Let’s talk about intermittent fasting. What is it exactly?
Intermittent fasting is blocking out hours during the day for eating. It is generally an 8 hour window of eating and a 16 hour window of fasting. It has become a prominent weight loss trend in recent years, but it is something that can actually create more problems for you and your hormones. The studies that have been conducted with intermittent fasting all involved men, not menstruating women. Yes, men can potentially lose weight and feel great on this “diet” but with it can wreck menstruators hormones and lead to the opposite effects.
What do I mean by this?
When you are in a fasting state, your body automatically senses danger. When your body does not feel safe, it increases its production of your stress hormone Cortisol. Cortisol is your body’s defense mechanism, if you are running away from a lion in the wild, you need instant energy to get you out of that dangerous situation! Your body may not know the difference between running away from a lion, intermittent fasting or a stressful day at the office because of your demanding boss.
This increase in cortisol will pump out glucose into your bloodstream to give you that instant energy. Your body will then release extra insulin so your blood sugar doesn’t increase to a dangerous level. This excess of insulin can lead to your ovaries producing extra testosterone, the male hormone that is elevated in women with PCOS.
For healthy hormones, you need steady and balanced blood sugar levels throughout the day. Having steady blood sugar levels can prevent mood swings, fatigue, energy crashes and hormone imbalances. I would say that balanced blood sugar is the foundation of all healthy hormones.
What are some things you can begin incorporating today to help with your blood sugar balance?
1) Eat your breakfast- If you skip breakfast, like many women do when they try intermittent fasting, their cortisol and blood sugar levels spike. Why? You’ve been fasting during the night and your body has used up its stored glucose, glycogen, to keep your blood sugar steady. When you wake up it is important to replenish that, if not your body will take energy and glucose form the raised cortisol.
2) Try to stay away from simple carbs- Carbs with little fiber will spike your blood sugar more than carbs that have fiber.
3) Pair your carbs with fat and protein- If you eat your naked carbs, especially carbs with minimal fiber, your blood sugar can spike. After a spike it must come down and crash, leading to hunger, irritability and feeling fatigued. Fat and protein prevent this spike and can keep your blood sugar nice and steady.
4) Take an after meal walk- this habit will not only add in some healthy movement during your day but it can help with insulin resistance & blood sugar balance.
If you want to experiment with fasting, explore how your body reacts to a 12 hour overnight fast. This is a safer and healthier choice for most menstruators that provides benefits of fasting without negatively impacting your hormonal balance.
Written by Chaya Lezell RDN, CDN
Chaya Lezell is a Registered Dietitian and Women’s health expert. Her practice,Blossom Hormone Nutrition, has helped many women take control of the PCOS, improve their digestion and optimize their fertility. All this is done using a functional nutrition approach to get to the root cause of each client’s PCOS and fertility issues.
Website: www.blossomhormonenutrition.com
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