During our childhood, we all loved candies, cakes, and chocolates. We are able to eat boxes of pizza, and gallons of ice cream. Drinking liters of soda is a good idea when you feel hot and tired. Then sweet desserts are something we can’t live without.
Even the frequency of eating habits is largely dictated by cravings. You eat the normal breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But you have plenty of snacking between. One snack after breakfast, then the next snack after lunch. Another snack after dinner, and occasional midnight snacking while you watch Netflix.
These eating habits went on and on. Your young body used to take it well. But as you age you start to feel its effects. You start to notice gaining weight, and you get sick more often. But when you are well, the food craving habits never stop. It even gets worse.
This resulted in many physical conditions. Most of them are fatal ones. It has taken the health and the very lives of the people you love. Most probably, you as the reader have one of these. Obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. You also get high blood sugar which leads to becoming prediabetic. Worse, you get to develop type 2 diabetes.
These can be managed, especially after early detection. Early effects are hunger and fatigue. Which is controlled by eating properly and taking some rest. Dry mouth and itchy skin can be relieved by skincare. For those experiencing blurred vision, there is already special eyewear. And you can give it as a gift to the visually impaired.
But when full-blown and untreated it will lead to serious health damages. The potential complications include stroke, heart disease, and cardiac arrest. Other fatal and long-term effects are nerve damage and kidney damage to name a few.
All these are general effects of bad eating habits. All the food you ate for a moment will cost you years of sickness. The money you will spend on treatment costs more than the unhealthy food you eat. Then you will live the last years of your life with regrets. The main culprit is a condition known as insulin resistance.
What is Insulin?
Insulin is created in the pancreas which is a very important hormone in your body. In fact, it is considered to be the main hormone that controls your body. It regulates the metabolism of the food we eat. Such as carbohydrates, protein, and fats. It also regulates blood sugar levels.
As it regulates and breaks blood sugar and carbohydrates it then turns into glucose. Then insulin controls the amount of glucose that runs in your bloodstream. And it helps store unused glucose in your liver, fat, and muscles. Turning it into energy. That’s how important insulin is in your body.
What is Insulin Resistance?
This happens when muscle cells, liver cells, and fat cells do not respond to insulin anymore. When these important cells cannot take glucose from insulin anymore. This results in the pancreas creating more insulin. Only to help glucose enter those important cells. But your cells are already resisting. Therefore, creating chaos in your body.
How Do You Avoid Insulin Resistance?
Combine eating less frequently and then eating a low carb, no sugar, and high-fat diet. This is known as intermittent fasting combined with a ketogenic diet. This will mean you enjoy the health benefits of the ketogenic diet. Combined with the effects of intermittent fasting. It is a full package of life-saving benefits.
Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, sugar-free diet. This is where you get calories from protein and fats, and less from carbohydrates. This requires a slow to a drastic reduction of carbohydrate intake. And then replacing it with healthy fats. Then using fats as your body’s new fuel.
Intermittent Fasting
And with intermittent fasting, you will eat with less frequency. Here you schedule a period where your body and your digestive system can take a break. It will help in weight loss and improve physical and mental health. This is due to its powerful effects on your brain and body.
Some of the more popular intermittent fasting schedules are the 16:8 and 18:6 fast. 16:8 means you do not eat within the 16-hour schedule, then your eating hours are in the next 8 hours. Take note that your 16 hours fasting time includes your sleeping hours. While 18:6 means not eating for 18 hours, and your eating window is 6 hours. 1 or 2 meals fit into this time frame.
You also need to learn how to “listen to your body”. Eat when your body says you are hungry. But do not eat when your body is only craving. Intermittent fasting also kills cravings when done properly.
Food is good when consumed in moderation. Remember that what we eat is what we become. As we take care of our eating habits, our body will take care of itself. So eat well, but do not forget to also live well.
