Neuliven Health is a health and wellness company. That’s why we like to use our blog to share the latest news we think will be useful to our customers when they make their health choices. We also bring you healthy tips and recipes that you can use to aid your healthy lifestyle. We review diets to help you make informed choices for yourself. And, sometimes, we examine health rumors and questions. Intermittent fasting is a popular diet, but we keep being asked, does it cause sugar spikes?
The intermittent fasting diet is one where people don’t eat for windows of time — be it hours or even days — however, they do drink as much fluid as they like. It’s not new. Heck, you do it every single night when you go to bed and sleep. The idea is that it encourages your body to burn excess food and energy stored in your body and lowers your blood sugar naturally. Some advocates believe that it can improve insulin resistance.
Many people who follow the diet opt for eating for eight hours and then stopping until the next day. Some people think that, by using this approach, they can eat whatever they like and still see weight loss results. However, for people with blood sugar concerns or other medical concerns, they should speak to a doctor about if the approach would be healthy for them. If it is safe, they should then discuss the menu. Most people find they have significantly better results when sticking to healthy foods. Nutritionally dense foods like avocados, fish, eggs and green vegetables are excellent options.
If you try to jump in and start off strictly following the clock, things can backfire on you. You should ease into it. If you are still having a hard time and anxiously watching the clock after weeks of following it, intermittent fasting isn’t for you. You may not have eased into it, or it may just not be the right fit for your health.
Its fans praise the diet for teaching them the difference between eating from hunger and eating from boredom. Not eating for 16 hours without feeling deprived shows that they aren’t actually hungry: they were just looking something to do. When it’s off-limits, they find other activities.
If you are always hungry during your fasting period, “you need to either add more nutrient- or calorie-dense foods during your eight-hour period, or consider that this may not be the best plan for you,” said Michal Hertz, a dietitian in New York City.
If you immediately dive into a large meal the moment you can eat, you may have large blood sugar spikes after breaking your fast. This is especially true if you grab for carbs. However, if you have a small meal and then eat regularly within that window, you should not experience large spikes. Starting your day with a mix of protein, healthy fat and veggies, should keep you level. A small omelet, for instance, would be fine.
Obviously, as with any other lifestyle change, you should speak to your doctor before doing anything. If you are on medications or have some medical conditions, intermittent fasting may not be a good fit for you. We like that it isn’t a crash diet, there aren’t strict restrictions on what you can and cannot eat, and you ease into it. It’s easy to maintain. There is plenty of room to enjoy yourself. But, not every style can fit different people’s health needs!
