Can You Do Intermediate Fasting Without Keto?

Many new diet buzzwords are keto, intermediate fasting, and low carb. I have done all three of these.

You can do intermediate fasting without doing keto. Throughout the centuries, many religions have practiced some form of fasting. Many cultures and religions use fasting to help improve one’s health or for medicinal purposes.

Intermediate Fasting and Keto

You do not need to be on keto to do intermediate fasting, nor will intermediate fasting necessarily put you in ketosis. Even though many people do intermediate fasting with ketosis, you can do intermediate fasting without being on a keto diet.

Many health professionals now consider intermediate fasting to be a remarkable healthy thing to do with or without being on the keto diet; when you stop eating for periods, it helps to give the mind and body time to rest and reset the body. This includes being able to reset some of your glucose levels and insulin.

I am not a health professional, nor do I pretend to be a health professional. I am a chronic dieter because I have spent almost my entire adult life on some form of a diet or another.

From my personal experience, I have found that with intermediate fasting, I feel better. The more I do it, the easier it is to do.

In my own experience, I choose to skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast is the easiest meal of the day for me to do intermediate fasting.

When I was home and told my mother I would not eat breakfast, she was alarmed; she said breakfast was the day’s most important meal. Many people still believe that you should eat breakfast no matter what.

But I’ve personally found that I feel better throughout the day when I’m not eating breakfast. And I also saw for myself that psychologically skipping breakfast for me is more manageable than skipping other meals throughout the day.

I will instead fast from about 6 PM to noon the following day. If I’m usually rushing to the office to get to my desk, not eating breakfast is quite an easy thing to do.

I will admit that sometimes by around 10 AM or 11 AM, I might start to feel hungry, but as I am usually quite busy during that time, soI may think about it but not have the time to focus on eating as I may in the evening or another time during the day.

Fasting and Religions Around the World

Even though many may be shocked that you are not eating, or they may feel that you are just trying to starve yourself to death, the truth is that fasting and the principles of fasting have been around for a very long period.

Here are some religions and cultures around the world that have practice fasting for centuries:

Bahai’ Faith

The Bahai’ faith has observed fasting from sunset to sunrise during the Bahai month of the year, which is usually about the 1st of March to about the 20th of March. Those who practice this faith will abstain from all food and drink during this period of the day.

Buddhism

In many sects of Buddhism, fasting is practiced by Buddhist monks and nuns. The monks and nuns will not eat anything after the noon meal.

Though the Buddhists do not consider this a fast but more discipline to help them concentrate on meditation and good health, for many Buddhists, when they go to a meditation retreat, fasting will also be practiced.

Christianity

Fasting has long been practiced in many Christian faiths. Most notably, many Christian churches will practice Lent, which symbolizes the 40 days that Christ spent fasting in the desert.

Some very strict Christian faiths may practice what is known as a black fast, which is when no food is consumed during the day but the fast is broken after sunset.

Many Christian religions like the Roman Catholics, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Methodism, Oriental Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, and Moravian practice fasting.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints member fast three complete meals or about 24 hours once a month on a designated Sunday known as Fast Sunday.

Hinduism

Fasting is an optional part of Hinduism, but many devoted followers of Hinduism will follow some form of fasting. Some Hindus will fast on certain days of the week or month.

Sikhism

Sikhism does not consider fasting a religious act, but they encourage temperance in food. Sikhism also promotes fasting for Medicinal reasons.

Islam

In Islam, fasting is very much a part of their religious practice. One of the periods when many will fast is during Ramadan, when they will fast from sunrise to sunset.

Many Muslims will also fast outside of Ramadan. The Prophet Muhammad is said to have encouraged fasting.

Judaism

Fasting for Jews means obtaining food and drink, including water, for six days of the year. Many sects of Judaism have different rules about what kind of fast they will do or how strict it will be.

Mesoamerica

It has been discovered that many of the indigenous people throughout Mesoamerica have practiced some form of fasting. For them, fasting, or a form of fasting, has been practiced for centuries.

Taoism

Taoism does not practice strict fasting, but they believe in fasting from grains or avoiding grains.

Yoga

Those who practice yoga are encouraged to fast on the full moon each month or special fasting days. All solid food should be avoided, but drinking water is allowed.

Intermediate Fasting As A Way Of Life

If you look at the list of religions worldwide that practice some form of fasting, you realize that intermediate fasting is not as uncommon as people may think it is. Religions and cultures have been using some form of fasting for centuries.

I cannot say whether fasting is good for you because only you can decide. But I can say that I feel better when I fast and abstain from food for periods. So I know that for me, fasting works, and it is a practice I want to continue throughout the rest of my life.

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Can You Do Intermediate Fasting Without Keto?

Intermediate Fasting and Keto