Tune Into Timing
Boosting Metabolism?
As a fitness coach years ago, I suggested frequent meals and snacks to help “boost” metabolism. Well, it turns out that this recommendation isn’t based on biochemistry, or much science for that matter. After all, grazing is for growth; it’s best designed for infants and adolescents, and not for mostly-sedentary adults.
Clarifying the Calorie Concept
Let’s first talk about calories. It isn’t as simple as calories consumed versus calories burned. Fifty calories of sugary candy doesn’t equal 50 calories of almonds. The body processes sugar (specifically the processed fructose) differently than the fiber-rich and nutrient-dense almonds. Candy causes glucose to be released more quickly than almonds, with a rapid insulin response to help guide glucose into the cells and bring blood sugar levels down.
Biochemistry Simplified
Insulin is the fat storage hormone. The more you consume processed sugars and starches, the more insulin will be produced and the more you will want to eat. In addition, the more you consume in one setting, the more likely that large amounts of insulin will be released to counteract glucose. The end result is typically increased body fat accumulation, often around the mid-section, known as a “muffin top.”
Aimlessly following the standard American diet (SAD), many individuals become less sensitized to insulin. Overtaxed, the body needs to pump out more insulin to help bring down blood sugar. Elevated glucose levels may not appear right away in the early stages, so a blood glucose test may come back normal. Instead, look for symptoms of insulin resistance* that may include fatigue, cravings for processed foods, poor sleep, hormone imbalance, and added “muffin top” weight. Do you have any of these symptoms?
Reduce Insulin Response through Diet & Mindfulness
There are two main ways to balance and re-sensitize the insulin response, making the process more efficient and less prone to fat storage. The first tactic involves diet, while the second approach controls the stress response. Both processed sugars/starches and stress signal the insulin response, so managing diet and stress can do wonders for weight management and overall health. Let’s break down the dietary approach, and we’ll talk more about mindfulness practices to reduce stress in an upcoming article.
Balance Insulin – What & When You Eat
Now, for the dietary approaches to balance insulin levels, avoiding big highs and lows in blood sugar, there are two major paths. One strategy involves what you eat, focusing on whole foods that minimize glucose/insulin spikes. Beneficial foods such as unprocessed, low-natural sugar foods are part of that equation. Now, let’s focus on the second strategy that involves modifying when you eat to help balance insulin, reduce cravings, and re-program true hunger signals.
No Snacking Zone
When I was a young child in the 1970’s, I ate dinner around 5:00 pm, finishing by 6:00 pm, and didn’t eat again until breakfast the next day at 7:00 am. This wasn’t considered restriction or a fad. It was simply normal. My body had time to digest and rest, re-set metabolism, diversify gut flora, and develop true hunger signals in those 13 hours that I didn’t eat.
Now, research confirms the benefits of a long-gone era of no snacking. In academic literature, it’s called “time-restricted feeding,” but I prefer to call it Timed Interval Eating. This term is more consistent with mindful and intuitive eating, and I feel more empowered using this phrase.
Medical Disclaimer
Timed Interval Eating may not be recommended for the following individuals or medical conditions:
Pregnancy
Breastfeeding
Children
Disordered Eating
Post-Surgery
Unmanaged High or Low Blood Sugar
Any serious medical condition
The goal is to use intuitive eating concurrently with more structured eating patterns. If the caloric needs are higher, blood sugar is less regulated, or this dietary pattern is used to mask an eating disorder, the approach can back-fire. Always seek guidance from your physician before changing eating habits.
Overview of Timed Interval Eating
Timed Interval Eating can be accomplished through these tips:
Discontinue eating by 6:00 or 7:00 pm, allowing your digestive tract at least 13 hours to rest
Avoid snacks, and instead eat real meals 2 to 3 times per day
Focus on eating real, whole, unprocessed foods during the eating times, with care not to overeat during meals
Gradually work your way up to 16 hours of digestive rest (non-eating), if you feel increased benefit
Research demonstrates increased effectiveness when eating earlier in the day and ending sooner (eating 8 am to 4 pm, for example), aligning with circadian rhythms
Some individuals favor skipping breakfast, eating lunch and dinner, and then finishing by 7:00 pm, so follow the pattern that feels right
Listen to your body, eating when your body sends true hunger signals; eventually, your body will re-adjust to the new eating schedule
Benefits of Timed Interval Eating
When real foods are consumed, with the correct macro- and micro-nutrients required by the body, you can experience tremendous benefits. Recapped, here are a few Benefits of Timed Interval Eating:
Balances glucose and insulin, helping to re-sensitize insulin cell receptors
Increases energy through optimized glucose/insulin process
Increases mental clarity and focus through optimized glucose/insulin process
Decreases cravings and encourages true hunger cues, aiding intuitive eating practices
Encourages consumption of nutrient-rich whole foods by decreasing processed-food cravings
Increases nutrient intake through improved dietary consumption
Decreases systemic inflammation through reduction of elevated glucose and insulin
Improves gut flora and gut health through digestive rest and increased nutrient-dense food intake
Encourages hormone re-balancing by balancing insulin levels
Customized Timed Interval Eating
That’s quite a benefits list, isn’t it? If you want to feel your best, snack less and eat less processed crap. That’s easier said than done though. Timed Interval Eating may help reset the glucose/insulin response to make eating fewer processed foods more biochemically possible.
* Insulin resistance: a condition that contributes to weight gain when insulin receptors don’t work effectively to lower and use available glucose, the body’s fuel source, https://clinical.diabetesjournals.org/content/36/3/263
References:
Boucher, J., Kleinridders, A., & Kahn, C. R. (2014). Insulin receptor signaling in normal and insulin-resistant states. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 6(1), a009191. http://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a009191
Hu, D., Ye, Y., Mao, Y., Liao, W., & Xu, W. (2019). Time-restricted feeding during childhood has persistent effects on mice commensal microbiota. Annals of translational medicine, 7(20), 556. doi:10.21037/atm.2019.09.64
Jamshed, H., Beyl, R. A., Della Manna, D. L., Yang, E. S., Ravussin, E., & Peterson, C. M. (2019). Early time-restricted feeding improves 24-hour glucose levels and affects markers of the circadian clock, aging, and autophagy in humans. Nutrients, 11(6), 1234. doi:10.3390/nu11061234
Kahleova, H., Lloren, J. I., Mashchak, A., Hill, M., & Fraser, G. E. (2017). Meal frequency and timing are associated with changes in body mass index in Adventist Health Study 2. The Journal of nutrition, 147(9), 1722–1728. doi:10.3945/jn.116.244749
Paniagua, J. A. (2016). Nutrition, insulin resistance and dysfunctional adipose tissue determine the different components of metabolic syndrome. World Journal of Diabetes, 7(19), 483–514. http://doi.org/10.4239/wjd.v7.i19.483
Paoli, A., Tinsley, G., Bianco, A., & Moro, T. (2019). The influence of meal frequency and timing on health in humans: The role of fasting. Nutrients, 11(4), 719. doi:10.3390/nu11040719
Ravussin, E., Beyl, R. A., Poggiogalle, E., Hsia, D. S., & Peterson, C. M. (2019). Early time‐restricted feeding reduces appetite and increases fat oxidation but does not affect energy expenditure in humans. Obesity, 27(8), 1244-1254.
Rothschild, J., Hoddy, K. K., Jambazian, P., & Varady, K. A. (2014). Time-restricted feeding and risk of metabolic disease: A review of human and animal studies. Nutrition reviews, 72(5), 308-318. https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/72/5/308/1933482
Sears, B., & Perry, M. (2015). The role of fatty acids in insulin resistance. Lipids in Health and Disease, 14, 121. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12944-015-0123-1
Ye, J. (2013). Mechanisms of insulin resistance in obesity. Frontiers of Medicine, 7(1), 14–24. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11684-013-0262-6