Hello and welcome to the intermittent fasting gems with Jen podcast.

I'm your host Jen, a middle aged Michigan mama, wife and teacher who

in 2021 stumbled upon this crazy cool thing called intermittent fasting.

And before I knew it, I'd lost 46 pounds in four months and

gained an incredible lifestyle filled with complete food freedom.

If you're hungry for unique, no nonsense fasting tips that actually

work, you're in the right place.

So whether you're walking the dog, folding that last load of laundry, or

cruising to your nine to five, let's start fasting our way to freedom together.

In this September bonus episode, I'm going to share with you 15

sneaky things that actually could be accidentally breaking your fast and

interfering with your intermittent fasting health and weight loss goals.

So a few episodes ago, we talked about the importance of not spiking

insulin levels and keeping our fast squeaky clean during our fasting hours.

So let's dive in and address 15 shocking things that might not be

quite as harmless as they seem.

Things that quite possibly could be drastically slowing

down your fasting progress.

Number one on the list is chewing gum.

Chewing gum might seem harmless, but it can surprisingly break your fast due to

its impact on digestion and metabolism.

And while gum itself might not have a significant amount of calories,

the act of chewing stimulates digestive enzymes and it signals to

your body that food is is incoming.

This can lead to the release of insulin, even in the absence of calories from gum.

And some chewing gum contains artificial sweeteners that can

raise blood sugar levels, further disrupting the fasting state.

Next on the list, and this is a big one, is diet soda, or Pop, as we call

it here in Michigan, surprisingly, even seemingly innocent choices like diet

Coke can potentially break your fast.

So despite being calorie free diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners

that can trigger an insulin response.

And this insulin response, although not directly related to caloric

intake, can disrupt the fasting state.

Again, by signaling to the body to prepare for incoming calories.

Plus, the artificial sweeteners in diet soda can alter the gut microbiome

and metabolic processes, which has the potential to affect the intended

benefits of intermittent fasting.

Number three on the list, NyQuil and other medications.

Did you know that NyQuil and similar off brands contain a whopping 93

calories, 19 grams of carbs, and 13 grams of sugar in a 2 tablespoon

serving, or the size of that little plastic shot glass that they give you?

Heck yeah, that is going to break your fast.

Let's just say I found this out the hard way.

Now, prescription medications are a little bit trickier.

So if possible, trying to take your medications during your eating

window is always a great strategy.

However, I do realize that.

It doesn't always work out for everyone.

Number four, gummy vitamins.

Most gummy vitamins contain calories from sugars or sweeteners used

to make them taste appealing.

And when you eat these gummies, your body recognizes the presence of sugars,

and it starts to release insulin right away to manage the incoming glucose.

This insulin response can disrupt the fasting state by signaling again to

your body to transition from a fasting mode to an active metabolic state.

So, if It's definitely best to take your gummy vitamins during your eating window

when insulin responses are less likely to interfere with your fasting goals.

Number five, bone broth.

So, while bone broth is often considered a very healthy beverage,

it can actually disrupt fasting.

the fasted state due to its nutritional content.

And even though it is low in calories, bone broth contains

protein which can trigger an insulin response when it's consumed.

Save the bone broth for breaking your fast since it is one of the absolute

best foods that you can break your fast with to help heal your gut after a fast.

Number six is a splash of almond milk.

Many people think it's no big deal to just add a splash of this to their

morning coffee, but even though almond milk is relatively low in calories,

it does contain small amounts of carbohydrates and proteins and minerals.

When you consume even a small quantity of almond milk, your body detects

these nutrients and it then responds by releasing insulin to manage

the incoming sugars and proteins.

Number seven, breath mints.

Surprisingly, using breath mints is another sneaky accidental fast breaker

because they often contain artificial sweeteners or sugars that can trigger

an insulin response when they come into contact with your taste buds.

So the best thing is to consume mints of any kind during your eating window only.

And if you're worried about fasting, bad breath, which can be a problem,

um, when you're doing intermittent fasting, try drinking green tea since

it contains properties that naturally help to fight bad breath and Green tea

is one of the four safe clean fasting drinks that won't break your fast.

Number eight Just like NyQuil, you need to be careful with cough drops.

Cough drops often contain sugars, syrups, artificial sweeteners, um, things like

that to provide relief and flavor.

Even though a single cough drop might have relatively few calories,

the sweeteners can trigger you.

that insulin response when they interact with your taste receptors.

So again, try the best that you can to use cough drops during your eating period,

number nine, just a splash of creamer.

Creamers, even sugar free and low calorie ones, will typically break

your fast, even in small amounts.

So to be safe, Keep it clean by just drinking your coffee black.

Finding a good quality coffee can make all the difference and it will

help you forget about, feeling like you need that creamer in your coffee.

My husband and I love buying the, um, Starbucks brand

medium roast breakfast blend.

, it's what we, brew up every morning.

It's so good.

And if you are struggling, maybe you're at the beginning of your

intermittent fasting journey, trying to get used to that black coffee.

If you're struggling with that, you should try the Alton Brown trick.

So the Alton Brown trick involves adding a pinch of salt to the coffee grounds,

um, before brewing, or you can sprinkle it in after, But what this does is it helps

to reduce the bitterness and enhance the coffee's flavor, making it more enjoyable

to drink without needing the creamer.

Number 10 on the list, flavored electrolyte drinks.

Despite their intended rehydration benefits, flavored electrolyte drinks can

potentially hinder your fasting progress.

These beverages often contain Again, added sugars, flavorings, and sometimes

even calories, which can trigger an insulin response when they're consumed.

And while electrolytes are definitely important for maintaining hydration

during fasting, it's best to choose electrolyte options without insulin.

The added flavors or sweeteners during fasting periods.

My favorite fasting friendly, unflavored electrolyte supplement

is definitely Element LMNT.

I have a whole blog post on why I love it so much and how it is

so helpful, um, especially when you're getting started with fasting.

I will leave the link to that post in the show notes below in

case you want to check it out.

Number 11, Mayo and other water enhancers.

So similar to the flavored electrolyte supplements and drinks, these products

typically contain artificial sweeteners, flavors, and often even colors.

So just play it safe and save them for drinking during your eating window.

Number 12, this one here is a controversial one.

And that is lemon in your water.

Surprisingly, even something as innocent as a squeeze of lemon in your water

can potentially break the fasted state.

So, while lemon itself seems like it have enough calories to make a difference,

the acidity of lemon water can stimulate digestive enzymes and potentially trigger

that insulin response when it interacts with taste receptors in the mouth.

Many people have different thoughts and opinions on this one, but I

feel like the best way to ensure the integrity of your fasting window is

to keep the lemon out during your fasting window and just save the lemon

for, um, your eating window instead.

My own mom is a prime example of this.

So after I had lost 46 pounds with intermittent fasting, my 71

year old mom came to me for help.

She wanted to lose some weight, get healthier too.

So she began intermittent fasting and lost about 24 pounds

in just a few short months.

However, after her initial success, she suddenly hit a rather long lasting

weight loss plateau and she started to become frustrated like most people

do when they hit a weight loss plateau.

So together we brainstormed about her eating pattern and her

intermittent fasting schedule and what she was doing there.

And then during that conversation, she mentioned that she drank

black coffee, green tea, and plain lemon water all day long.

So at that point, I instantly had a light bulb moment and I explained

to her that The glass of water with lemon might be triggering a spike in

insulin levels that could possibly be holding her body back from burning

as much fat as it possibly could be.

And I kid you not, she immediately stopped squeezing lemon slices into her water

during her fasting hours and guess what?

Within about four weeks, fat burning resumed and she dropped

another six pounds, putting her at her initial goal weight.

Coincidence?

Maybe, maybe not.

All right.

Number 13 the list is ginger and flavored teas.

Another slightly controversy.

That is a tough word to say.

Another slightly controversial one.

Flavored teas like peppermint and ginger tea might not be your best options.

This is because they could it.

unknowingly disrupt your hard work and your fasting efforts.

So despite having very few calories, some varieties of tea may contain

added flavorings or natural compounds that can stimulate taste receptors.

So try to stick to unflavored green and black herbal tea

during your fasting window.

Number 14 is zero calorie flavored water like LaCroix.

And while they are zero calories and they seem harmless, they actually are not.

And that's because flavored water can signal to your body to

prepare for incoming nutrients, therefore breaking your fast.

These zero calorie flavored waters are a really good example of dirty fasting,

which I discussed in an earlier episode.

I love flavored sparkling water, but I just make sure that I save

the flavored ones, which I think coconut's my favorite right now.

Oh, it's so good.

But I just make sure I save the flavored ones for my eating window and strictly

stick to the plain unflavored ones.

During my fasting time.

And finally, number 15 on the list is apple cider vinegar.

If you have listened to previous episodes of this podcast, you know that I am a

huge, and I mean, huge fan of apple cider vinegar, and this one is extremely easy.

controversial when it comes to whether it breaks your fast or not.

Some say yes, some say no.

I say yes, I believe it does.

So I don't drink it during my fasting hours.

However, I use it as the very first thing I drink to break my fast with because I do

believe it's Just seriously that awesome.

All right, there you have it 15 little stinkers that might be creeping in and

accidentally breaking your fast and quite possibly Slowing down or disrupting your

intermittent fasting hard work weight loss and health goals So during your

fasting hours keep things plain Simple and clean and beware of chewing gum Diet

soda, NyQuil and other medications, gummy vitamins, bone broth, almond milk, breath

mints, cough drops, a splash of creamer, flavored electrolyte drinks, mayo, lemon

water, flavored teas like peppermint and ginger, zero calorie flavored water, and

last but not least, apple cider vinegar.

You do not want to miss the next episode of Intermittent Fasting

Gems with Jen, which will be released on the 20th of this month.

In this upcoming episode, I'll give you four of the best tips as well as my fat

burning coconut oil fat bomb recipe to help you fast easier and fast longer.

So you can ultimately lose more weight, make it a super duper incredible day.

Hey, thank you so much for choosing to spend part of your day listening

to this episode of the intermittent fasting gems with Jen podcast.

If you think these tips could help a friend or a family member, please

consider sharing this episode with them.

And if you really enjoyed the show, taking a minute or two to leave a positive review

Would be so appreciated tune in for new 15 to 25 minute episodes released on

the 10th, 20th, and 30th of each month episodes will feature solo shows filled

with IF hacks that have worked for me, as well as episodes where I get to chat with.

fun folks of all ages who've experienced incredible success

with intermittent fasting.

If you have questions or want more unique intermittent fasting health

and weight loss tips, tricks, and recipes, please visit my website

and blog at sowhatifwithjen.

com.

Finally, we'd love to welcome you into our free intermittent fasting program.

Fasting Facebook support group.

So what if with Jen?

Find all of these links in the show notes below.

And as always, I hope you spend your day loving without fear and

laughing until your cheeks hurt.