Work hard. Play hard. Naturally you want to enjoy your life and level up your performance. Putting recovery first as a preventive strategy with bio-individual nutrition builds a solid foundation for your physiological and psychological processes to restore yourself to greater states than before workouts and events.
Intermittent Fasting (IF) can be part of your strategy, but you must do it smartly for you. IF definitions range from restriction of caloric intake either partial or complete. Some will eliminate calories 16 – 20 hours per day, and thereby only consume calories for 4-8 hours. Others may choose an alternate day fasting without calorie consumption on one to two days per week.
Extreme spans without caloric consumption may work for some people, however your blood sugar balance must be a foundational decision point as to determine what is right for you.
Blood sugar dysregulation is reaching almost epidemic proportions. One in three adults has prediabetes. Statistics are also on the rise for children and teens.
Prediabetes to type 2 diabetes follows a dangerous pattern resulting from chronic overconsumption of poor carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates vegetables and truly whole grains provide are good carbohydrates! High levels of stress, frequent consumption of processed and refined carbohydrates, and food products laden with sugar and manufactured substitutes cause the release of insulin to manage blood glucose leading to an unsafe drop.
The body’s quest for equilibrium puts a stress on the liver and adrenal glands to adapt. The vicious cycle leads to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Aggravating blood sugar imbalance comes with symptoms of fatigue and imbalanced energy which impact performance long before a condition develops.
A truly bio-individual nutrition food lifestyle is the key to prevent and turnaround prediabetes, and ease t2 diabetes and other blood sugar imbalance even when it runs in the family.
When blood sugar is balanced a more assertive approach to IF may be productive. “Intermittent fasting is thought to help reduce inflammation in the body. Increased inflammation, especially in athletes, is a significant factor that can negatively affect performance and recovery, potentially leading to overtraining syndrome and a slow recovery process.” [1]
Your unique symptoms and health markers are a guide to know what is right for you. Whatever your IF answer is, a universal truth is to always be sure to amply hydrate with pure H20 to aid hydration and natural electrolyte balance.
Smart fasting for you may be taking your last bite several hours before you sleep. This break from food gives your body the time to digest before you go to sleep. Doing so will support rejuvenation and repair while sleeping which aids growth, expansion, and recovery. “Sleep is fundamental in regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which is involved in growth hormone (GH) release… This peak of GH during sleep is essential for growth and muscle development, as well as tissue regeneration and repair.” [2]
All in all, the more you look out for your nutrition to align with the results you seek, the more inflammation and pain will subside. The best approach is a blend of learning which foods are truly right for you with easy routines to support consistency. Better performance and more satisfaction that comes from treating your body like it is your best friend will be your reward.
Balancing your energy, growth, and expansion is possible. With better recovery, based on a preventive approach, your quality Physical Therapy time with Between the Lines Doctors can focus on building your regimen for the results you seek without so much pain resolution focus.
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Check out the EatRIght-LiveWell™ website (https://www.TamJohn.com) with preventive recovery offers for individuals and groups including nutrigenomic testing, a reveal of your genetic nutrition and performance blueprint. Book an Insight Call with Tamara [via the web / https://www.TamJohn.com or use the QR code or give us a call 720.318.9121] and talk with her about truly bio-individual nutrition for performance and recovery.
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