Diabetes is one of the widest spread diseases in the world. It occurs when the body does not make enough insulin on its own or does not use insulin properly. In other words, it makes all the glucose from food stay in the blood, which results in high blood sugar.
The most common type is type 2 diabetes. For example, in 2015, there were 30.2 million adults with diabetes in the USA, and about one-fourth of them did not even know that they have it. The risk of developing diabetes increases with age, but there are many other factors as well, such as lifestyle, and genetics. Of course, it’s usually treated with medication, but there are other ways to manage it as well.
One of them is intermittent fasting, and here’s what you should know about it.
The Origin of Intermittent Fasting
There are many different forms of intermittent fasting, and most of them are related to various religions and religious practices around the world. For example, there is Ramadan in Islam, Yom Kippur in Judaism, Buddhist fasting, etc. Some practices only require you to avoid certain types of food, while some only last for a short time, not enough to have any significant effects on the body. There are also many modern diets that include intermittent fasting, like the 16/8 method, for example. All in all, it’s not a new thing, and people have already noted the benefits of fasting.
How to Make Fasting Easier
Fasting can be difficult for some people because it does require you to adjust your lifestyle to your new eating routine. However, there are ways to make it easier. For example, if you’re fasting to lose weight, you can choose to take quality weight loss drops and achieve your goal faster, so you can stop fasting sooner. Or, if you’re having trouble not thinking about food during the non-eating periods, you can try meditation. It should help you relieve some stress and calm your mind.
What Happens to Your Body When You Fast
There are certain changes that happen to your body when fasting. The first few hours should be pretty normal, as it’s too soon for any noticeable changes to happen.
After 5-6 hours, though, you should start feeling hungry, perhaps even overwhelmed, but you should also be entering the state of ketosis. During this state, your body starts breaking down fat in order to produce more energy. This is when the actual fasting starts, and this is where you want to be if you want to lose weight. Of course, you can also reach this state by going on a ketogenic diet, but for some people, fasting is easier (and faster) and simpler than dieting.
During this stage, you might feel dizzy or tired. Some people also become hangry, sad, or frustrated, which are all normal side effects of feeling hungry. You might also experience some muscle pain and headache. However, all of those things will pass at the end of the stage.
This is also when you might want to apply the above-mentioned meditation, to help you cope with all the negative emotions, remind yourself why you’re doing this, and stay on track. Additionally, try not to take out your emotions on other people. Of course, you shouldn’t isolate yourself completely, but you should find ways to occupy yourself so you don’t think about food so much. Any non-physical activity should do the trick.
Why This Is a Great Method for Managing Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes has unfortunately become very common, and its main feature is insulin resistance. So, anything that lowers that resistance should help manage the condition. Intermittent fasting has shown to be very successful in this field, as it can help reduce the levels of sugar in the blood, especially when combined with a low-carb diet.
However, it’s also important to note that it doesn’t have the same effect on everybody, which is why you should do your research and perhaps consult a professional so you can adjust your fasting process to your body.
Also, keep in mind that fasting while taking medications can lead to hypoglycemia, which can be life-threatening. So, again, intermittent fasting while having diabetes is not something you should do on your own, but it is something that can benefit you, which is why you shouldn’t hesitate to discuss this option with your doctor.
Diabetes is a serious condition that can affect your lifestyle. However, there are many ways of managing it, one of them being the intermittent fasting. It’s not a new practice, and it can benefit your body in many different ways. So, if you think that it would suit your lifestyle, make sure to talk about it with your doctor. Combine it with healthy food, do some exercise as well, and you should notice the difference in no time.
The Origin of Intermittent Fasting
There are many different forms of intermittent fasting, and most of them are related to various religions and religious practices around the world. For example, there is Ramadan in Islam, Yom Kippur in Judaism, Buddhist fasting, etc. Some practices only require you to avoid certain types of food, while some only last for a short time, not enough to have any significant effects on the body. There are also many modern diets that include intermittent fasting, like the 16/8 method, for example. All in all, it’s not a new thing, and people have already noted the benefits of fasting.
How to Make Fasting Easier
Fasting can be difficult for some people because it does require you to adjust your lifestyle to your new eating routine. However, there are ways to make it easier. For example, if you’re fasting to lose weight, you can choose to take quality weight loss drops and achieve your goal faster, so you can stop fasting sooner. Or, if you’re having trouble not thinking about food during the non-eating periods, you can try meditation. It should help you relieve some stress and calm your mind.
What Happens to Your Body When You Fast
There are certain changes that happen to your body when fasting. The first few hours should be pretty normal, as it’s too soon for any noticeable changes to happen.
After 5-6 hours, though, you should start feeling hungry, perhaps even overwhelmed, but you should also be entering the state of ketosis. During this state, your body starts breaking down fat in order to produce more energy. This is when the actual fasting starts, and this is where you want to be if you want to lose weight. Of course, you can also reach this state by going on a ketogenic diet, but for some people, fasting is easier (and faster) and simpler than dieting.
During this stage, you might feel dizzy or tired. Some people also become hangry, sad, or frustrated, which are all normal side effects of feeling hungry. You might also experience some muscle pain and headache. However, all of those things will pass at the end of the stage.
This is also when you might want to apply the above-mentioned meditation, to help you cope with all the negative emotions, remind yourself why you’re doing this, and stay on track. Additionally, try not to take out your emotions on other people. Of course, you shouldn’t isolate yourself completely, but you should find ways to occupy yourself so you don’t think about food so much. Any non-physical activity should do the trick.
Why This Is a Great Method for Managing Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes has unfortunately become very common, and its main feature is insulin resistance. So, anything that lowers that resistance should help manage the condition. Intermittent fasting has shown to be very successful in this field, as it can help reduce the levels of sugar in the blood, especially when combined with a low-carb diet.
However, it’s also important to note that it doesn’t have the same effect on everybody, which is why you should do your research and perhaps consult a professional so you can adjust your fasting process to your body.
Also, keep in mind that fasting while taking medications can lead to hypoglycemia, which can be life-threatening. So, again, intermittent fasting while having diabetes is not something you should do on your own, but it is something that can benefit you, which is why you shouldn’t hesitate to discuss this option with your doctor.
Diabetes is a serious condition that can affect your lifestyle. However, there are many ways of managing it, one of them being the intermittent fasting. It’s not a new practice, and it can benefit your body in many different ways. So, if you think that it would suit your lifestyle, make sure to talk about it with your doctor. Combine it with healthy food, do some exercise as well, and you should notice the difference in no time.