Dr Michael Mosley warned people who are wanting to lose weight that the age-old myth that they need to eat in order to keep their blood sugar up is “terrible advice”. Blood sugar is the body’s main source of energy, which is created when the stomach breaks down the carbs in food.
The insulin hormone then moves the glucose out of the bloodstream and into the body’s cells, which then lowers blood sugar levels.
But it should be noted that if too much glucose is removed from the blood or the body doesn’t get enough carbs, blood sugars can drop below what is considered healthy.
This is referred to as hypoglycemia, and can happen when people don’t have enough sugar in their blood or if their body can’t stabilise its blood sugar level.
But Dr Mosley explained that people don’t need to eat all the time in order to bring their levels back to normal, and urged people to follow a fasting diet that can promote fat burning.
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Dr Mosley went on to explain that unless people are exercising “vigorously”, then fat burning can take 10 hours to start, which is why he recommends eating breakfast as late as possible to lengthen the time without food.
Exercising more or harder than usual can lower blood sugar quicker, according to Healthline.
“You run on this fast accessible fuel, which is the sugar in your blood,” he said.
“It’s also stored as a thing called glycogen.
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Dr Elizabeth Halprin said: “This means patients are eating more calories than they would normally.”
Instead, she noted that actively avoiding low blood sugar and the subsequent food cravings it causes, helps prevent unintended weight gain.
Harvard Medical School recommended the best way to lose weight is to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and follow a nutritious, balanced diet.