I know this isn’t exactly what you are asking and I am only doing my first extended fast but I am thinking more about the end of my fast as a transition rather than anything else.
I am planning on breaking it with some bone broth…then later some avocado, egg and pickled vegetable…and then seeing how that goes…then all going well a little later some more of the same.
The next day I’ll have a bowl of chicken congee and maybe some mashed potato and butter and more avocado. Then that evening I will have a small meal…some steak (200g) and some green veg.
Well that is my plan…just take it easy on my gut and try to feed it some high quality and low fibre food to ease it back into action.
What is your plan?
I don’t have any science but I had some lemon pepper tilapia and broccoli and it was very agreeable. Also poke bowls or salads with a protein (like 4 oz of chicken of salmon). I’ve only gone 5 days though. I disagree with the somewhat common recommendation of fruit, too many carbs.
I like to break with pureed vegetable soup (usually broccoli or butternut squash). The longer the fast the more I dilute the soup (it usually has a miso base to start restoring the gut flora) so the first refeed day is like going from water fast to liquid fast that gets thicker until I’m ready for chunky veggie soup like cabbage. They’re the same soups I use to transition into fasting so I’m just gradually returning to regular eating. Another added benefit is that I stay in ketosis throughout my refeed and in the beginning I get satiated from very little soup. My minimal refeed time is half my fast time and I don’t eat meat until refeed is complete.
As for tips, the first soups I made were super delicious but waaaay to potent for my delicate cleansed pallet at the end of the fast, season carefully if you go this route. While water fasting I freeze the rest of my soup in portions so if I have to end early I just pop one in the microwave.