Hello and welcome to the intermittent fasting gems with Jen podcast.

I'm your host Jen, a middle aged Michigan mama, wife and teacher who

in 2021 stumbled upon this crazy cool thing called intermittent fasting.

And before I knew it, I'd lost 46 pounds in four months and

gained an incredible lifestyle filled with complete food freedom.

If you're hungry for unique, no nonsense fasting tips that actually

work, you're in the right place.

So whether you're walking the dog, folding that last load of laundry, or

cruising to your nine to five, let's start fasting our way to freedom together.

Well, hello there, my fabulous fasting friends.

I was hoping that today we could talk dirty.

Uh, dirty fasting that is.

Are you curious about dirty fasting and what it is and whether or not it

can actually help you lose weight?

Dirty fasting versus clean fasting is actually a pretty hot topic in

the world of intermittent fasting and today I'm going to define and explain

exactly what dirty fasting is and how it differs from clean fasting.

Additionally, we'll get down to the nitty gritty.

about whether dirty fasting actually works and if it realistically

will help you reach your desired health and weight loss goals.

Finally, I'll leave you with the four best clean intermittent fasting

drink choices that will help you get the best intermittent fasting

results possible along your journey.

So grab a glass of water or a steamy cup of black coffee.

Just hold off on the creamer for now.

Sit back, relax, and get ready to talk dirty.

All right, so defining dirty fasting can get a little muddy, no pun intended.

In simple terms, dirty fasting is a bit more lax or flexible than traditional

intermittent fasting or clean fasting, which we'll define in just a minute.

It's referred to as dirty because it's associated with a bit of

laziness or cheating on your diet.

Dirty Dirty fasting is a popular fasting option because it's less

strict when it comes to the amount of calories that are allowed while

you are in your fasting window.

Okay, so you might be wondering just how many calories are allowed.

And of course, that's also debatable.

However, many experts agree that keeping your calories below 100 during

your fasting window is acceptable for a dirty intermittent fasting plan.

And just like the somewhat muddy definition of dirty fasting, it's also

difficult to give you a nice squeaky clean definition of clean fasting.

And that's because just like dirty fasting, there is also a

lot of debate about what actually constitutes a clean fast.

I, however, learned about clean fasting from Gin Stevens, who I believe really

is a true intermittent fasting expert.

So Gin is the author of my two favorite intermittent fasting books, Delay

Don't Deny and Fast Feast Repeat.

I also believe the term clean fasting was actually coined by Jyn herself.

Clean fasting to Jyn and to me means doing everything we can do to not spike our

insulin levels during our fasting window.

And this is because insulin is a storage hormone.

And since the main goal during a fast is to burn the most fat possible, we

want insulin levels to be as low as they possibly can while we are in our

fasting period or our fasting window.

However, with that being said, clean fasting is a much stricter form

of fasting in regards to calorie intake during our fasting period.

It entails sticking to only consuming extremely low or zero calorie,

unflavored beverages that won't raise insulin levels during fasting hours.

And yes, I said unflavored beverages.

So flavored water, even if it has zero calories, is not considered

acceptable during a clean fast.

I have a bunch more information on this in many of my blog posts that can be

found on my website, so whatifwithjen.

com.

All right, so No flavored drinks when you are fasting clean.

Save the flavored stuff for when you are in your eating window.

It's about delaying, not denying yourself, like Gin says.

Clean fasting also means staying away from beverages with artificial

sweeteners, even those like diet soda that have zero calories.

Okay, so let's get to the burning question you're all curious about.

Can you still lose weight with dirty fasting?

Unfortunately, this is actually another gray area question where it

really is difficult to give you a straight up black and white answer.

So instead, I am going to refer to my own personal experience on this one.

And again, I am not a doctor.

I am just a teacher, a certified elementary teacher, um, who figured

out, like I said, how to lose 46 pounds in four months with

intermittent fasting and keep it off

. So, okay.

So in January of 2021, after reading Gin Stevens books, Delay Don't Deny and Fast

Feast Repeat, this is when I began my intermittent fasting weight loss journey.

After following Jen's definition of clean fasting, I successfully lost 46

pounds of body fat in 4 months, with not just intermittent fasting, but CLEAN.

intermittent fasting.

And I am all but positive that I wouldn't have had such awesome

results without the clean fast method.

Plus, I've also continued to follow a clean fasting plan, which I absolutely

believe has helped me to maintain my weight loss and feel really

incredible health wise while doing it.

In the last few years, since starting my blog and Intermittent Fasting

Facebook support group, I've also mentored, coached, and helped several

people lose a significant amount of weight with intermittent fasting.

And, interesting enough, many of those people dabbled with dirty fasting

early on in their weight loss journey.

However, almost all of them who found real health and weight loss

success eventually usually sooner than later, made the game changing

switch from dirty to clean fasting.

The

show notes, so you can read all about their inspiring stories yourself.

So, just like most decisions in life that have to be made, there are

both pros and cons to dirty fasting.

It's ultimately up to you to decide what works best for you, your body,

your lifestyle, and your overall health and weight loss goals.

Alright, let's break it down together and discuss both the pros

and the cons of dirty fasting.

The pros of dirty fasting include Number one, you might lose some weight, or

it may help you maintain your weight by reducing overall calorie intake.

Two, It may make it easier for you to stick to your intermittent

fasting plan because it may feel more flexible and less strict compared

to traditional clean fasting.

And now for the cons of dirty fasting.

Number one, you potentially may not experience as much fat loss or or reap

the full health benefits like autophagy, which is a cellular cleaning process that

happens inside the body, as you possibly could with traditional clean fasting.

Number two, it could quite possibly make it harder to reach and or

maintain ketosis and fat burning.

Number three, It's important to recognize that dirty fasting often

lacks clear guidelines, sometimes making it more difficult to follow properly.

And instead of eating fewer calories, an unstructured plan can

easily lead to consuming too many calories during fasting times.

And this, unfortunately, could possibly even lead to weight gain.

And finally, the fourth issue is that dirty fasting may lead to fluctuations

in energy levels and blood sugar levels.

Additionally, many people who have tried dirty fasting report that they

experience intense hunger cravings, and this can absolutely make it more difficult

to feel comfortable during fasting times, especially for longer periods.

So, while dirty fasting may seem easier for some people to, uh, stick

to compared to strict fasting, I personally have to choose Team Clean.

When I combine the research, my own personal experience, and the results of

those around me, I ultimately believe that consuming too many calories, as

well as certain foods and drinks that create an insulin response or a spike,

can diminish or negate many of the potential weight loss and health benefits

that are associated with obesity.

with the traditional clean fasting plan.

There you have it.

Honestly though, since every body is different, you might just have to play

around with each type of fasting, both dirty and clean, and see what intermittent

fasting system works best for you.

Um, now if you've decided to jump on team clean with me, let's dive deep into the

details of the clean fast so that you can get the absolute best and quickest

possible health and weight loss results.

With that being said, I'd like to leave you today with the four best

clean drinks that you can enjoy safely during your fasting window.

These four drinks won't spike your insulin or break your fast.

Ready, set, here we go.

Number one, good old plain water.

Number two, plain sparkling mineral water.

Honestly, I could do a whole podcast episode about how awesome this stuff is

for curbing hunger and cutting cravings.

However, it's important to note that you absolutely must

make sure that you It is plain.

I really like the LaCroix brand.

Um, I think that's how you say it, LaCroix, I don't know if it's pronounced,

I'm pronouncing it right, but they come in blue cans that say Innocent on them.

Other great brands are the Bella Vee that you can get from Aldi.

Uh, Topo Chico is good.

I think that's actually Gin Stevens favorite and uh, San

Pellegrino is pretty yummy too.

I generally stick to the LaCroix and the Bellevue because they seem to be,

uh, the cheapest and they taste great.

Alright, clean drink number three is plain black coffee.

I adore my black coffee, and I actually drink black coffee until about one

or two in the afternoon every day.

I do believe for me, it does help boost my metabolism, um, helps me

power through my fasting window.

You just can't put any of the fun stuff in it like creamer or stevia or almond milk.

And finally, drink number four is unflavored herbal tea,

green, black, whatever you like.

Again, just not flavored, so no peppermint or anything like that.

Phew, that was a lot of information, but I certainly hope you found it to be helpful.

I know that fasting clean has been a game changer.

For me, I have less cravings, more energy, and I get way better.

overall results.

Okay, so let's do a quick episode recap.

Dirty fasting is a more flexible, less strict way of fasting that

typically allows for up to about 100 calories during your fasting window.

Clean fasting, on the other hand, is a more strict approach to fasting

that does not allow for calories or flavors or artificial sweeteners.

during fasting periods.

If you choose to clean fast, you should stick to the four best

intermittent fasting drinks that will not compromise your fast.

And those four drinks are number one, plain water, two, plain sparkling mineral

water, three, plain black coffee, and number four, unflavored herbal tea.

Thanks so much for listening today.

Be sure to tune into my next episode where I'll be sharing the eight best foods

to break your intermittent fast with.

Foods that are both safe for your tummy and that may help accelerate

your weight loss results too.

I'll also do a quick recap of all of the awesome intermittent fasting gems

that were given by our August Fasting Success Story guest, Laura Wilson.

Make it a great day!

Hey, thank you so much for choosing to spend part of your day listening

to this episode of the intermittent fasting gems with Jen podcast.

If you think these tips could help a friend or a family member, please

consider sharing this episode with them.

And if you really enjoyed the show, taking a minute or two to leave a positive review

Would be so appreciated tune in for new 15 to 25 minute episodes released on

the 10th, 20th, and 30th of each month episodes will feature solo shows filled

with IF hacks that have worked for me, as well as episodes where I get to chat with.

fun folks of all ages who've experienced incredible success

with intermittent fasting.

If you have questions or want more unique intermittent fasting health

and weight loss tips, tricks, and recipes, please visit my website

and blog at sowhatifwithjen.

com.

Finally, we'd love to welcome you into our free intermittent fasting program.

Fasting Facebook support group.

So what if with Jen?

Find all of these links in the show notes below.

And as always, I hope you spend your day loving without fear and

laughing until your cheeks hurt.