New Study: Intermittent Fasting vs. Caloric Restriction

Intermittent Fasting vs. Calorie Restriction:

🤷‍♀️ Which works better?

A new study compared them in a group of 75 people with type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Here are the highlights:

▪️ Participants were randomly assigned to intermittent fasting (freely eating between noon and 8pm daily) or caloric restriction (25% calorie reduction).

▪️ After 6 months, those doing intermittent fasting had lost twice as much weight on average (-3.56% vs. -1.78%).

▪️ Both groups experienced similar improvements in average blood sugar levels (measured by HbA1C).

Caloric restriction is the norm in diet culture, but it’s hard to follow (this study also showed better adherence to intermittent fasting than calorie restriction), and a LOT more goes into healthy eating and weight loss than just calorie counting.

Intermittent fasting is not for everyone.

This is something I discuss on an individual basis with clients to come up with the best plan for each person.

Give us a like if you learned something new or share to a friend that may find this interesting! ❤️

Reference

Pavlou V, Cienfuegos S, Lin S, et al. Effect of Time-Restricted Eating on Weight Loss in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(10):e2339337. [link]

3 Things You Can do for Your Mitochondria

3 Things You Can Do to Boost Mitochondrial Function 🙌

Better mitochondrial function means a better metabolism, more energy, clearer focus, and healthier aging. 

How can we give our mitochondria a boost? 

1️⃣ High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT means exercising at high intensity for brief bursts)

2️⃣ Intermittent Fasting (restricting your eating to a timed window each day)

3️⃣ Cold Exposure (like a cold plunge or cold shower)

Do you already do any of these things? Did you know they are improving your health on a deep and cellular level? 

Give me a ❤️if you learned something!

Intermittent Fasting vs. Calorie Restriction

⏰ Intermittent Fasting vs. Calorie Restriction 🥗

Which works better for blood sugar control?

Lots of studies have shown intermittent fasting to be effective for weight loss, but only a few have looked at what happens to blood sugar.

🌟 Most people who want to lose weight are also teetering on the verge of prediabetes or diabetes, so it’s important that we know how blood sugar will respond 🌟

Here’s a new study that compared intermittent fasting to calorie restriction in adults who were at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

👉👉 Results after 6 months showed that intermittent fasting was more effective at improving glucose tolerance after meals than calorie restriction.

The intermittent fasting protocol went like this:

▪️ 3 days per week of “fasting”

▪️ “Fasting” days allowed for 800-1200 calories to be consumed between 8am and noon

▪️ 4 days per week of unrestricted eating

This was compared to caloric restriction on 7 days per week.

Intermittent fasting is one tool in our toolkit to support our clients in balancing their blood sugar, hormones, and overall health.

Reference

Teong XT, Liu K, Vincent AD, et al. Intermittent fasting plus early time-restricted eating versus calorie restriction and standard care in adults at risk of type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial. Nat Med. 2023;29(4):963-972. [link]

[New Study] How Intermittent Fasting Affects Women’s Hormones

✨new research on intermittent fasting in women ✨

Intermittent fasting is effective for weight loss, but we have never known whether it has any effect on female hormones—until now.

A study at The University of Illinois Chicago looked at the hormonal effects in 23 obese pre- and postmenopausal women following the “warrior diet.”

The warrior diet restricts eating to a 4 or 6-hour window each day and allows only for water for the other 18-20 hours.

Here’s what they found after 8 weeks:

↔️ There were no changes in testosterone or SHBG levels in pre- or postmenopausal women

↔️ There were no changes in estrogen or progesterone levels in postmenopausal women (these weren’t tested in premenopausal)

⬇️ DHEA levels dropped by about 14% in both pre- and postmenopausal women

The women following the warrior diet did experience weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity.

The study was published in Obesity in October 2022.

The takeaway?

👉 Intermittent fasting may lower DHEA levels in women. This is a hormone that is important for fertility and as a precursor to other hormones after menopause.

We need to weigh the risks and benefits for each individual because there is no one-size fits all. Plus, we need to keep following the research as it comes out (we’ll do that part so you don’t have to!).

If you need a personalized approach to your hormones and weight, please book a consult. Appointments can be scheduled at elementsnatmed.com 🔗

Reference

Faiza Kalam, Rand T. Akasheh, Sofia Cienfuegos, et al. Effect of time‐restricted eating on sex hormone levels in premenopausal and postmenopausal females. Obesity, 2022. [link]

How to Support Your Circadian Rhythm for Better Health

When your lifestyle is at odds with your internal body clock (your circadian rhythm), it can cause everything from fatigue to insomnia, anxiety, depression, weight gain, and more. 

Whether or not you’ve disrupted your circadian rhythm yet or not, anybody can begin TODAY to live in better alignment with their circadian rhythms. 

Here’s how:

☀️ Get Natural Daytime Light

The most powerful external influence on your circadian rhythm is the 24-hour light-dark cycle. If you expose yourself to bright light shortly after waking in the morning, you will feel more alert during the day and fall asleep more easily at night.  

💡 Consider Light Therapy

Light therapy boxes or lamps emit light that simulates sunshine indoors (without the sunburn effects). If used in the morning, they may help to support energy and mood while resetting the circadian rhythm or hormones, like melatonin. 

📱 Shut Down Screens at Night

Humans evolved with dark nights, until electricity was invented about a century ago. Screens are especially problematic at night because of the blue light they emit—suppressing melatonin just when it should be on the rise.  

🍏 Try Intermittent Fasting

Our digestion and ability to manage blood sugar levels fluctuate on a daily rhythm. Studies suggest that restricting the eating window to certain hours of the day may align with our internal metabolic rhythms and support healthy metabolism. 

I have one more post coming your way on the topic of circadian disruption and it’s all about balancing the rhythm of our hormones with supplements. 

Be sure to watch for that post to drop soon!

#circadianrhythm #circadiandisruption #lighttherapy #intermittentfasting