Ditch Dieting for Better Blood Sugar Control
I’ll just say this right upfront…
Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle issue.
And while diet is PART of the equation, it’s not the only thing to consider when managing your blood sugar.
Over the past few months, I’ve highlighted research showing that factors like your bedtime and activity levels impact diabetes risk.
Today, I have another BIG one to add to the list.
It’s not about what you’re eating—or even how much—but when.
In fact, this study indicated that limiting your eating window could work just as well as changing your diet.
Here are the details.
This small but impressive study included 52 patients with type 2 diabetes who were between 35 and 65 years old.
For six months, the participants were either in a diet-focused group (where they were advised on improving the quality of their diet) or in a time-restricted eating group.
They had a nine-hour eating window from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
After six months, both groups experienced similar reductions in blood sugar levels.
Both groups also lost weight.
The main difference?
Time-restricted eating was easier and more achievable than making sweeping dietary changes, and it encouraged the participants to make additional improvements to their lifestyles.
In another study published earlier this year, a similar time-restricted eating plan won out against two popular diabetes drugs, leading to more significant reductions in HbA1c blood levels than metformin and empagliflozin.
Of course, I always encourage eating a whole-food diet for improved overall health. But if you want extra help managing your blood sugar levels, try limiting your eating window.
P.S. A SHOCKING missing piece of the diabetes puzzle has been discovered.
SOURCE:
Parr, E. B., Radford, B. E., Hall, R. C., et al., (2024). Comparing the effects of time-restricted eating on glycaemic control in people with type 2 diabetes with standard dietetic practice: A randomised controlled trial. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 217, 111893.
