So you did it! You resisted your cravings and allowed your body uninterrupted reset time. Congratulations!
So what’s next? Breaking your fast, of course!
We don’t recommend breaking your hard earned fast with a large pizza with extra cheese, but stick to a whole foods diet – nothing too processed, and nothing that will spike your insulin levels that you just worked so hard to lower and regulate.
Stick to leafy green vegetables, ethically-sourced grass-fed meat, and foods high in probiotics – ones that will make your gut happy!
Try to avoid sugar at all costs, and be careful with your carb intake.
In short, ease your stomach back into digestion. Do not make it work too hard. Dr. Josh Axe’s website is an incredible resource for gut-friendly food and recipes that aren’t difficult. Pick something delicious; you will have a new foodie-like appreciation for every meal after a fast.
Below are a few examples of gut-friendly foods that serve well to break a fast.
Chia seeds – soak them in plant-based milk overnight to make chia pudding! Add some cacao powder and a few berries for extra flavour
Almonds/cashews – healthy fats! Both nuts also improve cognitive abilities.
Grass-fed beef – meat that is not only free from hormones and antibiotics, but the healthy fats help regulate your blood sugar level you just managed to get under control.
Mushrooms – low in carbs and calories, mushrooms are the anti-inflammatory superfood that are a great base for your post-fast meal.
Even dark chocolate! (the really dark stuff of course) – another antioxidant that regulates… yes, you guessed it, your blood sugar
These are just a few examples of foods you can use to ease your body back into digestion. You can either snack on the seeds, nuts, and chocolate or build a healthy meal around the mushrooms or grass-fed beef.
Dr. Axe’s website provides a ton of gut-friendly recipes for you to choose from. Put in the little bit of effort to make yourself a meal you will feel truly spoiled by, and that your gut will thank you for. With the cold weather, I have chosen the Slow Cooker Bison Chili: https://draxe.com/recipe/slow-cooker-bison-chili-recipe/
However,
Here at Evolved Health, we are very aware of how busy you are as our clients, it’s part of what brought you to EH in the first place. Community Health store has an amazing cafe that serves a hot lunch/dinner buffet that is absolutely packed with the most colourful veggies and the healthiest meals. (Plus their meatloaf is to die for).
Further, don’t worry too much about preparing or finding a lavish meal to enjoy after you have not eaten for the allotted amount of time, but rather, just make conscious choices with the state of your body in mind, and all the work you put in to bring yourself to this reset state.