5 Simple Ways to Optimize Your Blood Sugar Levels
If there’s one thing I love talking about, it’s the importance of managing your hormones, especially your insulin production and blood sugar levels. But it wasn’t until I learned about the role our hormones play and the impact they have on our weight, mental health and energy, that I began to shift the approach I implemented for myself and my clients to feel good and achieve a healthy weight.
Before we get to good stuff, we need to understand the basics, so here is your mini science lesson of the day:
When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks it down into glucose, which is the simplest form of sugar. This sugar then goes through the intestines and into the bloodstream, which causes your blood sugar level to rise. As a result, insulin is released in order to keep that level within a healthy range. Extra glucose is then stored in the liver and muscles for your body to tap into if your blood sure drops too low, BUT any excess glucose gets stored as fat.
—> Yup, read that again.
Having a diet high in starchy and high-sugar foods causes an increase in your blood glucose, requiring your body to produce more insulin. When this continues to happen, your body starts to hold onto it as excess weight, especially as belly fat.
The answer does not include cutting out carbohydrates, but eating them the right way and eating the right kind of carbs. Below are some tips and some little hacks that make a big difference.
Dress up your carbohydrates so you’re not eating them naked. This means you should pair a protein and/or healthy fat with or before the carbohydrate/ sugar.
Have some type of vinegar prior to eating a starchy food. This could be a side salad with balsamic vinegar or .Doing so will decrease the impact of the sugar from the carbohydrates, therefore causing a smaller increase in your blood sugar levels and requiring less insulin.
Avoid having sugar on an empty stomach. Enjoy a sweet treat or some candy after eating a meal where you have protein and fat.
If you can take a 10 minute walk, or get light movement in after a meal, it helps your body use the glucose to keep your blood sugar levels in check.
Be mindful of the carbohydrates and sugars you are consuming on a regular basis, and the best way to do this is to go for whole food (single ingredient) carbs, like fresh fruit, all vegetables, white or brown rice, oats, beans, etc. When having processed carbs, which are foods that are packaged, check out the ingredients and choose the options that have fewer ingredients and that start with real food.
If you enjoy these and want simple tips and creative hacks to help you build a healthier lifestyle and lose unwanted weight with more ease, I have 2 spots open for private Nutrition Coaching! And I’m offering a Black Friday deal for 25% off!
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