Fasting has taken the world by storm. It has several health benefits that are hard to lay our hands on in this world where each of us is guilty of overeating, stress eating, or depending on packaged food, thanks to our busy lives.
However, fasting is tough! That’s why people use drinks like black tea and coffee to make it easier for them. Lemon water is another such option which is actually one of the most recommended additions to morning rituals for anyone desiring to lose weight or improve their skin and immunity – even if you are not fasting.
But it is believed that lemon water – as nourishing as it might be – can break a fast. And therefore become an obstacle between you and much better health that comes from fasting.
So, is that true? Does lemon water break your fast? We’ll answer this question and unravel many more secrets of lemon water in this article today!
Can We Drink Lemon Water While Fasting?
The concept of fasting or intermittent fasting is that you don’t consume any calories for a specific period of time. It can be of many types.
You can choose to fast for 16 hours and eat during the remaining 8 hours of the day. Or fast for 20 hours and feed for the remaining 4 (the warrior diet). Some even like to fast straight for days and challenge their limits (monk fast).
Whatever type of fasting you do, it’s essential to avoid any calories that may break your fast during the time period. Thus, depriving you of fasting benefits like ketosis and autophagy.
What can you consume during fasting? Fasting requires you to avoid anything with carbs, fats, and proteins. Basically, avoid any calories if you are looking for optimum health benefits. That’s because any calories can trigger the release of a hormone called insulin. It works to use glucose for energy instead of using fats (ketosis) or unhealthy cells (autophagy).
That’s why only drinking plain water is recommended for the best benefits.
However, some experts allow black tea or coffee without sweetener and no milk or cream. These have little-to-no calories that might reduce the benefits of fasting but do not break a fast.
Coming back to the question! Does lemon water break your fast? Does it contain enough calories to make us lose the benefits? We would say, no!
Lemon water does not breakfast if it’s taken the right way. You must infuse only about a 1/8th of a lemon into water and avoid any sweeteners to enhance the taste.
So, can you drink lemonade while fasting? No. Drinking lemonade can break you fast as it contains sugar which is a sweetener, and it can raise the calorie levels by too much, too fast.
But why only a quarter of a lemon? Read on, and we’ll help you know!
Lemon Water’s Nutrition Value
According to the US Department of Agriculture, 100 ml of lemon-infused water contains:
- 2kcal energy
- 0g proteins
- 0g fats
- 0.63 g carbohydrates
- 0.2g fiber
- 0.21g sugars
- 0mg sodium
That’s 2 calories (1kcal is 1 calorie in nutrition terms), more than a half gram of carbs, and a little sugar.
Drinking this lemon water might break your fast.
But we can bring the number of calories down!
Juice from one wedge of a lemon (1/8th of lemon) contains:
- 5.45g of water
- 1.3 kcals of energy
- 0g of protein
- 0g of fats
- 0.4g of carbs
- 0.018g of fiber
- 0.149g of sugar
Since we want to consume as few calories as possible, it’s best to drink lemon water of only 1/8th of lemon i.e.1.3 calories.
A wedge of lemon also has fewer carbs and sugars.
Pros & Cons Of Lemon Water While Fasting
Now that you know how much lemon juice to use in your lemon water for it to be suitable for fasting, it’s time to see the advantages and disadvantages you can experience.
Benefits of Lemon Water During Fasts
1) It has Vitamin C.
Citrus foods, such as lemons, are high in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from free radical damage.
Antioxidants help raise your immunity, and they help prevent heart attacks and strokes. The citric acid also helps prevent kidney stones, as the acid breaks up any stones present.
2) It helps you stay hydrated.
Not everybody has a habit of drinking 8 glasses of water every day (a concept you should believe with a grain of salt).
Some people don’t feel thirsty enough to make sure of proper hydration. By flavoring your water with lemon, you enhance its taste. This helps drink more water throughout the day.
3) It helps with skin health.
When you drink enough liquids with the help of lemon water, you ensure well hydrated skin. Apart from this, lemons contain vitamin C, which may aid in the reduction of wrinkles, dry skin caused by aging, and sun damage.
4) It helps with weight loss.
Most people try fasting for weight loss benefits. Guess what! Lemon water can add to those. The hydration from lemon water will keep you full for longer, thus helping you crave less unhealthy foods.
Also, lemon’s antioxidants help detoxify your body and work to break down fat by improving metabolism.
Drawbacks of Lemon Water During Fasts
1) Too much lemon water can break your fasts.
As mentioned in a previous section, 100ml of lemon water contains 2 calories. And calories are what you should avoid during fasting.
The more times you drink lemon water, the more calories and carbohydrates you consume. And that can cause your body to leave the state of ketosis or autophagy. Thus, breaking your fast.
2) It can be acidic.
Too much acid is firstly bad for your teeth enamel. Apart from that, it can upset your stomach. Heartburn, acid reflux, and gastroesophageal reflux disease become common when you drink too many glasses of lemon water.
Bottom Line
Now you have your answer to ‘does lemon water in the morning break your fast’. It does not – if taken right!
All you have to take care of is the amount of lemon you use. Plus, ensure no additional ingredients like sweeteners, salt, or anything else are used. Or else they can increase the calories and carbohydrates you consume. And this could break your fast.
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