One of the advantages of fasting is that it literally requires nothing. You don’t need to buy or do anything special, just don’t eat. You can get by with none of the items on this list, with the exception of table salt, and even that depends on how long you go and how much exercise you are getting. That said, using some of these items can make the fast easier, and can help mitigate issues that may arise. You might think about getting your hands on some of this before the fast.
Tldr: Salt is most important. If you can only focus one thing…
- Salt – More specifically, electrolytes. Sodium, magnesium, and potassium are in this category, with sodium being what you need most. Highly recommended for a 3-day fast. I almost always supplement with salt since I exercise heavily in warmer weather, and am a coffee drinker (which causes extra salt loss). On a fast longer than 3-days salt is absolutely critical. Most issues during a fast can be cured with salt. I add it to my coffee and tea and drink it mixed with water. When I am really struggling I will make a high concentration shot of salt slurry, choke it down, and chase it with water. After 20 minutes, I usually feel much better. You probably need way more than you think. I do 5+ grams of salt per day on an extended fast.
- Regular table salt – works fine, although it mostly has sodium in it.
- Himalayan pink salt – a bit better because it has additional trace minerals beyond sodium.
- LMNT packets – my preferred solution. It comes in little powder packets and has a blend of sodium, magnesium, and potassium. There are multiple great flavors that are good on their own or mixed with other drinks like coffee or tea. I always have this in my water bottle if I am exercising.
- Bullion cubes/powder/paste – flavored salty water used to make soups. More info below in “make it easier.”
Drink a lot of liquids
When you are fasting, beverages are going to be the main thing going in your body. Drinking something other than water will keep things interesting.
- Coffee – Coffee is fasting approved. Black is good. I often put a dash of chocolate salt in there. Don’t use milk. If you are really struggling you can put MCT oil powder (more below), which acts like a creamer. Watch out for the extra caffeine, though! Don’t try to suppress hunger by consuming extra coffee. Your sleep will be negatively affected. Have decaf if you need to.
- Tea or Iced Tea – Tea is also a good choice. Caffeinated or herbal is fine. I often add lemon citrus salt. Again, don’t overdo the caffeine!
- Iced tea – A nice choice in the afternoon to avoid reaching for coffee.
- Sparkling water – La Croix, Topo Chico, any other unsweetened fizzy water. All fine.
- Lemon or lemon juice – This won’t break the fast and can be added to your water or tea.
- Regular water – Is great too, obviously.
Make the ‘no food’ transition easier
These are optional items that will make the fast and your transition into ketosis a bit easier, especially early on in your fasting journey.
- MCT oil/powder – MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides. It usually comes in the form of a waxy fatty white powder that you can mix in coffee or tea as a creamer. Why on earth would you intake fat on a fast? Well MCT is quick-absorbing fat that boosts the ketone levels in your bloodstream. This is especially helpful on the first day of your fast if you have the “keto-flu” where you feel sluggish because your body is still used to carbs, but you’re not yet fat adapted and in ketosis. It helps diminish brain fog, hunger, and boost energy when you are dragging.
- Boullion cubes/powder/paste – This is basically flavored salt water, the same bullion you would use to cook soups, stocks, sauces, etc. Heat up some water. Mix it with bullion in a mug or bowl. I like to use a Pyrex measuring cup. Then enjoy it like you would a meal. You get some much-needed flavor and get the ritual of a meal while people around you are eating. Take a look at the label and fat/protein/carbs should ideally be 0-1 grams. Note: Make sure this is not bone broth. Bone broth has a tone of protein and could pull you out of your fast.
Get help Sleeping
If you are having trouble sleeping, these things can help, in addition to normal good sleep habits of course!
- Magnesium L-Threonate (Magtein) – This is a form of magnesium that has high bioavailability and does not have a laxative effect. Most people are magnesium deficient.
- PS100 (Phosphatidylserine) – This reduces cortisol. Cortisol is elevated when in a deep fast. High cortisol levels at night mess up your sleep. This brings it down.
- L-Theanine – Normally found in green tea. It reduces anxiety and puts you in a relaxed state. I also take this if I feel “cracked out” from consuming too much coffee.
- Vitamin D – Can also help with sleep.
Prep your Gut
If your stomach is acting up, these can be useful.
- Psyllium husk (fiber/metamucil) – This is basically fiber powder. Don’t take this when actually fasting, but to prep your stomach before you break your fast. It helps restart your ‘engine’ and also provides a nice fiber base before you have real food in order to avoid urgent bathroom situations after eating. ix a couple tablespoons of psyllium husk in water. Leave for 10 minutes, until it forms a gel. Drink, and wait 30 minutes before having your real fast-breaker meal.
- Immodium (loperamide hydrochloride) – This helps with loose bowels.
Measure how your body changes – Totally optional
Basic measurement
- Weight Scale – On a scale, weigh yourself every morning right when you wake up, and after using the restroom. Start the day before the fast and continue until the day after the fast.
- Tape measure – Use measuring tape every morning to measure waist size (smallest circumference on your torso, usually at or right above belly button. This approximates fat loss. The version I like loops around, attaches on itself, and contracts around your waist so you can easily measure it yourself versus having someone help you.
Advanced measurement
More involved, invasive, and expensive measurement to get more insights. Very optional.
- CGM (Levels) – Continuous glucose monitor. These devices lightly stick into your skin (kind of looks like a nicotine patch, doesn’t hurt!) and measures your blood glucose levels from the interstitial fluid in your skin layers. It then beams this data to an app on your phone and you get a nice graph of your blood glucose throughout the day. Very useful when not fasting to see how different foods and activities affect your blood glucose. Can also be interesting when you are fasting to see how low it goes, how waking up and exercise spike. During a long fast, your blood sugar will be very pretty low and stable for the most part. The rub is that in the United States you need a prescription for this, and it likely won’t be covered by insurance unless you are actually diabetic. I use an app/service called Levels which has doctors that will automatically prescribe this for you, send you a device, and has a nice app where you can track your blood sugar, log activities, food, etc. It is expensive though. Running this costs about $200 per month.
- Glucose & ketone meter (keto mojo)– This is basically a blood test. It involves pricking your finger, squeezing your blood onto two different strips (one for glucose and another for ketones), and then inserting the strip into a little electronic device for measuring. You probably will want to do this 3-4 times per day. Not for the faint of heart. It is useful to measure your ketones directly to see if you are actually in ketosis (fully fat adapted state) or not, and if you are in deep ketosis. This also allows you to experiment with different things to get into ketosis more quickly (i.e. less pain). The little test strips are kind of expensive. I used this device when I first started to get to know my body, but now as an advanced faster I usually don’t bother because pricking your finger 10 times per day is pretty annoying. I use a brand called keto mojo.
- Ketone pee strips (keto stix)– You can also approximate if you are in ketosis with these little strips that you pee on and change color if there are a certain level of ketones in your urine (kind of like a pregnancy test). It’s less invasive as the blood test, but it is not as accurate. It doesn’t give you exact numbers, just if you are above a certain threshold. Also, more experienced fasters or if you are in deep ketosis may end up excreting less ketones in urine over time. It is useful for beginners though if you don’t want to go the blood testing route.
- Fat calipers – If you are trying to fast for looks and fat loss, you can use these old-school skin fold calipers to measure the millimeters of fat thickness on various parts of your body to see how it decreases.
Breaking the fast
After prepping my stomach with psyllium husk (mentioned above), I normally like to eat a breakfast-y meal that is fairly low in carbs. Remember to eat only 1/3 or 1/2 of what you think you want to eat.
- Eggs – You could probably get away with only eating eggs for your fast breaker. I scramble them.
- Lean meat – I usually go for canadian bacon (ham slices) because it is light and high in protein.
- Spinach – Lightly cooked or raw.
- Cheese – I add some shredded cheese to eggs or have some slices/chunks on the side. Skip this if you have any sensitivity to dairy.
- Avocado – Good source of high quality fat.
- Blueberries – I finish with these for a few carbs.
After breaking the fast
To help replenish protein and micronutrients.
- Whey protein powder – An hour or two after I finish the meal, I have a protein shake to boost the protein.
- Athletic greens or multivitamin – This re-ups the vitamins you’ve been neglecting by fasting. I usually just mix this with the protein shake above.
