Starvation? Well yes, but just part-time

Part of my lifestyle for the past year has been Intermittent Fasting (IF). There are a number of different types of IF, my preference is 16:8 ... going 16 hours between the last meal of the day and the first meal of the next and doing all food consumption in an 8-hour window. I also try and do a 24-hour fast once a week as well.

“To eat when you are sick, is to feed your illness”. - Hippocrates

While fasting can be a very effective means of losing weight, I have found it to be an "easy" way to maintain my present weight and a great aid in improving not only my blood glucose control but insulin sensitivity as well. My last A1c was the lowest in the 8 years since my diabetes diagnosis. There is also evidence that fasting may reduce triglycerides and LDL cholesterol (worked for me), reduce inflammation markers, facilitate cellular repair and lower blood pressure.

“The best of all medicines is resting and fasting”. - Ben Franklin

Going prolonged periods of time without eating may seem unsafe for a type 2 since we, as diabetics, are usually told to eat 3 meals and 2 - 3 snacks a day ... advice that I just find counter-intuitive since every time you eat your pancreas releases insulin which not only facilitates the cellular absorption of the glucose that is circulating in our blood (a good thing) but, it also prompts our body to store nutrients such as fatty acids making weight loss more difficult or actually promoting weight gain (a bad thing). Additionally, going extended periods without eating signals our body to start burning fat after a period of as few as 12 hours ... and that is a very good thing.

 "Periodic fasting can help clear up the mind and strengthen the body and the spirit." ~Ezra Taft Benson

...and if you are asking, don't you get hungry? I can honestly answer, no. In fact, I almost always have to remind myself that it is time to eat. Part of that comes from the fasting. As I mentioned above, less circulating insulin less appetite ... and eating low carb  (<75 carbs a day) also lowers insulin release ... plus as you reduce body fat you produce less leptin (the so-called "hunger hormone" that is produced by fat cells).

"I fast for greater physical and mental efficiency.' ~ Plato

Note for diabetics ... Test your blood glucose levels every 3-4 hours while fasting, particularly when starting out to check that you aren't "going low". If you are prone to hypoglycemia you probably do not want to try this and, of course, you should check with your doctor before making any major dietary change.
Also not recommended for: women who are pregnant, trying to conceive or are breastfeeding - people with low blood pressure or with a history of eating disorders,

 “Fasting is the greatest remedy – the physician within”. - Philip Paracelsus

There are other benefits to fasting beyond nutrition but think I will leave those for another post on another blog on another day.

Need more info ... here you go:






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