Intermittent fasting (IF) has gained immense popularity in the past few years, and with good reason.
This eating pattern has been proven to help you lose weight, improve your health, and even boost your brain function. While there are many ways to do intermittent fasting, it’s most common to have an 8-hour window of eating followed by 16 hours of fasting each day.
While this eating pattern sounds easy at first glance, it can be tricky to navigate. Yes, with the 8- hour window of eating, you can as well decide to take coffee.
Does Coffee Break Intermittent Fasting?
Coffee does not break intermittent fasting because coffee has the same effect on your body as water. In other words, coffee will not cause you to go into a state of ketosis or make your metabolism slow down. Drinking coffee in moderation should be fine for most people who are intermittent fasting and can help to keep you energized throughout the day.
On that same note, you will also want to make sure not to drink too much coffee. You must avoid drinking a lot of caffeine daily if you are practicing intermittent fasting because it can cause your body to go into ketosis and make your metabolism slow down.
How Black Coffee Affects Fasting
Caffeine is a stimulant that can have different effects on people depending on their sensitivity to it. One way caffeine affects fasting is that it increases the body’s metabolism, and this in turn can cause the body to burn more calories.
Drinking black coffee while intermittent fasting may also make you feel more awake and energized.
On the other hand, caffeine can disrupt your circadian rhythm, cause headaches, and make you jittery or nervous.
It can also increase anxiety and blood pressure. Drinking coffee while intermittent fasting may leave you in a bad mood or prevent you from sleeping well at night.
If you choose to drink black coffee during intermittent fasting, it’s best to limit yourself to one cup per day. Black coffee contains about 65 milligrams of caffeine, which is less than the amount of 200-300 milligrams found in brewed coffee (due to the filtering process).
Keep in mind that there are health risks associated with consuming too much caffeine including decreased bone density and heart disease.
How Bulletproof Coffee Affects Fasting
There is some debate on whether or not Bulletproof Coffee will break your fast.
There’s no one answer those fits everyone. If you’re looking for a quick answer to your question, then don’t drink coffee while fasting. But if you want more information and want to know how it affects intermittent fasting the answers are a little more complicated than yes or no.
To figure out how Bulletproof Coffee affects intermittent fasting, we need to look at each step individually.
The first one is to determine if drinking bulletproof coffee breaks your fast or not.
The second step is figuring out whether you should eat something before having a cup of bulletproof coffee.
When looking at these questions it’s best to use is statements, instead of should statements.
Some intermittent fasters believe that because it has fats and oils in it, drinking it breaks your fast. They also think that even if you drink it before noon, you should still eat something.
How Coffee with Cream and Sugar Affects Fasting
Coffee with cream and sugar will affect your fasting because it contains both a large amount of caffeine and carbohydrates.
The caffeine will increase the stimulant effects of the coffee, which is not recommended for those who are doing intermittent fasting. The carbohydrates in the cream and sugar will also affect your insulin levels when you drink it, which can cause you to feel more sluggish during your fast.
Coffee For Each Type of Fast
Coffee is a drink that has become synonymous with the morning and although it can be consumed during any fast, there are some considerations to keep in mind. Below is an outline of some of the most popular types of fasts and how coffee may fit into them:
The 16/8 Fast: When done correctly, this type of intermittent fasting (IF) will have your eating window from 8 pm to 12 pm with your fasting window starting at noon and ending at 8 am.
Some people find drinking coffee before noon causes issues with sleep later on so this might not be an option if you struggle sleeping or are sensitive to caffeine.
The Warrior Diet: A diet created by Ori Hofmekler who suggests fasting three days a week while following specific dietary guidelines including getting 60% of calories from fat, 25% protein, and 15% carbs.
ALSO SEE: Can Coffee Upset Your Stomach?
Benefits of Drinking Coffee While Intermittent Fasting
Coffee has a multitude of benefits, including providing energy and increasing focus.
Drinking coffee while intermittent fasting may also help you feel more energized, less hungry, and more awake.
However, if you are sensitive to caffeine or have trouble sleeping while fasting, it may be best not to drink coffee when intermittent fasting.
Drinking coffee while intermittent fasting may help you feel more energized and alert, but can also leave you feeling jittery, anxious, and sleep-deprived.
If you choose to drink coffee while intermittent fasting, there are certain times in which it is more appropriate than others. For example, drinking a small cup of black coffee first thing in the morning can be helpful for those who have trouble waking up or falling asleep at night.
What can I put in my coffee that won’t break my fast?
Yes! You can drink coffee while intermittent fasting, but it’s important to know what you can and cannot put in your coffee.
If you’re using a sweetener like honey or agave, this will break your fast. If you want to add cream or milk, make sure that they are unsweetened and only have one tablespoon of each added per cup of coffee.
Are there risks to drinking coffee while fasting?
There are no risks to drinking coffee while fasting. Some people find that they experience headaches or a drop in energy if they drink coffee while fasting, but this is not the norm.
If you feel that drinking coffee while fasting is affecting your health negatively, it might be time to cut back on the amount of coffee you consume throughout the day.
Can I Drink Coffee with Sugar During Intermittent Fasting?
Yes, you can drink coffee with sugar during intermittent fasting. Here’s how:
- Brew your coffee (if you like your coffee black, skip this step)
- Add a little bit of milk or cream
- Add a teaspoon of honey and stir
- Add the amount of sugar you want to the coffee
Drink!
Best Coffee Creamer for Intermittent Fasting
Many people enjoy drinking coffee while intermittent fasting, but they have to be aware of the creamers they use.
Creamers can have many added sugars which are not ideal for a fasting diet.
So, what’s the best coffee creamer for intermittent fasting? The best option is heavy whipping cream because it has no added sugar and will provide you with a rich and creamy taste. Heavy whipping cream is also low in calories and high in fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K.
Other Fast-Friendly Drinks
Caffeine has been shown to inhibit the lipolysis process, which means that it can act as an appetite suppressant.
It may also increase the release of fat from fat cells in the body. Drinking coffee when intermittent fasting is not recommended, but there are still other fast-friendly drinks to keep you going.
The most popular fast-friendly drink on this list would be water. Water doesn’t have calories and aids in keeping your mind clear and your metabolism high!
Next on the list is green tea, which contains about 10 mg of caffeine per cup.
To consume a decent amount of caffeine with this drink, you’ll need more than one cup (of course), but green tea does contain antioxidants and will aid in providing energy while helping with weight loss and boosting your metabolism.
Another fast-friendly drink that should be included in black or green iced tea. Iced teas provide vitamins and minerals without any extra sugar or calories.
And finally, another great beverage for those who want some flavor to their water is infused water. Infused waters come in all different flavors: cucumber lemon lime, raspberry rosemary mint, grapefruit lemon peppermint…