Intermittent Fasting Vs Keto. Which Is Better?

If you’re confused between intermittent fasting and keto, here’s a quick rundown of the two diets.

Intermittent fasting

Commonly known as IF, the diet means limiting your calorie intake for a specific period of time. That’s because when you fast, your body releases a hormone called norepinephrine which increases focus, alertness, and energy. Intermittent fasting is not exactly a diet but a pattern of eating. This technique works on the formula of when to eat instead of what not to eat – which is one of the most attractive reasons why people embark on IF. However, it is recommended to eat more fibre and protein-based food such as eggs, chicken, fish and more.

There are different kinds of IFs:

•  16:8 (fasting for 16 hours and eating in the 8-hour window)

•  5:2 (eating normally for 5 days and severely limiting your calories for 2 days)

•  Alternate day fasting

Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet, also known as ‘keto,’ is based on lower consumption of carbohydrates and higher consumption of fat. When a person is on a keto diet, their body goes into ‘ketosis’. This means that because of the absence of carbohydrates (which is your body’s first source of energy) your body is forced to start breaking down fatty acids from fat tissue into “ketone bodies” which can be used as a form of energy by the brain and body.

A typical keto meal would look like this:

•  Breakfast: eggs, avocado and bacon

•  Lunch: Zucchini noodles and meatballs

•  Dinner: Chicken and cauliflower baked with cheese

So IF or Keto – which is better? Well, the answer is not so simple. It all comes down to choosing a diet that’s more sustainable and easily incorporated into your lifestyle, hence why compared to keto, IF is easier to follow. Some experts recommend to combine both of them. Start with keto and after a month or so, make a switch to IF.