When it comes to diabetes and diet, the amount of information you need to decipher to determine the best course of action to combat the blood sugar disease can sometimes feel overwhelming.
There is always some fad diet that promises to lower your blood sugar or help you to shred weight. But when it comes to the correct diet to follow, there is only one valid and proven diabetes diet that works for everyone: fasting.
Dr. Valter Longo of USC recently led a study that noted how a fasting diet could reboot the pancreas to start producing insulin in people who suffer from type 1 and type 2 diabetes. How big is this news? Well, it is huge because until now science has been unable to determine how to regenerate the pancreas.
Clearly, This study has got the attention of diabetics. So here Is a quick overview about how to fast properly to improve your diabetes symptoms.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is defined as restrictive food intake. By withholding food over a period your body is forced to use your storage of fat for energy until you end the fast. Fasting also helps your internal organs to heal and repair themselves during fasting because they are not forced to process food.
Now here is the sweet part. The fast last no longer than 24 hours!
Intermittent Fasting Pros
Controlled and timed eating combined with intermittent fasting not only helps the pancreas produce insulin, it burns fat stores, regulates sleep, and helps combat obesity.
Fasting Techniques
Here are three scientifically proven fasting techniques to try.
5:2 Approach
This approach allows for normal healthy eating five days a week and two days of non-consecutive fasting. Men can eat about 2,500 calories a day during days they can eat and less than 600 calories on days when they fast. With women, the amount is 2,000 calories on regular days and 500 calories during the fast.
16:8 Approach
A 16:8 approach is easy! If you have breakfast at 9 am you can normally eat until 5 pm and fast during the period outside the allotted eating time of eating. That ensures 16 hours of fasting each day and provides the same benefits as other fasting techniques.
4-Day Approach
This is Dr. Valter Longo’s recommended fast. For four days per week, a low, 1,000 calories per diet, consisting of a low-protein, low-carbohydrate, and high-fat diet. The other three days you follow your regular meal plan.
Just remember to consult your doctor before beginning a fast so he or she can properly monitor your glucose levels and safety.
