Koffie tijdens het intermittent fasting
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Drinking coffee while fasting

Stefan Wateler
Stefan Wateler

The purpose of fasting is, of course, that you do not consume solid food for a certain period of time with the aim of cleansing your body and mind. Drinking coffee while fasting can improve that process.

 

Benefit of fasting

 

When your body has not eaten for 12/13 hours, you automatically have to deal with maximum fat burning, improved cognitive functions, more growth hormones, low blood sugar, better muscle growth and recycling of white blood cells. The phase of your body where you burn fat for energy is called ketosis. When your body is in ketosis, you can drink some liquids without breaking down. The main thing is that you do not take in carbohydrates and therefore no sugar. This means that fruit juices are not effective for drinking while fasting. You can drink black coffee without disturbing yourself

 

This sounds like music to the ears for many, but there is more to it. After 20 hours of fasting, a process called Autophagy starts. Autophagy, or self-digestion, is a term that simply means that weak, diseased or mutated cells are used to extract fat, oxygen and water. When these cells are broken down, a healthy and young cell takes their place. It is a natural process that according to many studies can cure diseases and with long-term Intermittent Fasting or regular prolonged fasting results in an optimal and healthy body without weak cells.

 

What is happening in your body?

 

Your body contains a protein called FoxO. FoxO helps to bring about this self-digestion process. So what we look for during fasting is FoxO activation. Fasting causes our body to experience a kind of stress. One response to this stress is the activation of the sirtuins. Sirtuïnes are a group of proteins that boost your metabolism considerably, according to researchers. They help you burn fat and maintain muscle tissue. The sirtuins in our body are like serial entrepreneurs who open small shops all over the body and start running. This leads to the FoxO activation we look for during fasting.

 

Coffee while fasting

 

Now, new research shows that caffeine also stimulates the same FoxO. This would mean that drinking coffee while fasting enhances the health benefits of the fast. Coffee along with fasting extends life expectancy, so you have more time to achieve your goals. So even more reason to drink coffee while fasting. Enjoy it!