Can celery juice break Intermittent Fasting?

Introduction

Intermittent fasting has become an increasingly popular way to lose weight, improve health, and simplify meal planning. Many proponents of intermittent fasting follow the 16:8 method, where you fast for 16 hours per day and eat all of your calories within an 8-hour window. During the fasting period, some people allow themselves to consume calorie-free drinks like water, black coffee, and tea. But what about celery juice? As a nutritious, low-calorie beverage, it would seem like an ideal option for intermittent fasting. However, there is some debate over whether the natural sugars and other nutrients in celery juice are enough to break your fast. This article will take a closer look at the celery juice and intermittent fasting debate.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that involves cycling between periods of fasting and eating. It has gained popularity over the past decade as a way to lose weight, improve metabolic health, and simplify meal planning. Here are some key points about intermittent fasting:

• There are several different IF protocols, but the most common is the 16:8 method, where you fast for 16 hours per day and limit eating to an 8-hour window.
• During the fasting period, you can consume zero-calorie beverages like water, black coffee, and tea.
• The 16-hour fast provides your body the chance to burn through glucose stores and shift into fat burning mode.
• IF may aid weight loss by decreasing overall calorie intake due to the reduced eating window.
• Studies show IF may improve markers of metabolic health like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar control.

The potential benefits of IF depend on following the fasting protocol consistently and avoiding any foods or caloric beverages that would break your fast.

What is Celery Juice?

Celery juice is simply juice extracted from celery stalks. It has grown in popularity thanks to claims that drinking it on an empty stomach can improve digestion, decrease bloating, fight inflammation, and provide antioxidants. Here are some key facts about celery juice:

• To make it, you run celery stalks through a juicer and drink the extracted juice.
• It takes about 1 pound of celery to make 12-16 ounces of juice.
• Celery juice is low in calories, with only around 10-15 calories per 8 oz serving.
• It contains some important nutrients and compounds like vitamin K, potassium, antioxidants, and apigenin.
• Drinking it involves consuming higher doses of these nutrients than you would get from eating whole celery.
• Proponents say consuming celery juice on an empty stomach maximizes nutrient absorption.

With its low calorie count and nutrient content, celery juice on paper appears to be an ideal beverage for intermittent fasting. But does it truly keep your fast?

Does Celery Juice Break Your Fast?

Whether or not celery juice breaks your fast depends on your fasting goals and definitions. Here are some key considerations:

It Contains Minimal Calories

At only around 10-15 calories per 8 oz serving, celery juice is very low in calories. Consuming such a small amount of calories is unlikely to trigger insulin production or provide your body with meaningful energy. So in terms of calorie intake, celery juice appears to align with fasting.

It Has Natural Sugars

Even though it’s low in calories, celery juice does contain some natural sugars. An 8 oz serving has 1-2 grams of sugar from sources like glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Some intermittent fasting experts argue that even small amounts of sugar can trigger insulin and metabolism, breaking your fasted state.

It Provides Compounds That May Be Absorbed

Beyond calories and sugars, celery juice provides beneficial compounds like antioxidants and enzymes. While small, some people argue the presence of these nutrients means your body needs to produce digestive secretions to absorb them, therefore breaking your fast.

It May Spike Insulin In Some

Research has found that certain foods may impact insulin levels differently from person to person. For example, artificial sweeteners may spike insulin in some people even without calories or carbs. So even a tiny amount of sugar in celery juice could potentially impact insulin for some.

It Depends On Your Fasting Goals

Ultimately, whether celery juice breaks your fast comes down to your reasons and goals for fasting. If your main priority is low calorie intake, it likely won’t hurt. But if you’re aiming for a true metabolic fast with zero insulin response, even small amounts of sugar and nutrients could be enough to switch your body out of the fasted state.

Proposed Guidelines for Celery Juice and Fasting

Given the nuances around celery juice and intermittent fasting, here are some proposed guidelines:

Consume It Toward the End of Your Fast

If you want to drink celery juice, consume it toward the end of your fasting period as you approach the eating window. This ensures you’ve already fasted for 15+ hours before consuming.

Keep Servings Small

Stick to a maximum of 16 oz celery juice, which provides around 15 calories. Larger amounts may begin crossing into metabolic fuel territory.

Don’t Rely on It for Nutrition

View celery juice as an optional low-calorie beverage, not as a source of vitamins and minerals. You want true fasting, not intermittent juice fasting.

Consider Avoiding Other Sugars

To be extra cautious, avoid other sources of sugar like stevia and erythritol during your fast. The natural sugars in celery juice alone may impact insulin response.

Listen to Your Body

Pay attention to how you feel after drinking celery juice mid-fast. If you feel hungrier, have cravings, or get shaky, it may be enough to switch you out of the fasted state.

The Bottom Line

Here is a summary of the key points around celery juice and intermittent fasting:

• Celery juice is very low in calories (10-15 calories per 8 oz), suggesting it shouldn’t break your fast.
• However, it does contain a small amount of natural sugars, which could potentially impact insulin levels.
• Compounds like nutrients and enzymes may also require digestive secretions for absorption.
• Effects likely vary person to person based on insulin sensitivity.
• Consuming celery juice toward the end of your fast and keeping servings small minimizes risks.
• Pay attention to how celery juice makes you feel when fasting.
• Avoid relying on it for nutrition during fasting periods.

While celery juice is unlikely to provide meaningful calories or nutrition during a fast, there is no consensus if its sugars and compounds kick you out of a fasted state metabolically. Having it in moderation toward the end of your fasting window appears to be the safest bet if you want to enjoy it while fasting. But remember to listen to your body above all when determining if something breaks your fast.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will celery juice with lemon break my fast?

Lemon juice contains calories and sugars similar to celery juice, so it may also have the potential to minimally impact your fasted state if consumed in a large amount. Having a small amount of lemon in your celery juice is unlikely to make a major difference, but for strict fasters avoid adding it.

What about green juice or celery smoothies?

Green juices and smoothies often contain fruit and additional ingredients that would provide far more calories and sugars than straight celery juice. Consuming these would definitely break your fast.

Can I have celery juice while fasting for autophagy benefits?

Some early research suggests compounds from celery may actually enhance autophagy. However, autophagy fasting requires zero calories, so celery juice would still risk altering your metabolic state. More research is needed on celery compounds and autophagy.

Will celery juice stop ketosis?

It’s unlikely the small amount of sugars in celery juice would knock you out of ketosis, especially if consumed toward the end of your fasting window. But it could potentially slow down the initial transition into ketosis depending on your metabolic state and sensitivity.

Can I drink celery juice while fasting for weight loss?

Yes, celery juice is very unlikely to impact your weight loss goals during intermittent fasting. The low calorie content means it won’t add any meaningful energy intake within your eating window.

The Takeaway

Celery juice appears to be a low-calorie beverage choice generally aligned with intermittent fasting goals. However, its sugars and nutrient compounds may technically break your fasted state metabolically in purists’ eyes. Drinking small amounts toward the end of your fasting period minimizes any risks. Pay attention to your body’s signals when determining if specific beverages work for your fasting regimen. At the end of the day, making intermittent fasting flexible and sustainable with beverages you enjoy leads to better adherence and results over the long-term.