How Much Water Should You Drink While Fasting

Sure, fasting means non eating…merely what can yous drink while fasting?

Today I'll share with you some drinks that are helpful, harmful, or kind of neutral while you fast.

By understanding which drinks fall into each category — and why — yous'll be better prepared to brand solid decisions and have success with fasting.

Let'southward get started.

Can You lot Potable Water While Fasting?

Aye. I near always potable water when I'k fasting, and I recommend you do the same.

That'southward true for brusque-term "intermittent" fasting (< 24 hours), as well as multi-day "extended" fasting.

By the mode, sometimes extended fasting is referred to as "water fasting". That just means you keep drinking water while y'all fast.

Technically, at that place's also something chosen "dry fasting", which prohibits water. But I wouldn't really recommend that for beginners, peculiarly if y'all're fasting for multiple days.

Some people prefer dry out fasting, simply it'south a little more risky, and requires more medical supervision.

And then in full general, continue drinking h2o and try to stay hydrated.

Drinks That Make Fasting Harder

Avoid liquids with sugar, sweeteners, or alcohol which make fasting harder

Some drinks make fasting more than difficult. Or they're simply bad for your health. Or both.

In this section, I'll comprehend a few of the drinks you should avoid during intermittent fasting or extended fasting.

Avoid Sugary Drinks While You Fast

Yous really shouldn't drink annihilation with more than a tiny corporeality of sugar while you're fasting

That includes soda, juice, sports drinks, and others.

Make certain you look at the diet label and the ingredients list. If there'southward more than almost one gram of sugar, you should probably avoid it.

That's considering annihilation with saccharide in it will raise your blood carbohydrate, and also raise your insulin level.

Insulin is a metabolic hormone that goes up whenever you eat carbs, and one of its principal jobs is to promote fat storage.

If you're not familiar with insulin, this curt video covers its basic function:

Any fourth dimension you're stimulating insulin, that's basically the reverse of fasting.

See why "juice fasting" is an oxymoron? 😉

Artificially Sweetened Drinks Are Not Your Friend

I used to drink diet soda sometimes while I fasted. And I did ok. But concluding yr I decided to quit artificial sweeteners, and I think information technology was a good decision.

That's because artificial sweeteners (like aspartame or sucralose) seem to be pretty bad for your long-term health.

And perhaps more than chiefly in the context of fasting, artificial sweeteners can stimulate cravings or hunger.

So if you drink a Nutrition Coke in the middle of your fast, you may kickoff craving sweets and give upwardly.

"Natural" sweeteners (like stevia, erythritol, or monk fruit) are probably healthier options. But any sweetener can stimulate cravings, so be cautious.

Bottom line?

Fasting gets easier when you lot avoid artificial sweeteners.

If you take a longstanding habit with nutrition soda, energy drinks, or anything similar, it may take a while to wean yourself off. Simply information technology's probably worth it.

Alcohol Presents Problems

This ane is pretty simple.

Most alcoholic drinks have sugar and/or other carbs. So they're not ideal for fasting.

Your torso will probably also be more sensitive to booze when you fast.

So while y'all could utilise sugar-free alcoholic drinks (like spirits / hard liquor), yous'd need to stick with tiny amounts.

Bottom line?

Overall, it'southward probably all-time to avert alcohol while you fast.

These Drinks Are "Okay" (& May Have a Small-scale Benefit)

coffee, tea, and various other drinks are ok for fasting

A lot of drinks are kind of "neutral" when you're fasting. Or in some cases they may have a small benefit, similar helping suppress your ambition.

These kinds of drinks are optional. But they're okay to utilise during both short-term and long-term fasting.

Let's look at a few examples.

Black Coffee Is Fine

It'south totally ok if you wanna drink plain black coffee while you fast. A lot of people do well with it, and it may help suppress your appetite.

On the other paw, once y'all start adding sugar or sweeteners to your coffee…that's when yous can go into problem (run across above).

Of grade, there'due south a lot of caffeine in coffee. Then endeavour non to go overboard, peculiarly later in the solar day, or y'all may accept trouble sleeping.

And since caffeine makes yous pee out more water, information technology's probably a good idea to drink a glass or two of h2o for each cup of coffee that you drink.

What About "Impenetrable" Coffee?

"Bulletproof" coffee (a.yard.a. "keto coffee") just ways you add some blazon of fat to your coffee.

This could be butter, MCT oil, or even the more traditional coffee with cream.

Here'due south the scoop on java + fat:

Fat-infused drinks tin enhance your ketone levels (which is good!), and requite yous an energy boost while you fast. And they don't actually "intermission" your fast, necessarily, because dietary fat doesn't enhance your blood sugar or insulin levels.

Just the more fat yous swallow while fasting, the less of your own torso fat you'll burn down. And so there's always a merchandise-off.

It'south probably better to remember of fat drinks as a type of "training wheels" that you can use when you're a beginner.

Merely maybe non forever.

Green/Black/Herbal Tea is Ok (& may have some benefits)

I often drink tea while I'yard fasting, and haven't noticed whatsoever harmful effects.

Every bit long as you don't add sugar or other sweeteners, information technology shouldn't actually crusade any problems.

The best part?

Green tea may make fasting a little bit easier, and even enhance some of the health benefits.

green tea or herbal tea are okay to drink while fasting

Like java, light-green or black tea have a off-white amount of caffeine. So try non to overdo it in the 2nd half of the day.

More "Okay" Options

If you're looking for additional drinkable options while fasting, hither are a couple more ideas:

Apple Cider Vinegar

Basically, equally long as you don't get too crazy, it's fine to use vinegar while you fast. And some people notice it helps control their appetite.

It's pretty acidic though, so make sure you dilute information technology in some h2o.

Lemon Water

Lemon h2o (a piece of lemon squeezed into a glass of water) is also a proficient pick, as long equally you lot don't totally overdo it.

A few glasses per day should be fine.

Seltzer H2o

If yous like carbonation, you may desire to try a seltzer water (a.m.a sparkling water, or soda water).

Unlike diet soda, information technology shouldn't have whatever sweeteners, so it'southward less likely to crusade cravings.

On the other hand, it does have "natural flavors" and carbonation, which can cause issues for some people. So be cautious.

Similar anything, information technology's an experiment. Then see how you react, and go from there.

How can you tell if something else is okay to potable while fasting?

If you've read this far, you probably take a pretty skilful idea already.

Basically, if there'south not a lot of sugar (or sweeteners), and not besides many carbs or total calories, you're probably fine.

What "breaks" a fast varies from person to person, depending on your goals and health status.

Here's are some rules of thumb I typically use:

Continue carbs (including carbohydrate) down to near 1 gram per serving
Keep calories as low as possible – ideally nether about 10-20 per serving
Exist careful with sweeteners, and don't overdo it

The master exception would exist if you're using some blazon of "training wheels" to make fasting easier as a beginner. And that'due south totally reasonable to do.

Training wheels include things similar impenetrable java, bone broth, MCT oil, and diverse others.

The common theme is they're all low in sugar / carbs, but have actress calories because of the fat or protein content. That's why they can boost your free energy without significantly raising your insulin or claret saccharide.

So as long as y'all don't overdo it, they won't disrupt your fast too much.

Continue in mind, using training wheels constitutes a kind of "dirty" or "modified" fasting, and some people are opposed to that approach.

Simply I recall when you're first starting out, anything that makes fasting easier is worthwhile. You'll still get a ton of health benefits, and you can always "clean" things up after.

(For more on how to make fasting easier, you tin can download my Beginner's Guide to Easy Fasting.)

Drinking Salt & Other Minerals Makes Fasting EASIER

salt and other electrolytes make fasting easier

In addition to the smallish benefits you tin can go from vinegar, tea, or other drinks listed above, there are too some drinks that brand fasting A LOT easier.

The biggest one?

Anything with lots of Salt (i.due east. sodium).

This is particularly relevant for prolonged, multi-day fasting. But getting enough salt tin can also be helpful during short-term fasting, or fifty-fifty when you eat a ketogenic diet.

To understand why, proceed reading.

Why Does Salt Make Fasting Easier?

As researcher Ben Bikman explained in his recent volume, virtually Americans have chronically elevated insulin (a.k.a. insulin resistance) from all the processed carbs we eat. High insulin makes us retain a lot of salt and h2o.

As a issue, many of us are accustomed to having high claret pressure. Fifty-fifty though information technology's not normal, that's what our brains and bodies are used to.

When you fast for several hours (or eat a depression carb diet), your insulin goes downwards a niggling fleck.

When you fast for a few days, your insulin goes down a lot, and you pee out significantly more than salt / sodium than yous're used to.

Whoosh.

As your sodium drops, and so does your blood force per unit area. And so you may experience kind of airheaded or fatigued. Or take other symptoms.

Low sodium levels likewise cause your stress hormones (like cortisol and adrenaline) to become up, which can make you experience anxious and have a harder fourth dimension sleeping.

By getting plenty of salt during a prolonged fast, you can prevent these issues.

Salty Drinks You Can Utilise While Fasting

Technically, you lot don't have to drink your salt. You lot could basically just consume information technology.

Only I find some of the salty liquids to exist more than palatable

Basically you want something very high in sodium, but low in carbs, and depression in full calories.

My main go-to is burgoo. That's because it's cheap, readily bachelor, and fits the above criteria perfectly.

For instance, 1 bouillon cube has about 800 mg of sodium, merely only v calories (which is basically negligible).

Just dissolve information technology in some hot water, and voilà.

Another skillful option is veggie broth. The blazon I employ has about 750 mg of sodium per serving, but simply five calories. Then almost exactly the aforementioned as a bouillon cube.

Another quick and easy sodium source is soy sauce. It usually has well-nigh one gram (1,000 mg) per serving, simply just ten or so calories. You can either just splash the soy sauce in your mouth and wash it down with some water, or mix it in with a drink.

Information technology doesn't exactly sense of taste good. But information technology tin boost your sodium in a jiffy.

Sometimes I eat dill pickles too. They likewise have quite a fleck of sodium, merely almost no calories.

Hopefully yous get the idea.

I've done prolonged fasting with and without extra salt, and I experience WAY better when I add common salt.

Here are some salty examples I happened to have on paw:

examples of salty drinks you can use while fasting

I usually try to get at least 2 or three grams (2,000 – 3,000 mg) of sodium per twenty-four hours during a prolonged fast. For most people, that may be plenty to go on your blood pressure in a happier place.

Sometimes I go fifty-fifty higher (like 4 or 5 grams per day).

Since I'thou relatively young and good for you, I don't accept to worry a whole lot about getting also much sodium while I fast. I'll basically pee out whatever backlog after a while, every bit long as I keep drinking water.

It'south a rest though, and then experiment and see what works for you. And accept it boring with any changes you make, then you can see how your body adapts.

You lot probably don't need as much of a salt heave if you're only doing daily time-restricted eating (a.yard.a. intermittent fasting). Simply even so getting a petty extra tin can make y'all feel better.

A Medical Disclaimer Seems Relevant Hither…

If you're suffering from kidney failure, middle failure, or other chronic illnesses, make sure you consult with a qualified medical professional person before you lot start ramping up your sodium intake.

In general, fasting is a totally normal human activeness. But you may demand medical supervision if you're fasting while on prescription medications (especially for diabetes or blood pressure level), or have certain other health challenges. Full disclaimer.

Other Electrolytes Can Also Make Fasting Easier

They're non about every bit important as sodium, merely taking another electrolyte supplements can likewise be helpful.

Mainly this means magnesium, and potassium.

Basically, by getting some extra potassium and magnesium (along with your sodium!), you tin can lower your chances of getting things similar muscle cramps or palpitations that occasionally accompany prolonged fasting.

If you lot have normal kidney function, you don't have to worry too much about the corporeality – you mostly pee out any backlog.

I use some powder supplements that I ordered online, and I take a niggling bit each day when I practise a multi-solar day fast.

magnesium and potassium electrolyte supplements help with fasting

One give-and-take of circumspection nigh magnesium-

In some people, extended fasting can cause loose stools. Taking a lot of magnesium past mouth can as well cause diarrhea. So obviously, that'southward a potential double whammy.

Probably the best forms of magnesium to forbid diarrhea are magnesium glycinate and magnesium bisglycinate. Lately I've been using both of these in powder form, without any problem.

However another manner to go magnesium is to take an Epsom salt bath. The magnesium in the Epsom common salt gets absorbed through your skin, so it doesn't crusade any GI side effects at all.

Are Electrolyte "Combos" a Good Idea?

They might help, but there'southward i primary problem-

Because they're trying to combine sodium, magnesium, potassium, and other minerals all into one supplement, there'southward usually not Well-nigh enough sodium.

Ane affair you could practise would be to employ a combo supplement, but also get some actress salt from other sources.

Think, if you have normal kidney part you probably want at least a couple of grams of sodium per twenty-four hours during an extended fast.

Conclusion

To make fasting as easy and beneficial as possible, there are some drinks you should avoid. That mainly includes sugar, artificial sweeteners, and booze.

Certain other drinks are "okay", and may fifty-fifty accept a small benefit. This includes black coffee, tea, and apple cider vinegar, to name a few.

You tin too use some basic criteria to figure out if whatever other potable is a reasonable choice.

Extended fasting is a lot easier if yous keep your electrolyte levels up. Sodium is BY FAR the most important, but magnesium and potassium can also assistance.

Electrolyte supplementation is less of import during time-restricted eating (a.k.a intermittent fasting), or even ketogenic diets. Simply it's nevertheless worth considering.

Hopefully now you're improve prepared to respond the question, "What can I potable while fasting?"

Lastly, if you found this article helpful, please share it! Don't be selfish. 😉