Does Chewing Tobacco Break Your Fast While Intermittent Fasting?

Does Chewing Tobacco Break Your Fast?

Intermittent fasting has become an increasingly popular diet and lifestyle choice. By cycling between periods of fasting and eating, intermittent fasting aims to help people lose weight, improve health, and simplify their eating schedule. But one question that often comes up is whether things like chewing tobacco, vaping, or consuming calories in general breaks your fast during the fasting window. Let's take a closer look at whether chewing tobacco breaks your fast.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting involves alternating between periods of fasting and eating. It does not specify which foods you should eat, but rather when you should eat them. One of the most popular intermittent fasting schedules is the 16/8 method. This involves fasting for 16 hours per day and restricting food intake to an 8 hour window.

For example, if you finish dinner by 8pm, you would skip breakfast the next morning and not eat again until noon. This would give you a 16 hour fasting window between your last meal at 8pm and your first meal at noon the following day. The 16 hours of fasting is thought to provide health benefits like weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and cellular repair.

What Breaks a Fast While Intermittent Fasting?

During the fasting period, the general rule is that you can consume zero-calorie beverages like water, coffee, and tea. You can also have calorie-free flavorings like lemon juice. Essentially, anything that contains calories breaks the fast. This includes food, high-calorie beverages, and even chewing gum with sugar.

Consuming calories triggers digestive processes in the body that intermittent fasting is aiming to avoid. So whether it's chewing tobacco or eating a meal, anything with calories will break your fast.

Does Chewing Tobacco Break Your Fast?

Chewing tobacco definitely contains calories. According to the USDA, one pouch or pinch of chewing tobacco contains around 13 calories on average. The calories come from nicotine, oils, and tobacco particles that you consume when chewing.

So yes, chewing tobacco would break your fast while intermittent fasting. Consuming those 13 or so calories switches your body from a fasted state into a fed state. It triggers your digestive system to start breaking down the tobacco and absorbing nicotine and other compounds.

Other Effects of Chewing Tobacco on Fasting

Aside from breaking your fast by consuming calories, chewing tobacco may also have other effects that counter the goals of fasting:

• It spikes insulin - The nicotine in tobacco can cause a release of insulin. This takes your body out of the fasted state.
• It increases appetite - Tobacco use can increase appetite, making fasting more difficult.
• It's addictive - Chewing tobacco contains nicotine, which is highly addictive and makes relying on willpower for fasting more challenging.

For these reasons, many people avoid tobacco while intermittent fasting. But what if you are addicted and struggling to quit?

Tips for Managing Tobacco Addiction While Fasting

Here are some tips if you are hooked on chewing tobacco but want to be successful with intermittent fasting:

• Try nicotine replacement - Nicotine gum, lozenges, or patches can help satisfy cravings without spiking insulin or breaking your fast.
• Schedule your fast around your chewing - If you chew first thing in the morning, for example, consider starting your fast at noon so you can maintain your habit.
• Cut back gradually - Slowly reducing your tobacco use will make abstaining during the fast easier.
• Allow yourself a cheat window - Choose a period where you allow yourself to chew, like during your eating window.
• Seek support - Counseling, nicotine anonymous meetings, or an accountability partner can help.

Additionally, be sure to talk to your doctor before making major changes to tobacco use while fasting. Drastically cutting back may require tapering off slowly to avoid severe withdrawal effects.

Healthier Ways to Do Intermittent Fasting

Ideally, it's best to avoid tobacco entirely while fasting. Nicotine addiction makes fasting harder by fueling cravings. Tobacco use also undermines some benefits of fasting like lowering insulin and reducing appetite.

Here are some tips for getting the most out of intermittent fasting:

• Drink water - Stay hydrated with water, sparkling water, or unsweetened tea or coffee.
• Control hunger - Eat more protein and fiber when it's your eating window to feel fuller for longer.
• Stay busy - Distract yourself from food cravings by working, exercising, or running errands.
• Avoid triggers - Stay away from tobacco products as well as vaping, gum, or diet soda.

The bottom line is that any significant intake of calories, including chewing tobacco, should be avoided during your fasting periods. Water, black coffee, and willpower get you through until it's time for your next meal.

Kicking the Chewing Tobacco Habit

Chewing tobacco is an addictive habit because of the nicotine it contains. This stimulant can make intermittent fasting more challenging. So quitting the chewing tobacco habit has benefits beyond just adhering to your fasting schedule.

Here are some tips that may help you succeed in quitting chewing tobacco:

Understand Your Addiction

The first step is to accept that you are addicted to the nicotine in tobacco. This is a physical dependence, not just a habit. Knowing it's an addiction makes it easier not to beat yourself up if struggling to quit.

Make a Firm Decision

You have to fully commit to wanting to quit chewing tobacco for good. Half-hearted efforts are unlikely to succeed. Write down your reasons for quitting and review them when you feel tempted to chew.

Pick a Quit Date

Choose a quit date about two to four weeks out from when you want to stop chewing. This gives you time to prepare. Tell friends and family your quit date so they can support you.

Remove Triggers

Get rid of all chewing tobacco products once your quit date arrives. Also avoid triggers like alcohol, other smokers, or stressful situations during the initial withdrawal period.

Try Nicotine Replacement

Nicotine gum, patches, sprays, and lozenges help you get your nicotine fix and make withdrawal symptoms more tolerable.

Seek Support

Get counseling, join a support group, or talk to your doctor about medications to ease cravings. Having a support system makes it much easier to get through the withdrawal period.

Learn to Cope With Cravings

When you get an urge to chew, take slow deep breaths, drink water, go for a walk, chew gum, or call a support person. The craving will pass within a few minutes using coping strategies.

Take It One Day at a Time

Quitting chewing tobacco is tough, especially in the beginning. Focus on getting through one day without chewing. Then get through the next day, and so on. Each tobacco-free day is a victory.

With commitment, preparation, support, and coping strategies, you can break the chewing tobacco addiction. The improvement in your health and sense of accomplishment will make the effort well worth it.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.