Thoughtful Thursday… Intermittent Fasting and Insulin (Part 2)
Welcome to Thoughtful Thursday. This GreenNote Fitness newsletter mindfully gathers and distills useful information that is supportive to our journey. It is my mission to educate, inspire, and propel you into action that moves you towards your goals and life of purpose. Take control of your journey today.
In the previous GreenNote Fitness newsletter, we looked at insulin, resistance to insulin, and how fasting improves insulin sensitivity. Part 2 of fasting and insulin resistance will delve into more strategies, things to watch out for, and maybe most importantly, resources for you to begin your own journey of fasting for insulin sensitivity. But first, let’s hit home the importance of fasting for insulin sensitivity.
If you or someone you know is curious about managing insulin levels or is insulin resistant, then you will want to absorb the importance of the next sentence in this newsletter. Intermittent fasting is the best insulin diet to help your cells respond to insulin and it is also one of the quickest ways to reset your insulin sensitivity.
Today we look at how to fast for insulin sensitivity.
A quick look at how this works - once you burn through your available glucose, you move onto glycogen, which is stored glucose. After those stores are expended, the body shifts to ketosis, a state where the body makes ketones for energy.
General rules for intermittent fasting:
If new to fasting and just beginning, start with a 12 hour fast i.e. finish dinner at 8:00 PM don’t eat until 8:00 AM the following day
Next progress to fasting 16 hours per day (I do this twice per week)
After you have done 16 hour fasts for a few weeks, try a 24-hour fast once per week (I fast 24 hours 1x per week)
You can drink water, tea, or coffee black, no sweetners (I drink black coffee and a lot of water)
Break your fast gently, don’t inhale your food
Avoid added sugar: causes insulin resistance and high insulin
Eat less refined grains: high insulin effect
Consume moderate amount of protein
Eat natural fats: low insulin effect
Eat real, unprocessed foods: refining increase insulin effect
Allow time for your body to adapt, it may take a month or longer, depending
Fasting is not a restriction of calories, it’s a shortened window of when you eat i.e. for a 16 hour fast, you would eat in the 8 hour window of time
For a robust description on fasting and resetting your insulin sensitivity, I recommend discussing with your doctor and visiting the following websites:
Dr. Dan Pompa: https://drpompa.com/
Dr. Jason Fung: https://www.dietdoctor.com/intermittent-fasting
Dr. Valtor Longo: https://prolonfmd.com/fasting-mimicking-diet/
If you are looking for a good “how to” to guide you through an ideal scenario, look no further than the leading expert on intermittent fasting, Dr. Jason Fong. His books will be very helpful resources:
The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting
The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss
The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally
I am hopeful that you found these two part fasting and insulin series helpful. Do check out the resources listed above and after you begin, give it some time for your body to adjust. The is especially true if you are used to eating throughout the day and consuming lots of refined carbohydrates. The body needs to time to adapt and then you will be well on your way! I wish you well on your wellness journey.
Enjoy your journey,
Lisa Schaffer
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Did you miss last week’s newsletter on Intermittent Fasting and Insulin (Part 1)……?
