intermittent fasting (IF) and herbal tea question

[TheJoshen]

I've been doing a fairly gentle IF routine for about a week now (14 hours from 8pm to 10am) and it seems to be having a positive effect on my BG levels.

So far I've been super strict during that time frame and not having a single calorie; just water and a few sips of black tea or coffee

However, I really hate the taste of black tea and coffee but I really need (want..) something first thing in the morning. The ritual of making a hot drink first thing really helps me get going and when winter hits it will be even more important for me to start the day with a hot drink (I'm a postie and I wake at 4:45am)

So I was thinking of trying a herbal tea instead. I have one called Super Fruit from Tea Pigs and I really like it but it says 1 cup is 3 calories.

Some advice I've read about IF says that even a single calorie will ruin the fast, but other places say a few calories is okay.. do any of you guys have a view on this?

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I've been doing a fairly gentle IF routine for about a week now (14 hours from 8pm to 10am) and it seems to be having a positive effect on my BG levels.

So far I've been super strict during that time frame and not having a single calorie; just water and a few sips of black tea or coffee

However, I really hate the taste of black tea and coffee but I really need (want..) something first thing in the morning. The ritual of making a hot drink first thing really helps me get going and when winter hits it will be even more important for me to start the day with a hot drink (I'm a postie and I wake at 4:45am)

So I was thinking of trying a herbal tea instead. I have one called Super Fruit from Tea Pigs and I really like it but it says 1 cup is 3 calories.

Some advice I've read about IF says that even a single calorie will ruin the fast, but other places say a few calories is okay.. do any of you guys have a view on this?

Google Bulletproof Coffee, that might be useful. There's nothing against a dash of proper cream in your tea. (Better than milk). Remember, it's not the calories, it's the carbs that are problematic. And when it comes to bagged tea, "Natural Flavouring" usually means sugar. It's so little they don't have to mention it, but if you cut open a bag and see little white granules, that's sugar. Just a wee bit, so I'm not all that bothered when I'm out and about and can't be more picky than choosing between the fabulous Earl and Rooibos, but at home I've switched to loose leaf teas, as they don't usually have sugar in.

 

[bulkbiker]

I have coffee with double cream as part of my daily routine.. at least 3 mugs every morning 30 ml of cream in total.
So far as I know that still counts as fasting and has worked for me for the past 4 and a bit years.

 

[Goonergal]

Similar to @bulkbiker a hot drink - tea in my case - with cream works just fine during a fast.

If you don’t want to ingest any calories, you could try green tea or plain hot water.

 

[VashtiB]

another who has coffee with cream in the morning and don't consider that breaking the fast.

 

[LaoDan]

Coffee and coconut oil here.