Let’s take a close look at the question “what can you drink while fasting?”, making sure your body remains hydrated and your fast remains unbroken. Additionally, we will discuss beverages to avoid and answer common questions about drinking during fasting. So, let’s quench your thirst for knowledge and help you stay on track with your fasting journey!
Fasting has been a popular practice for centuries, and its benefits have been widely acknowledged. But one aspect that often leaves people perplexed is figuring out what they can drink during intermittent fasting. With many opinions floating around, it’s crucial to know which beverages are fasting-friendly and which ones can hinder your progress.
🗝️ Key Takeaways
- Stay hydrated while fasting with water, electrolytes, black coffee & unsweetened tea.
- Additional options like apple cider vinegar and flavored/sparkling waters can be used in moderation.
- Avoid diet soda, milk drinks, alcoholic beverages, & fruit juices to maximize results.
☕ Essential Beverages for Fasting
Maintaining good hydration is fundamental to fasting and overall health. The primary drinks to focus on while fasting include:
- Water
- Electrolytes for longer fasts
- Black coffee
- Unsweetened tea
These beverages, including bone broth, will not only help you stay hydrated in your fasting window but also contribute to the success of your fasting regimen by not breaking the fasted state.
To optimize your fasting experience, understanding the benefits of these beverages and their role in supporting your body during fasting periods is key. Let’s examine each recommended beverage and their contribution to your fasting goals.
Water: The best drink for fasting
Water serves as the best tool for keeping hydrated during a fast. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day is a good practice to follow during fasting, ensuring your body has the necessary fluid intake to support its essential functions.
Mineral water is an excellent choice during fasting, as it contains naturally occurring minerals like:
- Calcium
- Sodium
- Magnesium
- Potassium
These minerals help maintain electrolyte balance and proper hydration levels. Drinking mineral water can be more beneficial than plain bottled water, as the latter may be processed and stripped of its natural minerals.
Electrolytes for longer fasts
During prolonged fasting periods, electrolytes are key in preventing dehydration and promoting optimal body function. Electrolytes help maintain fluid balance, regulate nerve and muscle function, and support various other bodily processes.
Before taking any supplements while fasting, it’s recommended to consult a healthcare professional, as certain supplements may not be compatible with an empty stomach. High-quality multivitamins can be a good option to consider but always check with a healthcare professional to determine the most appropriate supplement for your fasting regimen.
Black Coffee
Black coffee is a popular choice during fasting due to its calorie-free nature and potential health benefits. It provides an energy boost and can help suppress appetite, making it easier to stick to fasting periods.
Avoid adding sugar, cream, or milk (even almond milk) to your morning coffee during fasting, as these additions can disrupt the fast and counteract its benefits. To add flavor to your cup of coffee without breaking the fast, consider using calorie-free spices like cinnamon when you drink coffee.
Unsweetened Tea
Unsweetened tea is another calorie-free option that can be consumed during fasting. Tea supports gut health and mental alertness, making it a beneficial addition to your fasting routine.
Avoid sweeteners such as sugar, cream, honey, or artificial sweeteners when drinking tea during fasting. Black tea, green tea, and herbal teas like the sumac tea pictured below are all great options, and making your own tea ensures you have control over the ingredients and can avoid unwanted additives.
✨ Additional Drink Options for Fasting
While water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea are the primary beverages recommended for fasting, it’s natural to crave variety. Thankfully, there are additional options to drink while intermittent fasting, such as apple cider vinegar, flavored water, and seltzer or sparkling water. These drinks not only offer a change of pace but also come with unique benefits.
Let’s examine these alternative beverages compatible with fasting and learn about their supportive role in your fasting journey.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar, when diluted in water, can be a helpful addition to your eating window during a fasting regimen. It has been known to aid in suppressing appetite and supporting weight loss.
Moderate consumption of apple cider vinegar is advised during fasting, as overconsumption may result in potential side effects. One to two tablespoons of diluted apple cider vinegar, 15-30 minutes before meals, is a safe guideline that won’t disrupt your fast.
Flavored Water
For a refreshing change from plain water during fasting, flavored water can be an option. Just ensure it’s sugar-free and doesn’t contain fruit juices, which could increase insulin levels.
Homemade flavored water is an excellent alternative, as it allows you to control the ingredients and avoid unwanted additives. You can create your own flavored water by adding natural flavors like lemon or lime to plain water, ensuring a calorie-free and fasting-friendly beverage.
Seltzer and Sparkling Water
Seltzer and sparkling water, being non-caloric, are suitable for consumption during fasting. They can help:
- Curb hunger
- Provide a feeling of fullness
- Assist with digestion
- Ease constipation
These natural carbonated beverages offer a refreshing alternative to plain water and can be particularly helpful in managing an upset stomach during fasting. Just make sure to check the label for any added sodium, which can help replenish electrolytes lost during fasting.
🥤 Drinks to Avoid During Fasting
After covering the beverages compatible with fasting, it’s important to identify which drinks should be avoided. Diet soda, milk and dairy-based drinks, alcohol, and fruit juices or smoothies can break the fast and negatively impact your fasting results.
Knowing why these beverages are not suitable to drink during intermittent fasting helps you make wise choices and avoid setbacks in your fasting journey.
Diet Soda and Zero-Calorie Drinks
While it may seem like a harmless alternative to regular soda, diet soda and other zero-calorie beverages can cause insulin spikes and cravings, making them unsuitable for fasting. Artificial sweeteners in diet soda have been found to raise blood glucose and affect the insulin response, leading to increased insulin levels.
It’s best to avoid diet soda during fasting and opt for healthier alternatives like:
- water
- black coffee
- unsweetened tea
- sparkling water
To ensure a successful fasting period, it’s crucial to avoid any actions that may adversely affect your progress, especially during an intermittent fasting diet.
Milk and Dairy-based Drinks
Milk and dairy-based drinks contain calories and carbs that can break the fast. Their consumption during fasting can lead to increased calorie intake and hinder the benefits of fasting, especially if consumed outside of eating hours.
While a splash of milk in coffee or tea may be acceptable, it’s recommended to steer clear of milk and dairy products during fasting to maintain the fasting state.
Alcoholic Drinks
When you’re fasting, steering clear of alcoholic beverages is key because alcohol can cause dehydration and mess with your blood sugar levels. Plus, it’s pretty counterproductive to consume high-calorie drinks like alcohol when you’re trying to give your body a break and reset with a fast.
Fruit Juices and Smoothies
Fruit juices and smoothies, due to their high sugar content, can affect blood sugar levels and are not suitable for fasting. These beverages can cause blood sugar spikes, disrupting the metabolic state of fasting and reducing its benefits.
To ensure the success of your fasting regimen, it’s best to avoid beverages like fruit juice and smoothies, sticking to fasting-friendly beverages like water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea.
💭 Summary & Final Thoughts
To sum up, staying hydrated during fasting is essential for maintaining good health and reaping the benefits of fasting. Water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea are the primary beverages recommended, while apple cider vinegar, flavored water, and seltzer or sparkling water offer additional variety.
On the other hand, it’s crucial to avoid diet soda, milk and dairy-based drinks, alcohol, and fruit juices or smoothies during fasting, as they can break the fast and negatively impact your results. By making informed choices about the beverages you consume, and drinking plenty of water, you can ensure a successful and healthful fasting journey.
❓ FAQ: Common Questions About Drinking While Fasting
Fasting can be a transformative experience for many, but it’s natural to have questions about the types of beverages that can be consumed during this period. Understanding which drinks are fasting-friendly and how they impact the fasting process is crucial to achieving your goals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
This section aims to address common questions about drinking while fasting and provide clarity on acceptable beverages and their impact on the fasting state.
While intermittent fasting, it’s okay to drink water, mineral water, seltzer, tea, coffee, apple cider vinegar, and flavored water. You should avoid alcohol, diet sodas, coconut water, and milk.
It’s not best to drink diet sodas like drink Coke Zero while fasting. Some calorie-free beverages may spike your blood glucose or ruin the metabolic effects of fasting. Diet soda and other drinks like zero-calorie Zest Tea may have adverse effects so it may be worth testing it out to see if you are affected.
Yes, you can drink mineral water during fasting as it is calorie-free and electrolyte-rich.
It’s best to avoid milk and dairy products while fasting for optimal results, but a small amount may be okay, depending on your goals.
Yes, you can drink flavored water during fasting, as long as it doesn’t contain any sugar or fruit juices.
On a truly strict water fast you’ll want to avoid all fruit juices as they spike insulin, however, a slice of lemon or lime in your water should be okay.
Bulletproof coffee, a mix of coffee, coconut oil, and/or MCT oil, is a popular choice for those fasting, especially in intermittent fasting. The combo of healthy fats from coconut oil and MCT oil helps to keep you full and energized without breaking your fast, offering a sustained energy boost without the typical crash of regular coffee.
🚰 More Fasting Posts You’ll Love
- What Can I Put In My Coffee While Fasting?
- Does Stevia Break A Fast?
- My 21-Day Water Fast: A Complete Guide To Water Fasting
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