Intermittent Fasting vs. Multiple Small Meals

First, there were three meals a day, then we were told 5-6 small meals daily was best, now some experts recommend only one or two meals daily. When it comes to weight loss, longevity, and prevention of disease, which meal frequency is best?

In a previous blog post, I discussed Intermittent Fasting--both what it looks like and how it works. In this installment, we will discuss what the research says about the relative merits of Intermittent Fasting (IF) as opposed to Multiple Small Meals (MSM) a day.  There are several presumptions that are floating around, and we’ll try to tackle them one by one. 

 1. We must eat frequently to maintain our metabolic rate. This is the one that prompted me to do the research. There is an old adage that if we skip a meal or fast then our bodies will go into “starvation mode” and hold on to calories tighter, making it harder to lose weight. I have...

Intermittent Fasting (IF) has been a hot topic in articles and discussions about weight loss for the last several years. More recently, the practice has been studied in the setting of preventing, treating or even reversing Type 2 Diabetes.  Intermittent Fasting (IF) has shown a good deal of promise and, when done correctly, is neither difficult nor particularly unpleasant. Every single religion throughout history has encouraged at least some form of fasting, reinforcing the idea that fasting is an ancient and healthy practice. 

First, we’ll talk about what Intermittent Fasting “looks like” in real life, then discuss how and why it works.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent Fasting describes a practice whereby one limits the time during which they eat, and “fasts” the rest of the day. For autophagy (cellular cleanup), weight loss, and resetting insulin sensitivity, the ideal length of an intermittent fast seems to be 14-18 hours....

“Do I have diabetes?”

It’s a scary question, but one that many of us are asking ourselves.  The CDC says that, as of 2017, 100 million Americans had diabetes or pre-diabetes. Undoubtedly that number is even higher today. Unfortunately the disease is often without symptoms early on. But there are things you may notice if you pay attention. 

Here are 5 early warning signs that may indicate that you have diabetes or pre-diabetes.  

1. Fatigue  Diabetes results in high levels of sugar in your blood, but not enough sugar (or energy) in your cells. As your body works to get your blood sugar down, you may notice less energy than usual. This feeling of tiredness may be particularly evident after a high carbohydrate meal. You may lose interest in hobbies, or just be spent at the end of the day. Exercise may become more difficult than it was in the past. 

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Diet sodas are common alternatives to regular sodas for those of us trying to watch our weight or decrease carbohydrates in our diet. The soda industry has long touted diet drinks as relatively healthy, low-calorie alternatives to regular soft drinks. But what effect to diet drinks have on our blood glucose and insulin levels, really?

Many of us are trying to decrease carbohydrates in our diets. Whether you’re into “Keto”, “Paleo”, or “Mediterranean” style diets, or you are simply trying to reduce carbohydrates in general, you probably know the regular soft drinks are loaded with as much as 77 grams of sugar.

On the surface, trading regular sodas in for diet sodas seems like a good idea. They certainly have fewer calories, and that combination of caffeine and sweetness can sometimes “hit the spot” when it comes to an afternoon pick me up.

However, a great deal of recent research has shown that diet sodas are not safer, healthier...

Good carbs, bad carbs. Slow carbs, fast carbs. What’s the difference and does it even matter when you are trying to follow a low-carb lifestyle?

There has been much written about carbohydrates and how to limit them over the last several years. Starting way back in the early 2000s with the Adkins diet, low-carbohydrate eating has recently become the hottest topic in human nutrition. With advocates of “Keto,” “Paleo,” and “Mediterranean” style diets all clamoring for your attention, it has become increasingly difficult to figure out which diet may be best for you.

Most scientists now agree that limiting refined and processed sugars in your diet is advisable for pretty much everyone. The difficult part is knowing how much or how severely we should limit our carbohydrates in general.

Certainly, the answer to this question should be unique to each individual. However, there are some pretty significant hard and fast guidelines we should follow...

There’s a sneaky trick going on in grocery stores and supermarkets these days. It’s called the “net carb”. Here’s how food manufacturers are using this trick to sabotage your efforts at weight loss and blood glucose control.

Food manufacturers and processors in this country have some pretty smart marketers working for them. They know that many of us are trying to reduce the number of carbohydrates in our diet in order to lose weight and/or control our blood sugar levels. The rise of the Atkins diet and various forms of ketogenic diets has created an opportunity for these companies. They have recently created a term out of thin air: “net carbs.”

There is no scientific basis for this term. It is not used in any scientific literature. It is nothing more than a marketing term used to make us believe we can safely eat higher carbohydrate foods without worrying as much. It’s very likely great for the bottom line of the food companies, but...