Are you tired of feeling left out while all your friends indulge in all sorts of delicious eating and drinking while you're fasting?
Do you watch the clock fastidiously until your next feed, wishing the hours away?
Well, we've got good news for you!
Those feed-less hours full of hunger pangs need not be so painful.
Once again, tea is here to save the day!
And you won't destroy all your hard work in the process.
Here's why...
First of all, let's establish what intermittent fasting is.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
The intermittent fasting method is an eating pattern that involves alternating periods of fasting and eating. No food or beverages, other than water*, are consumed during the fasting period, with a zero caloric intake. During the eating period, a normal calorie intake is resumed. There are numerous methods of intermittent fasting, including alternate-day fasting, and the 16/8 method, where you fast for 16 hours and eat only during the 8-hour window of time.
What are the Benefits of Intermittent Fasting?
An intermittent fasting plan can have numerous health benefits, including weight loss, improved concentration and brain health, reduced inflammation and oxidative stress, improved cell repair, reduced insulin resistance and improved insulin levels, improved heart health and blood sugar levels, reduced risk of cancer, it may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and increase longevity.
*Yes, You Can Drink Tea While Intermittent Fasting!
Once again, tea drinkers come out as winners in this life!
Drinking tea will not break your fast and ruin your health goals. In fact, it will probably enhance it!
But be careful, because not all teas are created equal, and some can ruin your fast.
Let's take a closer look at some tea types and how they can affect your fasting.
Real Tea
For this section, "real tea" refers to green tea, oolong tea, black tea, white tea (this is NOT tea with milk!), pu-erh tea, and yellow tea - nothing else added.
It's the tea that is processed purely from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant.
Real tea is a gift sent down from heaven to reward tea drinkers for their faithfulness to self-care, the book-reading industry, and the improvement of family and humanity.
Real tea, with nothing else added, can be consumed in copious quantities while having no impact on your fast.
It will even enhance the above-listed health benefits.
Here are some teas we recommend while intermittent fasting:
1. Moonlight White Tea | 2. Tielka Breakfast Black Tea | 3. Jade Mist Green Tea
Herbal Infusions
Herbal infusions include any plant, other than the camellia sinensis plant, which can be infused in hot water and enjoyed as a beverage.
Popular herbal infusions include peppermint, lemon ginger, chamomile, lavender, and so on.
Herbal infusions are great for expanding the minds of real tea drinkers who cannot consume real tea in the evening, due to a pesky caffeine sensitivity.
Herbal infusions are also safe for consumption during the fasting window, provided nothing else is added.
We recommend these herbal infusions for intermittent fasting:
1. Eucalyptus & Calendula | 2. Lavender Moon | 3. Limonada Rosa
Chai
Chai is a delicious spicey black tea drink brewed with milk and honey.
Unfortunately, with the addition of milk and honey, this drink cannot be consumed during the fasting period of intermittent fasting.
Milk and honey are both a source of calories, and activate the digestion process when consumed, which immediately ceases the fasting process.
You can enjoy chai during your regular eating window. Here's how you can make chai latte concentrate at home.
Here are some chai blends that still taste good without milk or sugar to help you maintain your fast:
1. South Cloud Chai | 2. Persian Mint Chai | 3. Cacao and Chilli Chai
Bubble Tea
Bubble tea is a delicious milky Taiwanese tea-based drink that typically includes chewy tapioca balls, sugar syrup, and sometimes fruit.
Unfortunately, with the addition of fruit, tapioca balls, milk, and sugar, this drink cannot be part of a fast, as it is basically a small meal.
It will, however, delight your Gen Z family member, which comes with its own benefits, and can be safely consumed during the eating window of your fast.
For increased safety, you may wish to prepare an extra serving of bubble tea for the above Gen Z family member. Here's how you can make bubble tea at home.
Here's the best tea to use with bubble tea.
Tea with Milk and Sugar
You cannot drink tea with milk and sugar while you are fasting. Not even a splash of milk is allowed!
Yes, it's disappointing, but life is full of disappointments.
Fortunately, life is also full of tea.
And that makes up for every disappointment in this life.
Note: you can also drink black coffee while fasting, but why anyone would want to drink a cup of coffee, or specifically, black coffee when tea is available is beyond the comprehension of the author of this article. Diet soda water is another sub-standard fasting beverage option.