Balance Blood Sugar WITHOUT Dieting?
A few months ago, I told you about a study that found one of the BEST ways to manage blood sugar levels is by practicing intermittent fasting.
This study showed that limiting your eating window led to increased insulin sensitivity and greater glucose tolerance.
Those are TERRIFIC results.
The only problem is you’re restricted to just four hours—and most folks I know are unwilling to limit EVERYTHING they eat in a day to such a tiny window.
But the good news is you don’t have to.
More recent research revealed you can STILL improve your blood sugar levels when you stretch that time by a few hours.
This study included people who were either prediabetic or obese.
Half of the participants ate 80 percent of their calories BEFORE 1p.m. (the time-restricted group). The other half ate 50 percent of their calories AFTER 4p.m. (the normal eating pattern group).
The volunteers followed their plan for seven days and then switched to the other one.
Ultimately, sticking to the time-restricted eating plan for just ONE week led to…
- significantly fewer fluctuations in blood sugar levels
- reductions in the time it took after-meal blood sugar spikes to return to normal
This is a BIG deal since blood sugar spikes can trigger problems with your heart, kidneys, eyesight, and more (even if you DON’T have diabetes).
But it’s CRITICAL for prediabetic and obese folks who are ALREADY at an increased risk for developing diabetes.
The key to making this work is to avoid getting too caught up in specifics.
The exact number of hours for the window is less important than simply eating MOST of your calories EARLIER in the day.
Start with an eight-hour window and then gradually cut back once your body has adjusted.
P.S. Still struggling to reign in your blood sugar? Research finds downing this “Mug Miracle” can REVERSE glucose spikes. CLICK HERE for the details.
SOURCE:
“Early time restricted feeding as a weight neutral approach to improved glycemic variation.” Abstract presented at ENDO 2023; June 15-18, 2023; Chicago, IL. Accessed June 28, 2023.
