Learn about Intermittent Fasting or Time Restricted Eating
Many are confused about how to change the carb-loaded breakfast they are used to to a diabetes reversing breakfast plan. What to eat is a concern when one is used to grabbing a bagel and heading out the door.
Your mother was right! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! What may be different than what you learned as a kid is the importance of the time of that meal! Break the fast literally means to eat after fasting for several hours. It doesn’t mean that it has to come early in the morning. In fact, lengthening out the time of that fast each day can have amazing impact on your blood sugar levels. Research has shown that a 16 hour or longer fast leads to benefit in reducing blood sugar levels.
How does one learn to incorporate Intermittent Fasting or Time Restricted Eating? It’s easy to start out with an eight hour fast each day—that’s the time you are sleeping. It’s easy enough to lengthen that time out. Most people are not truly hungry first thing in the morning anyway, so instead of grabbing that bagel or sweet roll, plan for something low carb a few hours later.
Possible eating timeframes:
- 9 am to 5 pm
- 11 am to 7 pm
- 12 noon to 8 pm
I noticed that when I started this eating regimen, my energy level increased quickly, my blood sugar level dropped nicely, but the most rewarding number to watching dropping was my waist measurement as this strategy along with a low-carb eating plan and an increase in healthy fats led to a reduction of ½ inch per week in the tape measure around my waist!
So the three easy steps:
1) Lengthen out the fast, striving to fast most days for a minimum of 16 hours.
2) Plan meals ahead
3) Eat a low carb, high healthy fat, moderate protein breakfast.
Step one, as you begin, fast longer than you have before—even if you can start with four hours—start where you are. During the fasting hours, continue to drink plenty of water. You may add electrolyte powder making sure there is no added sugar. You may flavor your water with slices of cucumber, mint leaves, etc. Adding a little healthy salt will add minerals and may prevent light headedness. Black coffee or tea is also acceptable during the fasting hours. Increase the time of the fast as you are able. Eventually, you will be able to fast a full 24-hour period once a month or even once a week or so to provide yourself with even greater benefits!
Planning your meals as step two will make it easier to have something that fits into your low carb eating plan ready when it is time to break your fast. Looking forward to something you can feel good about eating will make the fast easier.
Step three is part of a comprehensive eating plan that will have you regularly increasing your energy, decreasing your waist circumference, and reducing your blood sugar. Not only will you feel better, you will be improving your overall health. As your insulin comes down, your diabetes will be reversed, and other chronic illnesses will improve.
Who says breakfast cannot be eaten at 11 am, noon, or even 5 pm? Something you will learn very quickly; everything tastes better when you are truly hungry. Another thing you will learn is that eventually hunger will be a pleasant feeling not one of which to be afraid!
