Foods to Break Your IF and What to Eat During Feeding Window

Refer Basics of Intermittent Fasting or Time Restricted Feeding (TEF) to understand the the basics before reading this topic.

Here are some of the recommended and supplements while doing Time restricted feeding (TEF) or IF.

Remember that doing fasting does not give you the license to binge eat or eat mindlessly. What we eat during the feeding window matters and the benefits of fasting would be enhanced by having a nutrient rich whole food. Make sure that you get all the nutrients and required calorie intake while eating.

It has been proven many times that what we eat in terms of quality and quantity is more important than when and how many times we eat.

Protein

Have a diet rich in quality protein. we can get high quality protein mainly from animal and dairy sources. For vegetarians, there are options available to compensate protein needs from seeds, nuts, lentils. However, vegetarian proteins will come with carbohydrates and fats in them. So one needs to keep a tab on the total food or calories while eating these kind of foods. For people who do not have such food restrictions, you can mix both veg and non-veg protein sources to get the best of both food groups. Also veg protein foods like lentils and beans also contain complex carbohydrates and soluble fiber which is good for gut and sustained energy. Nuts like almonds and peanuts are high in protein but they are high in healthy fats.

Examples of protein: Eggs, fish, chicken, red meat, paneer, plain Greek yogurt, curd, whole milk.

Complex Carbohydrates

Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits of different colors daily. They are good source of fiber, phytonutrients, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins. Whole grains, lentils, beans, peas, millets are high in carbohydrates and fiber. They come with good dose of protein as well.

Examples of complex carbs: Sweet potatoes, beans and lentils, oats (steel-cut, rolled, old-fashioned), corn, barley, buckwheat, quinoa, whole or sprouted grains and whole-grain rice (brown, black, wild).

Healthy Fats

These fats will come from a variety of sources like nuts, nut butters, and oils, sticking with anti-inflammatory oils like extra-virgin olive and avocado. Unless you’re following a specific diet, healthy fats shouldn’t exceed more than 30-35 percent of your daily calories.

Examples of healthy fats: Oils (extra-virgin olive, walnut, avocado), unprocessed cheese like cheddar and mozzarella, egg yolks, seeds (chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, sesame), nuts (cashew, walnut, almond, peanut, brazil, pecan, pistachio), natural nut butters, unprocessed coconut oil, any cold pressed oils.

What Foods Should You Avoid When Practicing Intermittent Fasting?

These foods will keep you from losing weight efficiently when you’re practicing intermittent fasting. They’re short on nutrients and harder on the digestive tract than their fresh, wholesome counterparts.

• Sugary drinks and foods
• Alcohol
• Fried foods
• Highly processed foods
• Refined carbohydrates like maida
• Refined oils
• Excessive caffeine

Takeaway

Of course, you may follow any diet as per your convenience but if you do not design a well balanced diet you’ll miss out on fasting benefits. Eating nutrient dense foods will help you maximize your intermittent fasting efforts as well as increase your overall health, reset your metabolism, and help you lose weight faster.

~Praveen Jada

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