One of the main perks of Intermittent Fasting is the improved insulin sensitivity - which is KEY for weight loss as well as fertility. Insulin resistance, which is the opposite of insulin sensitivity, is tied to issues such as obesity, PCOS, infertility and type 2 diabetes. By using Intermittent Fasting, you can help these health concerns by focusing your attention on improving insulin sensitivity!
But here's what most people forget - the food you eat has a BIGGER impact on insulin vs. anything else, including Intermittent Fasting.
The Background of Insulin
Insulin is the storing hormone. It's released largely in response when you eat carbohydrates (starches and sugars). Insulin is also released in much smaller amounts to protein and fat, however the impact is negligible when compared to carbohydrates.
Eating foods that constantly raise your insulin can lead your body to a state called "hyperinsulinemia". "Emia" in biology and physiology generally means "in the blood". "Hyper" means high amounts. So this makes sense why constantly secreting insulin in response to high carbohydrate and high sugar/starch containing foods would cause hyperinsulinemia - high insulin in the blood.
This high amount of insulin in the blood effectively and consistently shuts off fat burning (lipolysis) and shifts the body into fat storing. It also can lead the cells in your body to develop resistance to these high levels of insulin - aka insulin resistance.
Intermittent Fasting + Insulin
Intermittent Fasting helps to address these high levels of insulin by reducing the amount of time that insulin could possibly be secreted. This massively helps the issue, however, Intermittent Fasting does NOT address the foods to eat during your window to further enhance the improvements of insulin. This is the sole reason I developed the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle: to help guide you through optimizing Intermittent Fasting with the AEN Nutrient Timing to further stabilize blood glucose levels and actually achieve your weight loss and wellness goals.
Continue Your Results Beyond Fasting
In order to reap the weight loss and health benefits of Intermittent Fasting beyond the fast itself, you need to address your eating window. In particular, I have found that the first meal is one of the most important meals to consider. This is your opportunity to take the stable blood glucose and lower insulin levels from your fasted to your fed state. If you eat a meal that is high in carbohydrates, starches and/or sugars, then you shift from a state of stable blood glucose and lower insulin to one of high/variable blood glucose and high insulin. This backfires your results you achieved from Intermittent Fasting in the first place!
Instead, the goal is to focus on easing the transition from a fasted to a fed state. You want to help to continue the blood glucose stabilizing and lower insulin response that you had during your fast and bring it into your fed state. You can check out some examples of these types of recipes HERE.
Clearly, a meal high in carbohydrates (such as oatmeal or cereal) is not going to support this goal, as carbohydrates are the main driver of insulin. However, this does not mean that carbohydrates don't have a place in your day. This is the essence of the AEN Nutrient Timing in the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle: optimizing foods to best serve your goals at various times of the day.
Join thousands of AENpeeps and utilize the AEN Nutrient Timing paired with Intermittent Fasting in the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle to achieve your weight loss and wellness dreams!
Head over HERE to get started!
Your Nutritionist,
Autumn
Autumn Elle Nutrition
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