If you're following Intermittent Fasting, you're not stuck to plain old water during the fast. In fact, there are 10 things you can add to water that won't break your fast. This helps to provide flexibility with your Intermittent Fast and make your experience a lot more enjoyable.
Let's dive into the list.
Fresh Mint
Fresh mint can be a natural appetite suppressant, so if you struggle with cravings during your fast, this can be a great solution. Plus, mint adds a bright freshness to your water and helps to flavor it up a bit. It also contains zero grams of carbs and zero grams of protein so it won't break a fast. Click below for my full article on what breaks a fast.
You can use mint in your water two ways:
Add mint straight into your water.
Or boil some water and make a mint tea. This is a great option at the end of the day when your fast has started and your sugar cravings might have kicked in.
Psssst... curious how long YOUR Intermittent Fast should be? Take my FREE Intermittent Fasting Schedule Quiz by clicking the button below!
Cucumber
The devil is in the details with this one because it really depends on how much cucumber you're using. Up to 1/8th of a cucumber added to your water won't break the "one gram rule" and therefore won't break your fast. Just be sure not to "chew" the cucumber, otherwise this can stimulate digestion and break your fast. Just add cucumber slices to your water for the "spa water" flavor.
Salt
Salt contains zero grams of protein or carbs so it won't break a fast. Salt also helps to provide electrolytes that are often lost during the fast. Win, win! You can use a high quality salt like Celtic Sea Salt or Redmonds Real Salt. Or if you like a bit of flavor in your water, you can also try my favorite electrolyte replacement called LMNT.
You can checkout LMNT HERE.
Lemon
You can feel free to add lemon to your water, you'll just want to keep an eye on the amount. About 1/4 lemon is perfect to make sure it won't break your fast (this keeps it under the one gram rule). However, lemon also has been found to have blood sugar stabilizing benefits, so you can likely be a bit more flexible with this one.(1)
Ginger
Ginger is a great tool to use during the fast because it helps to stimulate the gut cleaning process called the Migrating Motor Complex. This helps to flush out left behind food and bacteria that could normally cause bloating. Aim for up to a tablespoon of freshly sliced ginger in your tea or water.
Bubbles
Aka sparkling water. Add a little somethin' somethin' to your water by adding some bubbles! I use a Sodastream for DIY sparkling water, but you can also buy unflavored sparkling water and sip on it throughout your fast.
THIS is the SodaStream I use for DIY sparkling water.
Chia Seeds
This one is very iffy and very borderline, but it's worth mentioning. At up to 1 teaspoon, you can actually add chia seeds to your water without it breaking your fast. This is due to the amount of carbs/protein/fat in chia seeds at this small amount (reference THIS blog post for more information on the One Gram Rule). Just remember not to chew the chia seeds, otherwise this could stimulate digestion and break a fast.
Tea + Coffee
This might already be obvious to you, but you can turn your water into coffee or tea ~ which can be much more exciting than water ;) Just make sure you know what's safe to add to your coffee/tea and what isn't with THIS blog post.
Apple Cider Vinegar
This is something we use in the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle as a fantastic way to ease from a fasted to a "fed" state. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been found to have blood sugar stabilizing perks, which can make it a useful tool to double down on Intermittent Fasting perks.(2) Just remember to dilute it with water. I opt for about 1 tablespoon of ACV diluted in 6-12 ounces of water.
Most Supplements
This isn't necessarily something you'll add into your water, but typically most people take supplements with their water. As long as the supplement does not need to be taken with food, doesn't contain any protein or sugar and isn't a "gummy" vitamin, then it likely will not break a fast.
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❤️ Autumn
Autumn Elle Nutrition