Black coffee for Intermittent Fasting

Who doesn’t enjoy sipping on a freshly brewed mug of coffee, especially during a sluggish morning? 

Let’s face it, caffeine is a great energizer and there is no better way to brighten up an extremely slow day, than a dark, rich, and delectable cup of coffee. 

But, when you are on a weight loss journey, every element of your diet falls under the microscope to help facilitate the weight loss process. 

If you are someone who has just embarked on the journey of intermittent fasting and are unaware of the basic intermittent fasting dos and don’ts, even drinking your precious cup of java can fall under scrutiny.  

Intermittent fasting is a meal schedule that arranges your eating as fasting practices into separate intervals. 

While minimal calorie intake is allowed during intermittent fasting, diluting your beloved cup of java with sugary coffee creamers might break your fast. 

If you are a coffee fanatic who enjoys sipping on a cup of dark and rich black coffee but is confused about whether or not it will break you’re intermittent fast, look no further. 

Here is all you need to know about intermittent fasting and coffee to help you determine if you can enjoy a cup of black coffee while intermittent fasting. 

What is Intermittent Fasting?

In simple terms, intermittent fasting is an eating schedule or a dietary plan that involves scheduling your eating and fasting practices in separate intervals. 

This practice often involves varied hours or even days of evenly disturbed eating and fasting patterns that allow individuals to consume restricted yet nutritionally balanced meals. 

Generally, intermittent fasting is a great way of practicing restrictive eating by essentially extending the time period of fasting. 

According to some nutritionists, Intermittent Fasting is an efficient way of reducing access to body fat as the individual is promoted to consume only one meal per day in the span of a few weeks. 

While intermittent fasting is basically eating and fasting at regular intervals, there are different schedules you can try that allow you to consume foods based on your life routine.

The most common eating schedule of Intermittent Fasting is 16:08 which includes fasting for 16 hours and eating on schedule for 8 hours, 20:04 including 20 hours of fasting and 4 hours of regular eating, and lastly 14:06 which includes fasting for 14 hours and eating for 6 hours.

When can you eat during Intermittent Fasting?

There are no specific timelines that demarcate when you are allowed to eat during an intermittent fast. 

In fact, Intermittent fasting has no rigid guidelines or rules that bind you to a specific eating timeline, when practicing intermittent fasting you can schedule your fasting period based on your personal needs and lifestyle trends. 

With the aid of a restrictive eating schedule like Intermittent Fasting, you can gradually extend the period of fasting up to fasting one to two days a week.

What can you eat during Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent Fasting is a great way of scheduling your meal plan and safely practicing restrictive eating patterns. 

If you are someone who is just starting their journey of intermittent fasting, immediately fasting for the whole day may put your health at risk. 

While it is recommended to restrict your calorie consumption to up to 500 calories a day, it is important to maintain a nutritionally balanced diet including high protein and high fiber foods to achieve optimum results. 

It can be pretty perplexing to find the right balance of foods, especially as a beginner, to help you achieve optimum results and maintain a clean bill of health, here is everything you can enjoy during intermittent fasting:

Lean Proteins:

Lean proteins are a great source of vitamin B that supports brain function, induces metabolism, and regulates energy levels.

Consuming lean protein-rich foods such as fish, paneer, tofu, chicken, chickpeas, yogurt, and egg whites can be a great way to maintain a balanced diet.

Whole Grains:

Whole Grains are packed with fibers that keep you feeling full for longer periods of time and provide you with the requisite energy to persevere throughout the day. 

Whole grains are also beneficial for the digestive system especially when you are switching between eating and fasting meal patterns.

Vibrant Greens:

Fresh vegetables are a group of whole foods that provide your body with the required nutrients that make up a balanced diet. 

Fiber-rich and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are great sources of nutrition during intermittent fasting. 

Fresh vegetables help you feel fuller for prolonged periods of time and ensure a comfortable bowel movement even when you are on restricted food intake.

Hydration Station:

Hydration even when fasting is imperative, more specifically when you are cutting back on excessive calorie intake. 

Most people consider liquid consumption during intermittent fasting to be prohibited, but this rule is just limited to sugary beverages. 

However, drinking water is one of the best ways to keep yourself healthy and hydrated. 

Unsweetened or even caffeinated beverages such as black tea and black coffee can also be consumed as effective energizers. 

If you are not a fan of caffeinated beverages, you can try lemon water, buttermilk, milk, and coconut water as non-caffeinated alternatives without adding extra sugars.

Fresh Fruits:

According to research, fruits are a great source of unsaturated fats that can keep you feeling fuller for longer periods of time. 

Any form of fresh fruit including berries is a great way of enjoying natural sugars when cutting back on excess calories and maintaining a healthy and nutritionally balanced diet. 

Fruits such as berries are a great source of flavonoids that help regulate cellular activity in the body and protect the body from cellular damage.

Legumes:

Beans and lentils are great sources of protein and fiber that can help you maintain a clean bill of health while intermittent fasting. 

Legumes have almost no fat or cholesterol content and are rich in zinc, proteins, iron, and magnesium.

Learn more about Foods for Intermittent Fasting: https://www.thefoodcoachltd.com/best-foods-to-eat-for-intermittent-fasting/

Can you drink Black Coffee During Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent Fasting is more than just a dietary schedule that divides your eating and fasting intervals.

Intermittent fasting is a lifestyle choice that significantly alters your daily food consumption, even on the days you are not fasting. 

When it comes to consuming beverages such as coffee it can be subjected to adding myriad additives. 

While coffee creamers, sweeteners, sugars, and milk, among other additives, are prohibited during intermittent fasting, coffee on its own is a different case. 

Plain Black Coffee without any additives such as coffee creamers, sweeteners, or sugars contains about 3 calories, close to no fats, and a very low amount of proteins per 240 ml servings. 

Since black coffee is low-calorie and contains zero sugar, drinking a freshly brewed cup of joe during intermittent fasting will not break your fast. 

In fact, caffeine is a great source of enhancing and boosting metabolism eventually facilitating weight loss in individuals. 

So, if you are interested in an effective energizer to brighten up your sluggish day even during intermittent fasting, black coffee is definitely suitable for you!