Intermittent fasting refers to an eating pattern where one cycles between periods of eating and fasting. One of the most common fasting periods is 16:8, where you fast for 16 hours and eat all of your meals within an eight hour period. For example, you have your first meal at 12pm and eat your last meal before 8pm.
The hardest part of intermittent fasting is probably the fact that it requires you to skip breakfast. For some people, this isn’t an issue, but if you love starting your day with eggs, toast or a smoothie, it can feel difficult to cut this meal out.
Another factor to consider is coffee. The beloved beverage many people start their day with. So, the important question is, can you drink coffee while intermittent fasting so it doesn’t break your fast? The good news is: Yes, you can. But, there are a few guidelines if you don’t want the drink to interfere with your fasting.
Long black drinkers rejoice because black coffee doesn’t break your fast. Drinking low-calorie beverages like black coffee and tea (sans milk) will still keep your body in its fasting state so you can sip on these — alongside water — until you’re ready for your first meal of the day.
In fact, according to Healthline, drinking coffee while fasting is said to enhance the benefits of the practice including improved brain function, reduced inflammation and a lower heart disease risk. When you’re fasting, your body produces energy from fat called ketones, which are linked to brain function. Preliminary research shows that caffeine in coffee could actually promote ketone production.
To stay in your fasting state, be sure to avoid adding milk or sugar to your coffee (or tea), instead opting for straight-up black coffee.
