Tea & Intermittent Fasting

Tea & Intermittent Fasting

Learn about intermittent fasting, a popular weight-loss method, and the role tea can play in its success.
Pumpkin Chai Muffins Recipe Reading Tea & Intermittent Fasting 6 minutes Next National Mad Hatter Day

Have you heard of intermittent fasting? While new weight-loss programs pop up from time to time (that’s an intermittent joke, folks!), intermittent fasting, or IF, is different from other weight-loss methods. Rather than prescribe  what you eat, IF is all about  when you eat.

Fasting is not a new concept. It is a practice that has often been employed for religious reasons or medical ones. And rather than trying to lose weight by just stopping eating altogether, which is unhealthy, intermittent fasting offers a mix of times of fasting and times of eating that work to help a person lose weight in a healthy fashion.

That said: anyone considering embarking on an intermittent fasting weight loss program should consult with their physician to make sure they’re not putting themselves at risk. Harney & Sons is not recommending this or any other weight loss program, because we’re tea experts, not doctors! However, if you have considered intermittent fasting, we’ll let you know if you can still enjoy the greatest beverage known to humanity and not blow your hard work!

clock and strawberries on plates

First, however, some basic IF deets.

Intermittent Fasting Basics

Like we said, IF is all about when you eat and when you don’t. But before you think wow, awesome, I just won’t eat when I sleep and then I’ll eat when I’m awake… hold your scales a minute. It’s a little more structured (and disciplined) than that. There are, however, three popular methods from which to choose, so you can pick the fasting program you’re most comfortable with.

  1. The 16/8 method. The 16/8 represents hours of fasting (16) and hours for eating (8). The idea is that you can eat from 1-9PM (or your preferred range of 8 hours) and then nothing for 16 straight. If you love breakfast, this may not be the program for you as it generally involves skipping that meal, but it tends to be the most popular as it does utilize your sleeping hours as fasting hours.
  2. Eat-Stop-Eat. Before you think this means eat half a pizza, take a 30-minute break, and then eat the other half of the pizza, think again. This method requires 24 straight hours of not eating, at least once or twice a week. That simple.
  3. 5:2. With this method, you eat regularly five days a week. The other two days, rather than a total fast, you reduce your intake to 500-600 calories per day, which represents roughly 25% of normal daily caloric intake.

Whichever method is chosen, it’s important not to go hog-wild and binge like crazy during the eating periods of time. That undoes all the hard work of fasting and will not bring about the desired results.

So, why does this style of eating/not eating produce results? There is science behind the effects that fasting has on your body, which include:

  • Increasing the levels of growth hormone in your body, which can have a positive effect on fat loss and increased muscle.
  • A drop in insulin levels, which allows for greater access to stored body fat.
  • Autophagy. After a longer period of fasting, cells begin a repair process known as autophagy. This is the body’s way of recycling damaged or unnecessary cellular components. In other words, it gets rid of cellular junk.

While there are known weight-loss benefits to fasting, studies are still being done to understand its other possible benefits to our health.

So, the big question is: when you’re fasting, can you have tea?

friends drinking tea outside

Yes, You Can Have Tea

During the fasting periods, having non-caloric beverages is permitted. They are particularly helpful in helping you have a feeling of fullness, staying hydrated, and being a distraction from not eating. While any non-caloric beverage is fine, for obvious reasons we’re going to talk about how tea can be your intermittent fasting buddy.

It can help you feel satisfied. Reaching for your favorite tea while resisting the desire to eat can bring a feeling of familiarity and comfort. Keep those stress hormones at bay (they can cause you to hang onto weight or eat off-schedule) and your fasting regimen intact with a cup of your go-to tea. A fan favorite like  Hot Cinnamon Spice is a perfect way to feel like you’re getting something sweet without having any sugar. A hearty cup of  Matcha Iri Genmaicha can feel like you’re cheating and having a cup of soup. Or a cup of  Green Tea with Coconut, with its caffeine and strong aroma, can help push you through a moment of weakness and give you the energy to forge ahead.

tea cup and sachet

It’s an opportunity to introduce another healthy habit. While you’re working hard to lose weight, why not introduce yourself to some teas that are made with ingredients that contribute to the overall healthy lifestyle you’re embracing. Our  Wellness Teas & Infusions Collection features teas  all-natural hemp teas from our sister company, The Hemp Division; teas that make you go “ohm” from  the Chopra Center; teas filled with powerful antioxidants, adaptogens, spices and much more to make you feel fulfilled from our  Mind Your Body collection; and our  herbal infusions and tisanes for those late-night times when reaching for a decaf tea instead of cookies is the better choice. They’re all perfect supplements to an intermittent fasting regimen.

It’s a great time to treat yourself. While you may be denying yourself the pleasure of eating whenever you want, why not treat yourself to trying a new tea every day or during every fasting period? We offer a wide variety of sampler sets, like four tins of our best sellers, a wooden tea chest with an assortment of teas, or our  master tea taster collection containing an assortment of classic teas along with professional-level tea tasting tools and Mike Harney’s A Guide to Tea for fascinating insights into the tea industry and tips for making the perfect cups of tea. Not only will this set introduce you to new teas, it will give your mind something else to focus on besides that empTEA feeling in your stomach!

If you’re embarking on the intermittent fasting weight-loss plan, we hope these tea tips will help you achieve your goals. We wish you luck and encourage you to be safe and stay healthy! Once ready, check out this intermittent fasting calculator from Fitness Volt.

7 comments

Kristen

I have been an extended faster for a long time and I recently found the hot cinnamon spice and it’s a game changer- it makes me feel like I’m cheating 😂
Thank you for making awesome tea!

I have been an extended faster for a long time and I recently found the hot cinnamon spice and it’s a game changer- it makes me feel like I’m cheating 😂
Thank you for making awesome tea!

Hannah

Will the Harney and sons Paris yea break your fast or are there zero calories in it?

Will the Harney and sons Paris yea break your fast or are there zero calories in it?

Katina Basey

This tea is absolutely wonderfully Amazingingly delightful❤️❤️❤️❤️ I received as a gift from my meditation partner and they use this tea exclusively! I fell in Love with the Hot Cinnamon Spice flavor….Harney and Sons all I can say is your tea has untouchable elegance and class👍🏾❤️

This tea is absolutely wonderfully Amazingingly delightful❤️❤️❤️❤️ I received as a gift from my meditation partner and they use this tea exclusively! I fell in Love with the Hot Cinnamon Spice flavor….Harney and Sons all I can say is your tea has untouchable elegance and class👍🏾❤️

Colleen

I started intermittent fasting a little over a month ago. I am a coffee wimp. I cannot stand drinking it without a fair amount of non-dairy creamer which equals calories. A dear friend sent me a gift of the Paris tea and I absolutely love it. It is wonderful in the morning to hydrate and stay “full” until my fasting period is over. I’ve also purchased Tower of London, Earl Grey Supreme, Vienna and Hot Cinnamon Spice. All are perfect for helping me stay true to my fast and the pounds are shedding. I don’t miss my coffee at all and now consider myself a tea addict. I can’t wait to try more flavors. I’m so glad I found Harney & Sons.

I started intermittent fasting a little over a month ago. I am a coffee wimp. I cannot stand drinking it without a fair amount of non-dairy creamer which equals calories. A dear friend sent me a gift of the Paris tea and I absolutely love it. It is wonderful in the morning to hydrate and stay “full” until my fasting period is over. I’ve also purchased Tower of London, Earl Grey Supreme, Vienna and Hot Cinnamon Spice. All are perfect for helping me stay true to my fast and the pounds are shedding. I don’t miss my coffee at all and now consider myself a tea addict. I can’t wait to try more flavors. I’m so glad I found Harney & Sons.

Michelle Marcus

I lost 40 pounds in a little over 3 months and am still losing, with intermittent fasting. If it weren’t for Harney tea in the morning, I’m not sure I’d have made it. However, I will now have to try the suggestions in this article, as I don’t have those teas. Thanks!

I lost 40 pounds in a little over 3 months and am still losing, with intermittent fasting. If it weren’t for Harney tea in the morning, I’m not sure I’d have made it. However, I will now have to try the suggestions in this article, as I don’t have those teas. Thanks!

Lisa Lent

Truly appreciate the information. Harney tea provides depth that most teas simply do not offer as well as very reasonable prices!

Truly appreciate the information. Harney tea provides depth that most teas simply do not offer as well as very reasonable prices!

Lisa Townes

I have been doing IF for a year now and your teas are definitely a part of my 16-8 plan. Hot Cinnamon Spice is my every morning tea, with Paris, Tower of London and Black Currant for backup. I really enjoyed the iced teas this summer. Thanks for your quick shipping even during the pandemic to keep me in tea.

I have been doing IF for a year now and your teas are definitely a part of my 16-8 plan. Hot Cinnamon Spice is my every morning tea, with Paris, Tower of London and Black Currant for backup. I really enjoyed the iced teas this summer. Thanks for your quick shipping even during the pandemic to keep me in tea.

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