Diabetes and Intermittent Fasting: With its recent sweeping trend, Intermittent fasting has caught everyone’s attention. It’s a diet approach where you alternate between periods of eating and not eating. Surprisingly, it doesn’t command a strict diet, but emphasizes when to eat. Adopters often follow common patterns like the 16/8 method – fast for 16 hours, eat during an 8-hour window; or the 5:2 method – eat normally for 5 days, fast for 2 nonconsecutive days.
Intermittent Fasting With Diabetes
For folks living with diabetes, particularly type 2, they learn quickly that managing blood sugar levels is of utmost importance. More surprisingly, intermittent fasting might be one of those keys in the management toolkit. It could improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin and decrease insulin resistance. Because our bodies are given a break from constant food intake, it just might handle blood sugar better.
Supports Weight Loss
Here’s another interesting upside, especially if you’re struggling with weight, which happens to be a huge risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. Intermittent fasting has been promising in helping with weight loss and control. This eating pattern might contribute to healthier overall life outcomes for people with diabetes, as it promotes fat loss and muscle preservation.
Is Intermittent Fasting Safe To Do If You Have Diabetes?
Here are some important considerations. Always discuss with your healthcare provider before jumping into intermittent fasting. Your doctor understands your health profile, your diabetes management goals, and current medications. The last thing you want is adopting a new diet regimen that potentially messes up your existing treatment plan.
Remember, keeping tabs on your blood sugar levels is a must-do when you dabble in intermittent fasting. It’s important because blood sugar levels can fluctuate during fasting periods. You certainly want to avoid unwanted episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). And, you might need to tweak with meal timings or medication dosages to maintain optimal blood sugar control.
