Fasting Tea: Complete Guide (Updated 2024)

What… on Earth… is fasting tea? It’s probably that this is the hydration hack that you didn’t even know you needed. Fasting is fast (ha!) becoming a favored ritual by people all over the world, due to the myriad of benefits. These teas can help ease the experience, so listen carefully!

In this article we discuss the following:

What is Fasting Tea?

People who fast are usually either taking part in dry or wet fasting (aka water fasting). The former involves no consumption of food or liquids, while the latter allows for only the consumption of water or teas.

This saw an increase in popularity for water fasting teas. Fasting teas are not much different to regular herbal teas, however they are designed to help faster curb cravings and hunger pangs, making the fast itself a little more bearable.

Fitness writer, Scott Graeme, tells us of how during a fast hunger pangs tend to start calling around late afternoon. “When you have any temptations or have hunger before any meal, have some herbal tea. Doing this suppresses the appetite and keeps you going until the actual meal time.”

Intermittent Fasting Tea with Honey

For the lowdown on intermittent fasting teas, we spoke with Dr. Boyer of Farr Institute. “The best fasting tea during intermittent fasting is unsweetened tea as long as it doesn’t contain any cream, sugar, or any other dairy alternative.”

Adding honey to any herbal tea is tempting if the flavor of herbs or fruits is not naturally already appealing to the drinker. But when fasting intermittently, it can be counterproductive to sweeten one’s tea due to the risk of insulin spike.

“Intermittent fasting should help your body to metabolically switch. This means, your body should not use stored fats to deliver energy due to lack of carbohydrates. For the body to switch, it requires 12 hours without calories so that insulin is not produced. Unsweetened tea is perfect for this switching because it doesn’t cause insulin spikes.”

Intermittent Fasting Tea with Milk

In the same breath, Dr. Boyer advises against dairy in teas when intermittent fasting. The goal is to keep the tea as free of calories as possible, and even low fat milks add to this count quite substantially.

For best results, opt for teas free of milk, creamers, and any other dairy alternatives. Dr. Boyer recommends the following teas for intermittent fasting:

– Green Tea
– Black Tea
– Ginger Tea
– Rooibos Tea
– Oolong Tea
– Chamomile Tea

Fasting Tea with Coffee

Understandably, many people still need that caffeine kick during the fasting period. Energy levels can wane through these periods, and if you have things to get done during the day it can help to have a little boost.

Typically a fasting tea diet can be replaced with coffee. It is said that one remains in a fasting state so long as the beverage being consumed stays under 50 calories; so black coffee is totally viable.

Matcha Green Fasting Tea

While coffee is a caffeine injection of note, it comes nowhere near the kick that matcha green tea can provide. Stefan Burns is a fasting expert, and a big advocate for the use of green teas in one’s process.

“Drinking tea while fasting is one way to enhance the effects of the fast. Green tea is the best tea for fasting because it reduces appetite, increases fat oxidation, and heals the digestive system.” Burns goes on to break down the compound of matcha and green teas, stating that in every cup of green tea there exists a unique combination of caffeine (20-75 mg), L-theanine (20-75mg, an amino acid), and plant polyphenols like EGCG (200-500 mg).

“Caffeine and L-theanine work together synergistically to increase fat oxidation and to stabilize mood and energy by increasing alpha 8-12 Hz brainwave activity. Green tea plant polyphenols are potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatories that heal the lining of the digestive system while also exerting their healthful effects throughout the body.”

To put this into layman’s terms, during a fast, green tea consumption reduces appetite, increasing the chance of successfully finishing the length of fast intended. “Green tea fasting upregulates the cellular cleanup and repair mechanism known as autophagy, increases the utilization of body fat for energy, and promotes a calm yet productive headspace.” Says Stefan.

Keto Fasting Tea

Keto fasting tea is another option for those who have more specific dietary requirements. These types of teas can be widely purchased, and one need only look for the keto seal of approval in the title or description.

Herbal Fasting Tea

The majority of fasting teas fall under the herbal category in some way, shape or form. Nutritionist, Jamie Hickey, explains that people need to take the time to figure out which teas respond best to their digestive systems.

“I did a lot of research and testing to find the best fasting teas for my body. I drink it mostly in the morning to cover me until I break my fast at lunch time.” She found the following teas work great for her fasting schedule and bodily responses:

Hibiscus Tea
Rosella
Calendula
Tulsi
Lemon Grass
Spearmint
Chamomile
Stinging Nettle

Best Fasting Tea

Stating a singular tea or product as the best fasting tea would be inaccurate and generally tone deaf. You see, fasting is such a subjective experience for every individual, and there is no way to know how different bodies are going to respond to the process, or what they will need to make it through.

The best fasting tea will be a process of elimination for most individuals. You’ll need to spend a few days switching between different herbal blends, and feeling your way toward the most optimal blend.

That said, there seems to be a widespread consensus that ginger and hibiscus tend to work well with most digestive systems, offering a calming effect to the nervous system of the faster while simultaneously supporting energy levels.

Fasting Tea Brands

We’re now going to deep dive into a few of our favorite fasting tea brands that have taken the market by storm. Note that there are thousands of teas out there that can do the trick, and not all of them are marketed as “fasting teas” per se. At the end of the day, all of these teas are simply clever blends and can easily be replaced by you if you get your hands on the correct herbs.

Yogi Fasting Tea

Was Yogi healthy fasting tea discontinued? Short answer is yes, the Yogi brand sadly did away with their fasting range not long ago, but there is a good chance that this decision will be reversed soon due to popular demand.

That said, Yogi fasting tea is still available through third party retailers who have surplus stock to offer to interested buyers. These include Amazon and eBay.

What does yogi healthy fasting tea do? Well aside from tasting utterly delicious, the Yogi tea was said to help very significantly with hunger pains and general wellness. The combination of herbs is designed to cleanse the system while the fast is underway, which is not something that all teas can offer to the body.

Yogi Fasting Tea Side Effects

Since this is a detox tea, there can be some side effects, especially when using the tea during a fast and the body being so empty. Nausea, bloating and abdominal cramps are not uncommon due to the pressure that the natural caffeine and laxatives put onto the digestive system.

Gas is also to be expected. If you find yourself suffering from these symptoms from a fasting tea then it is probably wise to explore more gentle alternatives.

Yogi Healthy Fasting Tea Nutrition Facts

Yogi’s fasting tea is a generous combination of Garcinia Cambogia with fennel, licorice and red clover, as well as a dose of burdock and dandelion roots.

The Yogi healthy fasting tea calories are therefore nonexistent, with a calorie count of 0 in each tea bag. More than this, the entire nutritional chart for Yogi tea reads 0. No sugar, sodium, cholesterol, carbs or fats whatsoever.

Pique Fasting Tea

Also known as Jason Fung fasting tea (MD and fasting expert), the Pique tea has become a worldwide phenomenon in terms of effectiveness and general enjoyment.

The teas are designed to reduce cravings, and were made to replicate the same teas that monks used centuries ago for their fasting aids.

Pique Matcha Green Fasting Tea

Pique created their matcha tea with the goal of calm in mind. Fasting can cause the body to enter periods of distress in the beginning stages, so a calming tea can be a very effective balancer for this kind of internal chaos.

As for the energetic boost that you’ll get, the matcha really is next level and supersedes anything that a cup of coffee could offer you in a single dose.

Pique Ginger Green Fasting Tea

When breaking a lengthy fast, the body can struggle to digest the meal due to the period of stagnation that the gut has just experienced. Pique’s ginger green tea is designed to aid this process and prevent the eventual stagnation once the meal time finally does arise.

Ginger is a fantastic digestive aid, and will keep the gut at the ready for effective digestion, no matter how long or short the fasting period is. This particular blend is also great for providing jitter-free energy release, due to the presence of natural green tea.

Pique Bergamot Fasting Tea

This is Pique’s take on a classic black tea, and it’s a wonderful blend if this is generally more enjoyable for your tastebuds. Made with superior English black tea, the blend supports the balancing of moods, helping to prevent unwanted swings that could cause detriment to the fasting intention.

You’ll feel calmer moving though your fast with this tea by your side. You need only mix it with some hot water, but it is low enough in calories that a dash of milk or honey won’t necessarily cause a break in your fast.

Fasting Tea Reviews

If you’re not down to sample a ton of different teas to find your match, we recommend turning to the online community for some guidance. By reading the reviews of those who have come before you, you’ll gain more insight into what’s out there and what will probably work best for your particular body functions.

Searching “fasting tea reddit” is a good place to start! Trust us when we say the fasting community is a vocal one, and they’re very quick to report on their experiences and recommendations for other fasters.

Yogi Healthy Fasting Tea Reviews

The reviews for Yogi’s fasting teas are mixed in terms of experience. The majority of customers love the product, claiming that the tea does exactly what it says it’s going to do when it comes to suppressing hunger pains etc.

That said, this tea was widely associated with side effects due to its strong potency, so there are a number of reviews where customers express their experiences of this, and what a pity it is for them considering how energizing and balancing the tea itself is during a fast.

Pique Fasting Tea Reviews

Pique teas have a very different tone to them when it comes down to reviews. Just about everyone has something positive to say about these teas, which is unsurprising considering that they are based off of age-old fasting methods that got monks through weeks and even month spells of fasting.

Pique teas are a solid choice if you’re wanting affordable yet effective teas that are also good for the body.

Fasting Tea Recipe

We find making fasting teas at home particularly exciting, because one can get a little more adventurous with the blends. Spiced teas are uncommon within the fasting world, usually because brands are hesitant to add them to blends for risk of unappealing flavor for their products.

But spices can be a great addition to fasting teas, and can offer the body some much needed sustenance while staying well below the calorie barrier. Here’s a fasting tea to make at home:

3 cups of water
Juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves crushed
3 or 4 pieces of fresh ginger
2 crushed peppercorns
1tsp ground turmeric
1 cinnamon stick

Method:

Peel and cut both the ginger and the lemon into thin slices.
Add them along with all of the spices into a small saucepan over medium heat, and cover with water.
Bring to the boil before turning down to a simmer for five minutes.
Strain and allow to cool to a suitable drinking temperature.
Enjoy!

Where to Buy Fasting Tea

Last but not least, where oh where to buy these fabulous fasting aids? If you’re looking for store-bought options, any supermarket will have herbal options that you can use effectively. They may not be specifically branded as fasting teas, but there is little difference if you brew and consume them correctly.

If you’re looking for more specific fasting tea UK or fasting tea Canada, then we’d recommend using online platforms to source the product of your choosing. This also goes for fasting tea Australia, where these products enjoy a vibrant market full of organic options.

Yogi Healthy Fasting Tea Near Me

Yogi fasting teas are becoming more and more commercially accessible, and you may have seen the brand in your local supermarket time and time again and simply not made the connection.

The great thing about Yogi is that they have a very simple wholesale program that allows retailers to easily bring their product into their inventory. If your local grocery store doesn’t already stock these teas, you can let them know that they exist and should probably look into stocking them for the local community!

Yogi Healthy Fasting Tea at Walmart

Walmart has a variety of Yogi teas to offer fasters, and buying in bulk is not uncommon at this retail space. Walmart has made a point of bringing these teas to shelves cross-country, but if you’re nowhere near a physical store you can also use their online platform to purchase with delivery.

Yogi Healthy Fasting Tea at Target

Similar to Walmart, Target is pro-Yogi and offers them at just about all in-person branches. Their online store is also available for those requiring delivery, and there are great loyalty program benefits for repeat buyers.

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