Sippin' Coffee and Intermittent Fasting—What’s the Deal? - Rushcutters Health
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Sippin’ Coffee and Intermittent Fasting—What’s the Deal?

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Sippin’ Coffee and Intermittent Fasting—What’s the Deal?

Alright, listen up, coffee lovers! If you’re part of that whopping 50% of Aussies who enjoy coffee (according to Coffee Hero, coffee is a big part of the Australian culture. But what if you’re also on the intermittent fasting train? Can you keep up your coffee habit while fasting? Buckle up, ’cause we’re diving into the deets!

So, here’s the scoop on why folks jump on the intermittent fasting bandwagon: it could help with things like blood pressure, liver fat, cholesterol, and of course, weight loss. Trust Dietician Australia on this.

Now, when you cut back on calories, your body thinks it’s party time for your fat cells. They reluctantly release stored glucose to keep you fueled up. Repeat this a few times, and voila, you might just drop some pounds.

But hold your horses, fasting all the time isn’t the way to go. Going into full-on starvation mode could put the brakes on your metabolism and cancel out the perks over time. “We’re not 100% sure what’s up with humans during fasting compared to just cutting calories,” says nutrition whiz Barbie Boules. The cool results so far? Mostly in rats, not us humans.

Coffee fiend? Don’t freak out just yet. Keep reading to see how your caffeine fix can play nice with your intermittent fasting game.

Coffee and Fasting BFFs?

The plain truth: a cup of black coffee won’t ruin your fasting groove. It’s basically a non-calorie, non-fat MVP. But once you start loading it up with all the creamy, sugary stuff, your fast might get a bit wobbly. Your unicorn Frappuccino? Sorry, pal, not during fasting hours.

Black coffee? About 2 to 5 calories per cup. Add cream, sugar, or any other flavor wizardry, and you’re looking at 16 to almost 100 extra calories. Keep it black if you want your body to use up stored glucose in those fat cells.

But uh-oh, milk or cream in your cup? That’s the fasting fun police, says Roxana Ehsani, a Miami-based nutrition guru.

Stick to decaf or regular coffee, espresso, and Americano (minus milk or cream). Instant coffee’s cool too. Hot or iced, you’re golden. Sorry, fancy lattes, you’re out.

P.S. If you’re hoping to use coffee to shut your tummy up during fasting, hold your horses. Caffeine might jolt your metabolism temporarily, but if you’re already the coffee sheriff, the effect’s pretty meh.

Coffee: Intermittent Fasting’s Wingman?

Can your cup of joe team up with intermittent fasting to give you a turbo boost? Drumroll, please… We’re still in the dark. No proof it’s a game-changer, no proof it’s a dud. So, experts just shrug and say, “who knows?”

Here’s the scoop: black coffee revs you up a smidge, boosting metabolism by like 3-4%. Yawn. Peak excitement? 90 minutes after sipping. But fasting kind of slows your metabolism down. So, yeah, coffee’s not exactly the superhero here.

But hey, your caffeine affair might have other perks, like a happy brain and lowering the risk of stuff like heart issues and diabetes. Not bad, right?

What’s Coffee Got to Do With Fasting?

Rule of thumb for coffee additives: zero calories. Keri Gans, author of The Small Change Diet, says “try and enjoy it black.” But hey, if black’s not your jam, you’re not alone.

Add these to your coffee without breaking the fast, says Scott Keatley, the nutrition dude:

  • A sprinkle of cinnamon
  • A dash of nutmeg
  • A smidge of cocoa
  • Low-calorie sweeteners like Splenda

But sorry, fancy stuff like collagen powder or MCT oil? Nope, too many calories. Milk or almond milk? Too much of a good thing.

Thirsty in the Fasting Zone?

Hydration time! Water’s a given, but you can zing it up with a splash of lemon or fruit essence (just not the real thing). And guess what? Unsweetened tea is a fasting-friendly pal too. Zero calories, baby.

But steer clear of fruit juices, green juices, and smoothies. Even though they look light, they pack enough calories to crash your fasting party.

So, there you have it. Coffee and fasting: not enemies, but not exactly BFFs either. Keep it light, keep it simple, and keep rocking your fasting goals!