Intermittent fasting enthusiasts often wonder whether they can drink orange juice during intermittent fasting. If you’re one of them, this article is for you.
If you are following an intermittent diet, it’s almost inevitable sometimes to crave something sweet during the fasting windows. Drinking orange juice is an excellent way to get your vitamins and stop cravings.
But the question is, does drinking orange juice break my fast? I researched the subject and discovered some interesting facts, which I will share in this article.
So, if you’re interested in knowing precisely what you should or shouldn’t drink during your fasting regimen, keep reading.
Can I Drink Orange Juice During Intermittent Fasting?
When fasting, you must avoid consuming any foods or beverages containing calories. Unfortunately, orange juice contains calories. Therefore it’s not advisable to drink orange juice during your intermittent fast, or any fruit juice for that matter.
Why not, you may ask? It’s because it hits your bloodstream like an overdose of sugar. If your main objective is to keep insulin levels down, then juicing won’t be helpful for you.
There are exceptions to the rule, though. I will touch on that later in this article.
What Other Beverages Should I Avoid During Fasting?
I don’t want to sound harsh, but you should avoid all calorie-containing drinks during fasting.
I want to help you avoid drinking beverages that, at first glance, seem okay. However, I will name a couple because some may not seem obvious to many of us. Be aware; these drinks will break your fast and will hurt your desired results in the long run.
1- Milk
Milk is a dairy product. Dairy products contain lots of calories and carbs. Therefore, consuming milk will trigger your insulin, breaking your fast. There is a lot of debate about milk being a healthy addition to any diet for that matter.
2- Alcohol
This one might seem obvious to many of you guys, but you’ll be surprised about the number of people who think a glass of wine will not break their fast.
Alcohol will dehydrate you, raise your blood sugar levels, and lead to cravings for sweets and carbs afterward.
3- Coconut Water
You might think it’s the same as drinking water, but it’s not. Coconut water contains simple carbs; drinking it will break your intermittent fasting (IF). It is healthy, so drinking coconut water in your eating window would be fine.
4- Diet Sodas
This one is quite confusing for many of us. Instead of soft drinks, we drink diet soda. That’s good, right? Better, however…
Of course, diet soda doesn’t contain any calories, carbs, or sugars. It’s full of ingredients, like aspartame or sucralose, that will spike your insulin levels. These so-called artificial sweeteners are known to cause weight gain possibly and will break your fast.
Diet sodas are also known to cause possible gut problems in the long term. There is this phenomenon that just the sweet taste triggers insulin blood levels.
Can I Only Drink Water During Fasting?
No, although plain water will always be your best friend during fasting, there are some other options that you can drink during your intermittent fast.
I’ll name a couple.
1- Mineral Water
Bottled mineral waters contain natural calcium and magnesium minerals that you won’t find in tap or distilled waters. Mineral water has some unique qualities compared to most drinks.
Drinking mineral water has been shown to improve bone density and lower blood pressure—a good choice.
What about bottled water? You may think. You may develop a magnesium deficit if you drink demineralized or distilled bottled water. And there are also some concerns about plastic containing certain chemical compounds that may disturb our hormonal systems in the long run.
2- Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
If you’ve ever had a craving, you know how hard it can be to resist. Apple cider vinegar might help.
I’m not going to drink that. Are you nuts? So, you are not a big fan.
Well, believe it or not, drinking apple cider vinegar is very beneficial for your health and the good news is that you don’t need to drink it straight up. You can mix it with water.
And research backs it up.
A study published in Nutrition Journal found that people who drank half a cup of ACV daily reported fewer food cravings than those who didn’t consume the acidic beverage.
Researchers believe drinking ACV triggers a response in the brain that makes us feel full. ACV contains acetic acid, which stimulates the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with happiness and well-being.
3- Black Coffee
You either love or hate it, but coffee made it to our drinks list during IF.
I already wrote an article about all the benefits of drinking coffee during your weight loss journey.
==> CLICK HERE to read more about “Coffee for Weight Loss: The Truth About Caffeine and Fat Burning.”
Coffee has numerous benefits when you are on a fasting diet. Just make sure not to drink too much of it. Keep in mind that your stomach is empty during fasting, and drinking too much coffee during that fasting time window can be a bit too much.
Just to make sure we’re on the same page here. Drink your coffee black not to interrupt the fast.
4- Tea
Just like coffee, tea has many benefits and will only improve the efficiency of your IF diet.
In this case, your gut will be thankful if you drink tea. Tea is known to support gut health.
==> CLICK HERE to read more about “How To Lose Weight With Herbal Tea Quickly.”
Should I feel Hungry during Fasting?
Yes, you will have moments when you feel hungry during fasting, especially at the beginning of your intermittent fasting journey. With that being said, you should never starve yourself!
It’s best to start by easing into an intermittent fasting (IF) plan; regardless of whether you’re following the 5:2 or the 16:8 IF, it’s best to cut yourself some slack at the beginning.
Remember that it’s a lifestyle change that you will gradually grow into. I even think this is the healthiest way to start. Remember that we’re in this for the long haul. And one mistake doesn’t mean that you’re not succeeding.
The way I see it is that IF is just a way to improve your relationship with nutrition. Most of us mainly eat because we enjoy eating.
If you’ve been eating the wrong foods for years, not only has it negatively impacted your weight, but it’s likely impacted your physical, emotional, and mental health too.
Doing IF will help you make better food choices and use the time windows of eating and fasting as an extra encouragement to organize your eating habits.
So, if you’re looking for an excuse to eat better and live a healthier life in general, then consider IF as an opportunity to start doing so.
What Is The Exception To The Rule?
If you remember that I mentioned earlier that there is an exception to the rule, give yourself a big pat on the back. You’re amazing.
You can only drink orange juice during fasting if you follow a controlled “so-called” Warrior or 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Diet. Why?
If you’re following a controlled fasting regimen, such as the Warrior Diet or the 5:2 Diet, you may drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice in moderation.
As I’m a loyal follower of the 16:8 Intermittent Fasting Diet, this doesn’t apply to me.
FAQ’S Corner
Does Drinking Lemon Water Break My Fasting?
Okay, here is where I draw the line. No, drinking lemon water won’t break your fast. Lemon water has close to 0 calories and adds some flavor to our plain H2O. Just make sure you don’t add any sweeteners to it.
What Happens In Our Bodies When We Fast?
Regardless of how many calories you eat, any food you eat will be converted into energy and released into your body cells. Thus, consuming calories will inevitably break your fast.
Conclusion
Intermittent fasting is the go-to diet for many of us, myself included. And the reasons why. We covered all the beverages we should or shouldn’t consume while fasting.
I understand sticking to the diet sometimes can be hard, especially in the beginning. But believe me when I say that it will change your life. You will feel better, look healthier, sleep better, have more energy, and so on.
Remember that one little slip-up doesn’t mean you ruined your whole diet. That is absurd. But sticking to the Intermittent Fasting diet as much as possible will benefit you in many ways.
If you want to read an entire article, I wrote on all the ins and outs of intermittent fasting CLICK HERE ==>Best Intermittent Fasting For Men Over 40 – (The Complete Guide)
I hope you enjoyed reading this article.
If you have any comments or questions, please drop me a line in the comment section below, and I will get back to you as quickly as possible.
Stay Healthy and Strong!
