What Can You Eat & Drink In Intermittent Fasting?
In this article, we’ll clarify the concept of intermittent fasting. and show you some options. You can consider these drinks and food options in intermittent fasting. Make healthy changes in your diet with intermittent fasting.
What Do You Understand By Fasting?
In ancient times, fasting meant a starving whole long day and eating at night. This sounds intimidating and may everyone can’t follow the process.
On the other hand, intermittent fasting is the new way of making your diet effective and balanced without starving. Intermittent fasting has a specified pattern of having drinks and food.
The pattern ensures the body gets enough amounts of protein, nutrition, and hydration. Intermittent fasting has the potential to bring discipline, diet patterns, help your body stay fit and healthy. Let’s know the classification of fasting.
In intermittent fasting, the day is divided into two parts:-
- Eating window
- Fasting window
The day is basically divided into two portions, in which for certain hours you can have your meals at the preferred time. In other portions of the day, you can go on fasting.
The most popular division of windows is 16/8 or 15/9. At first, the eating window is 8 hours and the fasting window is 16 hours, and vice-versa. You can select one of these or make your own window of dieting.
Those who are beginning should calculate their own windows. The 16/8 ratio of window may feel overwhelming. Do follow the routine of fasting according to your capacity.
Easily digestible food, light drinks, and beverages are preferred options in intermittent fasting. Breaking the food cycle and consuming in breaks makes the metabolism fast.
Fast metabolism collaborated with a great diet including intermittent windows will make surprising changes. When you’ll start fasting, the battle with hunger may demotivate you.
As the fasting hours are long and you’re body is not habitual of it. You make me feel lost and sometimes weak. I have got a few light drinks and eating options for you. So you can do much while fasting and not even breaking the fast.
Drinks You Can Have While Intermittent Fasting
They will you stay hydrated and without breaking the fast. Here are four options:
- Tea
- Water
- Coffee
- Apple cider vinegar.
Let’s take a view on them one by one:
- Tea
Tea is being served worldwide and can be enjoyed several times a day. Tea acts as a rejuvenating drink in fasting and helps last long. You can call it a successful drink. There are three famous teas:
- Green tea
- Black tea
- Herbal tea
Among all, Green tea is the most effective tea according to researchers. It provides great health benefits and weight management. Try the tea with an empty stomach for the best results expected.
Herbal teas have also proven effective in disease and intermittent fasting. This magic tea has several health benefits.
- Water
The importance of water is known to every single person. We cannot survive without water. We must drink 8 to 10 glasses of water in a day. It will keep your body hydrated, smooth organ smoothening, relaxed breathing, and so on. The endless benefits of water prove its position in the fasting window.
You can have plain water or squeeze a lemon into it. have the water in frequent breaks as necessary. Be aware; don’t drink the sweetened water at all. It will break your fasting and disturb the dieting cycle.
- Apple cider vinegar
Have you ever tried ACV? How does it taste? Does it help boost the effects of intermittent fasting and weight management?
These are the most-asked questions about ACV. It can help you in fighting hunger while fasting. It maintains blood sugar levels and improves digestion in the body.
Along with these, the taste is not that bad and you can try it in both the windows. In the fasting window, mix the apple cider vinegar with water and drink it. Another way, mix the ACV with salad and have it in the eating window.
Depends on you whatever way you want to have it.
- Coffee
A Diet-friendly drink is the new name of black coffee. In intermittent fasting, black coffee is a go-to option. The reason behind this is, it has low calories and is super easy to prepare.
You just have to mix water with the coffee. The secret benefit is it boosts the metabolism and keeps makes the body active in minutes for the whole.
People who are not even dieting, also start their day with black coffee. You can prepare in your own way, just don’t add sweeteners.
Few individuals experience loose stomachs and disturbed sleep cycles due to black tea. So try it and observe what works best for you. Don’t forget there are other options available for you.
Eating Options While Intermittent Fasting
There are so many options available for food in the eating window. You just have to ensure, you have a balanced meal filled with vitamins, nutrients, and protein. Once your body gets it all, you’ll not feel weak even while fasting.
- Veggies
- Nuts
- Potato
- Wholegrain
- Avocado
- Seafood
All these options can be combined in one meal or can be divided easily into time breaks. Avocados, veggies, whole grains can be eaten in different ways.
So you can choose, mix and match. You can consult a dietician and have a customized diet for yourself to follow.
Conclusion
While formulating the diet, people make it difficult and crowded. It results in failure of diet. Those who want to follow the diet for a long time, should consider starting slow and moving step by step.
Make sure you are not forcing yourself and going out of capacity. Consult a dietician for extra tips on your diet. I have mentioned very minimalist alternatives and tips to follow. You can do it. Best of all luck with the intermittent fasting journey.
