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The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting with Bone Broth

Intermittent fasting has gained popularity in recent years as a weight loss method and for its potential health benefits. However, not all fasting techniques are created equal. Combining intermittent fasting with bone broth is a powerful combination that can provide numerous benefits for your overall well-being. Join us as we explore the benefits of intermittent fasting with bone broth, how to incorporate it into your routine, and the science behind its effectiveness.

Understanding Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a method of eating that involves alternating periods of fasting and eating. There are multiple types of intermittent fasting, including the 16/8 method, the 5:2 diet, and alternate-day fasting. Regardless of the type, intermittent fasting aims to restrict calorie intake during fasting, which can lead to weight loss and improved health markers.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

A dietary pattern that has been practiced for centuries, intermittent fasting has deep roots in religious and spiritual traditions. Recently, the practice has gained popularity as a weight loss method that also has many potential health benefits. Intermittent fasting involves alternating periods of eating and fasting, typically with the goal of restricting calorie intake during the fasting period.

While it is not a diet in the traditional sense, as it does not dictate what types of foods to eat, it does require commitment in following when to eat, which is a bonus for individuals who struggle with restricting their favorite foods.

Different Types of Intermittent Fasting

Several types of intermittent fasting exist, each with its own rules and guidelines. The most popular types include:

The 16/8 method involves fasting for 16 hours and eating during an 8-hour window each day. This method is popular among those who prefer to skip breakfast and eat their first meal later in the day.
The 5:2 diet involves eating normally for five days and restricting calorie intake to 500-600 calories for two non-consecutive days per week. This method is popular among those who prefer to have a few days of more relaxed eating and a few days of stricter calorie restriction.
Alternate-day fasting involves fasting every other day and eating normally on non-fasting days. This method is popular among those who prefer a more structured approach to fasting and enjoy the challenge of going a full day without eating.

How Intermittent Fasting Works

Intermittent fasting works by restricting calorie intake during the fasting periods, which can lead to a calorie deficit and, ultimately, weight loss. During fasting, the body shifts from using glucose for energy to using stored fat as fuel. This process, known as ketosis, can lead to increased fat-burning and improved insulin sensitivity. Additionally, intermittent fasting has been shown to have numerous health benefits, including improved gut health, increased energy levels, and reduced inflammation.

The age-old practice can also lead to improved mental clarity and focus, as the body is not constantly digesting food and expending energy on that process. Many individuals who practice intermittent fasting report feeling more alert and productive during the fasting periods.

It is important to note that intermittent fasting may not be suitable for everyone, especially those with certain medical conditions or who are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is always recommended to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet or eating pattern.

The Power of Bone Broth

Bone broth is a nutrient-dense liquid made by simmering animal bones and connective tissue in water for an extended period of time. This process extracts collagen, amino acids, and minerals from the bones and creates a nourishing broth that can support overall health.

But did you know that bone broth has been used for centuries in traditional cultures for its healing properties? In fact, it was often referred to as “liquid gold” due to its ability to support the body in numerous ways.

What is Bone Broth?

The process of making bone broth is simple yet requires patience and time. The bones and connective tissue are simmered for hours, releasing the nutrients into the broth.

Nutritional Benefits of Bone Broth

Bone broth is not only delicious, but it is also incredibly nutritious. It is a rich source of numerous nutrients, including:

Collagen: This protein is essential for healthy skin, hair, and nails. It also supports joint health and can reduce inflammation in the body.
Glycine: This amino acid is important for the health of the nervous system and can improve sleep quality.
Proline: This amino acid is essential for the production of collagen and can support joint health.
Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate: These compounds are important for joint health and can reduce inflammation in the body.
Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium: These minerals are essential for overall health and can support bone health, muscle function, and nerve function.

These nutrients can support joint and bone health, gut health, and overall immunity. In fact, some studies have shown that consuming bone broth can reduce inflammation in the body and improve gut health.

How to Make Bone Broth at Home

Making bone broth at home is a simple process that requires only a few ingredients:

Animal bones, such as beef, chicken, or fish: Using high-quality bones from grass-fed or wild-caught animals is important.
Vegetables such as carrots, celery, and onion add flavor and nutrients to the broth.
Herbs and spices such as bay leaves, thyme, and garlic: These herbs and spices add flavor and additional health benefits to the broth.
Water: Use filtered water for the best quality broth.

To make bone broth, simply add all ingredients to a large pot and cover with water. Simmer for 24-48 hours, then strain the broth and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. You can also add additional ingredients, such as apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, to help extract more nutrients from the bones.

Enjoy a warm cup of bone broth on its own, or use it as a base for soups, stews, and other dishes. Your body will thank you for this ancient elixir’s nourishing and healing benefits.

Combining Intermittent Fasting and Bone Broth

Combining intermittent fasting with bone broth can provide numerous benefits for your overall health and well-being. Intermittent fasting has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, increase longevity, and promote weight loss. On the other hand, bone broth is rich in nutrients such as collagen, amino acids, and minerals, which can support gut, joint, and skin health.

Why Combine Intermittent Fasting and Bone Broth?

Intermittent fasting and bone broth both have numerous health benefits and combining the two can create a powerful synergistic effect. Bone broth can provide nourishment and support during fasting periods, while intermittent fasting can enhance the nutrient absorption and utilization of the bone broth.

More significantly, bone broth is low in calories and can help reduce hunger and cravings during fasting, making it easier to stick to the fasting routine and reap the plethora of benefits.

How to Incorporate Bone Broth into Your Fasting Routine

There are several ways to incorporate bone broth into your fasting routine:

Drink a cup of bone broth to break your fast in the morning. This can provide a gentle source of nutrients and help ease your body into the eating period.
Use bone broth as a base for soups or stews during your eating periods. This can add flavor and nutrition to your meals.
Drink bone broth during the fasting period for added nourishment. This can help reduce hunger and provide electrolytes and minerals.

It’s important to note that bone broth should not be used as a complete replacement for food during the fasting period. It should be used as a supplement to support your body during fasting.

Tips for a Successful Bone Broth Fast

To have a successful bone broth fast, it’s important to:

Make sure the bone broth is made from high-quality ingredients. This means using organic, grass-fed bones and avoiding additives and preservatives.
Drink plenty of water during the fasting period. This can help flush out toxins and keep you hydrated.
Listen to your body and adjust your fasting routine as needed. Everyone’s body is different, and finding a fasting routine that works for you is important.

Combining intermittent fasting with bone broth can be a powerful way to support your health and well-being. By incorporating bone broth into your fasting routine and following these tips, you can reap the benefits of both practices and feel your best.

Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting with Bone Broth

Combining intermittent fasting with bone broth can provide numerous health benefits, including:

Improved Gut Health

Bone broth is rich in nutrients that can support gut health, such as collagen and glutamine. These nutrients can help heal and seal the gut lining, reducing inflammation and promoting the growth of healthy gut bacteria. Additionally, intermittent fasting has been shown to improve gut microbiota composition and reduce inflammation in the gut. This can lead to better digestion, improved nutrient absorption, and reduced risk of digestive disorders.

Enhanced Weight Loss

Intermittent fasting can create a calorie deficit, which can lead to weight loss. By limiting the window of time in which you eat, you may naturally consume fewer calories overall. Additionally, bone broth can support weight loss by providing nourishment and reducing appetite. The high protein content in bone broth can help you feel full for longer periods of time, reducing the likelihood of snacking or overeating. Furthermore, the collagen in bone broth can help support a healthy metabolism, which can aid in weight loss efforts.

Boosted Immune System

Bone broth is rich in amino acids and minerals that can support immune function. The amino acids in bone broth, such as arginine and cysteine, can help boost the production of white blood cells, which are essential for fighting off infections and diseases. Additionally, bone broth contains minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, which are important for maintaining a healthy immune system. Intermittent fasting has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and improve immune response, further supporting overall immune function.

Increased Energy Levels

Intermittent fasting can improve energy levels by increasing fat burning and improving insulin sensitivity. When you fast, your body must rely on stored fat for energy, which can lead to increased fat-burning and weight loss. Additionally, fasting has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, which can help regulate blood sugar levels and prevent energy crashes. Bone broth is also rich in nutrients that can support energy production, such as glycine and potassium. These nutrients play a key role in the production of ATP, the body’s primary energy source.

Better Skin, Hair, and Nails

Bone broth is rich in collagen and other nutrients that can support skin, hair, and nail health. Collagen is a protein that makes up a significant portion of our skin, hair, and nails. By consuming collagen-rich bone broth, you can help support the production of collagen in your body, which can lead to improved skin elasticity, stronger nails, and healthier hair. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory properties of bone broth can help reduce skin irritation and promote healing throughout the body.

Conclusion

Intermittent fasting with bone broth can provide numerous health benefits for your overall well-being. Understanding the science behind these practices and incorporating them into your routine can support weight loss, gut health, immunity, and more. Whether you are new to intermittent fasting, bone broth, or an experienced practitioner looking for new ways to enhance your health, this powerful combination is worth exploring.

To find more ways to support your health and incorporate high-quality supplements into your diet, be sure to check out our Health Blog!

Organixx Clean Sourced Collagens blend contains five types of collagen from four sources. What’s more, it’s combined with targeted nutrients such as zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin B6 which specifically enhance the bioavailability and potency of collagen. Clean Sourced Collagens is formulated from the ground up to enhance and support your body’s natural ability to heal and rebuild itself from the INSIDE out.

Bone Broth for Keto & Intermittent Fasting: What You Need to Know

Bone broth has been around since our ancient ancestors discovered fire thousands of years ago. Before there was agriculture, nomadic hunter/gatherers would save the bones of the animals they hunted and boil them for nutrition. They knew the wealth of nutritional goodness that would be extracted from the marrow and connective tissues as the bones boiled.

A lot has changed in our modern world! But a couple of things have not… the body’s need for rest from eating, and for high-energy foods. That’s why bone broth for keto (i.e., the ketogenic diet) and intermittent fasting go so well together!

The Ketogenic Diet 101

In this era of processed, high-sugar foods, a lot of folks are waking up to the amazing health benefits of going back to the basics. This is what keto does, first and foremost.

healthy-ketogenic-alkaline-low-carb-food-for-balanced-diet

Ketogenic is a way of eating which is very low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and high in certain kinds of gut- and brain-healthy fats. It differs from other low-carb ways of eating such as Paleo and Atkin’s in that individuals who employ it often have specific goals other than weight loss and general health.

Eating “keto” switches the body from burning glucose for fuel to burning fat for fuel. Without carb-heavy energy sources such as bread, the liver will begin to convert fat stores into fatty acids, which eventually become substances called “ketones.”

Some individuals who are going through a healing journey with a major disease such as cancer may decide to go long-term with keto during the course of their healing [1]. Other people choose to follow a ketogenic lifestyle periodically or for a limited period of time to achieve specific goals.

Even when you eat ketogenic for a relatively short period of time, though, the positive effects can be noticeable. One study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine followed two groups of overweight individuals with high cholesterol levels.

doctor-checks-cholesterol-levels-in-patient-test

The first group participated in a low-fat diet for 24 weeks. The second group participated in a low-carb ketogenic diet for the same amount of time. Both groups lost a substantial amount of body mass, although the low-carb group also saw their cholesterol levels balance out overall [2].

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting (IF) means that you do not consume solid food for a period of time – often at least 14 hours, and sometimes up to 20 hours a day. Most individuals on IF go from between 14 to 16 hours without eating, which can easily be done by skipping either breakfast or dinner.

For example, if a person chooses to skip eating at the typical breakfast time, they can stop eating by 8pm the night before and not resume eating until 10am, 11am, or even noon the next day.

Studies in recent years have also shown that intermittent fasting as well as practicing calorie restriction overall can be incredibly beneficial, especially as we age [3, 4]. Although research continues, the general consensus is that there may be a LOT of mechanisms in the body that kick in during this kind of fasting. For example:

IF balances out of insulin levels.
IF raises Human Growth Hormone (HGH) levels, which help with weight loss, muscle repair and gain, and much more [5].
IF lowers inflammation.
IF assists in gut healing and repair.
IF leads to cellular repair in the form of autophagy (a process where cells recycle themselves to remove mechanisms such as proteins which may be defective or worn out) [6].
If can lend to gene expression that is favorable to longevity.

Why Bone Broth Is So Great for the Ketogenic Diet and Intermittent Fasting

As we shall see, bone broth is a terrific supplemental food source if you’re eating ketogenic, if you’re doing intermittent fasting, and if you’re doing both. Combining intermittent fasting with a ketogenic diet is becoming very popular. And bone broth can be a great tool for both [7].

The Best Bone Broth for Keto

As an animal-based food, bone broth contains almost no carbohydrates which makes it perfect for a ketogenic diet.

If you choose to make bone broth at home, there may be a few carbs from the vegetables you use in the broth. These are likely very minimal or you could choose to only use low-carb vegetables such as celery for flavoring.

There are also flavored bone broth powders available on the market that may contain carbohydrates. Be sure to check the label if you are carefully tracking your grams of carbohydrates.

Bone Broth & Intermittent Fasting

Bone broth can be a powerful nutritional source when you’re fasting. If you sip a cup or two, it will not throw off autophagy nor all the other health benefits that fasting can provide. For many people, consuming a hot cup of bone broth can help them overcome the mental challenge of fasting, especially in the beginning.

Bone broth also contains electrolytes to help with dehydration and energy. What’s more, fasting with bone broth can be extremely healing for the gut since it helps lower inflammation and can also help seal the gut.

There’s a reason why many experts refer to bone broth as “liquid gold.” It’s nutrient-dense, especially when it comes to essential minerals such as selenium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium [8].

Bone broth is also collagen-rich, which means it is full of amino acids that can boost the immune system and help prevent disease [9]. Collagen also supports the gut, bones, joints, teeth, and major organs such as the heart, kidney, and liver.

Bone marrow (what seeps into the broth as bones are boiled) is also rich in fatty acids, which makes it the perfect companion when you’re in ketosis [10]. Remember what we discussed about fatty acids above? They’re what the liver turns fat molecules into on their way to becoming ketones.

Fat in Bone Broth: Tips for Consuming it Safely

There’s no doubt that bone broth can be an amazing nutrient source for intermittent fasting all around. The fatty acids along with other substances in this elixir can also help you stay in ketosis.

But what about all the other fat in bone broth? Can you eat it and will it help you stay in ketosis? The answer is a bit complicated. Yes, you can, but there is some information, as well as some precautions, you need to know first.

Once you are done making your bone broth and it begins to cool, you will notice that the fat that has seeped out of the marrow and other sources will begin to rise to the top, creating a semi-hard layer just above the gelatin. That is the fat layer we are talking about, just to be clear.

removing-the-fat-from-a-cup-of-bone-broth

Most of the animal fat in bone broth comes in the form of a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fat, as well as linoleic acid. High temperatures, long durations of cooking, and exposure to oxygen may make it oxidize.

Oxidized fats are bad news, but there may be a way to avoid this in your bone broth. The first way is to simply skim off the fat on the top and consume the super-nutritious gelatinous part of the broth only (warmed up of course).

If you would like to use and consume the top layer of fat on your bone broth, here are a few tips to help you do so safely:

Never consume a bone broth if it smells “off.” This is a sign that the fat may have gone rancid.
ALWAYS use bones that come from 100% grass-fed, organic, hormone and GMO-free animal products. As a side note, pork bones are not recommended for bone broth because it is often difficult to find pork that is 100% free from hormones and antibiotics [11].
Another option is to use an Instant Pot or pressure cooker to make your homemade bone broth. These kinds of cooking appliances will reduce the amount of oxygen your broth will be exposed to while it is simmering.

Of course, you can also go the easy route and use the keto-friendly Organixx Clean Sourced Collagens instead, a complete protein containing GMO-free chicken and bovine bone broth, which is great for getting in the bone broth nutrition you need.

If you are utilizing the ketogenic diet and/or intermittent fasting for your health, be sure to make bone broth a staple in your diet. Your body will thank you!