There’s one thing that most Daily Intermittent Fasters agree on: water during the fasting window. It helps regulate you (a problem many fasters have as they eat less food and eat less frequently), helps flush out fat and toxins, and can make you feel full (or at least less “empty”). Some fasting experts recommend half your body weight in ounces of water; others recommend up to 150 ounces of water every 24 hours!

There are four kinds of water you might benefit from: a. Tap, bottled, or filtered water–just your every day water, with or without ice. a.  Mineral water—it has four times as much calcium and magnesium as regular tap water. Can balance your electrolytes/mineral deficiency easily and quickly with mineral water. c. Sparkling water (mineral or not)–it  tricks the “ghrelin gremlins” (grehlin is the hormone that tells you you’re hungry) into thinking you’ve been fed due to the bubbles. d. Caffeinated water–for those who want caffeine to help with hunger.

Cold or hot unflavored, unsweetened, non-caloric beverages help many Daily IF’ers get through their fast. These include coffee, tea, green tea, unflavored, etc.

Some fasters use caffeinated water (again, flavorless) to get their water and their caffeine both in. Others use “caffeine pills” to give them a caffeine boost. Note that neither of these is an “energy drink” that is loaded with sugar, calories, and artificial ingredients.

Himalayan salt contains the same 84 trace minerals and elements that are found in the human body. Some of these include sodium chloride, sulphate, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. When consuming this salt, you are actually getting less sodium intake per serving than regular table salt because it is less refined and the pieces are larger.

You can use this salt in a couple of ways when hunger is challenging, especially in the first few weeks of Daily IF. First of all, you can put some of the tiny, unground chunks under your tongue for immediate balancing. People have reported that dizziness, nausea, and headaches leave immediately when doing this. You may also make a coffee or other drink with the ground pink Himalayan salt and drink that down when you feel weak.

Clean fast advocates say NO calories. They believe that any calories (even fat ones) take the body out of body fat burning because even though they are not carbohydrates, they cause a metabolic response. Some allow a tablespoon of cream or two, saying that compliance of actually fasting for many hours each day is more important than perfection. Others allow fat of any kind, including avocados, oil, butter, cream, and certain nuts. Many of these people drink bullet-proof coffee, ranging in calories from 400 to 1200 per cup!

If there is a chance that your fasting hours aren’t truly fasting hours (because of a little cream), you might want to forgo the cream in the coffee. The biggest thing for me is that I do not want to “drink” 400 calories or more during my fasting window. Calories do eventually catch up with you if you consistently eat more than you burn–and I don’t want to “spend” any of them during my fasting window.

Some believe if it doesn’t have calories, it doesn’t matter. Diet pops, stevia-sweetened lemonade, gum, sugar-free jello, sf mints and hard candy,  etc. Others say it doesn’t have to have calories or carbs to elicit insulin response. Any sweet or fruity taste can do it and is breaking the fast.

Studies have shown that fruity or sweet flavors (even non-caloric) can cause an insulin response. An insulin response can take you out of body fat burning. Who wants to work this hard at fasting, getting into a fat adaptive state, getting your body to truly be a “fasting inferno”–just to take you out of that with a measly sugar-free jello when you’re going to be feasting on planned, enjoyable, health-giving foods in a very short time? Try breath drops that are pure; brush your teeth often (carry a mini toothbrush and toothpaste–it does more than freshen your breath; it can become a “starting ritual” when you begin your fast or a “continuing ritual” when things get tough).

1. Drink Water: Delay, Don’t Deny

2. Drink Caffeinated Drinks: https://plexusworldwide.com/raylreish/product/plexus-accelerator-plus

3. Take Pink Himalayan Salt:  Himalayan Salt Crystals

4. Do or Do Not Use Fat/Cream in Coffee, Bullet-Proof Coffee, etc.:  Appetite Correction

5. Do Not Consume Flavored Drinks/Sugar Free Gum or Mints: Fasting Inferno blog post

IF Fasting Journal here at Donna Reish

Recipes and Tips here at DonnaReish.com

YouTube Channel

IF Journal Podcast at iTunes