Fat is your friend, not your foe-a claim that followers of the ketogenic diet have been supporting for almost 100 years. Compared with the Standard American Diet (SAD), the ketogenic diet is not only safe for helping overweight and obese people lose weight, it also supports brain health and improves energy levels.1,2,3 Those who have experienced the benefits of the ketogenic diet, or keto diet, might also be curious about trying intermittent fasting and whether it’s feasible to combine the two. Good news: It’s not only possible, it’s a weight loss strategy I highly recommend. Here, I explore the two dietary approaches and discuss their individual and combined health benefits. Be sure to consult with your own healthcare practitioner before embarking on any new diet plan. What is the ketogenic diet? The keto diet is based on the idea that eating mostly healthy fats, consuming high-quality protein in moderation, and restricting carbohydrates to less than 50 grams per day can cause your body to go into a metabolic state called nutritional ketosis.4,5 During ketosis, your body no longer relies on glucose as a primary energy source.
Instead, your liver converts fat into ketones-which are an alternative source of fuel for your brain. On the keto diet, you’ll get most of your calories from healthy fats found in foods like avocados, grass-fed butter, olives, olive oil, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, coconut oil, nuts, and seeds. However, keep in mind that some nuts and seeds are better than others. Choose those that are high in fats and lower in carbs; brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseed are all good options. You can also eat all of the nonstarchy, leafy vegetables you want, as well as other low-carb vegetables like broccoli rabe, peppers, bok choy, cauliflower, spinach, asparagus, cucumber, and zucchini. In moderation, eat protein in the form of grass-fed meats, pasture-raised poultry, cage-free eggs, and wild-caught fish. When it comes to fish, choose fatty fish by remembering the acronym SMASH: salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring. Finally, if you want to reach for something sweet, a small amount of 90% dark chocolate is your best option.
On the list of what not to eat? For starters, remember that the keto diet restricts the intake of carbohydrates to achieve a shift from glucose to ketones as a primary fuel source. In order to avoid food high in carbs, limit fruit consumption, as it’s higher in sugar content, and forego fruit juice altogether. You should also avoid grains or starches such as rice or pasta, beans or legumes, root vegetables, and any low-fat or diet products, as they are typically high in added sugars and highly processed. What is intermittent fasting? While there are different types of intermittent fasting, such as daily, weekly, and alternate day, the most common involves only eating during a specified window of time each day. That window typically spans between four and seven hours of feeding during the day, but it can be reduced or expanded depending on your dietary needs. Of its many benefits, intermittent fasting works on both sides of the calorie equation.6 It increases the amount of calories you burn by boosting your metabolic rate and reduces the amount of calories you consume by limiting the food you eat.
What are the benefits of fasting on the keto diet? Individually, the keto diet and intermittent fasting can be effective weight loss tools that help people lead healthier lives. Intermittent fasting activates autophagy-a phenomenon where the body eats its own cells and tissues-in a good way.9 Autophagy helps the body remove harmful and toxic compounds, recycle damaged proteins, and increase the production of ketones quicker than on the standard keto diet. Different processes of autophagy occur when either the body is starved or protein and carbohydrates are restricted. Both of these occur when intermittent fasting is combined with the keto diet.6 Combining the two allows you to reap the benefits of autophagy in an efficient way. The combination of intermittent fasting and eating a keto diet can help you get into ketosis faster. The keto diet makes intermittent fasting more manageable because your body is already adapted to fasting with ketones.
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