Are There Drinks You Should Avoid During Intermittent Fasting
There are a few beverages that you might not realize are capable of breaking your fast. This means that if you consume these, you will knock your body out of the fasted state.
If youre wondering whether common beverages, like diet soda, almond milk, coconut water, or alcohol will break your fast, we found the answers:
What Can You Drink While Intermittent Fasting
Updated on Medically reviewed byKimberly Langdon, MD
Obesity is spiking at alarming levels all around the world. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of obesity in American adults increased from 30.5% to 42.4between 2000 to 2018.
Among all the diet options, most Americans tend to choose intermittent fasting. It has been in practice all around the world for thousands of years and has made a great comeback recently. The popularity of this eating pattern goes beyond shedding a few pounds. Its like giving your body a major detox.
One of the most common questions googled about intermittent fasting since it got mainstream attention is what one can drink during their fasting windows?. In this article, you will learn everything about what you could drink during your intermittent fasting phase and some simple tips weight loss.
What Should I Drink During My Fasting Window
First, keep in mind that generally speaking, during your fasting window you want to consume as close to zero calories as possible.
Depending on who you ask, some people say keeping it under fifty calories or so is harmless.
Others are staunchly against this and will try to fight you online if you drink anything other than water during a fast.
Youll have to decide for yourself how you feel and what youd like to include in your intermittent fasting diet plan.
If you choose to consume beverages that have more than zero calories, this is known as dirty fasting.
If, on the other hand, you stick to zero calories with no additives at all, this is known as clean fasting.
Ive had success going the dirty route and found no problem with losing weight while consuming a variety of beverages, which Ill share with you below.
But some people have reported that their bodies hold on to excess weight and fat if they dont go 100% clean.
My advice to you is to block out all the noise and experiment!
We are all different, and nobody can tell you what to do with your body.
Your body, your rules. Period.
Okay, now, with no further ado, here are the seven best liquids to drink while fasting for weight loss!
Read Also: How To Start With Intermittent Fasting
Finally Can You Drink Coffee While Fasting
The moment you waited for
Can you consume coffee while intermittent fasting? The answer is
YES!
If you need a caffeine fix while youre intermittent fasting, it must be a cup of black coffee. A brewed cup of coffee is about 5 calories and contains no fat, therefore it can be consumed during periods of fasting. If creamer, sugar, milk, or flavor syrup is added to the black coffee, the fast has been broken. Thankfully, black coffee is an approved, safe beverage to consume during intermittent fasting.
Coffee During Intermittent Fasting
While black coffee is permitted during IF, a popular way to break the fast is with Bulletproof Coffee. Its made with high-quality coffee, grass-fed butter, and MCT oil for a brain-boosting beverage that gives you energy and an excellent source of healthy fats.
You may be thinking- hold up! Whats MCT oil?? Butter in coffee?? Yes, its not your typical first cup, so lets discuss the benefits of Bullet Proof Coffee:
First, MCT oil, better known as brain octane oil, is a caprylic fatty acid-containing antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. You can find it in coconut oil, but Brain Octane oil is 18 times stronger!
Related: Benefits of MCT Oil for Women
When it comes to butter, grass-fed is the best choice. Its higher in Omega-3s, beta carotene, vitamins, and it tastes better. It also gives the coffee a creamy, golden texture and taste after my first sip, I was sold.
In it, youll get a full 1-week meal plan so you know exactly what foods to enjoy during your eating windows, every day of the week. Learn more here and purchase the book here.
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What Liquids Can I Drink While Fasting
During a fast, you are to refrain from food but not drinking. As a matter of fact, liquids are important to maintain yourself hydrated.
You can still drink certain beverages and reap the full of benefits of fasting. Here are the top selections:
WaterThis ones a no-brainer. Steady sipping on H2O will keep you hydrated while fasting.
Bone brothUnlike regular broth, bone broth is rich in nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, other trace minerals, as well as collagen, an essential protein for skin, joints, and hair.
Bone broth is often called liquid fuel because of its nutritional benefits. It has proven to improve joint health and replenish electrolytes, which are beneficial during a fast.
Black CoffeeYAS!! Coffee can help curb appetite during a fast but one drawback- no sugar or cream. You can add artificial sweeteners and a splash of cream but make sure to keep your intake under 50 calories. More about drinking coffee while fasting here.
Herbal teasSame as water, decaffeinated tea is a great way to stay hydrated and can even help curb appetite. Be sure to drink it plain, no cream or sugar, at least while youre fasting.
Bulletproof CoffeeThis coffee has around 230 calories so its not a good option to drink while fasting. However, Bulletproof Coffee is one of the best ways to break your fast.
Be Mindful Not To Overeat
It can be easy to overeat between fasting periods.
Although fasting doesnt emphasize what you eat as much as when you eat, its not designed to be an excuse to eat unhealthy foods.
Overeating and eating junk food between fasting periods can cancel out the health benefits of fasting. Instead, choose minimally processed, whole foods as much as possible for the most overall health benefits.
SUMMARY
When youre ready to break your fast, start with foods and drinks that will be gentle on your digestive system. Avoid foods that are especially high in sugar, fat, and fiber. Additionally, take care not to overeat.
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Best Food To Break An Intermittent Fast
While Bullet Proof Coffee is a great way to break your fast, there are other foods youll want to consider eating to break your Intermittent Fasting period.
More details on what you can eat and drink while intermittent fasting here.
To maximize the benefits of IF, its essential to reap the bulk of your energy from nutrient-dense foods during feeding windows. Read this post to learn about fasting and feeding windows.
Choosing whole foods to build balanced meals will keep you energized during fasts and help your body process nutrients much more efficiently.
Break the fast with lean proteins
Some of my favorite proteins to include to break a fast are chicken, beef, pork, turkey, seafood, and eggs.
I often meal prep mini quiches for a quick grab-and-heat first meal option.
Breaking the fast with healthy fatsAs mentioned earlier, Bulletproof Coffee , coffee, grass-fed butter, nuts, seeds, nut butters, olive oil, coconut oil, and avocados are all terrific healthy-fat options to eat to break your fast.
Eat all the veggies you wantIm sure this isnt news to you but breaking the fast with a generous dose of veggies is always a great idea.
If you dont have time to make a meal, I love to make a Blueberry Muffin Smoothie or a Green Pineapple Smoothie to-go. Both have a nice serving of greens and they are full of nutrition.
Try to avoid canned fruits or juice because of the concentrated amounts of sugars per serving.
Avoid Sugary Drinks While You Fast
You really shouldnt drink anything with more than a tiny amount of sugar while youre fasting
That includes soda, juice, sports drinks, and others.
Make sure you look at the nutrition label and the ingredients list. If theres more than about one gram of sugar, you should probably avoid it.
Thats because anything with sugar in it will raise your blood sugar, and also raise your insulin level.
Insulin is a metabolic hormone that goes up whenever you eat carbs, and one of its main jobs is to promote fat storage.
If youre not familiar with insulin, this short video covers its basic function:
Any time youre stimulating insulin, thats basically the opposite of fasting.
See why juice fasting is an oxymoron?
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How Can You Tell If Something Else Is Okay To Drink While Fasting
If youve read this far, you probably have a pretty good idea already.
Basically, if theres not a lot of sugar , and not too many carbs or total calories, youre probably fine.
What breaks a fast varies from person to person, depending on your goals and health status.
Heres are some rules of thumb I typically use:
The main exception would be if youre using some type of training wheels to make fasting easier as a beginner. And thats totally reasonable to do.
Training wheels include things like bulletproof coffee, bone broth, MCT oil, and various others.
The common theme is theyre all low in sugar / carbs, but have extra calories because of the fat or protein content. Thats why they can boost your energy without significantly raising your insulin or blood sugar.
So as long as you dont overdo it, they wont disrupt your fast too much.
Keep in mind, using training wheels constitutes a kind of dirty or modified fasting, and some people are opposed to that approach.
But I think when youre first starting out, anything that makes fasting easier is worthwhile. Youll still get a ton of health benefits, and you can always clean things up later on.
Fasted Lemon And Cayenne Pepper Water
Drinking warm lemon water with non-irradiated cayenne pepper doesn’t break your fast. Lemon Juice and cayenne pepper both have anti-fungal, detoxifying, and immune boosting properties. Its really the best way to start your day if you’re doing Intermittent Fasting for Body Cleansing and Purification properties. If you don’t believe that this combination won’t break your fast, opt for one of the previous options.
We recommend drinking this mixture with a straw so that you don’t cause unnecessary erosion from the acidity of the lemon to your tooth enamel. Your dentist will thank you.
Also Check: What Is The Best Time To Eat For Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent Fasting: What You Can Drink During Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is not a diet, its a pattern of eating. More importantly, it’s a way of life. It really has nothing to do with the foods you can eat, but when you eat them.
Relatively simple and straightforward, the most popular way to intermittent fast is the 16/8 Method. This involves skipping breakfast and eating only within an 8-hour period of the day while fasting for the other 16. But the question we often get asked, is what are you allowed to drink during those other 16 hours, in order to not break your fast and lose weight more effectively?
RELATED ARTICLE: Intermittent Fasting: How To Lose Body Fat And Detox In 5 Easy Steps
What Can You Drink While Intermittent Fasting Conclusions
The best drinks to have when intermittent fasting should be anything with less than 50-calories total. Choose drinks such as water, coffee, and tea to help you stay hydrated. Not only that, but these drinks will also keep your stomach full and prevent constant hunger experienced when fasting. However, no additions can be added be it sugar, honey, milk, or cream.
These additions increase the number of calories and can break your fast. Drinks such as sodas, alcohol, fruit juice, coconut water, almond milk, and bulletproof coffee contain calories that can break your fast. These should be avoided when fasting.
Recommended Reading: What Can You Eat When You Do Intermittent Fasting
What Breaks A Fast And What Does Not
Generally speaking, once you consume anything that will supply enough calories to fuel the energy requirement of the body during fasting, then you have successfully knocked yourself out of the fasted state. To this end, there are particular foods or drinks that you can consume during fasting and still manage to stay in it.
So, what amount of calories breaks a fast? This is best answered when you know what to consume during fasting, and what not to. Water is a calorie-free drink, so you can guzzle it all you want until youve quenched your thirst. But it is not the only drink that wont affect your fast. Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, author of 2 Day Diabetes Diet, believes that drinking a specific type and quantity of coffee, tea and even adding artificial sweeteners will not affect the purpose of your fast .
During this period, you should try as much as possible to hold off on sodas because they contain a lot of sugar, hence they contain empty calories. It is best to leave out sodas in your overall diet, whether you are fasting or not. Diet sodas, which are not necessarily high-calorie, should not be taken during your fast as it may double the appetite. Moreover, dont indulge in alcoholic beverages as they will not only break your fast because of the sugar content but will also make you hungry, thereby leading to the premature end of your fast .
Insulin Resistance And Type
As research shows, regular intermittent fasting improves insulin sensitivity.
Therefore, it reduces high insulin levels, improves blood-sugar metabolism, and eliminates excess sugar in the body.
Furthermore, it can even reverse insulin resistance and type-2-diabetes, which most diets alone simply cant .
The cause of these metabolic diseases lies in the liver. Too much sugar and insulin cause insulin resistance in liver cells for years .
The result is a fatty liver. If you want to get at the heart of many metabolic problems, you must burn off the deposited visceral fat in the liver.
The term visceral fat refers to the accumulation of fat in and around organs, which harms health.
But according to current studies, intermittent fasting, in particular, can burn this dangerous visceral fat more effectively than low-carb diets .
However, intermittent fasting can only burn excess sugar and visceral fat as long as it is not interrupted by food.
For example, it is crucial to drink coffee without milk during intermittent fasting since this would cause blood sugar and insulin levels to skyrocket.
Read Also: How Do I Know If Intermittent Fasting Is Working
Bang Energy And Amino Acid Drinks On Intermittent Fasting
Whats the point of branched-chain amino acids in fitness drinks? Growth!
For this reason, they stimulate the primary growth pathway of the human body mTOR.
Therefore, drinking Bang Energy or other amino acid drinks switches off the fasting mode and turns on growth in the human body.
As we already heard, mTOR is the primary nutrient sensor of our bodies that turns off autophagy. In short, Bang Energy and other amino acid drinks are anti-fasting beverages you want to avoid during intermittent fasting.
Black Coffee With Coconut Cream And/or Sweetener Of Choice
An intermittent fast can be made easier by drinking coffee during an eating window.
Coffee is great because it has caffeine which can help reduce inflammation and improve cognitive function in the brain while also helping to maintain glucose levels for those who have type II diabetes or are at risk of developing this condition due to family history.
Black coffee with coconut cream or sweetener added like Stevia, Splenda, honey, will work just as well as blended drinks that use milk instead of water such as lattes and cappuccinos.
Intermittent fasting isnt about depriving yourself so if you want something sweeter than black coffee but without any additional sugars then try adding heavy cream to your coffee and drinking it with cinnamon.
Cocoa powder has antioxidants that work as an anti-inflammatory and can help decrease insulin resistance which is a precursor for type II diabetes in those who are overweight, have high blood pressure, have unhealthy cholesterol levels, etc.4
If youre already diabetic then adding anything sweet will not be good because youll want to avoid any spikes in glucose levels whatsoever when fasting like after eating breakfast at the start of the day from zero until twelve hours later.
This means sugar needs to be avoided through omitting creamer for black coffees including honey into lattes, cocoa powder instead of refined brown sugars , Stevia over Splenda, or honey too.
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Unsweetened Tea Or Coffee
Coffee and tea should be consumed without any mixtures like milk, flavored syrup, artificial sweeteners, sugar, or cream. Its best to avoid sugars even during eating hours. However, some feel that adding some milk or fat can curb hunger, so try it this way, only in the eating window as they will break your fast. Herbal teas and decafs should be brewed only in water to make them calorie-free. Do not overdo caffeinated varieties, since they can cause irritability and poor sleep. This applies particularly if consumed on an empty stomach, which is usually the case when you are fasting.
Does Tea Break A Fast
A simple herbal tea doesnt break a fast. However, if you decide to buy a fasting tea blend, make sure to check the nutritional label for added sugar, milk powder and artificial flavour enhancers you want to give your system a break, not to burden your liver activity with unwanted chemicals.
I like to make my own fasting herbal blends or ingredient combos because I can control their quality. Herbal blends, green tea, ginger, hibiscus or rooibos are good choices for not breaking your fast.
Make sure to avoid adding sugar or other sweeteners, including honey, to your fasting tea as these will break your fasting.
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