Staying hydrated on one meal a day is important because with less food the number of minerals and electrolytes goes down. In this article, I will explain everything there is to know about what to drink on OMAD.
In general, you can drink as much water and calorie-free beverages as you want. Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated helps to replace calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium that should normally be consumed from the food.
This also means controlling the consumption of diuretic drinks because they can affect the fluid and electrolyte balance.
Can I Drink Water During OMAD?
In general, you can drink water during OMAD because it will help you maintain your energy levels, help with digestion and prevent thirst. One of the most common things people do when they are thirsty is to eat, so staying hydrated will prevent unnecessary eating.
How much water to drink on OMAD? You should be drinking close to 3L of water on OMAD, which should be around half of your body weight in ounces. People who are physically active lose more water through the skin, bowel, and respiration, so they should be drinking more.
According to Dr. Arend-Jan Meinders from the University of Amsterdam, the recommended amount for water is as follows:
- 3000ml for men
- 2200 ml for women
He also states that there are no convincing health benefits from drinking more than that (source).
Do You Need Electrolytes On OMAD?
You need electrolytes on OMAD because with less food your body needs to get all of the minerals from the water. Electrolytes are essential minerals that all play a key role in the body. We lose a good portion of electrolytes with sweat and urine so we must replace them on a daily basis.
Normally, when you have three meals a day, your body gets enough variety for all the minerals and electrolytes. They can be found in most of the commonly used foods. However, when you do intermittent fasting, now you only have one meal a day.
Here are some of the main electrolytes, and the foods sources:
- calcium (milk, cheese, leafy greens)
- magnesium (spinach, nuts, wholegrain bread)
- phosphorus (daily, meat, fish, brown rice, bread)
- potassium (bananas, broccoli, beans, beef, fish)
- sodium (salt, cheese, animal products, cereals)
The most abundant source of electrolytes is water. However, depending on where you live, the amount of electrolytes will vary.
In the study done by Arik Azoulay from McGill University in Montreal, they compared North American tap and bottled water with European bottled water (source).
Here is the summary for some of the North American cities for tap water.
| City | Calcium | Magnesium | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 2 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 3 mg/L |
| New York | 21 mg/L | 4 mg/L | 18 mg/L |
| Philadelphia | 39 mg/L | 13 mg/L | 33 mg/L |
| Columbus | 36 mg/L | 8 mg/L | 51 mg/L |
| Denver | 28 mg/L | 7 mg/L | 21 mg/L |
| Detroit | 26 mg/L | 7 mg/L | 5 mg/L |
| San Diego | 66 mg/L | 27 mg/L | 92 mg/L |
| Houston | 21 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 38 mg/L |
| Indianapolis | 64 mg/L | 25 mg/L | 20 mg/L |
| Los Angeles | 21 mg/L | 5 mg/L | 37 mg/L |
On average, drinking 2 L of tap water per day from North American cities will deliver around:
- 8% to 16% of the daily recommended intake of calcium
- 6% to 23% of the daily recommended intake of magnesium
- less than 5% of the daily recommended intake of sodium
What about bottled water?
| Brand | Calcium | Magnesium | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Springs | 3 mg/L | 96 mg/L | 5 mg/L |
| Black Mountain | 25 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 8 mg/L |
| Carolina Mountain | 6 mg/L | 0 mg/L | 5 mg/L |
| Crystal Geyser Alpine | 0 mg/L | 6 mg/L | 13 mg/L |
| Mount Olympus | 8 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 3 mg/L |
| Mountain Valley | 68 mg/L | 8 mg/L | 3 mg/L |
| Poland Spring | 0 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 3 mg/L |
| Pure Hawaiian | 0 mg/L | 0 mg/L | 0 mg/L |
| Canada Geese | 282 mg/L | 10 mg/L | 36 mg/L |
| Mendocino | 310 mg/L | 130 mg/L | 240 mg/L |
So as you can see, some of them looks no different than a tap water, and some looks significantly higher.
Now just to compare let’s see how many minerals you can expect to get from some of the European water bottles.
Here is the list for mineral content for European bottled waters:
| Brand | Calcium | Magnesium | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aproz, Switzerland | 454 mg/L | 67 mg/L | 8 mg/L |
| Badoit, France | 200 mg/L | 100 mg/L | 160 mg/L |
| Crodo Valle d’oro, Italy | 510 mg/L | 51 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Fachingen, Germany | 113 mg/L | 62 mg/L | 500 mg/L |
| Ferrarelle, Italy | 408 mg/L | 23 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Gerolsteiner, Germany | 364 mg/L | 113 mg/L | 129 mg/L |
| Vittel Hépar, France | 575 mg/L | 118 mg/L | 13 mg/L |
| Passugger, Switzerland | 286 mg/L | 24 mg/L | 46 mg/L |
| Robacher, Germany | 256 mg/L | 128 mg/L | 40 mg/L |
| Valser, Switzerland | 436 mg/L | 51 mg/L | 11 mg/L |
On average, drinking 1 L of bottle water per day from European cities will deliver around:
- 20% to 58% of the daily recommended intake of calcium
- 16% to 41% of the daily recommended intake of magnesium
- up to 47% of the daily recommended intake of sodium
Some selected bottled water brands can reach the daily recommended intake for all calcium, magnesium, and sodium within just 1 L.
As you can see, huge difference.
This shows that depending on where you live and where you getting your water from will have a massive impact on your electrolyte content, especially when you’re doing intermittent fasting.
What Drinks Are Allowed On OMAD?
In general, all drinks are allowed on OMAD, as long as you have them in your eating window. During the fasting window, only zero-calorie beverages and water is allowed. However, this can be adjusted down to personal preferences.
This means if you feel like having a drink that has calories like a glass of lemon water or coconut water, bear in mind that your body is metabolically flexible. It will take those calories, and use them within the first couple of hours. After that, you’re already back into ketosis.
Can I drink juice on OMAD? In general, you can drink juice on OMAD, as long as you drink in around your eating window. Fruit juice is typically made of a concentrate that has a lot of sugar. Home-made juices are a better option because they have less sugar and more fiber.
Can I drink energy drinks on OMAD? You can drink energy drinks on OMAD, as long as they are calorie-free. Zero-calorie energy drinks contain a lot of vitamins, minerals, caffeine, and taurine, which can help you maintain energy levels and suppress your appetite.
Alcohol On OMAD
In general, you can drink alcohol on OMAD, however this can slow down your progress and pause the results. In the process when body eliminates alcohol from the body, it stops the fat burning and starts to utilize Acetyl-CoA as a source of energy.
This basically means that alcohol doesn’t cause weight gain. It just stops the fat burning process. So this is not something you need on intermittent fasting.
Can I drink beer during OMAD? You can drink beer on OMAD, as long as you have it together with your meal. Drinking beer during fasting time can lead to higher cravings and make you more hungry. Beer is also a diuretic, so it can lead to excessive urination and loss of electrolytes.
Can I drink wine on OMAD? As a general rule, you can drink a glass of wine on OMAD as long as you have it together with your meal. One glass of wine doesn’t have much impact on the diet, but it can help to relax and calm the body at the end of the day.
If your goal is OMAD is to have one meal a day but eat and drink whatever you want that is absolutely fine. However, if your goal is to learn the skills, improve hunger tolerance and put those tools in place once you finish with OMAD in the future, then I recommend staying away from alcohol.
In case you want to know more about how exactly this process works, I’ve put together a simple guide on OMAD and alcohol, which I recommend your read.
Coffee On OMAD
You can drink coffee of OMAD because not only it contains a lot of water but also caffeine is an appetite suppressant. However, drinking too much coffee later on during the day can interfere with your circadian rhythms and affect sleep quality.
Also remember that not every coffee is created equal. Some coffees from popular cafe shops can contain as much as 400-500 kcal. As you can imagine, two of those, together with your one meal a day and you’re already in the calorie surplus.
It all depends on how much sugar, cream, or milk you’re adding. Also, types of cream will make a difference too because of their calorie content.
Luckily, I’ve written a whole article where I compare all the different types of coffees that you can or can’t drink on OMAD.
Diet Coke On OMAD
In general, you can drink diet coke on OMAD because it doesn’t have any calories. Having a calorie-free beverage can help you get through the day and suppress some of the cravings. However, a large amounts can lead to increase in cravings.
This is a big difference between drinking one to two cans of cold diet soda in the middle of the day, and drinking a gallon of it. Studies shown that diet soda do not have sugar, but they contain artificial sweeteners that can actually trigger the brain to feel more hungry.
Can I drink soda on OMAD? Generally, you can drink regular soda on OMAD, as long as it’s within the eating window. Drinking calorie beverages during the fasting window can stop the ketosis process and switch the body back to burning sugar instead of body fat for energy.
I’ve written a full article about how this process works, which I suggest you read.
Coconut Water On OMAD
In general, you shouldn’t drink coconut water on OMAD because it does have 4-5 grams of sugar per 100ml. Typical coconut water from the supermarket is sold in 500 – 800ml bottles, which gives you 20-50 grams of sugar.
That is a lot of calories just from water. Of course, if you feel like sharing a freshly chopped coconut with someone, go for it. Bu those coconut water bottles and can do have a lot of sugar inside.
However, at the end of the day, its all about what makes you more consistent. If you feel like you can maintain your day on OMAD much easier when you have a glass or pint of fresh coconut water then do it.
Can I drink lemon water during OMAD? You can drink lemon water on OMAD because half of the squeezed lemon has around 6 calories. The best way to add some flavor to your water is to squeeze the whole lemon into the big jug of water. This will dilute calories and maintain the fresh taste.
For your curiosity, I’ve written a whole article about coconut water, coconut milk and OMAD.
Tea On OMAD
You can drink tea on OMAD because tea has many bioactive phytochemicals that are effective in suppressing appetite and hunger pangs. Some teas also contain alkaloids like nicotine, which also reduces appetite and increases satiety.
Can I drink green tea on OMAD? You can drink green tea on OMAD because green tea has several polyphenolic compounds called catechins, which impact the sympathetic nervous system. It also increases energy expenditure and promotes the oxidation of fat.
A study done by Tia M Rains, Ph.D. showed that 270 to 1200 mg per day of green tea extract was enough to trigger weight loss (source).
Can I drink tea with milk on OMAD? You can drink tea with milk on OMAD, however, you minimize the amount of milk to few drops. Having a single serving of milk in your tea won’t make any difference in a calorie deficit, but it can help you with cravings and hunger pangs.
But you need to be careful how much milk you’re adding because milk does have some calories. Adding a few drops of milk to your tea is no big deal, comparing to drinking full glass or two.
Can I drink milk on OMAD? In general, you can drink milk on OMAD, as long as you drink it during the feeding window, together with the main meal. Low-fat milk contains 42 calories per 100ml so the full glass will have around 100 calories.
Conclusion
On the OMAD diet, you can drink almost everything, as long as it doesn’t have much calories. This include water, green tea, zero-calorie beverages, and homemade chicken broth. Those types of drinks won’t affect your results and will help you with consistency.
They are proven to temporarily reduce cravings which can lead to better compliance with one meal a day.