Can I Put Honey In My Coffee While Fasting? Yes, Here’s Why!

Can I put honey in my coffee while fasting is a very commonly asked question by health fans and coffee lovers that enjoy keeping healthy by regularly fasting.

The use of honey in coffee during a fast is a polemic topic and I weigh in with my own thoughts and 15 years+ of regular fasting experience.

Can you add honey to your coffee while fasting? Heck, can you even drink coffee while fasting?

Keep reading to find out!

Can I Put Honey In My Coffee While Fasting – Can You Drink Coffee While Fasting?

Yes, even though there are some strict fasters that strongly disagree with this statement due to honey containing sugar. I’ll get to that in a moment, first coffee.

Let’s be clear: I have coffee fasted regularly for years and have vast experience, well over a decade, 15 years and counting. The type of coffee that you drink and how you sweeten it matters.

I am sugar-free person, or more accurately, added sugar-free. I don’t add sugar to anything. I didn’t start my coffee fasting this way. It got better and more effective when I ditched sugar and milk.

Strictly speaking, black coffee with nothing added is best as it is sugar-free and calorie free, at most 5 calories depending on the type of black coffee.

It is unlikely to break your fast and, according to HealthLine it may even enhance the benefits of both intermittent fasting and regular full-on fasting due to the effect of the caffeine enhancing your metabolism.

The bottom line, the type of coffee you enjoy and drink matters. Milky drinks like a flat white, macchiato, cappuccinos and lattes are out.

If you must use milk, try just a splash of milk or look for a keto-friendly milk.

Naturally,

The type of sweetener you use matters; ditch the sugar! and replace it with agave, stevia (what I use regularly!) or honey.

About honey in your coffee while fasting: There are many benefits of adding honey to your coffee, and I’ll get to those in the next section. It will kick you out of the keto state, at least only on a temporary basis for a minimum amount of time until you have burned off the sugar, perhaps only an hour or two.

Honey will not kick you out of autophagy, which is one of the biggest benefits of a ketogenic diet.

Yes, in my own opinion and decade plus of fasting, you can add honey to coffee while fasting.

Read: Milk and honey in coffee

Benefits Of Honey During Fasting

There are many benefits of honey while fasting and not only when drinking coffee. If you don’t enjoy it in your brew, a teaspoon or two directly can be consumed.

Honey is natural, fat-free and free of cholesterol, purines, proteins and ballast substances.

Honey during a fast acts as a quick energy boost and even enhances the detoxification process while you are fasting.

Honey provides your body with nutrients in their natural form while you are fasting and contains antioxidants, antimicrobial and antibacterial agents as well as phenolic compounds helping to protect your body from oxidative stress. Due to strengthening and aiding your cardiovascular system it has a positive effect on cholesterol.

Honey has a better glycemic index than white sugar, meaning it is better for your blood sugar level than sugar. It still raises your blood sugar, just slower.

Does Honey Stop Autophagy?

No, honey contains a flavonoid called quercetin which inhibits mTOR signals and proteasomal activity which promotes autophagy. In short, honey is good for autophagy and even enhances its effect.

The flavonoid quercetin helps the zinc content in the honey to get into your cells, making it more effective.

Will Honey Break Ketosis?

Honey contains natural sugar and thus carbohydrates and most certainly has the potential of kicking you out of the keto state.

A Keto diet requires that you limit or have a zero carbohydrate intake. A teaspoon or two in your morning cup of coffee should be fine due to the low amount of carbs in a teaspoon or two of honey, even if it does it will not be for a significant period of time at all.

My own thoughts on this matter are if I am temporarily kicked out of ketosis and I gain in improved autophagy, I’ll take it. The health benefits of enhanced autophagy is the price I’ll pay for being out of Keto state for an hour or two.

Is Organic Honey Keto-Friendly?

To give you the quick answer: no. The long answer is also no.

This doesn’t mean that raw honey or raw organic honey is bad for you, far from it as it is a very healthy substance and forms part of a healthy diet. Honey is high in carbohydrates, which is a healthy and good source of energy if consumed in moderation.

The keto diet requires that you have no or very low amounts of carbohydrates.

Does Honey Water Break Intermittent Fasting?

The sugars in honey are natural sugars and are mainly glucose and fructose which are simple sugars. The long and short of it is that strictly honey is made up of simple sugars that will spike your insulin levels and break a fast.

When intermittent fasting, which I am not a fan of, it is best that you consume nothing other than water between your eating periods.

However,

during a full on fast, be it 3 days, 5 days or week or however long the temporary use of honey in tea, coffee or water has many health benefits including enhanced autophagy that it is worth it to be kicked out of keto state and breaking the fast temporary has great benefits. It’s a small penalty to pay.

Read: Honey in coffee

Can I Put Honey In My Tea While Fasting?

In my opinion, yes, fasting, be it intermittent or prolonged fast over a period of days or weeks does not mean that you have to give up on health benefits of honey or any other low calorie substance that is great for your health.

Even though honey in your tea will spike insulin, there are many other significant health benefits from honey that outweigh the use of the substance in moderation (one or two teaspoons) in your coffee.

That enhanced autophagy is worth it, to get natural vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants will help to maintain my health while fasting.

Frequently Asked Questions About Can I Put Honey In My Coffee While Fasting

Is Honey Allowed During Fasting?

Honey serves as a quick and healthy energy boost when you are fasting and goes a step further in aiding in the detoxification process. It’s a natural food, is fat free and free from cholesterol, protein and has zero ballast substances.

It does have sugar (natural sugar!) and thus much better carbohydrates than sugar. Since honey is sweeter than sugar and this means you will use less of it in your sugar, there is no harm done to your fasting program.

I fast a lot and very frequently. I never go on water only fasts but always coffee fasts. I use coconut oil, honey and cinnamon to get the energy boost benefits. Since it boosts my metabolism I consider it as turbocharging my fast.

Can I Put Lemon In My Coffee While Fasting?

Here is a cool coffee fact! Putting lemon in black coffee brings out the citrus flavors from the beans. This is a great trick to use to make an amazing and super tasty light roast or blonde roast coffee.

Although some experts and purists will tell you that fasting should be done with water only. Based on my own experience and I fast regularly with years of experience, coffee fasting is fine and does not prevent you from getting into the keto state.

Adding lemon will help you with your nutritional profile and has minimal calories, if any! I have a strong preference for adding coconut oil, cinnamon and manuka honey or raw honey to my coffee when fasting.

What Can I Put In My Coffee While Fasting?

The general rule of thumb is to make you coffee to have less than 50 calories total per day when fasting. Since everybody’s body is different and my metabolism is slow, I stick to 30 to 40 calories maximum.

If your metabolism is fast, stick to the 50 calories limit. 50 calories per day in your coffee allows you to have a splash of milk, a dash of honey, coconut oil and cinnamon.

Drinking coffee will not break your fast and may even be advantageous as a healthy coffee can boost your metabolism.

Does Coffee With Milk And Honey Break A Fast?

While purists will swear by their oath or commandment of fasting of “Thou shall only water fast” there is no scientific basis or absolute rock solid evidence that indicates that drinking tea, coffee or milk and honey will break your fast or break your ketogenic state.

As long are you don’t over do it and keep the total calorie intake for your coffee drinks, or coffee milk and honey to a total of less than 50 calories per day, you will be fine. If you go out of keto status, it won’t be for long, and you’ll be quickly back in it an hour or two later!

Can You Have Tea With Honey While Fasting?

Yes, just as you can enjoy coffee and honey while you are fasting you can enjoy tea with honey.

The goal of fasting is to detox your body and get into a Keto state. Healthy drinks that have almost no calories and boost the detoxification process by enhancing your metabolic rate should not be excluded – even though Hitler like fasters that insist that you consume only water blessed by the Dalai Lama or Holy water blessed by the pope and group of monks, it won’t make any difference to the end result.

Just stick to the rule of black coffee or black coffee with a splash of milk and keep within my suggested 50 calories total for the day in your drinks (all drinks!).

What Kind Of Honey Is Best For Fasting?

The best honey to use is raw organic honey or organic Manuka honey. These contain all the enzymes that you need for your body during your fast and contain a host of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phenolic compounds and antibacterial agents.

Does Honey Break Ketosis?

Honey, regardless of which type, contains natural sugars and carbohydrates it has the potential for breaking your ketogenic state.

However,

such a small amount of a teaspoon or two in your morning coffee will not knock you out of ketosis for long. You will likely be back in the Keto state by the time you get to the office!

What Can I Use Instead Of Milk For Coffee While Fasting?

Milk in coffee is fine when you are fasting just as long as you are not drinking liters or gallons of it! You can consider milk alternatives like oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk and soy milk which are lactose free.

Even regular milk is fine in small amounts, just look at the low calories options. The key here is to just use a small amount, a splash in your coffee. Enough to get it how you like and not flood your coffee with milk!

Final Thoughts – Can I Put Honey In My Coffee While Fasting?

That question Can I put honey in my coffee while fasting I have answered in detail and given an informative and balanced as well as educated and experienced answer. Strict “fasting puritans” would say that no, you should not as a fast is fast, and you should consume nothing other than water.

My own point of view is that you should not overlook the beneficial properties of coffee and honey and how it can improve your fast and help to enhance your metabolic rate and improved autophagy. It is my own view that if you can improve your fast and make it better for you and healthier it is something that should be considered.

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location