The Circadian Diabetes Code: Discover the Right Time to Eat, Sleep, and Exercise to Prevent and Reverse Prediabetes and Diabetes

by Satchin Panda

"In The Circadian Diabetes Solution, senior Salk Institute researcher Satchin Panda, PhD, takes circadian rhythm science to the next level of medical treatment. Based on cutting-edge research from his own and others' labs, the time-restricted eating program that forms the backbone of the intermittent fasting weight loss protocol has been scientifically shown to be an effective tool in the personal fight against diabetes. It's not what you eat that makes a difference, it's when. His core recommendation is to select a ten-hour window of time within which readers can comfortably eat all of their food and beverages almost every day. By doing so, they will see several benefits: They can reverse pre-diabetes, better manage type 2 diabetes with less medication, enhance immunity, and lose weight along the way. This complete protocol shows readers how to time their eating, including carbs, with their blood glucose response, which varies between day and night. It includes plans for optimal timing for sleep, exercise, and medication"--

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Science, Nutrition, Self Help, Medicine, Food

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 9, 2021

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent guide for people who have diabetes or prediabetes, or who just want to avoid getting diabetes and its many dangerous companions. Diabetes and metabolic disorders have skyrocketed in the past couple of decades and many people are completely unaware that they are diabetic or have prediabetes. Panda points out that doctors often don't even tell patients that they have prediabetes and will develop diabetes in the near future at the rate they're going, instead using words like "you need to increase your exercise and eat better." I appreciate that he's worked with many patients who have reversed their diabetes with his plan, and also that the advice is advice we should ALL be following whether we're already sick or not.

The focus is on eating right (stop with the processed carbs, for goodness sake), getting regular exercise and getting enough sleep, but with a massive amount of information to help. He does deep dives into the science behind all of it and keeps it interesting and accessible. I found advice that I passed on to my 14 y/o son about how to help combat his recent insomnia (eating within 2-3 hours of sleep will sabotage getting to sleep because it ramps up digestion and body heat, both of which interfere with rest and the lower body temp we go into to sleep), plus a ton of good advice for myself and my husband and just lots of really interesting stuff. He also goes into lots of step-by-step plans to help you be successful at implementing his plans. A great resource.

I read a digital ARC of this book for review.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

With The Circadian Diabetes Solution Satchin Panda has given us another wonderfully instructive guide to improving our health. The book is geared towards anyone looking to possibly prevent, control, or in some cases reverse diabetes but his advice and recommendations could be beneficial to everyone. If you have read Mr. Panda's previous book, The Circadian Code, then you need not read this one unless you are specifically interested in diabetes. Whole sections of The Circadian Code can be found in the diabetes solution verbatim. The plan centers around intermittent fasting but in a realistic, attainable manner. The book begins with a very informative explanation of what diabetes is and how it affects every part and system of the body. He explains how diabetes can be linked to broken circadian rhythms and offers advice on how to better manage the disease and reduce the damage that it can cause. All in all, it seems like sound advice that would be worth trying. The author does recommend discussing it with you doctor beforehand especially if you are on medication. Disclosure: I received a free copy from Rodale Books in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

[jaroiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tohle samozřejmě není kniha k jednomu přečtení, hotovo, jdu číst další...
Pro pořádné využití poznatků je potřeba si to vyzkoušet aspoň těch 12 týdnů.
Takže za sebe můžu říct jen "Směle do toho" a dala bych vědět za +- 12 týdnů, jak to dopadlo.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Circadian Diabetes Code, researcher Dr. Satchin Panda, PhD explains the impact our internal clocks have on our health. A professor at the Salk Institute, he is on the forefront of circadian rhythm research.

According to Dr. Panda, our body has innumerable internal clocks that control everything from sleep to mood to gene expression and disease risk. Our modern world wreaks havoc with these circadian clocks, throwing them off balance. This book suggests that with some minor lifestyle modifications, readers can restore balance and benefit from better sleep, greater health and a reduced risk of disease.

Dr. Satchin Panda’s research suggests that if we nurture this rhythm and control WHEN we eat, we can reverse prediabetes and manage Type 2 diabetes. Along the way, he claims we can lose weight and enhance every other aspect of our health. Paramount to keeping our internal clocks running smoothly is the concept of ‘time restricted eating’ or TRE. Dr. Panada suggests restricting our eating to an 8-to-10-hour window and explains why we would want to consider this lifestyle change.

His book is divided into three sections. Part I is where you’ll learn about the basics of circadian science and understand how risk factors may be negatively impacting diabetes management. Part II is a focus on intermittent fasting and the importance of sleep. Part III describes the 12-week health challenge.

Areas I struggled with:
- The blood glucose levels stated were measured in mg/dL whereas in Canada it is measured in mmol/L . For universal appeal, it would be convenient to have the measurements in both units.

Areas I appreciated:
- The checklists, questionnaires, section titles, charts, and summary boxes
- The simple language used in explanations
- The explanation of the circadian clock and the repercussions when it’s broken
- Clear pathway with attainable goals, rather than radical changes
- Learning about the term ‘Type 3 diabetes’
- No special food to buy, no calorie counting, no special equipment and no journaling!

Publishes November 9, 2021.
I was gifted this book by Dr. Satchin Panda, Rodale Books, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this an interesting take on managing blood sugar: using intermittent fasting vs. the eating small amounts throughout the day. Between this strategy, maximizing exposure to sunlight, and exercising during optimum times, I might have a couple new arrows in my quiver.

3.5 stars

[Anisha B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good tips. Somewhat repetitive

[Kasia Kulma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is aimed at people with (pre-)diabetes but should be of interest to anyone concerned with a balanced, healthy lifestyle, especially those focused on blood glucose management. The message is shockingly simple: optimize your sleep, eating, and exercising according to the circadian clock. This really boils down to doing most things when you're active during the day and sleeping at night. Funny that we need a whole book about it, but hey.

Panda is a leader in the circadian biology field and is slightly biased towards animal studies, which he admits in the book, addressing any limitations of said research. I enjoyed the academic explanations of processes behind improved blood glucose and triglycerides when on the 8-12 eating window, but I'm sure many people would also appreciate the practical guide on how to transition to a "body-clock lifestyle" at the end of the book.

[Karen Axnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
This is a comprehensive guide to preventing, managing and even potentially reversing type 2 diabetes. No one would argue that eating a moderate, well-balanced diet and getting regular exercise are important to achieving optimal health. Based on his research into the circadian rhythms of our bodies, this author demonstrates that knowing when to eat and exercise is just as important.

The book is divided into three parts.
Part 1 provides an in-depth discussion of prediabetes, diabetes and metabolic syndrome as well as circadian rhythms. Drawing on personal research as well as published results by other health professionals, Dr. Panda describes how circadian rhythms become out of sync (aka internal “broken clocks”) and their impact on diabetes.
Part 2 includes chapters on how to enhance your circadian rhythm by managing food intake (what and when), optimal times for exercise, and tips for ensuring quality sleep.
Part 3 concludes with a chapter on working effectively with your physician when implementing this program and a practical plan for getting started with a 12-Week challenge.

The content is well-organized and written in clear, easily understood language. At times is becomes a bit dry with so much data to underscore the validity of the author’s approach, but there are well-placed case studies and simple, but effective charts and diagrams to balance the text. I’m not a fan of the “one-size-fits-all” approach that generalizes health advice and guidelines, so I was happy to see that there is enough diversity built into this model to accommodate different lifestyles and preferences.

There was one area that disappointed me. While Dr. Panda points out that this approach is not a “diet,” he does discuss food choices. Included in the lists of recommended foods were tofu and artificial sweeteners, which seemed at odds with what is now considered a “healthy, well-balanced diet.”

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an informative read that was really simplified for the average reader. Overall, I enjoyed the premises that by working with your circadian rhythm, you can improve your blood glucose levels. I have found this to be true for myself and know that many people do not realize that something as simple as a bedtime can so drastically affect diabetes risk and glucose levels. The book also utilizes circadian rhythm in eating styles as the author advocates for intermittent fasting. This can be a bit tricky for diabetics as not all respond well, however, the 10 hour eating period (and 14 hours fasting) is a pretty lenient IF track that most diabetics can probably attempt without negative side effects. However, the author recommends finding what works for the reader's body individually, as we are all unique. IF helps to utilize the circadian rhythm and give the body a rest from digesting, which results in better sleep.

Diet is examined with certain foods being recommended while others are recommended to be omitted from the diet. Exercise is also promoted with the benefits stated for exercising at specific times of the day, though any time the reader can get exercise in is obviously preferable to not exercising.

There were a few things that stuck out to me that the author said that I found to be inaccurate and I thought the recommendation of aspartame as a safe sweetener after most others were nixed was a terrible recommendation. Aspartame is not even safe for blood sugars for some diabetics and even for those who are not spiked by it, it is terrible for health and has been linked to disrupted gut flora, GI issues, cancer, and a number of other health issues. This research is clear and out there, so I'm not sure how that made the cut and was recommended over safer sweeteners or more natural ones.

I think that this book would help most people with diabetes to improve their health. The author lays out the groundwork in a detailed and easy to understand manner that is concise and the data is simplified for the average reader. While the science is included, it is definitely an abridged version that requires no prior knowledge on the subject.

[Hazel Bright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really more about reducing carbs and employing intermittent fasting (IF) than Circadian rhythm, but with a lot of good information that can make a difference in your health. A welcome and refreshing repudiation of last century's dieticians' constant exhortations to snack, snack, snack (on carrots, celery and peanut butter, apple slices, orange juice, whole grain crackers, etc. - healthy-ish, or so we thought then, but still, even if the snacks were truly healthy, ye gods that's a lot of noshing). All of that snacking made me feel bloated and lethargic. So for me, Panda's approach with a 10 to 12 hour eating window with just breakfast, lunch, and dinner and no snacks in between works best, and I was pleased to know that actual scientific evidence supports this approach as optimal. Panda also provides physiological reasons why IF is beneficial.

So - semi spoiler alert because you probably already know all of this: Eat during the day. Sleep at night and don't eat. Exercise after meals if possible. Get some sun right after you wake up. Walk at least 30 minutes per day. That's pretty much it. Sometimes doing the simple thing is the best for your health. Fair enough. But a person reading a book with this title probably has a problem doing just that and wants to know how to fix it. Panda touches briefly on Night Eating Syndrome, describing the syndrome and leaving it at that as if to say, "Weird, right? Don't do that." Same for shift work. Hard on your body, so try to not do that, dude. Overall, this is a general nutrition book, does not provide much information I didn't already know, and little that is new about Circadian rhythm.

Overall, a useful book if you know nothing about IF and low-carb, providing interesting, important, and correct information about these vital lifestyle choices, but with limited information about the Circadian rhythm, the subject it claims to address.

[Avi Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure if I'll actually finish the book (I'm at the 45% mark right now), so I'll put down a summary / some thoughts here.

The central thesis of this book is this: a disruption to your circadian rhythm can exacerbate (or cause) diabetes.

Diabetes is bad: most processes in your body are supposed to happen within a narrow band of physical parameters, if one of these parameters (such as blood sugar) is outside the normal range, things go awry. Diabetes negatively effects both blood vessels and nerve cells, which in turn connect to every single organ of your body, so there's an endless list of things that can go wrong once you're diabetic. Drugs (such as metformin) work, but have their own side effects.

So, what's the solution? This book makes a case for intermittent fasting: consuming all your calories within an 8 or 10 hour window, and giving your body enough time to stay in a fasting state, which encourages various essential maintenance processes. Beyond restricting feeding to a specific duration, the book also makes a case for having a regular schedule when it comes to the following: when you wake up, when you eat your first bite, when you eat your last bite, when you go to bed. Being a bit out of sync here and there is ok (the author recommends "cheating" at most once a week), but a habitually irregular schedule can have long-term negative effects.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A circadian rhythm researcher writes a lifestyle book aimed at controlling or preventing diabetes. Nothing groundbreaking, lots of anecdotes, some research, lists and writing that can feel like dumping information. It was really surprising to hear how cyclical blood glucose can be, and how regular sleeping, exercise, and diet patterns can help regulate it.

1) His main push is that we should all be following intermittent fasting (IF), preferably with a 10-hour eating window. (But 12 is better than nothing!)
2) He declares that IF is not a diet, then goes on to list the foods that should never be eaten and the foods that you should buy at the grocery store.
3) When it comes to sleep and exercise, more is always better.
4) Have your first calories at least an hour after waking and your last calories 2-3 hours before bed.
5) Get bright light in the morning and turn down the lights 2 hours before bed.
6) Stick to the same routine every day.
7) Exercise in the late afternoon or early evening.
8) Get 15 minutes of brisk exercise after meals.
9) Have your highest glucose meals in the morning, your lightest meals at night.

[Jenn Hovis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a BSN RN certified diabetes educator. I primarily work with Type 1 Diabetics in the pediatric population. I am passionate about helping both my patients and my family and friends achieve optimal metabolic health. Only 7% of the population is metabolically healthy which is an alarming statistic. Diabetes and pre diabetes is different for everyone and for the most part what works for one person might not work for another. However optimizing your circadian rhythms is something I recommend to ALL of my patients and friends/family as Dr. Panda illustrates beautifully in this book. Stop looking at your devices first thing in the morning and before bed, get a few minutes of morning sunlight in your naked eyes, and don’t eat within a few hours of bed, etc. It’s simple, it’s free and it is effective! I appreciate the research Dr.Panda presents in his books and recommend this book to all my patients.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This my far is the best healthcare book I’ve ever read. It addresses all areas the impact our health and the author does so by providing a practical commonsense plan. Explaining how each element integrates and meshes with the other elements, emphasizing that sleep and exercise are the foundation to a healthy life. This isn’t a book only for diabetics, it is applicable to anyone wanting to have a healthier and fuller life.

From an exercise perspective, life is like a bell curve, we need to exercise more at both ends of our life. When we are young, we naturally gravitate towards its and enjoy it, however towards the end of life we have the time but the desire no longer comes naturally. So, to get started we need to push ourselves at the beginning. It is like primming a water pump, at first there is a lot of effort without any results, but once it starts flowing then it comes more naturally.

[Pranav · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book focuses on informing and providing actionable steps on preventing and reversing diabetes. The author structures the book well by first informing, providing recommendation and helping to create an actionable guide for the reader.
The book focuses on 3 main goals for improving one’s lifestyle through intermittent fasting (when and what you eat), exercise and sleep.
The author provides evidence based on his research and other cited resources. There are also stories of peoples journey using the authors recommendations and how that went for them.
The book was a bit repetitive at times and could’ve been more succinct.
Overall though very informational and actionable.

[Samsara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exercise: At least 1 hr after wake up. Some people could have high blood pressure because of the stress of morning exercise. A even safer time to exercise is late afternoon, but not too close to bed time.

No big dinner. Have a big breakfast that contains most of the carbohydrates of the day since it is the insulin most sensitive time. A small lunch, a small tea, and a tiny dinner.

Try to eat within 14-16 hours. Mouse models cannot eat in a even smaller window so we don't have much data on fasting over 16 hours. But human has much slower metabolism than mouse, so I guess you will be all fine fasting for a few days.

Sleep for 7 hours, ideally around 10pm.

[Shannon Stamps (Shannon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to this book I will now try IF for real this time. I didn’t think it was something I could do safely as I struggle with the urge to eat within half hour of waking up and at least 2 hours before bed. I barely get 6 hours of sleep a night. I take at least a half hour nap each day because I am exhausted. I am not doing the challenge just yet but I have successfully completed a 12 hour fast, two days in a row and trust me that is progress. I would like to get to a 10 hour eating window one day but right now 12 is perfect

[Alexa Markby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is even more engaging than his first. Excellent research details and guidance. The only backwards step is that he caved to the “popular media label of IF” or intermittent fasting, instead of sticking with “time restricted eating” which more clearly reflects the intent and implementation. Don’t be sidetracked by the title, it applies to a wide range of health markers for the whole family and was highly effective for his own Mom. But I disagree with the sweetener list (2018 published in Molecules journal “artificial sweeteners perturb gut microbiome”).

[Arlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good! Dr. Panda outlines a very clear 12 Week program that will get your health back on track. This is done by aligning your circadian rhythm with when you eat, sleep, and exercise. Even if you don't have diabetes or prediabetes, you will benefit greatly by learning how Intermittent Fasting (IF) can work for you. I was against IF for a long time because I thought it was another diet fad that doesn't work, but I've been trying it for a week now and am already experiencing benefits like better sleep and not over eating.

[Pedro Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent no nonsense book to beat T2D

I wish I had this code available to me much sooner.
Five reasons why this has helped me;
1. Time Restricted Fasting/ IF is doable as a life style.
2. Mediterranean Diet and cutting starchy carbs is not daunting.
3. Exercise is great and 10,000 steps per day can be achieved.
4. Sleeping for 8 hours is good for repairing cells.
5. Solvable fibre, such as in psyllium works wonders for your biome and lowering cholesterol.

[Anders Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had diabetes for forty six years so the great benefit for me with this book was how you could tweek your IF. I have used the concept for several years already but felt I needed further adjustments. If you however are a diabetic with poor blood glucose control or a newbie I strongly recommend this book. It’s all about the disease and what you need to know regarding food,exercise, sleep, medicine, check ups and the importance of timing when you are a diabetic.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personally underwhelmed after skimming through this. I already knew a fair amount of what is discussed. I also would not personally follow some of his dietary suggestions. I do best not eating any grains at all, but I know many can eat them. I have found my blood sugar is best being very strict low carb, again not true for all of us who are pre-diabetic.

[NovelShongololo · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the actual science around circadian rhythms is fascinating and well explained in this book, I found the book on the whole very repetitive. Additionally, the inclusion of stories from people who adopted the lifestyle change could have been improved through better describing how they overcame the difficulties of making the changes in addition to the successes.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book on the ways blood glucose affects everything in your body, as Ben Bikman’s book Why We Get Sick clearly points out. I enjoyed the depth this book went into in regards of blood glucose and sleep/time-restricted eating. I also appreciated Panda’s sentiment on being your own advocate at a doctor’s visit and ways to do that.

[Bruin Mccon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of the food details were a rehash, though the 10-hour eating window I’ve not done before now (did 8-hour window in past). The sleep piece was new in conjunction with the fast. Actually felt myself getting tired yesterday as the sun was going down, because I stopped eating a few hours earlier per author’s instructions.

[JackieBReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO GOOD. This was by far the most informational book on health that I have read. Every body is different - the fad diets, the fast pills... they all aren't sustainable and don't work for everyone. This book deep dives into how important knowing our circadian rhythm is to our health. Very insightful and provides tips and an outline for everything that it talks about.

[Sam With Veggies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information but very important it is only in the context of people living with insulin resistance. The food rules in this book can be detrimental to health for some others.
I particularly enjoyed the chapters explaining the importance of sleep and exercise

[ABSAUCE · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book to everyone. It’s written so concisely, paraphrasing and reassuring the reader when it needs to, making sure no information is lost. And the content is incredibly important. It’s my new Bible.

[Stefan Tanevski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!

As with many other aspects of living healthy living should be simple and boring.

Having a structure in your daily living and adhering to it = 🔑.

Consistent sleeping schedule
Consistent eating window (=<10 hours)
Consistent physical activity.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably a super helpful book if you have time and energy to go about fully changing your eating habits and you are prediabetic or Type 2. I adopted some of the suggestions but couldn't do all. However, it was a really interesting read.