There is an avalanche of research available about diabetes and diet that it can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. Which is the correct diet to follow and what is the latest “It Food” to eat? Luckily, through all of this research, there has always been one approach to eating that has consistently proven to be beneficial to diabetics: fasting.
A recent study by Dr. Valter Longo found that a fasting diet could cause the pancreas to start producing insulin in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This is exciting news because up until this point, nobody had been able to find a way to heal or regenerate the pancreas in type 1 diabetics.
This study has obviously drawn a lot of attention from the diabetes world. So I have put together a quick breakdown about fasting to help you see if it is a good fit for you!
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a way to restrict food intake without fully giving up food. The idea is that you withhold food from the body long enough that it forces the body to rely on fat stores for energy until the next time you eat. Fasting also naturally jumpstarts the organs so that they can heal and repair themselves during this time (rather than work to process the food you are eating).
Because it is “intermittent” fasting, though, there isn’t too much downtime from food. In fact, no fasting lasts any longer than 24 hours!
The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Research supporting intermittent fasting (IF) is abundant. Controlled and timed
eating patterns can not only help the pancreas produce insulin but it can also decrease obesity, burn fat stores, regulate sleep, and improve cardiovascular health.
In fact, many endurance athletes use IF in order to strengthen their hearts and increase endurance (that’s exactly how I learned about IF!).
Three Ways to Fast
Everyone has different lifestyles, so don’t feel that there is a single best way to practice this trick. Here are three scientifically proven fasting techniques to choose from.
5:2 Approach
This approach suggests eating a regular diet (albeit, with healthy food options) five days a week and fasting for two non-consecutive days during the week. Men are recommended to eat about 2,500 calories during normal days and less than 600 calories during fasting days. Women should eat about 2,000 calories and less than 500 calories, respectively.
16:8 Approach
A 16:8 approach proposes to time your daily eating during an 8-hour window each
day, though you don’t necessarily need to restrict your calories. For instance, a popular trend is to eat between the hours of 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., as you normally would, and simply do not eat outside of those hours.
This method provides 16 hours of fasting each day and has the same outcomes and benefits as any other fasting approach. It is also a lot more approachable for people who are not interested in restricting their calories.
4-Day Approach
Dr. Valter Longo’s approach recommends fasting four days per week. The fast would be a calorie restriction of 1,000 calories per fasting day, consisting of a low-protein, low-carbohydrate and high-fat diet.
Whichever approach you take, find one that works for you. More importantly, consult your doctor beforehand and always monitor your glucose levels for safety.
[expand title=”References“]
Diabetics Weekly. URL Link. Accessed February 28, 2017.
AHA Journals. URL Link. Accessed February 28, 2017.
American Physiological Society. URL Link. Accessed February 28, 2017.
The Nutrition Society. URL Link. Accessed February 28, 2017.
ABC News. URL Link. Accessed February 28, 2017.
Mercola URL Link. Accessed February 28, 2017.
Diabetes.co.uk. URL Link. Accessed February 28, 2017.
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