If you're using Intermittent Fasting, can you have tea during the fast? And if so, what can you add to your tea while still maintaining your fast? Today, I'm diving into the details of tea and Intermittent Fasting!
Does Tea Break a Fast?
Regardless of if you're following a "true fast" vs. fasting mimicking during your fasting window, plain unsweetened tea will not break a fast. This is true of all types of teas: white, black, green and herbal. Tea, in its unsweetened state, contains nearly zero grams of protein or carbohydrates that would cause an insulin response. One of the main perks of Intermittent Fasting is that it naturally allows insulin levels to dip down, which then turns on the fat burning process called lipolysis.(1) Since tea has zero impact on insulin, it can be used during the fast when unsweetened. The tricky part with tea and fasting comes down to what you're adding into your tea.
Does Tea With Milk Break a Fast?
Milk is a commonly added ingredient to tea. But will this break your fast? The answer depends on how much milk is being used. Half an ounce of whole milk comes in at less than 1 gram of protein and carbohydrates. A good rule of thumb when assessing if a food will break a fast is to stick to less than 1 gram of both protein and carbohydrates. Likely 1 gram of either is still not enough to cause an insulin response, but to err on the side of safety, the 1 gram rule is a good one to stick to. So if you are using a splash of milk in your tea amounting to .5 ounces or less, then this should not break a fast.
What Can You Add To Tea While Fasting?
Since protein and carbohydrates will break a fast, anything that is added to tea needs to be free of both protein and carbohydrates. This leaves us with ingredients that primarily contain fat. Small amounts of heavy whipping cream, half and half or coconut oil are nearly completely made up of fat and therefore are commonly used in tea and coffee during a fast.
You can test out my matcha latte recipe using grass-fed butter and coconut oil to sip on during a fast HERE.
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Your Nutritionist,
Autumn
Autumn Elle Nutrition