Prostate Restored
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk Pexels Logo Photo: Pavel Danilyuk

What time should diabetics stop eating?

Try to go 10 to 12 hours each night without eating, Sheth advises. For instance, if you eat breakfast at 8:30 a.m. every morning, that means capping your nighttime meals and snacks between 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. each night.

Is cranberry good for liver?
Is cranberry good for liver?

Cranberries may enhance metabolic and liver benefits of weight loss diet: RCT. Adding a cranberry supplement to a weight loss diet program may...

Read More »
Can I sleep on a full stomach?
Can I sleep on a full stomach?

It's not recommended to sleep after eating because you will likely experience digestive issues like indigestion, heartburn, and acid reflux that...

Read More »

Learn how to improve your blood sugar management and overall health with meal timing. You know that when it comes to managing type 2 diabetes, what you eat has a dramatic effect on your health. But so does when you eat it. “Eating regular, balanced meals is critical on multiple levels,” explained Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDCES, a Los Angeles-based dietitian who specializes in the management of prediabetes and diabetes. From helping to keep your blood sugar stable to regulating your body’s internal clock, here’s why meal timing matters with type 2 diabetes — and how to create a schedule that works for you. As you probably already know and have felt before, eating on a pretty consistent meal schedule helps to keep your blood sugar stable and you feeling energized throughout the day. Go too long between meals and you’ll feel a noticeable blood sugar dip, Sheth says. Meanwhile, if you budget yourself one really big meal per day, by the end of it, you’re likely to encounter a very dramatic rise in blood glucose and then a complete lack of energy the rest of the day, she says. While glucose levels often hit their peak within about 90 minutes of eating a meal, the amount of time it takes for levels to return to normal varies from person to person. It also depends if a person is using a blood sugar-lowering medication such as insulin, which can quicken the comedown.

Regular meals help regulate your internal clock

Regularly scheduled mealtimes are about more than blood sugar highs and lows. When you eat is also a powerful signal to every cell throughout your body, influencing levels of inflammation, how quickly your body can replace old, dying cells with new, stronger ones, the health of your gut microbiome, and even your circadian clock. Or, better said, regular mealtimes might do all of this good stuff for your health because they support your circadian clock, explains Dr. Anis Rehman, assistant professor of endocrinology at Southern Illinois University. A vast network of 24-hour cycles that runs in the background of every cell in the human body, circadian rhythms drive constant fluctuations in hormone levels, metabolism, and everything you do and think. They even affect how the body responds to medications. Even your microbiota, the good bacteria that live in your gut and are proving to be integral to immune health, have strong circadian rhythms they have to follow for optimal function.

What foods cause knee pain?
What foods cause knee pain?

5 Foods to Avoid If You Have Knee Pain Sugary Foods. Sugar is such a common ingredient in our foods that we don't notice its effects on us because...

Read More »
What to do if Flomax doesn't work?
What to do if Flomax doesn't work?

Ask your doctor how long you need to stay on your medicine. You might have to keep taking it long-term to manage your BPH symptoms. Or, you may...

Read More »

Meanwhile, disrupted circadian patterns are believed to add to the development and progression of chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Rehman explains that when you eat may affect the genes involved in setting circadian rhythm and metabolism. How? A 2019 study in the journal Cell suggests it’s related to something you already know well: insulin. Released each time you eat, insulin not only triggers the body to absorb blood glucose, but it also acts as a powerful timing signal throughout the body, the study authors explain. The takeaway: The meal-time strategy that’s good for your blood sugar management is great for your total body health.

Your best meal-timing plan for type 2 diabetes

While it would be handy to give everyone a detailed schedule of this is when you should eat, meal timing isn’t that simple. “Everyone is unique, and it’s important to identify what works best for each person in terms of meal timing and blood sugar management,” Sheth said.

Here are five tried-and-true meal-timing guidelines to consider:

Eat a big breakfast

Eating a large meal in the morning and smaller meals for lunch and dinner may promote weight loss, lower glucose levels, and decrease daily insulin dose in folks with type 2 diabetes and obesity, research shows. For the best effects, make breakfast a pretty substantial meal rich in blood sugar-controlling protein, fiber, and fats. Blood sugar levels tend to spike in the morning along with cortisol levels, so a lower carb breakfast won’t exacerbate the shift, says registered dietitian Aubrey Phelps.

Don’t go more than 5 to 6 waking hours without food

As a general rule, try to minimize any long gaps during the day without fuel, Sheth says, noting that 5 to 6 hours between meals is the absolute max most people with diabetes should push it. Some people may even need to eat every 3 to 4 hours for optimal blood sugar management, adds Phelps. Keep in mind that how often you need to eat is going to be a determining factor in your ideal snacking strategy.

Snack purposefully

Can your prostate grow back after TURP?
Can your prostate grow back after TURP?

It is known that the prostate starts to grow again after surgery and about one in ten men need a repeat procedure within ten years of having TURP....

Read More »
Does robotic surgery hurt more?
Does robotic surgery hurt more?

Less pain, fewer opiates Using a high-definition surgical console, surgeons performing robotic procedures can zoom in to see blood vessels and...

Read More »

Sheth recommends that her clients eat one to two snacks per day, but only if needed depending on their lifestyle, activity levels, and how they feel. After all, while some people really benefit from the snacks in terms of blood sugar maintenance, energy levels, and overall satiety, she says, others do better leaving things at three meals per day.

In the end, the most important part of snacking might be the intentionality behind it. Are you snacking at 3 p.m. because you’re hungry and your blood sugar levels are getting low? Or just because you’re bored at your desk?

Paying attention to blood sugar levels, such as with a continuous blood sugar monitor, can be really helpful in examining what’s going on for you, Phelps says.

Try to fast at night

There’s a wide range of opinions out there on intermittent fasting, or going for long periods of time throughout the day without eating, especially when it comes to optimal health in people with diabetes. But the one thing most experts can agree on is that fasting at night — when your body is meant to be sleeping — is beneficial. Try to go 10 to 12 hours each night without eating, Sheth advises. For instance, if you eat breakfast at 8:30 a.m. every morning, that means capping your nighttime meals and snacks between 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. each night.

The takeaway

When it comes to diabetes management, it isn’t just about what you eat — when you eat matters, too. And while there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, a little trial and error can help you find a meal schedule that works best for your health. Remember to always talk to your endocrinologist before making any big changes to your meal routine, as it may require making changes to your medications and other aspects of your blood sugar management. Article originally appeared on August 27, 2020 on Bezzy’s sister site, Healthline. Last medically reviewed on August 24, 2020.

Why is my hair so thin I can see my scalp?
Why is my hair so thin I can see my scalp?

Lifestyle factors could include using certain hair products, wearing your hair up too tightly, experiencing high stress levels, or not getting...

Read More »
Does garlic regrow hair?
Does garlic regrow hair?

Short answer, yes. Used topically or as a part of your diet, garlic has properties that may help with hair growth, but more research is needed....

Read More »
What country has the most beautiful females?
What country has the most beautiful females?

Sweden. The stunning Scandinavian nation of Sweden is known for surreal forests, coastal islands, glittering lakes and glacial mountains. It is...

Read More »
Imagine Your Moment Of Freedom!
Imagine Your Moment Of Freedom!

Fluxactive Complete is conveniently packed with over 14 essential prostate powerhouse herbs, vitamins and grade A nutrients which work synergistically to help you support a healthy prostate faster

Learn More »
How much zinc should a 50 year old male take?
How much zinc should a 50 year old male take?

The recommended daily amount of zinc is 8 milligrams (mg) for women and 11 mg for adult men.

Read More »