COFFEE AND INTERMITTENT FASTING

Intermittent fasting has had a considerable rise in popularity over the past few years. Many are turning to IF to help control their energy intake, lose weight, promote longevity, improve gut health and reduce insulin resistance.

Like any controlled style of diet, intermittent fasting has rules and guidelines to be observed to follow the diet and reap the maximum benefits. While the logistics around reducing your eating window are fairly straightforward, you might be wondering what the recommendations are when it comes to drinking coffee. After all, skipping breakfast is one thing, but for many of us, our morning coffee is non-negotiable.

A lot of the benefits of intermittent fasting come from a process called autophagy, where the body rids itself of damaged cells. To do this, the body needs to be in a starved state - which is where fasting comes into the equation.

Will coffee disrupt this process? Not quite - but don’t reach for your spice pumpkin latte or double mocha frappuccino just yet!

The key to IF is to minimise the number of calories consumed during the fasting window. If you’re adding milk, cream, sugar, or any condiments to your coffee, you’re ingesting a significant amount of calories, meaning that your body is no longer in a fasted state. For most people, however, one cup of coffee shouldn’t cause a large enough change in your metabolic state enough to disrupt the fast.