Can you drink Coffee while Intermittent Fasting?

Byfoodcoach

Is coffee the perfect partner for your lazy mornings but you are confused if drinking coffee may break your fast during intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is a basic meal pattern or eating schedule that is being widely accepted across the globe after being celebrated by A-List celebrities. 

Based on rigorous research, Intermittent Fasting has been proven to facilitate weight loss, enhance metabolism, regulate cholesterol, and lower blood sugar levels. 

While this meal plan is a simple eating schedule that allows you to eat and fast at regular intervals, this meal pattern has its own dietary restrictions.

Losing weight is challenging, requiring individuals to leave behind their sugary goods and creamy concoctions to drop a couple of extra pounds. 

With each element being scrutinized down to its calorie content, even drinking a freshly brewed cup of joe can become a topic for debate. 

In fact, among the most common questions beginners often ask is if they can still enjoy their beloved morning joes.

If you are someone who has just hopped onto the trend of methodically arranging your meal plan but shuddering at the thought of leaving behind your precious morning cup of java, don’t break into sweats. 

Drinking coffee is a personalized experience, varying significantly on the consumer’s preferences, hence knowing which type of coffee you can drink during intermittent fasting is important.

To help clear your confusion and doubts here is all you need to know about Intermittent fasting to help you determine whether or not you can drink coffee while intermittent fasting.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Learn about Intermittent Fasting in detail: https://www.thefoodcoachltd.com/intermittent-fasting-complete-guide/ 

Intermittent fasting is a dietary practice that involves a nutritionally balanced eating plan that incorporates an alternative pattern of fasting and eating. 

These patterns are developed on the basis of regular and scheduled intervals between eating and fasting periods. 

There are different varieties of eating protocols and eating patterns when practicing intermittent fasting. 

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.

How does intermittent fasting work?

Intermittent Fasting is a meal plan that incorporates scheduled intervals of both eating and fasting. 

This form of eating plan is quite methodical and incorporates different variations of intervals of fasting and eating. 

For example, you can try eating for a total of 8 hours in a day and remain in the state of fasting for the remainder of the day.

Or you can also plan your fast by eating either one meal a day or two to three meals a week. 

Ideally, Intermittent fasting works by prolonging the period of time when the body has burnt excess calories consumed during the last meal.

What are the benefits of Intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is more than just a scheduled eating plan that utilizes different mechanisms to facilitate weight loss.

To simplify things here are some scientifically proven benefits of intermittent fasting, proven to be true by experts and studies alike. 

So, if you are not able to muster up the courage to execute and commit to an intermittent diet plan, the benefits mentioned below will help you make up your mind for the best:

Minimizing Insulin Levels:

Insulin is a form of peptide hormone produced by beta cells present in the pancreatic islets that are encoded in humans by the INS gene. 

Insulin is considered the main anabolic hormone in the human body that allows glucose to enter the body to further convert it into energy. 

According to the Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry, Intermittent Fasting helps minimize the insulin levels in the body. 

It has been proven to repair important cells, reduce the fat mass in the body and prevent several age-related health risks and diseases. 

Learn about how Intermittent fasting affects Insulin resistance: https://www.thefoodcoachltd.com/intermittent-fasting-and-insulin-resistance/

Prevents Memory Loss:

According to the Sage Journals, Intermittent Fasting can also help prevent both short-term and long-term memory loss. 

It also helps prevent certain metabolic pathologies related to menopause and also helps protect the body against age-related memory loss.

Weight Loss:

Intermittent fasting refers to a practice that involves regular periods or intervals with limited or almost no calorie intake. 

Hence intermittent fasting process has direct benefits for your lipid profile and is directly associated with weight loss as it helps with the distribution of body fat. 

Intermittent Fasting also helps with the improvement and control of glycemic levels in the body which helps with obesity as well as type-2 diabetes.  

Learn more about Intermittent Fasting for weight loss: https://www.thefoodcoachltd.com/intermittent-fasting-for-weight-loss/

Improves Metabolic health:

According to the Wageningen Academics, Intermittent fasting helps with the treatment and prevention of certain metabolic syndromes. 

Intermittent fasting with a pattern of restricted calories at regular intervals helps alleviate circadian rhythm disruptions that directly improve the metabolic balance in the body.

What can you eat during Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is more than just scheduling your eating and fasting patterns, in fact, during the durations when you are allowed to consume foods, you must lead with restraint to achieve optimum results. 

Consuming copious amounts of calories during intermittent fasting might set you behind and make you gain a couple of extra pounds. 

When practicing a restrictive dietary schedule like that of intermittent fasting can be quite demanding and challenging. 

The best way to achieve a balanced diet is by consuming nutritionally rich whole foods.

To help you know what best to eat in order to maintain your goal weight, here is what you can eat during intermittent fasting:

Fresh Veggies:

Consuming fresh vegetables is a great way of maintaining a nutritionally balanced diet while cutting back on calories. 

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

These vegetables make you feel fuller for prolonged periods of time and ensure a smooth bowel movement even when you are on restricted food intake.

Fruits:

Consuming unsaturated fats such as fruits can keep you feeling fuller for longer periods of time. 

Any form of fruit including different types of berries is a great way of cutting back on excess calories while 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.

Hydrating Beverages:

Hydrating oneself is an absolute must, especially when you are cutting back on a significant amount of calorie intake during your fasting and even eating hours. 

In fact, drinking water among other hydrating beverages is a great way of sustaining your fast and keeping yourself healthy and hydrated. 

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

Delicious beverages lemon water, buttermilk, milk, and coconut water can also be enjoyed with the exception of sugars or sweeteners.

Lean Proteins:

Proteins are a great source of energy and an integral part of a balanced diet that allows you to feel fuller for longer periods of time.

Lean proteins such as fish, paneer, tofu, chicken, and separated egg whites are the right source of vitamin B that supports brain function, induces metabolism, and regulates energy levels.

Whole Grains:

Whole grains are packed with fibers that keep you full for a longer time and provide you with the energy to push through a long and lengthy day of fasting.

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

Legumes:

The last item on the menu is 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.

Looking for foods for Intermittent Fasting? Check this out: https://www.thefoodcoachltd.com/best-foods-to-eat-for-intermittent-fasting/

So, Can you Drink Coffee While Intermittent Fasting?

To put it in one word, yes, you can drink coffee while you are on an intermittent fast. In fact, drinking a plain simple crisp black cup of joe calls for no concern during an intermittent fast.

Drinking low-calorie and zero-sugar coffee as an energizer in moderation will not interfere with your fast.

What should you avoid putting in your coffee during Intermittent Fasting?

While coffee only contains about 3 to 5 calories per serving, diluting your precious morning joe with additives might break your intermittent fast. 

If you do not enjoy your cup of joe plain and black, chances are your favorite coffee additives might break your fast. 

While most media outlets suggest drinking coffee with about 50 to 70 calories per day might not break your fast, the evidence is not enough to fully prove this to be true.

Here is a list of coffee items you should try to avoid when procuring the perfect cup of joe:

What can you add to your coffee when intermittent fasting?

Saying goodbye to your creamy lattes and chocolatey mochas can be a daunting task especially when you cannot stand the taste of bitter black coffee. 

But who says thick coffee creamers and velvety foam is the only way of enjoying a freshly brewed cup of joe?

Here is a list of items you can add to your precious joe during intermittent fasting that will not only sweeten your coffee but also won’t break your fast: