What Age Can a Child Start Fasting

Can a child start keto and fasting? Here’s what you need to know. 

Healthy Ketogenic Diet and Intermittent Fasting:
https://www.drberg.com/healthy-keto-and-intermittent-fasting-plan

Keto and IF Basics:
https://youtu.be/vMZfyEy_jpI
https://youtu.be/mBqpaAKtnXE
https://youtu.be/3dHcT1-K-tw

Timestamps
0:00 What age can a child start fasting? 
0:27 Should children have snacks? 
1:58 What you could do
2:50 Nutrients to focus on 
3:30 Can small children fast?
3:55 Fasting for teenagers
4:16 Fasting for children with epilepsy 

Today we’re going to talk about what age may be good for a child to start fasting. When it comes to a child fasting, the age to start really depends on the child. 

Let’s say your child is eight or nine, and they’re overweight. I believe one of the first things you should do is to have them start a low-carb diet (healthy keto). If this doesn’t handle the extra weight, then you might want to try a modification of intermittent fasting. 

Most kids have three meals a day with snacks. The problem is the snacks. Even if they’re healthy snacks, snacking is just not a good idea. Every time a person eats, they stimulate insulin. 

Let’s say a child is given something right before they go to bed. If they go to bed at 9:30 pm and wake up at 7:00 am, they’re only fasting for nine and a half hours. This isn’t long enough. 

I believe, generally, the best thing to do is have your child consume three meals without snacks. If they’re hungry between meals, it could mean that their meals are too high in carbohydrates. If the child has the right meal that’s nutrient-dense, then they won’t need a snack. 

If the child has been doing three keto meals a day without snacks, they may be able to start doing two keto meals a day without snacks. But, be sure those meals are sufficient in calories and are nutrient-dense. A low-fat diet is not a good idea for a child. 

Important nutrients to focus on with a growing child: 
• DHA (omega-3 fatty acids) 
• Trace minerals 
• B vitamins
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E

If a child is really small and is transitioning off of breastmilk, I wouldn’t worry about sticking to three meals at that age. Just feed them when they’re hungry and make sure the food is nutrient-dense. When they get to be four to six years old, you may want to start trying to cut out snacks as much as possible. But, check with your doctor first. 

When a teenager stops growing, roughly between sixteen and eighteen years old, that’s when they could really start to focus more on fasting. 

Fasting could potentially help with epilepsy. If a child has epilepsy, they may want to stick to the keto diet to help mimic the benefits of fasting. 

Dr. Eric Berg DC Bio:
Dr. Berg, age 58, is a chiropractor who specializes in Healthy Ketosis & Intermittent Fasting. He is the author of the best-selling book The Healthy Keto Plan, and is the Director of Dr. Berg Nutritionals. He no longer practices, but focuses on health education through social media.

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Disclaimer:
Dr. Eric Berg received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1988. His use of “doctor” or “Dr.” in relation to himself solely refers to that degree. Dr. Berg is a licensed chiropractor in Virginia, California, and Louisiana, but he no longer practices chiropractic in any state and does not see patients so he can focus on educating people as a full time activity, yet he maintains an active license. This video is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, and prescription or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Berg and you. You should not make any change in your health regimen or diet before first consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam, diagnosis, and recommendation. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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Thanks for watching! I hope this helps you better understand keto and fasting for kids.