The idea behind fasting is to not eat at all during the fasting window. However, sometimes, you may need a little something extra to keep you going. If a certain drink does not have detrimental effects on your intermittent fasting goals, then you should go ahead and take it. Having coffee while intermittent fasting is not necessarily a bad thing.
On the contrary, it can supplement some of the challenges that you may encounter as you fast.
DOES COFFEE BREAK INTERMITTENT FASTING?
To know whether taking coffee while intermittent fasting will break your fast, you need to be aware of the stages that your body undergoes while on a fast. You should also know how these stages affect your weight loss goals.
The most relevant stage of intermittent fasting is ketosis, which is the point at which your body stops relying on glucose or glycogen (stored sugar) for energy and instead depends on fat reserves for metabolism.
This only happens when there are no sugar sources in your blood.
Pure coffee has less than 5 calories, so this is unlikely to interfere with ketosis or any metabolic process that leads to weight loss. Therefore, you can take black coffee during intermittent fasting because it will not break you fast. Check out more benefits of black coffee to weight loss here.
WHAT CAN YOU PUT IN YOUR COFFEE THAT WON’T BREAK YOUR FAST?
Coffee with milk or cream in coffee with milk while intermittent fasting is a bad idea. When intermittent fasting, you want to consume low in calories or those that will not interfere with your metabolism.
If you take milk or cream in your coffee, you could be adding as much as 300 calories to your drink. You will offset all of the benefits of intermittent fasting and probably not go into the fat-burning phase.
Sugar in your coffee is also not appropriate due to its effect on glucose levels in our blood. On the other hand, a zero-calorie sweetener like 100% stevia can be a suitable alternative.
10 AMAZING BENEFITS OF DRINKING COFFEE WHILE INTERMITTENT FASTING
1. HELPS TO STICK TO INTERMITTENT FASTING
Intermittent fasting only works if you can stick it out for the long run. If you struggle to stay on course, you may find that certain habits can make the routine much easier to handle.
Since coffee in its unadulterated form is harmless while fasting, taking it can make fasting tolerable.
Most people get off the intermittent fasting plan because they find it too hard to go for 16 hours or more without food. Therefore, they start the journey and then quit.
On the other hand, if you have a drink like coffee, it could keep you going and increase your chances of experiencing weight loss while on the plan.
2. ACCELERATES WEIGHT LOSS
Black coffee has caffeine which has been shown to boost weight loss.
According to this study, it was found that quinides and chlorogenic acid, which are in caffeine, help lead to weight loss.
Another research showed that overweight subjects that consumed a substance derived from coffee known as mannooligosaccharides reported decreases in body fat and weight.
These analyses thus show that coffee has extracts which can augment your weight loss efforts.
3. WILL INCREASE MENTAL ALERTNESS
Another major challenge you are likely to face while intermittent fasting is maintaining a high degree of mental alertness.
In the first few hours of intermittent fasting, you are likely to have difficulty concentrating because your body has no fuel to use for this purpose.
In this study, Moslems, who abstained from eating during Ramadan, experienced reduced mental alertness from the 3rd to the 6th hour of fasting.
Coffee contains caffeine which is effective in stimulating you and keeping you mentally alert.
4. CAN SUPPRESS YOUR APPETITE
Another great impediment to sticking to an intermittent fasting plan is the potential for weight gain that results from food cravings.
Taking coffee can help suppress appetite, thus eliminating or reducing the possibility of breaking your fast or stray from your diet. On some occasions, you may have difficulty eating healthy foods during your eating window because of excessive appetite.
Coffee can be the crucial link to breaking the pattern of too much indulgence.
5. BOOST INSULIN SENSITIVITY
Insulin is instrumental in intermittent fasting because it’s the hormone which regulates blood sugar levels. This is especially after you eat during the appropriate window.
Anyone with low insulin sensitivity will have trouble reaping the rewards from their intermittent fasting efforts. However, taking coffee can help to improve the level of insulin sensitivity in your body.
This research showed that when subjects took caffeinated coffee, they had better insulin sensitivity and reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
6. HELPS TO DETOXIFY
Coffee is a drink that is rich in antioxidants. The latter are compounds found in certain foods that help to eliminate toxins from the body.
One of the stages of intermittent fasting that is highly beneficial is autophagy. This is the process by which cells clean themselves up.
In this study, it was shown that caffeine increases the level of autophagy in mice.
By taking coffee while intermittent fasting, you will be getting the best of both worlds concerning this quality.
7. REDUCES INFLAMMATION
In close association with antioxidants is the issue of inflammation.
By releasing antioxidants into your body, coffee helps to eliminate inflammation in your body. When you have a high level of inflammation, you tend to be predisposed to certain health conditions and struggle to lose weight.
8. CAN IMPROVE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
It may not be advisable to exercise aggressively during intermittent fasting because of the energy requirements.
However, you may be on an intermittent fasting plan that is not too strenuous and one that allows you to workout.
During those moments, when you need extra endurance in the gym, taking coffee in the morning could be just what you need.
In this research, the subjects’ performance increased after taking coffee before exercising.
9. INCREASES ENERGY LEVELS
When on a fast, you are likely to experience extremely low energy levels.
Coffee while intermittent fasting can be a guilt-free way of boosting energy. This is because it does not come with the associated calorie load or metabolism changes.
10. IMPROVES BRAIN FUNCTION
Another key challenge with intermittent fasting is that it affects how your brain functions. If you need to work or do other tasks that involve cognitive skills, you may struggle to do so, as shown here.
Coffee helps improve your brain function such that you can carry out these day to day tasks with ease even as you fast.
THE TAKEAWAY
Coffee while intermittent fasting is suitable for supplementing most of the intermittent fasting benefits or making up for the challenges.
You may struggle to stick to an intermittent fast because of excess mental fog, lethargy, reduced cognitive function or feelings of depravity.
Coffee can help you to cope with these problems. It may also give you certain added benefits like insulin sensitivity and reduced inflammation.
To enjoy all these benefits of taking coffee while intermittent fasting, you mustn’t add anything that has calories in it as that will reverse the gains.
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