Intermittent fasting - the habit of eating all your meals within a certain time window - is something I do personally and that, according to studies available via a quick google search, seems to have a lot of positive effects on others as well. However, if you're just starting IF and your body isn't adapted to the new style yet, timing your meals can be hard, especially if you have cravings. We talked about a week ago about tips to make intermittent fasting easy, and today, I'm sharing my favourite beverages you can enjoy without breaking your fast that help you push breakfast to the afternoon.
Hot drinks
Coffee. A cup of joe has both caffeine - to give you a sense of energy - and water, which helps fill your stomach, that in turn signals your brain that there's no room for food; that you're not hungry. Beware the add-ins, though: sugar in your coffee will definitely spike your insulin and thus break the fast. Heavy cream is probably ok, same with butter, as neither really affect your blood sugar. I've been told too many cups of coffee might spike your insulin, though, so keep an eye out for that.
Tea. Tea, especially decaf, doesn't affect your insulin levels. Therefore your can drink it basically as much as you like. Same as with coffee, beware the add-ins. Sugar alcohols and polyols, meaning sugar substitutes that don't affect your blood sugar such as Stevia or xylitol or erythritol, are fine. They can cause you to crave sugary foods, though.
Boiling water with apple cider vinegar.
This may be even better than tea. It doesn't give you an energy boost like coffee, but there's something in the combination of hot water and apple cider vinegar that creates a soothing beverage that fills you up and calms your nerves. The smell might be strong, but you'll soon learn to ignore it.
Cold drinks
Carbonated water with apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. I discovered this drink recently quite by accident when throwing some liquids together, and it tasted super refreshing. Apple cider vinegar has all kinds of health benefits (just google it), and lemon juice has vitamin C. The carbonated water brings the whole thing together as it makes the mixture taste like soda - but a super healthy, sugar free version!
Water in general.
This may be a little boring, but if you're thirsty, regular water tastes surprisingly good and is the best remedy. You don't need to push it down by force, however. Drink it when you feel like drinking it, and have the carbonated version whenever you feel like enjoying a drink.
Drinking some or all of these beverages will definitely help you get through the morning and eat breakfast only in the afternoon. Chances are you won't need all of these, especially once your body adapts. But until then (and why not even then), enjoy!
RK
