What Can you Eat or Drink While Intermittent Fasting

If you’re new to intermittent fasting and want to make sure your efforts yield the results you’re looking for, you’ve probably wondered: what can you eat or drink while intermittent fasting?

If you’re totally new to intermittent fasting, read this post first, it’s everything you need to know about IF, and then come back to this post.

I want to first note that you should first consult a licensed medical physician before you jump into intermittent fasting. IF isn’t for everyone and therefore, it’s something to discuss with a professional. 

The purpose of this post is to give you an overview of IF schedules, not to provide any professional/medical advice.

To “fast” is to abstain from all or some kinds of food or drink. However, intermittent fasting means to “cycle” a fast; and therefore, there are a few intermittent fasting rules to adhere to and not abstain from liquids completely. 

Side note: medical fasts and religious fasts are different than intermittent fasting.

So whether you’re practicing intermittent fasting for health benefits, brain benefits, or weight loss, check out the do’s and don’ts.

Related: How to Get Started Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting Rules

There is one rule for intermittent fasting: no eating or drinking calorie foods during your fasting period.

That means that you can drink black coffee, water, and zero-calorie beverages are allowed during the fast, but no solid foods.

If you are fasting for weight loss, it’s crucial that you adhere to your fasting period and not consume any calories during your fast. When it’s time to eat, make sure to eat nutritious foods.

During your eating period, eat the same amount of calories you would during your day but in a reduced amount of time, “the eating period.”

Learn all about Intermittent Fasting Schedules here.

Intermittent Fasting Benefits

I’ve written an entire article on intermittent fasting benefits and why I feel it’s an essential healthy habit to incorporate. 

Most notably:

• Intermittent fasting allows your body to initiate important cellular repair processes and changes hormone levels to make stored body fat more accessible (great for weight loss!).
• Intermittent fasting can help with weight loss by reducing the amount of time spent eating by creating shorter windows, and thus usually, you consume fewer calories.
• Intermittent fasting can reduce insulin resistance and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can reduce inflammation in the body.

Can you drink or eat anything while fasting?

Yes, you can drink while fasting but you cannot eat while fasting. All solid foods have calories and therefore, they will break your fast.

After a 12-hour fast, I sometimes drink a cup of Bulletproof Coffee to help me get to my first solid meal, which might be 2-4 hours later.

Bulletproof coffee is not a zero-calorie drink; however, there have been studies that have shown that the health benefits outweigh the fast, and that is why after 12 hours, I choose to extend the fast with it. 

Bulletproof coffee does not cause an insulin spike, and there’s additional research showing that your fasting continues even though it has calories. Each body is different, and therefore, it’s something to test out.

What can you drink while fasting?

You can drink non-caloric drinks like water, tea, zero-calorie drinks (although some artificial sugars have shown to cause insulin spikes), and black coffee.

If you are having trouble omitting from eating and need to stretch your fast, I recommend hot drinks since they generally give one a feeling of being full.

Is Drinking allowed while fasting?

Drinking alcohol is not allowed while fasting.

Foods to Eat while Fasting

There are no solid foods you can eat while fasting, sorry! To fast means to refrain from eating solid foods. 

However, after your fast, you can eat during your eating window. See the best foods to break a fast here.