Approved Intermittent Fasting Drinks

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a health trend that has been gaining popularity. It is not hard to see why when so many health studies are touting the benefits. It is not an entirely new trend either. My grandmother always said it was best to eat an early dinner at 5 and never snack after dinner. Though she didn’t call it by that name, that is pretty much just extending the overnight fast which is early time-restricted feeding. Even this simple change to the timing of meals can boost metabolism. Once people decide to try IF they often are left wondering, “What can you drink during intermittent fasting?” To answer that I have made a list of approved intermittent fasting drinks to help you stay hydrated and suppress appetite while you fast.

Why try Intermittent Fasting?

Harvard Health Publishings says a review of scientific studies shows “simple fasting improves metabolism, lowering blood sugar; lessens inflammation, which improves a range of health issues from arthritic pain to asthma; and even helps clear out toxins and damaged cells, which lowers risk for cancer and enhances brain function.” 

How to get started with Intermittent Fasting

I recently shared a post about Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan Strategies and I suggested a book to help you get started. You just need to pick an IF schedule that works for you and for maximum benefit you will want to chose healthy drinks and foods for your periods of “feast.” You should also chose healthy intermittent fasting drinks for your periods of fasting.

What Can You Drink During intermittent Fasting?

In general, you will want to avoid drinking liquid calories as they will not fill you up and they likely contain higher carbohydrates and sugars than recommended.

During your periods of fasting, you will want to drink only no calorie and low-calorie drinks. Here are some suggestions.

List Of Intermittent Fasting Drinks

Here is a list of intermittent fasting drinks you may enjoy without breaking your fast. These will certainly help you stay hydrated which is important to flushing out toxins. These IF drinks may also help you feel fuller, suppress appetite, and possibly even increase autophagy.

Water

Can you drink water while intermittent fasting? Yes, you can and you absolutely should. Water plays an important role in cleansing. BetterMe has a chart that shows how much water you should drink but as a simple rule of thumb, help yourself to as much water as your body wants even while you are fasting. This should always be your go to beverage.

Sparkling Water

Yes, sparkling water, carbonated water, and/or mineral water are also fine during IF. However, only plain. Skip any added flavors.

Herb Infused Water

This is basically just a way of making water a little more exciting and you can even add some health benefits while you are doing it. Water can be infused by allowing fresh herbs (such as mint, basil, or thyme), ginger, turmeric, or cinnamon to soak in water and then drinking the water itself. You might want to try this recipe for Lemon Ginger Cayenne Water

Lemon Water

Can I drink lemon water during intermittent fasting? Yes, you sure can. It is actually a healthy choice as long as it is unsweetened, of course. Just squeeze a slice or two of lemon juice into your glass of water. Lime water is also a good choice.

Apple Cider Vinegar Water

Just add a couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to your glass of water. Like lemon water and lime water, all of these intermittent fasting drinks help decrease appetite and will have an alkaline effect on body.

Black coffee

Can you drink coffee while intermittent fasting? Yes, you can still drink coffee while doing IF. However, you can’t add sugar or milk to your coffee. That is cheating! Just black coffee is OK while fasting.

Tea

Unsweetened tea is approved for your fasting window. These calorie-free beverages are a great option.

Can you drink tea during intermittent fasting? Yes, you sure can. You can drink black tea, green tea, white tea. It needs to be unsweetened and without added milk, of course.

Can you drink herbal tea while intermittent fasting? Yes, you sure can drink herbal teas as long as they are unsweetened and not made with fruit. It must be leaf based herbal tea only such as rooibos tea. You may want to try this recipe for Hibiscus Iced Tea Sparkler.

Can you drink alcohol while intermittent fasting?

Nope. For so many reasons, no! Alcohol is full of calories, first of all and it will certainly be breaking your fast.

Can you drink diet soda while intermittent fasting?

Nope. The artificial sweeteners will still break the positive effects of your fast.

Can you have bone broth while doing an intermittent fast?

No, not really. While bone broth is great for you, it is a great way to break a fasting period because it does in fact have calories.

Conclusion

I hope this list of approved intermittent fasting drinks helps you maintain your fasting periods. When you list out each IF beverage option individually, you realize you actually have a lot of choices- water, herb infused water, lemon water, lime water, apple cider vinegar water, coffee, black tea, white tea, green tea, and leaf based herbal tea! They are all great no and low calorie choices to help keep you hydrated and feeling fuller. Let me know if you can think of any low or zero-calorie beverages that I should add to this list of drinks @familyfocusblog!

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