Matcha during intermittent fasting – yes or no?
What is intermittent fasting?
First, we'll answer this question. Intermittent Fasting (IF) is an eating pattern in which you alternate between periods of fasting (not eating) and periods of eating. It's not so much about what you eat, but rather about when you eat. You limit your calorie intake to a specific time window of the day or certain days of the week. The rest of the time, you eat little or nothing. It's one of the most popular diet and lifestyle trends today.
There are different forms of IF :
- The 16/8 method
You fast for 16 hours a day and eat within an 8-hour window. For example, you eat between 12:00 and 20:00, and fast from 20:00 to 12:00 the next day.
- The 5:2 diet
You eat normally for 5 days, and on 2 days you eat only 500–600 kcal.
- OMAD (One Meal A Day)
You eat only one large meal per day and fast for the other 23 hours.
- Alternate Day Fasting
You eat normally one day and fast the next day, or just eat a small meal.
Why would you do this?
The health benefits attributed to IF include boosting fat burning, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing calorie intake, and enhancing focus. But what if you want to combine the benefits of fasting with your love of matcha? Does matcha break your fast? Is it possible to reap the benefits of matcha without sacrificing the benefits of your fast? What can you expect when you add matcha to your daily fasting ritual?
What is matcha anyway?
Before we discuss the combination of IF and matcha, we'll briefly explain what matcha is. Matcha is tea leaves ground into a powder. It's packed with antioxidants, caffeine, and amino acids, which help improve concentration and promote health. Unlike regular green tea, with matcha, you consume the entire tea leaf. For more detailed information, please see Blog 1.
Now the answer to the question this blog is about: drinking matcha during intermittent fasting: yes or no?
Good news: it fits perfectly into an IF routine. It won't break your fast. During fasting, you don't want to disrupt the benefits of your fasting window. This means you generally shouldn't consume calories that raise blood sugar levels. Drinking water, black coffee, and tea (without sugar or milk) is generally allowed, as these are calorie-free and won't disrupt your fast. But what happens when you add matcha to your routine?
- Matcha is low in calories: a traditional matcha contains less than 3 kcal, as long as you don't add milk or sugar. Perfect during your fasting period.
- Matcha suppresses hunger: L-theanine and caffeine help you stay alert and can suppress your appetite slightly.
- Fat-burning boost: As discussed above, matcha boosts your metabolism. This is a great addition during fasting to maximize fat burning.
During intermittent fasting, you can drink matcha at various times, for example, in the morning for focus and energy, before your workout, or in the afternoon when you're feeling hungry but can't eat yet. Another option is to drink matcha just before your eating window opens. This can help you break your fast smoothly and ease the transition back to eating. If you're sensitive to caffeine or have a strong reaction to caffeine on an empty stomach, it's best to wait until after your eating window.
Common health benefits of intermittent fasting and matcha
- Fat burning : During intermittent fasting, the body begins burning fat for energy because its glucose stores are depleted. The caffeine in matcha increases metabolism and can stimulate fat burning.
- Hormonal changes: With intermittent fasting, insulin production decreases, which helps burn fat and promotes weight loss.
- Autophagy: During intermittent fasting, the body initiates the process of cell repair and removes old or damaged cells, contributing to the rejuvenation process. Matcha contains many antioxidants that neutralize free radicals in the body.
- Focus: Both intermittent fasting and matcha can bring you into a heightened state of focus.
- Calories: Both can contribute to calorie intake. Intermittent fasting limits your calorie intake, and drinking matcha helps suppress hunger and can even provide some satiety thanks to the caffeine and amino acids.
However, matcha offers even more health benefits. Read more about this in Blog 4.
Yes, matcha can be an excellent addition during intermittent fasting—as long as you drink it pure (water + matcha) and your body responds well. It can be considered a supportive drink for fasting, as long as you consume it without milk or sugar. Do choose ceremonial matcha : it's of higher quality and contains the most nutrients, meaning you'll reap more health benefits.
Want to take your intermittent fasting to the next level? Add matcha to your routine for extra focus and fat burning.
For more detailed information on intermittent fasting, visit https://www.eatstopeat.com