or coconut, in a liquid form.

For those unfamiliar, amino acids (AA’s) are the building blocks that make up complete proteins. Meat and other animal products tend to be the best sources of all nine essential amino acids. Most vegetable proteins, on the other hand, lack one or more essential aminos’.

For people on vegetarian, vegan, or pescetarian diets, the extra AA’s from liquid aminos may help round out the picture and ensure adequate protein synthesis. Bragg’s brand of liquid aminos contains 16 amino acids in total — including all the essential ones.

As an added plus, many people find liquid aminos delicious. It’s tastes like soysauce, just slightly milder and higher in that complex savory flavor we call umami. [1]

You can use liquid aminos anywhere you’d use normal soy sauce — and maybe even some extra areas. It can go on steaks, rice, or drizzled over ghee-fried low-carb veggies.

What is Soy Sauce?

Soy sauce is a product that’s made from crushing and fermenting soybeans. Wheat also goes into the soy sauce production process. The end result is a tasty, very salty, and very high-gluten product.

Some evidence suggests that traditionally-made soy sauce is much healthier than modern-day soy products. Nonetheless, soy sauce continues to be a central ingredient in Asian and Asian-American cuisine. [2]

Liquid Aminos: Are they keto-Friendly?

Liquid aminos vs soy sauce is also a question for many people on keto.

Liquid aminos are a superior keto sauce. They contain no carbs, so in theory, you could drink the stuff and still stay in ketosis. Liquid aminos also contain no fat. In fact, amino’s don’t contain any of the three major macronutrients. All they contain is purified amino acids.

In other words, liquid aminos are as keto-friendly as can be. They might actually complement a vegan/vegetarian/pescetarian keto diet perfectly.

Liquid Aminos vs. Soy Sauce Nutrition

Difference #1: soy sauce is more estrogenic
Difference #2: soy sauce contains more micronutrients
Difference #3: amino’s are higher in salt

Soy Sauce is More Estrogenic

The soy and gluten in soy sauce make it loaded with phytohormones and therefore highly estrogenic.

Some experts theorize that soy sauce consumption can raise one’s estrogen levels by multiples of up to a hundred.

That’s not good for men — or women. Such high amounts of estrogen lead to poor muscle tone, water retention, and non-differentiation of cellular function in general. [3][4]

And because a healthy hormone balance is crucial to fertility, soy sauce is definitely not part of a fertility diet.

Soy sauce Contains more Micronutrients

On the plus side, soy sauce’s unfiltered production process means it’s higher in micronutrients than liquid aminos.

Soy sauce is a decent source of vitamin A, vitamin D, B12, and calcium. Traditionally made soy sauce may also contain vitamin K2, the “x factor” that Weston A. Price cited as a key to the superior health of traditional peoples.

Liquid Amino’s are Higher in Salt

Liquid aminos contain slightly more salt than soy sauce, clocking in at 320 milligrams of sodium per 1 teaspoon serving.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, however. Salt may be one of those conditionally harmful substances that’s taken the blame when more serious dangers — such as high fructose corn syrup — were under the radar.

A body of both old and new research shows that salt doesn’t cause high cholesterol or heart disease. On the contrary, salt is essential to a number of important physiological processes within the body. [5]

Eating more salt when transitioning to keto can help reduce many of the keto side effects known as “keto flu”.

Liquid Aminos Benefits

In addition to the above differences, liquid aminos have several health benefits that soy sauce is unable to match:

Benefit 1: muscle building
Benefit 2: freedom from gluten
Benefit 3: freedom from additives
Benefit 4: from taste, less hunger

Muscle Building

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and proteins are the building blocks of your muscles.

Put two and two together and it becomes clear that amino acid uptake can be a rate-limiting factor when it comes to muscle growth. It’s estimated that 20 grams of complete protein (aka all nine essential amino acids) is needed for any given meal to be capable of promoting muscle growth.

Liquid aminos can help you round out your AA intake and hit that 20-gram target. [6] That’s because they contain either 16 or 17 different amino acids (for soy-based and coconut-based liquid aminos, respectively).

Freedom from Gluten

Soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans and wheat in salty water over long periods of time. This process results in a lot of accumulated gluten.

People with gluten-sensitivities, leaky gut, or other gut health problems should eliminate soy sauce. Especially given that there are new alternatives, like liquid aminos, that are entirely gluten-free and lectin free.

Coconut aminos are viewed even more favorably than soy-based aminos among paleo or carnivore adjacent dieters who want to avoid soy and other legumes.

Eliminate Additives

Today’s soy sauces may be laced with additives like sodium benzoate. This food preservative increases soy sauce’s shelf-life, but it also causes allergic reactions in some people. Sodium benzoate consumption may become more harmful if it’s used over long periods of time. [7]

Liquid aminos, on the other hand, do not contain or need chemical preservatives.

More taste, Less hunger

Umami is one of the most universally loved flavor profiles. It encompasses several different flavors; things with umami taste savory, meaty, satisfying, rich, and minerally.

Umami’s uniquely yummy taste is created by the presence of free glutamate within foods. This type of glutamate is a breakdown product of the amino acid glutamic acid that’s present in liquid aminos. In other words, liquid aminos are a great source of the umami flavor. [8][9]

Studies have shown that umami-rich meals can reduce one’s feelings of hunger and stave off unneeded snacking. Consider adding some liquid aminos to your next batch of keto bone broth to experience this helpful benefit.

Liquid Aminos vs Soy Sauce: The Bottom Line

Liquid aminos are healthy, tasty, and super easy to add to your diet. You can use them as a soy replacement in any dish that would traditionally call for soy.

Alternatively, you can use liquid aminos in several places where you normally wouldn’t expect to see soy sauce. Use liquid aminos to give an extra kick to most foods you can eat on a keto diet, these include:

Soups/broths
Roasted vegetables
Roasted keto-friendly nuts
Marinades for keto meats

All in all, liquid aminos are a great product with plenty of amino acids and very few downsides. If you enjoy the savory flavor they provide, consider them as a new pantry staple. You can also take them along with you when eating out on keto.

Woman purchasing a packet of meat at the supermarket

The Ultimate Cheap Keto Grocery List: Fatty Foods on a Skinny Budget

October 17, 2021/in Keto, Carnivore, Nutrition eggs, Keto Foods, organ meats, Red Meat /by Liam McAuliffe

If you’re on a tight budget, shopping for a ketogenic diet can be intimidating. A well-formulated keto diet calls for eliminating cheap processed foods and opting for pricier whole foods like steak, seafood, and dairy. However, there are strategies for shopping that can help you break your carb addiction without breaking the bank. This cheap keto grocery list will help you shop within your budget without sacrificing nutrition.

Here are our top 10 budget keto staples, their nutritional highlights, and where to buy them.

[TOC]

1. Eggs

Eggs are loaded with all the nutrients needed to create an entire chicken, yet in a cheaper and more nutrient-dense format.

For instance, at Costco, you can get 60 cage free egg slightly less than $12.00. That’s around $.20 per egg.

In addition to healthy fats and proteins, just 2 eggs ($.40 cents) provides: 1

20% daily value of vitamin A
30% daily value of vitamin D
30% daily value of vitamin E
36% daily value of vitamin B2
30% daily value of vitamin B5
100% daily value of vitamin B12

These percentages increase when you can find the best eggs to buy at a good price. These will most often be local pasture-raised eggs.

Cheap keto grocery list item	Price per unit	Calories per dollar	Protein Per dollar	Fat per dollar
Eggs (60 count)	$11.68	224	19.2	16

2. Ground Beef

Ruminant meats like beef are the caloric core of most carnivore and keto diet food lists. They provide complete proteins, healthy fats, zinc, and B vitamins.

Less-known meat-specific compounds like taurine, creatine, carnitine, and heme iron, are responsible for a variety of benefits including improved heart health, athletic performance, cognitive and mental health, and reduced inflammation. 7 8 9

These days it’s easier than ever to find cheap grass-fed and pasture-raised varieties, which have the highest amount of vitamin A and E, and the healthiest fat composition.

With free delivery, you can purchase Organic simple truth 3lb pack for $6.33 per lb. If you want the extra convenience of preformed burgers, you can get 5 lbs of grass-fed beef patties for $5.67 per lb.

Note: Costco ground beef purchased in person is often significantly cheaper. We’ve seen it for less than $5 per pound

Cheap keto grocery list item	Price per unit	Calories per dollar	Protein Per dollar	Fat per dollar
Simple Truth Organic 80/20 Ground Beef (3lb pack)	$18.99	151	13.2g	10.74g
Kirkland 80/20 Grass-fed Ground Beef (5lb pack)	$28.35	201	13.75g	15.87g

3. Cheap Fatty Cuts of Steak

Some fatty cuts of steak can be surprisingly inexpensive. A grass-fed chuck roast will run you about $8 a pound, and conventional even less.

A 1lb grass-fed beef chuck roast provides 1072 calories, 81 grams of healthy fats, and 85 grams of complete protein.

As part of a nutrient-dense whole food, it also provides over 276% your RDV in vitamin B12, and over 130% RDV in vital zinc and selenium.3

Cheap keto grocery list item	Price per unit	Calories per dollar	Protein Per dollar	Fat per dollar
Grass-fed Beef Chuck roast (1 lb)	$8.02	134	10.12	10.6

4.Surprise Contender Ribeye and New York Strip Steak

Hear us out! While ribeye steak and New York strips are usually considered ultra-premium expensive cuts of steak they’re loaded with fat and micronutrients making them highly satiating so you don’t need to eat all that much in order to meet your nutritional needs.

With a little effort a weeks worth of ribeye steaks can cost as little as far inferior cuts. With a Sam’s Club membership you can get an entire Choice Angus ribeye roast for around $10 a pound. Butcher it yourself, zip lock it and freeze, and you’ll be eating one of the healthiest foods in the world for the price most burger meats in fancy markets.

Cheap keto grocery list item	Price per unit	Calories per dollar	Protein Per dollar	Fat per dollar
Ribeye Roast (per lb)	$10.50	104	8.14	8.14

5. Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is one of the best keto cheeses thanks to its abundance of fat, moderate protein, and low-carb profile.

Though full-fat dairy has been demonized in the past, it’s making a much-deserved comeback. The credit goes to high-quality modern studies. For instance, a review of 16 studies found that eating high-fat dairy can reduce risk of obesity. 1

Another large-scale study found that regular consumption of dairy fat may reduce your risk of heart attack. 2

A budget keto shopping list friendly 3lb bulk tub of Philadelphia cream cheese provides 432 grams of whole food dairy fat, 96 grams of protein, 5,280 calories for less than $10.00.

Cheap keto grocery list item	Price per unit	Calories per dollar	Protein Per dollar	Fat per dollar
Philadelphia Cream Cheese (3lb tub)	$9.94	531	9.7g	43.4g

6. Grass-Fed Butter

Grass-fed butter from New Zealand cows is one of the healthiest keto fats you can gift your body. And when you buy it in bulk, it’s surprisingly affordable.

Despite what you’ve heard, butter is good for you. Modern science tells us that there is no link between saturated fat and heart disease. In fact, eating full-fat dairy like butter can actually protect your heart health.

2lbs of Kirkland grass-fed butter comes in at a reasonable $49.72, offering 6400 whole food calories, almost exclusively from vitamin-rich fats.

Cheap keto grocery list item	Price per unit	Calories per dollar	Protein Per dollar	Fat per dollar
Kirkland Signature New Zealand grass-fed butter (2lbs)	$49.72	129	0	14.3g

7. Pork Belly

Pork belly is a fresh, nitrite-free alternative to bacon. Though not as nutrient-dense as red meat and the best cuts of steak, pork belly is a much more affordable source of whole food protein, fat, B vitamins, and selenium.

You can get free delivery of Swift pork belly at $4.96 lb. If you’re looking for the convenience of a pre-sliced variety, Kirkland Signature sliced pork belly looks and cooks like bacon and comes in at only $6.97 a pound.

Cheap keto grocery list item	Price per unit	Total Calories per unit	Calories per dollar	Protein Per dollar	Fat per dollar
Kirkland Signature Sliced Pork Belly (6lb)	$40.98	9600	234	9.5g	20.5g
Swift Boneless Pork Belly (10lb)	$49.96	23200	464	5g	48g

8. Atlantic Mackeral

Atlantic mackerel is one of the fattiest and most nutrient-dense fish you can eat. Fortunately for budget-conscious keto dieters, it’s also one of the least expensive.

Canned mackerel, like other keto seafood, is an important source of omega-3 fatty acids which, you can’t find in red meats. One can of Crown Prince mackerel provides 14865 mg of Omega-3’s.

A 3 oz serving of Atlantic mackerel provides 91% of your RDA in vitamin D per serving, making it one of the world’s best dietary sources.

Cheap keto grocery list item	Price per unit	Total Calories	Calories per dollar	Protein Per dollar	Fat per dollar
Mackerel (15 oz. can)	$2.78	478	172	17.6g	11.5g

9. Beef Liver

One of the least expensive meats, beef liver is also by far the most nutritious.

Just 3.5 ounces of beef liver provides 263% of vitamin B2, 870% of vitamin A, and an amazing 3500% of vitamin B 12.

When it comes to protein, we haven’t found another food that comes close to beef liver’s 74.5 grams of protein per dollar.

Free delivery for fresh beef liver delivered is a ridiculously low $1.79 per pound.

If you can’t imagine cooking and eating beef liver, you can still get it’s benefits in an affordable convenient desiccated liver supplement form.

Cheap keto grocery list item	Price per unit	Total Calories	Calories per dollar	Protein Per dollar	Fat per dollar
Fresh Beef Liver (1 lb)	$1.79	863	482	74.5g	13.4g

10. Chicken Wings

Chicken wings with the skin on are one of the fattier and, therefore keto-friendlier poultry meats.

They’re also high in the extremely important yet overlooked nutrient vitamin K2.

Chicken wings are also an excellent source of B vitamins and selenium, making them one of the healthiest meats to eat.

A 10lb bag of Kirkland Signature chicken wings at Costco comes out to $4.25 per lb.

Cheap keto grocery list item	Price per unit	Calories per dollar	Protein Per dollar	Fat per dollar
Kirkland Signature Chicken Wings (10lbs)	$42.49	98	9.3g	6.7g

11. Beef Kidney

Beef kidney is another fresh organ meat you can have delivered for only $1.79 lb.

Like liver, beef kidney is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Standouts include 202% of selenium and 1146% of B12 per 3.5 oz serving.

If beef kidney feels too intimidating fresh, you can take it in an affordable organ meat supplement form.

Cheap keto grocery list item	Price per unit	Total Calories	Calories per dollar	Protein Per dollar	Fat per dollar
Fresh Beef Kidney (1 lb)	$1.79	238	133	22.8	4g

12. Bratwurst

Kirkland Signature Bratwurst delivered for free at $3.00 per lb. makes bratwurst one of the best cheap keto grocery list foods for calories, protein, and fat per dollar.

Bratwurst is also a good source of zinc, selenium, and B vitamins.

Cheap keto grocery list item	Price per unit	Total Calories	Calories per dollar	Protein Per dollar	Fat per dollar
Bratwurst (3.5lbs)	$10.56	5365	508	28g	40.3g

13. Avocados

Nearly all keto fruits and vegetables are mostly water with very little fat or protien, but avocados are a rare exception.

A staple for vegetarian keto and vegan keto diets, avocados are high in monounsaturated fats that have been correlated with improved insulin sensitivity and reduced inflammation. [3]

While a single avocado offers 30% of your RDV for potassium–a mineral that can be hard to get on a keto diet. 4

With free delivery, a six pack of avocados from Costco will run you about $10, making it a good option for your budget keto shopping list.

Cheap keto grocery list item	Price per unit	Total Calories	Calories per dollar	Protein Per dollar	Fat per dollar
Avocados (6)	$9.94	1932	194	2.41g	17.5g

Strategies for Budget Keto

Aside from focusing on the specific cheap keto grocery list foods above, there are a couple of strategies that will support your budget keto diet.

Buying in bulk

When it comes to keeping your keto grocery list cheap, quantity is king.

For example, a half dozen organic eggs can cost up to $8. But 60 eggs can cost as little as $12. Not only are they cheaper, but you’re creating less packaging waste.

As you’ve seen above, many of the cheap keto grocery list options we link to are sourced from warehouse stores that sell exclusively in bulk.

Combining Keto and Intermittent Fasting

Combining Intermittent fasting and keto can enhance the benefits of both methods, while at the same time eliminating snacking habits that can run up your grocery bill.

When intermittent fasting on keto, you fuel your body with one or satiating meals per day. Some of the most popular and science-backed intermittent fasting methods include 16/8 fasting, circadian rhythm fasting. There are also women-centered IF strategies you can learn about here.

Cheap Keto Grocery List: The Takeaway

A cheap keto grocery list doesn’t have to skimp on nutrition.

A budget keto shopping list focusing on bulk whole animal foods including eggs cheese, butter, beef, pork, and organ meats provides all the nutrients your body needs in near-perfect ratios and in the most bioavailable form.

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