Stabilize Your Blood Sugar

Whenever I am working with clients, I always ensure that we touch on blood sugar, especially if they come to me for help with a chronic disease, feeling tired, nausea, dizziness, or brain fog. Usually, these symptoms are related to blood sugar irregularities.

Blood sugar is the amount of glucose (or sugar) circulating in one’s bloodstream. It is associated with glycemic index, hemoglobin A1C, or fasting glucose. Let’s break down these terms in case you are unfamiliar with them.

The Glycemic index (GI) is a ranking system for carbohydrates. The ranking is based on how quickly the food source will raise your blood sugar levels after consumption. It is a scale of 0-100 (100= pure glucose or sugar)

• Low GI: 55 or less (e.g., most fruits, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains)

• Medium GI: 56-69 (e.g., brown rice, sweet potatoes)

• High GI: 70 or more (e.g., white bread, sugary snacks)

Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) is a blood test that measures the average blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months. It is helpful to show how well blood sugar levels are managed over time.

Fasting glucose refers to the level of glucose in the blood after an individual has not eaten for at least 8 hours.

A random glucose check measures the amount of glucose in the blood at any given time without regard to when you last ate. This test provides a snapshot of your current blood sugar level and can be done at any time of the day.

Why do spikes matter?

Glucose spikes refer to sudden, sharp increases in blood sugar levels that occur after consuming foods, especially those with a high GI score. These spikes can have several negative impacts on health.

With each spike, your pancreas releases insulin to absorb the glucose in your blood, so the higher the spike, the more the pancreas will have to work, creating an overworked system that is likely to break down in the future. This type of breakdown is referred to in the medical field as insulin resistance; it simply means your pancreas cannot keep up with your blood sugar rates, and your body stops responding to the insulin being released.

Glucose spikes are associated with increased risk of type II diabetes, mood and energy fluctuation, weight gain, hunger cravings, oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic syndrome. Spikes also damage blood vessels over time, leading to cardiovascular disease and damage to organs like kidneys, eyes, and nerves.

So, what are easy ways to flatten the curve?

My clients, like myself, are busy. It is hard to ensure we are creating the healthy lifestyle we are looking for, so here are easy, science-backed ways to keep your glucose levels stable.

1. Vinegar

2. 10 minutes of movement after a meal

3. Always have a fat or protein with your carbohydrate

4. Fiber

5. First meal = protein heavy (adults 30g)

Vinegar

Vinegar is the first easy step towards flattening your glucose curve. Research shows that vinegar helps in two major ways.

1. It slows down the rate of absorption. The acid in vinegar helps the body slow down carbohydrates' digestion, keeping a flattened curve. The slower the digestion, the longer the curve takes to form, resulting in a lower curved glucose level.

2. It helps remove the glucose from your bloodstream and pull it into your muscles. This happens because vinegar can increase the activity of certain enzymes in the muscles, making them more sensitive to insulin. When muscles are more responsive to insulin, they can absorb glucose better and pull it from your bloodstream into your muscles, which is especially helpful for people with insulin resistance.

All you need to do is incorporate at least 1 tbsp of vinegar daily. I suggest doing this with a tall glass of water and a straw to protect your teeth. You can also have vinegar before a large carbohydrate meal for better stabilization, but once a day is enough to support your body. Also, remember that vinegar in salad dressings, pickled vegetables, and other recipes counts.

10 Minutes of Movement

Movement after a meal is one of the things I see whenever we travel to a blue zone area. Walking is more common in their daily culture, and they are better off for it. It is one of my favorite lessons from traveling abroad.

Research shows that when you move your body, you activate your muscles; when your muscles are active, they require glucose. Movement is another way to help shift the glucose from your body stream into your muscle group, which will help to flatten the glucose curve.

Ten minutes or more is the best, but I know life is busy, so any movement you can do will be better than nothing. Movement can also be washing the dishes, doing calf raises, walking in place, etc.

Always have a fat or protein with your carbohydrate

The basic science behind reducing a glucose spike involves increasing the digestion time for your body. Glucose in its basic form is sugar; this state is easily absorbed by the body and quickly, making it a high and fast spike as well as a dip (drop in glucose) after. The same is true for simple carbohydrates; these carbohydrates are more easily absorbed, increasing the rate and height of the glucose spike. Research shows that to help decrease the spike's rate and height, you also need to have protein or fat with your carbohydrates. The fat or protein decreases the spike because it takes longer for your body to break down, slowing the spike's rate and height.

If you want a slice of bread or a chip—anything simple carbohydrate—I suggest adding nut butter or Greek yogurt dip. These will give your body a buffer for the simple carbohydrates you crave. The same science can apply to sweet potatoes (which I love). I eat them on the side of a protein like chicken or tofu. It’s best to add them to the carbohydrates.

Fiber

Fiber has been a hot topic for the HealthE Newsletter; if you missed it, I did a full deep dive into it; view it here. Fiber can not only assist our gut, triglyceride levels, and cardiovascular health, but it also helps to control our glucose levels.

Fiber slows digestion and creates a coating in our stomachs for carbohydrates. Remember, the slower the digestion, the slower the rate and height of the glucose spike. Foods high in dietary fiber also generally have a lower GI, so the spike after eating a meal heavy in fiber is not as high.

Fiber is a subset of carbohydrates, so when I refer to fiber in this context, I mean low-GI carbohydrates like green leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms, and green beans.

First meal = protein heavy (adults 30g)

Most people talk about breakfast when it comes to the first meal, but when I say first meal, I mean the first time you break your fast. Depending on your specific situation and diet plan, this could happen at any time of the day, but it is the most important one.

It is best to ensure that this first meal is packed full of 30g of protein and, if possible, no sugar. Getting 30 g of protein helps recharge your body, supports muscle repair, and stabilizes blood sugar levels, setting you up for better energy and focus throughout the day. Hitting this 30 g of protein will reduce your craving throughout the day and set you in a stable glucose level.

Research shows that if your first meal is sugary or simple carbohydrate-heavy, you are more likely to continue to crave simple carbohydrates throughout the day because you will be on a rollercoaster of high spikes and glucose drops. When you create a drop in blood glucose, your body will be in starvation mode and crave simple sugars. It can be a vicious cycle once you are on this journey.

If you want a sugar or simple carbohydrate snack, I suggest enjoying it after a meal.

Understanding blood sugar can benefit everyone. I suggest talking to your doctor and trying some of these suggestions at home. I would love to hear your thoughts.

References:

_{Gannon MC, Nuttall FQ, Saeed A, Jordan K, Hoover H. An increase in dietary protein improves the blood glucose response in persons with type 2 diabetes. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Oct;78(4):734-41. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/78.4.734. PMID: 14522731}

_{Inchauspé, J. (2022). Glucose revolution: The life-changing power of balancing your blood sugar. Simon & Schuster.}

_{Östman, E., Granfeldt, Y., Persson, L. et al. Vinegar supplementation lowers glucose and insulin responses and increases satiety after a bread meal in healthy subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, 983–988 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602197}