Health Update: Eating Patterns May Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Hello everyone:
There is a growing body of research related to meal timing and health. This information is connected to understanding our bodily circadian rhythms that we are born with and run our biology. The main thing to realize is that it is well known that calorie restriction has many health and longevity benefits, but almost no one can stick with such an approach. Thus, these efforts are emerging to find another way of getting the same benefits in a sustainable way and to figure out how and why intermittent fasting and meal timing may work. Here is the good news:
“Intermittent fasting appears an equivalent alternative to calorie restriction (CR) to improve health in humans. However, few trials have considered applying meal timing during the ‘fasting’ day, which may be a limitation. We developed a novel intermittent fasting plus early time-restricted eating.
In conclusion, incorporating advice for meal timing with prolonged fasting led to greater improvements in postprandial glucose metabolism in adults at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.”
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02287-7
Bottom Line:
If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, are overweight, have cardiometabolic issues yourself or exist in your family, or simply want to lower your inflammatory burden and improve your aging pattern and trajectory, then following a circadian pattern of eating that matches your biology can help you reach your goal.
To start this lifestyle upgrade, simply consume 80% of your calories by 2 pm and make your dinner as early as possible and light (only 20% of your calories for the day). If you need to lose weight and you use this plan but do not lose weight, then look at your caloric load of the foods you are choosing and lower it appropriately by choosing more nutrient dense but calorie poor foods.
You do not have to do this 100% of the time, which means that when you have social eating situations, then just do your best to eat lightly and return to your normal intermittent fasting and early eating routine to get back to your normal biological rhythms.
Here is a great book that I highly recommend:
“What to Eat When” by Michael Roizen, MD, and the companion cookbook. I use this eating pattern to keep my weight optimal as type 2 diabetes is rampant in my family genetics/tendencies…so no thank you to that!!
