Hacks to Control Your Blood Sugar

Dr. Mark Hyman talks with the Glucose Goddess, Jessie Inchauspe, about her tried and true hacks to balance blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity. She just released a book called Glucose Revolution where she outlines her surprising hacks to optimize blood sugar while still eating the foods we love.

• Blood sugar imbalances can manifest as cravings for sweets, feeling hungry even though you just ate, show up as acne, hormonal imbalances, night sweats, and/or wrinkles. Often, we don’t even notice our blood sugar spikes; if these symptoms go unchecked, they could develop into type 2 diabetes, infertility, fatty liver disease, and dementia. Only 12% of Americans are metabolically healthy. Most of us will die from inflammatory diseases affecting our metabolism.

All cells need energy which they get from glucose to survive. The mitochondria within our cells are responsible for turning the glucose into ATP which our cells use as energy. When we eat a lot of sugary and starchy foods, the mitochondria get overwhelmed and shut down. They release free radicals which harm every cell in the body; the body’s response to the free radicals is inflammation.

• What actually happens when you get a glucose spike and resultant inflammation is your body is “toasting” on the inside. The excess glucose combines with proteins to form advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which manifest like a crust on crème Brule in a Maillard reaction inside the body. The abnormal proteins or AGEs go to your tissues, organs, and brain and cause aging.

How each of our bodies reacts to high starchy or sugary foods depends on our individual microbiome, level of tiredness, hydration, muscle mass, insulin sensitivity, menstrual cycle, stress levels and more. Eating starchy or sugary foods when you are sleep-deprived or stressed will boost your blood sugar even more so be careful how you eat those days. Luckily, these hacks will work on everyone regardless of their individual blood glucose tolerance levels.

1. Eat your Food in the Right Order. Jessie argues that we should always eat our veggies or salad first so that the fiber from the veggies can coat the intestinal track to trap glucose (sugars from the foods we eat). This way the starch and sugars are absorbed less and result in a smaller glucose spike. After your veggies, you should eat your protein and fats and then your carbs and sugars. This hack can help reduce glucose spikes by 75% which means less aging, less weight gain, less cravings, etc.

2. Take Vinegar Before your Meals. Dissolve 1 TBS of vinegar, apple cider or white vinegar, into a large glass of water and drink up to 30 minutes before eating your meal. Studies have shown that it is almost as effective in controlling blood sugar spikes as medication given to diabetics. The acidic acid interacts with the enzyme responsible for breaking down starch and sugars and slows the process so that less glucose is broken down and absorbed. Then the vinegar directs your muscles to gobble up the glucose and store it as glycogen once glucose is released into the bloodstream. The glucose is more slowly dissolved in the blood stream and once dissolved it gets sucked up by the muscles. This trick will reduce glucose spikes by 30 percent.

3. Avoid Sweet Breakfasts; Eat a Savory Breakfast. Most things that Americans eat for breakfast are basically sugar, including cereal, toast, fruit yogurt, bagels, fruit, juice, pancakes, French toast etc. Glucose on an empty stomach will really spike your blood sugar. Moreover, a starchy, sugary breakfast will leave you hungry 90 minutes later while a protein, fiber-rich breakfast will keep you full for about 5 hours, according to one study. Your breakfast really determines how you’ll feel the rest of the day. Try eating your dinner or lunch leftovers for breakfast or make sure to focus on protein and fiber rich foods like veggie omelets for breakfast.

4. Eat Sweets at the End of the Meal. If you really want that donut or muffin or cake, eat it as dessert after a meal full of fiber, protein, and fat. The fiber and protein will help slow down the glucose absorption.

5. Start Each Meal with Fiber. Always choose the salad , veggie, or crudité as an appetizer. Then turn to your veggies before eating your protein and then finally your starches. The fiber of the salad and veggies will help trap the glucose in your intestinal track preventing its rapid absorption by the body.

6. Move After your Meals. A quick 10-minute walk or dance off after your meal will help blunt blood sugar spikes and combat post meal sleepiness. Any movement will work. It is probably the most important thing you can do to control your blood sugar. Definitely make movement a priority after every meal.

7. Pair your Carbs with Protein and Fat. If you are going to have a bagel or toast, make sure to pair it will protein, fat, or fiber, like almond butter or cream cheese. Add Greek yogurt to your baked goods and top with fresh fruit. Basically, never eat naked carbs!

**Content provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is derived from information from the Dr. Hyman's podcast. It is not to be considered medical advice.**