What Can you Drink During Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is a type of diet where you alternate between periods of eating and fasting. During the fasting period, you are not allowed to consume any calories, including drinks with zero calories. So what can you drink during intermittent fasting? You can still drink water, black coffee, tea, and a few other beverages without any added sugar or cream. These drinks are allowed during intermittent fasting because they do not contain any calories that would break your fast.

Importance of Hydration

Hydration is important during intermittent fasting as it helps to keep your body functioning properly and can help to reduce feelings of hunger. When you are fasting, your body is not getting the same amount of water and nutrients that it normally would, so it is important to make sure that you are drinking enough water to stay hydrated. Additionally, drinking water can help to flush out toxins from your body and can help to improve your overall health and well-being.

Consuming foods (during non-fasting periods) with high water content, such as fruits and vegetables, can also help to keep you hydrated during fasting periods.

Recommended Drinks for Intermittent Fasting

Recommended drinks for intermittent fasting include water, herbal tea, black coffee, and even pickle juice! Drinks with zero calories and zero sweeteners are okay to drink!

Water

Gosh, we all need to be drinking more water. This is an easy one. It is very much allowed during a fast. Stay hydrated to keep your energy levels high and your hunger low.

Herbal Teas

Green, black, and other herbal tea varieties are typically calorie free. This doesn’t mean the herbal iced tea you find at Panera or Starbucks. Always, always check the nutritional facts. Herbal teas are a safe fasting beverage so long they are calorie and sugar free!

Black Coffee

This is definitely my go to in order to start my day with my hunger at bay. Black coffee means no milk, no creamer, and no sugar. Nothing added.

Pickle Juice

Can I drink pickle juice during intermittent fasting? Pickle juice can fly while fasting as long as it is calorie (and carbohydrate) free. There are some pickle juices that do contain calories and sugar. For the plain, calorie free pickle juice…it is fair game during intermittent fasting! 

What about Diet Coke?

Well, this is a tough one. On paper, it looks like fair game. Zero calorie and zero sugar. But hang on, diet coke and diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners which will trigger an insulin response. Anytime an insulin response is triggered, our fast is essentially broken. Sorry! Diet sodas are terrible for you anyway for many reasons, so I’m not too upset on this one.

How about Bone Broth?

Bone broth is not allowed during a fast since it contains calories. However, it is an EXCELLENT choice of beverage when it comes time to break your fast. It will replenish you with protein and essential nutrients following a fast.

Tips for Avoiding Un-allowed Drinks During Intermittent Fasting

Read Labels Carefully

Some beverages can be misleading. With all the marketing phrases, it may suggest that the beverage you are holding would be fine to drink during a fast. Get in the habit of ALWAYS checking the back nutritional facts. If it is zero calories and zero carbohydrates then you are good!

Choose flavored alternatives

There are unsweetened, flavored alternatives such as seltzer water. I personally love flavored seltzer water while fasting. Perhaps it is the carbonation of it as well. You can always switch up the flavors too so that you don’t get sick of it!

Fill up on the “allowed” beverages

We should all be drinking plenty of plain water throughout the day for many health benefits/reasons. Here is another one. If you are hydrated well, you will not crave sweetened beverages (as much). Keep a water bottle close by to you during your fast!

Let us know if you have any favorite fasting beverages!