Top 4 Drinks That Make Intermittent Fasting Easier

Intermittent fasting sounds like a tough way to diet if you have never tried it.

It’s actually easy once you try it and there are things you can drink to that make intermittent fasting a breeze.

Since this isn’t dry fasting, you are able to drink liquids during your fast.

What can you drink during intermittent fasting?

The main thing is that anything you drink needs to have no calories whatsoever.

One of the big benefits of intermittent fasting is autophagy.

What is autophagy?

Autophagy is the process of your body breaking down and recycling damaged cells. Young people have a high rate of autophagy and as one ages this decreases. Fasting is a way to dramatically increase autophagy. This helps the body stay healthy, disease free and youthful.

When you consume calories of any sort you stop the process of autophagy.

It isn’t like you can only have 20-30 calories, wait a bit and jump-start autophagy again.

It takes a sustained fast for autophagy to kick in.

Can you drink coffee while fasting?

Yes, but it has to be black coffee. You can’t add any sugar or cream.

Can you drink tea while fasting?

Yes, but it the same thing as the coffee. You can’t add anything to the tea that contains calories.

Here’s a video which covers what to drink while intermittent fasting to make it easier.

I want to discuss 4 intermittent fasting drinks he covers in the video.

Two of these are common suggestions and two aren’t as common.

Intermittent fasting drinks to consider…

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

Does apple cider vinegar have calories?

Yes.

I know I mentioned earlier than any calories would kill autophagy, but we are talking 2-3 calories here.

If you are worried that it could stop the autophagy benefit of fasting, then no need to use apple cider vinegar during your fast.

Why is apple cider vinegar good for you?

Apple cider vinegar has acetic acid, which helps your body absorb nutrients and balances blood sugar levels.  Vinegar is especially beneficial for those with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance.

Apple cider vinegar can help you absorb minerals even from meals ate a few hours earlier.

Apple cider vinegar also suppresses appetite.

So this is a good thing to drink if you feel a bit jittery from blood sugar issue while fasting.

It will also help curb your hunger.

Various studies have shown that just taking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar per day can help reduce body fat and lower triglycerides in your blood.

How should you drink apple cider vinegar?

Do not drink it straight. Dilute 1 tablespoon of ACV into one glass of water. I recommend drinking through a straw since apple cider vinegar can harm the enamel on your teeth.

I would recommend drinking a glass of this diluted apple cider vinegar as soon as you feel hunger when fasting.

This works well. 

2. Sea Salt Water

When you are fasting you are depleting the minerals in your body.

This is amplified if you also workout in a fasted state.

It’s important to have sodium in your diet to make sure your muscle cells can take in water and stay hydrated.

When muscle cells are dehydrated, due to your body being depleted of minerals, they weaken and can even cramp up when training.

How much salt should you add your water?

Add 1/2 a teaspoon of sea salt to one gallon of water. You can also add a small amount of cream of tartar to balance sodium and potassium.

Cream of tartar is loaded with potassium.

Just sprinkle a tiny bit into your water.

How can you tell if you are potassium deficient?

If you cramp up DURING your working out, that is a potassium deficiency. If you cramp up AFTER your workout, that is a magnesium deficiency.

As mentioned above, apple cider vinegar helps the body absorb all minerals.

So maybe consider using both drinks during your fasting period.

3. Green Tea

The EGCG in tea increases CKK (Cholecystokinin) which decreases hunger.

CKK is what triggers the satiation response in your brain.

Green tea also increases adrenaline which releases fat from fat cells to use for energy.

Studies also show that green tea is healthy.

The EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) in green teas has been studied to treat various diseases and may be one of the main reasons green tea has such powerful medicinal properties.

It has antioxidants which fight free radicals.

It’s simply a healthy drink to include in your diet and works well with intermittent fasting.

I like the feeling green tea gives me as well.

It makes me feel more alert without as huge of a spike as coffee.

But I do like my coffee 🙂

4. Coffee

This has similar enhanced fat burning effects as Green Tea.

Coffee is fine to drink while fasting.

Just make sure it is black coffee.

I mainly drink green tea during my fast but will add in coffee about 30 minutes before a workout if I’m performing my workout in a fasted state.

This works well.

Just make sure you brush your teeth before hitting the gym so you don’t knock people out with coffee breath.

I’ve been on the treadmill next to people with bad breath who are breathing hard.

It’s a bad deal!

Since we are discussing intermittent fasting, I should point out an article I’ve written about it.

I’ve been using this diet method long before it became popular.

I’ve been using Intermittent Fasting for 18+ years and explain the benefits and challenges of each method in this detailed blog post.

18 Years of Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss

This should help if you are interested in what intermittent fasting strategy to follow.

I actually received threats when I first wrote about intermittent fasting.

I discuss it in that article.

Kind of crazy.

Intermittent Fasting Drinks Summary

The main thing to keep in mind is to avoid calories in your drinks while fasting.

There is a grey area here.

Can you drink diet soda while intermittent fasting?

Sweet-taste receptors, low-energy sweeteners, glucose absorption and insulin release.

Data from numerous publications on the effects of low-energy sweeteners on appetite, insulin and glucose levels, food intake and body weight have shown that there is no consistent evidence that low-energy sweeteners increase appetite or subsequent food intake, cause insulin release or affect blood pressure in normal subjects.

If a drink is truly a zero calorie drink, you will be fine.

If you are paranoid, then substitute plain carbonated water in place of soda while fasting.

I have had great fat loss results drinking Diet Coke while intermittent fasting.

I also have used coffee and tea.

I may give apple cider vinegar a shot along with salt water to see if it makes a difference.

Hopefully, this gives you some options of what to drink during your fast.