Have you found yourself researching different intermittent fasting schedules and browsing through various fasting products recently? If so, you might be interested in trying a fast for the first time. If you’ve never fasted before, however, you may need to learn more about what does and does not technically break a fast before embarking on your new health effort. Although it may seem fairly clear-cut that eating normally would break your fast, smaller amounts of foods, certain drinks and different types of supplements can sometimes fall into gray areas. If you’re not sure what would break your upcoming fast, here’s everything you need to know before you get started.

Significant Quantities of Food or Other Calorie Sources Can Break Your Fast

Have you ever thought to yourself, does a mint break a fast? If so, you may want to learn more about what amount of food or calories can interrupt your fasting period. Although mints and other low-calorie foods may not have much or any effect on your fast, any significant quantity of solid food or source of calories can end up breaking your fast and reducing the likelihood of seeing results from it. This means that, during your fast, you may want to stay away from:

Most solid foods
Any foods that cause you to go over your desired daily calorie limit
Sugary and sweetened beverages, including designer coffee drinks, milkshakes, sweet tea and soda

Many Liquids and Supplements Could Become Part of Your Fasting Routine

Fortunately, most low-calorie liquids and supplements can safely be worked into your fasting routine. This is especially important if you plan to embark on a longer-lasting fast, such as a 72 hour fast, to help ensure you stay hydrated and well-nourished. Some options to consider consuming during your fast include:

Hot water with fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Hot herbal tea
Tap or sparkling water with no-calorie flavoring added
Multivitamin pills
Targeted nutritional supplements as recommended by your health professional

Your Fasting Choices Depend on Your Personal Needs and Requirements

Finally, keep in mind that although certain foods may generally be acceptable for a fast, you should ultimately base your decisions around your personal health needs and dietary requirements. Your fasting choices may depend on:

Whether you have any underlying health problems or conditions of concern
Whether you feel comfortable with longer fasting periods
Your level of tolerance for discomfort and temporary hunger pangs
The amount of weight you hope to lose via your fasting efforts
Your desired time frame to achieve your goal weight loss
Your everyday lifestyle and how often you are able to work fasting into your daily schedule

Knowing what can potentially break a fast and interfere with your health or weight loss efforts before you begin fasting can be an enormously helpful tool. If you’ve recently discovered the concept of intermittent fasting and are interested in giving it a try, you can reread this thorough guide before getting started to avoid accidentally breaking your fast with certain foods, drinks or supplements. Keeping these rules of thumb in mind can help you enjoy a truly successful fasting period.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.