From what I’ve read, the main benefits that can be associated with intermittent fasting are due to increasing insulin sensitivity - if you’re not eating carbohydrates within the period that you’re fasting, then the body doesn’t need to release insulin. This allows for it to gradually lose any kind of tolerance it might have developed. That’s an easy concept to wrap my head around.
What I was wondering was, would it be possible to maintain that same benefit of intermittent fasting by restricting carbohydrate consumption to a limited time window each day, while being able to eat fats and proteins the rest of the day? That way you’re still getting the benefit of carbohydrate limitation without eating only during a fixed time.
I’m currently trialling this kind of diet plan at the moment, where I only eat carbohydrates one hour per day, but eat a controlled amount of fats and proteins for the rest of it. I was wondering what people thought of this? I should add that I’m also concerned about LDL levels increasing because of this as I have read that there are studies which show such increases occur in OMAD diets.
Whenever you eat, insulin is released. No matter what kind of nutrients you’re putting in. What makes a difference is the quantity of hormon released, meaning with carbs (sugar) a lot more insulin is needed, causing insulin resistance to go up and consequently insulin sensitivity to drop.Carb cycling is generally a good idea and it’s well acquainted in the fitness industry. BUT it’s not for everyone, you have to try and see how it goes, expecially digestion-wise.If your goal is beyond getting fit, there’s no better trick than fasting to increase your insulin sensitivity.
>What I was wondering was, would it be possible to maintain that same benefit of intermittent fasting by restricting carbohydrate consumption to a limited time window each day, while being able to eat fats and proteins the rest of the day?
While protein and fats certainly have different results on insulin response and blood sugar levels than carbs, they do still spike insulin. The body needs insulin to tell the cells to bring in glucose from food as their primary energy source.