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Nutrition 16:8 Fasting

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Chuckweasel

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Hello. I have a fasting question. Im getting a huge variety of answers on this subject both on websites and professionally. My question is simple. Im a coffee person. Not a snob, a coffee drinker. I love cream and Stevia. Not sugary creamer but half and half. I’ve asked so many people if I can have a splash of creamer and stevia in my coffee. This is what I get: yes, no, if it’s less than 50 calories, no, yes, no sweetener, sweetener is fine, sweetener is the devil, sweetener is fine, no more than 20 calories, coffee is bad, and coffee is good.
So…….any suggestions?
 
Think it depends on what you are trying to achieve with the fast:
Fat loss - then you probably cant add cream, stevia maybe ok.
Autophagy - most purists say only black coffee
 
Excerpt From: Jason Fung, MD. “The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended.”

“Top 9 Fasting Tips

3. Drink coffee: Coffee is a mild appetite suppressant. There’s also some evidence that green tea may suppress appetite. Black tea and homemade bone broth may also help control appetite.”

“COFFEE

You can consume up to six cups of coffee on a fasting day. The coffee may be caffeinated or decaffeinated. Black coffee is preferable, but you can add up to 1 tablespoon of certain fats to each cup of coffee if you wish (see the list of permitted fats below). Also, you can have unsweetened iced coffee: simply brew your coffee as usual and then refrigerate it or pour it over a cup of ice. For Bulletproof Coffee, see the recipe on here.

What you can add to your coffee

• Coconut oil
• Medium-chain triglyceride oil (MCT oil)
• Butter
• Ghee
• Heavy whipping cream (35% fat)
• Half and half
• Whole milk
• Ground cinnamon, for flavor
What you can’t add to your coffee

• Try to avoid low-fat and skim milks; whole milk is better
• Powdered dairy products
• Natural or artificial sweeteners of any kind


 
Think it depends on what you are trying to achieve with the fast:
Fat loss - then you probably cant add cream, stevia maybe ok.
Autophagy - most purists say only black coffee
This is almost verbatim what Dr Attia said on his recent Tim Ferris Show podcast.

Although he did add that it is incredibly important to do resistance training while on a IF diet as he has seen a lot of people keep the fat and lose LBM. Effectively losing weight, but in the complete opposite manner that is desireable. Something to keep in mind (although if you are here are probably doing already).
 
Is it possible to try black coffee for a couple weeks to see if you notice any differences? I don't think there are any conclusive research papers down to the level of creamer and low glycemic sweetener.
 
Im getting a huge variety of answers on this subject both on websites and professionally. I’ve asked so many people if I can have a splash of creamer and stevia in my coffee. This is what I get: yes, no, Is it possible to try black coffee for a couple weeks to see if you notice any differences? I don't think there are any conclusive research papers down to the level of creamer and low glycemic sweetener.

Getting Yes and No

Due to a metabolic condition, I been doing Intermittent Fasting and the Ketogenic Diet for almost 6 year.

One of the things that keeps me on track is being able to have a Diet Coke (Diet Drink)

Someone told me that Sweeteners increase Blood Sugar.

Like you I reasearch that. Like you I found studies that said it did and didn't.

Since I need to keep my Blood Sugar in the normal range, I purchased a Glucometer to find out.

My Blood Glucose Readings

Based on my Glucometer, Diet Coke (Diet Drinks) with Sweeteners do not affect my Blood Glucose. If they do, it is not enough to notice.

My Diabetic Powerlifting Buddy

I have a Powerlifting Buddy that is a Type II Diabetic.

He told me that Sweetener jack up his Blood Sugar.

Sweeteners in Coffee & Intermittent Fasting...2 Fit Docs Ran The Tests!



This is an interesting at home experiment that husband and wife Chiropractors did to find out how Sweeteners affected blood sugar.

The Sweetener affected the husband, Keith's Blood Glucose and Ketones to greater degree than the wife, Becky.

Individual Differences

Base on the 2 Fit Doc's experiment and my Powerlifting Buddy and mine, it appears that it may come down to the individual.

To determine how Sweeteners effects, you may need to monitor your Blood Sugar.

Diathrive Glucometer

If you decide that, you might want to check your Blood Glucose and find out. If so, I'd recommend Diathrive.

It is a cost effective Glucometer. The Test Strips are 8 cents, which is pretty cheap.'

Ketometer

I then purchased a Ketometer to determine if Sweeteners affected my ketone and to monitor my diet

I ramdondly check my Blood Ketones with the Keto Mojo. Since the Test Strips are $1 each, I limit check them due to the cost.

There are some other Ketometers on the market with lower priced Test Strips. However, they are close to the same cost as the Keto Mojo.

Next, I then purchase the Ketonix Beath Ketone Meter. The only cost is the one time purchase. So, I check my Ketone daily with the Ketonix.

Sweeteners don't affect my Ketone Levels.
 
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Getting Yes and No

Due to a metabolic condition, I been doing Intermittent Fasting and the Ketogenic Diet for almost 6 year.

One of the things that keeps me on track is being able to have a Diet Coke (Diet Drink)

Someone told me that Sweeteners increase Blood Sugar.

Like you I reasearch that. Like you I found studies that said it did and didn't.

Since I need to keep my Blood Sugar in the normal range, I purchased a Glucometer to find out.

My Blood Glucose Readings

Based on my Glucometer, Diet Coke (Diet Drinks) with Sweeteners do not affect my Blood Glucose. If they do, it is not enough to notice.

My Diabetic Powerlifting Buddy

I have a Powerlifting Buddy that is a Type II Diabetic.

He told me that Sweetener jack up his Blood Sugar.

Sweeteners in Coffee & Intermittent Fasting...2 Fit Docs Ran The Tests!



This is an interesting at home experiment that husband and wife Chiropractors did to find out how Sweeteners affected blood sugar.

The Sweetener affected the husband, Keith's Blood Glucose and Ketones to greater degree than the wife, Becky.

Individual Differences

Base on the 2 Fit Doc's experiment and my Powerlifting Buddy and mine, it appears that it may come down to the individual.

To determine how Sweeteners effects, you may need to monitor your Blood Sugar.

Diathrive Glucometer

If you decide that, you might want to check your Blood Glucose and find out. If so, I'd recommend Diathrive.

It is a cost effective Glucometer. The Test Strips are 8 cents, which is pretty cheap.'

Ketometer

I then purchased a Ketometer to determine if Sweeteners affected my ketone and to monitor my diet

I ramdondly check my Blood Ketones with the Keto Mojo. Since the Test Strips are $1 each, I limit check them due to the cost.

There are some other Ketometers on the market with lower priced Test Strips. However, they are close to the same cost as the Keto Mojo.

Next, I then purchase the Ketonix Beath Ketone Meter. The only cost is the one time purchase. So, I check my Ketone daily with the Ketonix.

Sweeteners don't affect my Ketone Levels.

Kenny, based on your experience is there anything out-of-left-field that does disrupt your blood glucose or ketones? Something that people wouldn’t expect but maybe should be mindful of
 
Sweeteners in Coffee & Intermittent Fasting...2 Fit Docs Ran The Tests!
Weird, I never knew how many of those artificial sweetener packets have actual sugar in them. The "aspartame" one, Equal, contains glucose and maltodextrin. I wonder if that is the difference between your buddy's reaction to artificial sweeteners and your non reaction to diet coke.
 
Never sweated too much about these guidelines. My fasting is 14:10, that's how it's fine for me, if one day I'll feel like having my morning coffee with cream, I'll have it so, otherwise it's gonna be black. Basically, a little calories injection, until this stuff has very low glycemic index, is completely fine.
The actual devil is the bunch of different advices all around internet. Study yourself, there's no other way, taking someone's else measure and applying it to yourself is a Russian roulette. Who knows how your body responds to this or that, until you learn it yourself. Kenny's approach here is very practical.
 
The "aspartame" one, Equal, contains glucose and maltodextrin.
Good point.

I wonder if that is the difference between your buddy's reaction to artificial sweeteners and your non reaction to diet coke.

The main difference is that he's a Type II Diabetic who is more Insulin Resistant.

I am not Diabetic, I am more Insulin Sensitive.

This is similar to...

The 2 Fit Docs

They both tested the same Sweeteners.

However, his glucose and ketone responses were different hers.
 
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based on your experience is there anything out-of-left-field that does disrupt your blood glucose or ketones?

No

As long as I maintain the recommended "Ketogenic Diet Guidelines" my Blood Glucose and Blood and Breath Ketones are fine.

Blood Ketone Side Note

One of my frustration was that when I began the Ketogenic Diet, my initial Blood Ketones were fairly high.

Over time, my Blood Ketone Number dropped, while eating the same foods, same percentages, etc.

What They Don't Tell You

It took me some research time to find out...

1) Starting A Ketogenic Diet

You body overreacts producing more ketone that you need. The over produced Ketones show up in your Blood Ketone Numbers.

2) Keto Diet Adaptation

Once your body has adapted to the Ketogenic Diet, it doesn't see the need for the additional production of Ketones for energy.

Your body decreases Blood Ketones to only what you need.

Unfortunately, I like most individual didn't know that.

The Side Effect is Temporary Insanity, since you don't know what's going on.

Weight Loss Example

The Blood Ketone issue is like losing weight. At some point, your body decreases your Metabolic Rate and learns to live on the number of calories you are consuming.

The MATADOR Diet Research
Minimizing Adaptive Thermogenesis And Deactivating Obesity Rebound

Research demonstrated that the body will adapt to a lower calorie intake in approximately two weeks.

Once adaptation occurs, weight loss stops.

In the case of Blood Ketones, the same principle applies. The body adjust Ketone Production down to only what it need to survive.

Right Macro Percentages

A couple of time, I allowed my Protein Intake to be too much. That kicked me out of Ketosis. I learned to count everything.

What I found it that as long as my Protein Intake is 25% or Less, Fat Intake is 70% or Higher and Carbohydrates are 50 Gram or Less, I am fine.

HIgh Protein Intake

One of the main reason that many individuals are not in Ketosis or never get into it, is their Protein Intake is too high.

Tomas DeLauer's High Protein Bulking Ketogenic Diet



DeLauer provides research along with an interesting theory on how to maximize muscle gain and minimize fat gain with this approach.

Research shows that increasing Protein Intake to One (1) Gram Per Pound of Body Weight increase muscle mass on a Ketogeinic Diet; provding Fat Intake was kept at 75% of Macros and Carbohydrates at 50 Gram or Less.

200 lb Person Example

1) Protein Per Day: 200 Grams (800 calories)

2) Fat Intake Per Day: 334 Gram (006 calories)

3) Carbohydrates Per Day: 50 Gram of Less

Macro Percentages

Based on the numbers above...

1) Protein: 20%

2) Fat: 75%

3) Carbohydrates: 5%
 
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