Can You Drink Coffee Without Breaking Intermittent Fasting?

We answer one of the most frequent doubts when you are doing intermittent fasting.

Can you drink coffee while fasting? This is one of the most recurrent doubts about intermittent fasting because who doesn’t love coffee? Discover here the right way to drink it to avoid affecting your progress.

Can coffee break your fast? Are you still confused by this question? It’s probably because you’ve come across many yeses and nos all over the internet.

The answer has an “it depends” in front of it, but here at Health Insider, you are going to get rid of that doubt once and for all. We all want to enjoy a good coffee and get positive results while doing intermittent fasting.

As you wonder whether you can drink coffee while fasting, turn on your coffee maker because we have good news for you.

Find out everything you need to know about coffee and fasting with us!

Can I drink coffee while fasting?

There is a clear answer to this question if we take it literally, and it is that, yes, coffee breaks the fast. This happens because when you fast, you stop eating all kinds of food, and when you consume any food, whatever it is, you break it.

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But, what we are really interested in knowing is if coffee breaks the benefits of fasting. That is, can coffee take us out of the metabolic state we get from fasting?

In that case, the fortunate answer is: No! There is no better news than indulging in a good cup of coffee to boost our energy.

In fact, coffee is beneficial during fasting because it activates the metabolism. That means it helps you burn more fat.

Also, coffee consumption provides polyphenols. These antioxidants activate autophagy, which is one of the objectives of fasting. Through autophagy, you drop cellular residues from your body that can cause some diseases.

Yet, the reason why there are mixed responses about coffee is that there are certain conditions that must be followed. Not everything is allowed. If we want to do things right and not break the fast, we must know the rules.

How much coffee is ok to drink while fasting?

Despite the benefits of caffeine, it is advisable to moderate it in all cases, not only during the fasting period.

The recommendation for healthy adults is 400mg of caffeine per day. This means that you can drink about 4 cups during the day. This may change depending on the type of coffee, as there are some more diluted and other stronger ones that provide a greater amount of caffeine.

If you are fasting to improve your metabolic health or you have chronic pathologies, ask your doctor about the adequate amount. This is because an excessive amount of caffeine can have adverse effects such as:

• Poor sleep
• Agitation
• Palpitations
• Changes in blood pressure
• Headache
• Dehydration
• Anxiety
• Gastroesophageal reflux

Drinking coffee has many health benefits but also its contraindications. Stick to the recommendations to get incredible results while you are fasting.

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What can I put in my coffee that won’t break my fast?

You can drink coffee whenever you want while you are fasting, as long as it is black coffee. Cream and sugar are forbidden because they provide calories, and that is what ends up breaking the fast.

Black coffee by itself only contains about 5 calories per cup, which is a trivial amount. But, when we get too fancy with milk, toppings, and creamers, that is when we are creating a calorie bomb.

If you want to add a little fun to your coffee, so you don’t get bored during those long hours of fasting, there are a few options you can add:

· Cinnamon powder

· Pumpkin spice

· Nutmeg

· A pinch of orange zest

· No-calorie sweetener

Use the sweetener in case of extreme emergency. That is, if you need a bit of sweetness and do not want to break your fast. But don’t forget, since it is a processed product, it would be going against the benefits you are looking for while doing intermittent fasting.

During autophagy, your body cleanses itself of residues and dead cells. A clean and purified body allows you to lose weight and gain health.

Keep your diet as natural as possible so that you will feel better in a short time. In the case of black coffee, do not add anything to it for a week, and you will soon get used to the taste of a strong and delicious coffee.

What drinks are okay when fasting?

Now that you know that drinking coffee won’t ruin your progress, we can explore a little more about other allowed beverages.

When you start a diet regimen, you are most often pursuing health benefits and weight loss. To achieve this, you need to know how to select everything you eat or drink.

During intermittent fasting, beverages are a great ally to keep hunger away and endure all the hours throughout fasting.

These are some healthy options you can consume with confidence:

Natural teas

Options such as green, red, black, or white tea will be a great ally. They do not break the fast, and each one contains different health benefits such as controlling blood sugar and insulin levels.

Infusions of all kinds

You can consume infusions made from chamomile, linden, horsetail, and mint. These, besides not providing calories, have a great relaxing power that will be very beneficial to reduce stress levels.

Avoid sweetening teas and infusions not to increase your blood sugar levels, as this breaks the fast.

Water with lemon

Add a few drops of fresh lemon juice to your water to drink in the morning with an empty stomach. This is a way to improve digestive health. Also, you can add a cucumber wheel which provides water and vitamins and will not affect your fast.

Broths

Boil chicken or beef bones in water for more than 5 hours so you can extract all the minerals. Add a dash of sea salt, 1 clove of garlic, and turmeric powder. Separate into containers that you can use during the week.

You’ll have a comforting drink that won’t break your fast and is also rich in vitamins and minerals.

Bulletproof coffee

This type of beverage deserves mention in this article since it also floods the internet searches. We are all curious about the fact of adding butter to a cup of coffee.

This coffee is a bomb of calories coming from fat, so it is really a bomb of nutrients. You can prepare it by adding coconut cream, butter, or MCT oil to your cup of coffee.

Because it contains a lot of calories, bulletproof coffee breaks the fast, but it does not break the metabolic state of the fast. In other words, your body will be burning fat, and the bulletproof coffee, by providing fat, will also use it as a source of energy.

A word from our RD

Coffee: A great ally while fasting

Drinking coffee can help you face the endless hours of fasting as long as you make it properly. Avoid the temptation to sweeten and garnish it too much and learn to enjoy its natural flavor.

To promote weight loss and keep cravings away, you can also include in your fasting windows some low-calorie drinks. Consider options such as teas and infusions.

It is more important to maintain a good balance of nutrients than to worry about caloric intake during fasting. A diet high in good fats, rich in protein, and very low in carbohydrates is the ideal complement to intermittent fasting.

All excesses are negative. Avoid consuming too much caffeine to prevent cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems. Do not drink more than 4 cups a day, and you will surely get the benefits of fasting and the happiness of a good cup of black coffee.