Wim Hof Diet and Nutrition
After listening to all the best Wim Hof podcast interviews I could find online, the only info I could gather about Wim Hof's diet is that he is a vegetarian.
The details Wim shares about his diet and nutrition are very vague, however he has openly stated that he practices intermittent fasting.
In a podcast with Tim Ferris, Wim stated that he usually only eats once per day, and usually only after 6PM.
Below is a video where you can listen to Wim elaborate on his vegetarian diet and his perspective on veganism.
How I Combine The Wim Hof Method With Keto and Intermittant Fasting For Enhanced Health and Weight Loss Results
I am not a vegetarian.
I've tried it and it wasn't for me.
I have personally found that intermittent fasting combined with a non-vegetarian ketogenic diet compliments the Wim Hof lifestyle perfectly.
If you read my Wim Hof 10 Week Course Review you would know that one of my major health goals is to overcome an auto-immune disease named Vitiligo.
Like the Wim Hof Method, both keto and intermittent fasting have been shown to be beneficial for people with auto-immune disease.
After some trial and error over the past few years, I have found that a ratio of about 18 hours of fasting to 6 hours of eating works best for me.
Having an extended fasting period up to around 1pm everyday means that I have a longer window to fit in my Wim Hof breathing, on an empty stomach.
From my experience the ketogenic diet makes intermittent fasting much easier to adhere to, and ultimately much more sustainable.
Ketosis also brings about more stable regulation of hormones such as insulin, leptin and grehlin.
This state of hormone stabilization is the reason why you feel much less hunger cravings on the ketogenic diet, compared to higher carb diets.
When on the ketogenic diet I also have a greater sense of mental clarity.
When you do Wim Hof sessions, in deep ketosis, after a long fast you just feel so light physically and spiritually.
If you feel you lack self discipline, which I did, I can't think of a better way to get some control back in your life than the combo of WIM HOF METHOD + INTERMITTENT FASTING + KETO.
Obviously, if you master the art of ketogenic dieting and intermittent fasting you will improve your health, happiness and strength.
You will probably also lose weight.
I have found the ketogenic diet to be superior to any other way of eating when it comes to sustaining healthy habits and a lean body.
Many of my clients have also found keto the best diet for losing stubborn body fat.
When you cut out carbs, you will gain control over your insulin which is a major fat storage hormone.
Keto allows you to keep insulin levels low so you can spend more time in fat burning mode.
Once I first entered into full blown ketosis I felt as though I was no longer a slave to carbs.
For me, the more carbs I ate the more I craved. When I ate carbs I always felt hungry.
Do you ever feel like that?
I remember times like Easter, when I would have a few chocolates which would ultimately lead to severe sugar cravings and a tendency to binge.
The more eggs I ate the more I needed. Sugar fires up the reward centers in the brain, which is why it is so addictive.
These constant hunger pangs would disrupt my train of thought and productivity.
These days, keto allows me to feel more balanced physically and mentally, especially when combined with fasted Wim Hof breathing and cold exposure.
Keto and intermittent fasting can be a little complicated to get started with, but are a breeze once you get going.
If you are overweight and struggle with food addiction, particularly sugar addictions you should definitely consider the keto and intermittent fasting lifestyle.
Here are a couple of guides I wrote on these topics that will teach you everything you need to succeed:
>> The ultimate guide to the ketogenic diet
>> The ultimate guide to intermittent fasting
Wim Hof Method and Weight Loss: How Cold Exposure Can Burn Stubborn Body Fat
Correctly implemented ketogenic dieting and intermittent fasting can lead to rapid weight loss.
However, the Wim Hof method can also help you lose weight.
Best yet, the Wim Hof Method can help you lose the stubborn body fat that we tend to hold around our tummy, hips and thighs.
The Wim Hof Method can help you lose weight in a number of ways:
Firstly, Wim Hof style cold exposure will increase your metabolic rate to heat up your body.
Basically, your body senses the cold and starts to burn more calories for heat fuel.
Secondly, cold exposure has been shown to increase levels of brown fat in humans.
What is brown fat?
Brown fat It is a good fat that allows your body to burn off unhealthy white fat.
New-born babies have a relatively large amount of brown fat. A high level of brown fat allows babies to be very efficient at regulating their body temperature.
Brown fat is much more metabolically active than white fat, and is mainly stored in your shoulders, chest and back.
Brown fat cells contain many more mitochondria than white fat cells. Mitochondria are the energy producing component of a cell.
The older we get, the lower our brown fat levels get.
It was previously thought that adults have none or very little brown fat.
A study by van Marken-Lichtenbelt et al., revealed that adults still have some brown fat, and that brown fat tissue can be activated by cold exposure.
Wim Hof's body appears to contain the same amount of brown fat as that of a young adult.
Studies have shown that overweight people have less brown fat (or none at all) compared to lean individuals.
Obviously overweight people could greatly benefit from more brown fat and hence are perfect candidates for Wim Hof Method style cold exposure.
Exposure to the cold can result in more brown fat tissue, ensuring that stubborn and ugly body fat can be more rapidly dissolved to provide the body with heat.
Studies on brown fat activation have revealed:
- Brown fat tissue becomes active at a cold exposure of 18°C.
- The colder it is, the more brown fat tissue that is activated to provide the body with heat. For example, at a temperature of 14°C, brown fat activation is more than four times greater than the normal rate.
Learn more about the science of the Wim Hof Method >> Wim Hof fundamentals : The science of breathing technique and cold exposure
As you can see, minor changes in cold exposure can have a positive effect on weight loss.
If you want to learn how to safely increase your cold exposure to the extremes at which you can become a fat burning machine, I highly recommend taking Wim's life-changing course.
>> Start your W.H.M Journey