You cannot break your fast with carbs – Especially in India

Let us get this straight. Indians are getting fatter by consuming too much of carbs. They have also forgotten the art of fasting which was very common in India about 100 years ago. Modernization and adoption of the Western and European diet has ruined the over all health scenario for people of India. But there looks no signs of letting up. Indians are eating like there is no tomorrow. This article however will focus on the very small percentage of population which fasts for more than 18 hours and then break their fast in a wrong way.

The ideal fasting time

Totally depends of your waist line. If it is good, then a 12 hour fast should be a good daily routine. Anything which suggest a slight bulge in your sides of a slight protrusion of tummy means that you have some kind of insulin problem. In such a scenario you should begin with intermittent fasting immediately. If you have the prominent belly then a fasting period of 18 hours a day become mandatory if you need to achieve any kind of reversal.

The aim is to allow the blood glucose level to drop to normal which becomes the primary fuel for the body. That could take around 8 hours. After this the liver and muscles start breaking down some amounts of glycogen. Till that is exhausted, there is no possibility of fat burning. Depending on your lifestyle and the amount of fat stored in your system, this might take more than 15 hours from your last meal. That is why a minimum of 18 hours of fasting is strongly recommended for anyone who is starting a weight loss journey and it has to be daily.

The only way to force the body to burn fat

Carbs are easily available. They are tasty and easy to cook. Carb based food is also easy to order and feed guests with. Take any ceremony for instance marriage. It will be mostly carb based with lots of refined oils and fried food with masalas and sauces.

Carbs have made up dependent of them as the primary source of energy. So the first step you need to take is make your body not dependent on carbs. Take the route of writing down each item of your diet and check if it is carb based and if yes, simply strike it off the menu.

Here are few examples.

• In a cafe or restaurant, order for a black coffee without sugar as your primary drink. Many cafes offer Darjeeling tea which is essentially tea without any milk and sugar. It is also a good detox.
• If you are in a restaurant or marriage ceremony, you will get curd easily. So also salad and paneer. But I would strongly recommend you to skip the food altogether. It is cheap and low quality stuff which is as it is bad for health. So even if it is tasty and free, just have your meal before you go for the event.
• Any kind of fermented food is good for health. It is also the food that you should break your fast with. Some popular options are sauerkraut, kimchi, kanji, fermented beans, curd, dhokla, idli and dosa.
• Any food which reads processed should be avoided strictly. For example, you get processed cheese as well as natural cheese. Of course the natural ones will be expensive, but then you are guaranteed a better product. At this time, your weight loss journey should begin with consuming less toxins as much as possible. That will cost more money.

Do not break your fast with carbs

You are all excited on the success of your first fast which lasted more than 18 hours. The most common mistake you might make is breaking a fast with carbs.

Your body is not just a good store keeper, it is also a good inventory manager, actually the best in business. So if you are consuming or burning stored fat, your body will replenish that first.

So after you break a fast, you will have to deprive your body of any kind of carbs.

Do remember that a long fast will clear the gut bacteria which you can rebuild with a local fermented food like curd.