Intermitted fasting (IF) has been used as a weight loss method for a long time but it made its big break in 2012 after the BBC2 documentary Eat, Fast and Live Longer. It has been one of the most popular health and fitness trends since.

The most like form of IF seems to be the 16:8 method when you fast for 16 hours a day and eat for 8 hours a day, with most breaking their fast around lunch time and ending around 8pm. This schedule can be beneficial for getting good quality sleep too, as researches show that eating 3+ hours before going to bed is optimal for deep and REM sleep.

Many people don’t like having a breakfast so fasting in the morning may not seem to be a challenge, but most of us like having a coffee, tea or some juice to start the day. This often raises the question: what does actually break the fast?

For a fast to be broken you need to ingest, according to the research, anywhere between 25-50 calories. This means you can have a cup of tea or coffee with milk – says the blog of Awesome Supplements. If you do your workout in the morning and you need some energy boost, you can have an electrolyte drink or a pre-workout drink as long you check the packaging or your calorie counter app, and make sure the product and the amount you consume is not over 50 calories.

What about other supplements like vitamin, mineral and omega supplements while fasted? You could take them as they have negligible calories, but it is not optimal. All vitamins and minerals and fatty acids should be taken with a mixed meal like breakfast, lunch, dinner to maximize absorption.