I was experiencing high stress, with elevated cortisol levels driven up by excess dietary fat intake, external stress, and primarily by pushing ketosis levels too far. After identifying the stress load from excess fat metabolism and cumulative external factors, I experimented with adjusting my dietary intake—introducing 30g of carbohydrates (1 oz) in the evening while ensuring I finished eating well before bed (5 PM feeding on OMAD with a 3-hour window). This simple shift led to notable improvements in stress levels, HRV, sleep quality, and metabolic flexibility.
Key Benefits of Strategic Carbohydrate Intake and Early Eating Cutoff
HRV Recovery & Reduced Nighttime Stress: My Garmin data showed HRV rebounding from the low 20s to a more stable 35 ms+, while night time stress levels dropped from 30-50 (Garmin scale) to below 20.
Lower Overnight Glucose Variability: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) showed glucose stabilizing around 5-6 mmol/L (90-108 mg/dL) overnight, instead of fluctuating due to prolonged fasting ketosis-induced gluconeogenesis.
Ketone Stability & Efficient Fat Oxidation: Despite carbohydrate intake, ketones only briefly dropped to 0.5 mmol/L (9 ppm KETOSCAN) post-meal but rebounded to 1.5 mmol/L (27 ppm) by morning, showing sustained fat oxidation.
Deeper, More Restorative Sleep: My sleep quality score improved to 82 (Garmin scale), and subjective sleep quality felt more refreshing, likely due to lower cortisol activation overnight.
Improved Digestive Efficiency: Finishing meals earlier prevented food from sitting in the gut overnight, reducing metabolic stress and supporting better overnight recovery.
Key Learnings on Metabolic Flexibility and Stress Management
Small, Well-Timed Carb Intake (30g/1 oz) Can Lower Cortisol Without Disrupting Ketosis Levels: This intervention allowed glucose stability and ketone rebound without impairing fat metabolism.
Late-Night Eating Increases Stress & Disrupts HRV: Eating earlier helped shift my body into a true recovery mode instead of staying in a digestion-driven stress state.
HRV & Stress Metrics Are Highly Responsive to Nutritional Timing: Real-time feedback from wearable tech confirmed the immediate physiological impact of these small adjustments.
Metabolic Flexibility Matters More Than Deep Ketosis Alone: The ability to cycle between fat-burning and glucose use without excess stress proved to be a key to optimizing ketosis levels, performance, and recovery.
This experiment highlights the power of precision nutrition and lifestyle timing in managing stress levels, sleep quality, and metabolic flexibility and balance. By aligning dietary fat intake with real-time physiological feedback, I was able to enhance recovery without sacrificing fat oxidation or ketosis efficiency.
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