Why should healthy people be concerned about controlling blood sugar?
When we hear the phrase “blood sugar control” we usually think about diabetes and all of its associated health problems. But did you know that controlling blood sugar is equally important to the rest of us?
Conditions such as reactive hypoglycemia with symptoms such as shakiness, irritability and fatigue are quite common. Mid afternoon crash anyone? Further down the blood sugar slide is a condition called metabolic syndrome characterized by high insulin levels, high cholesterol levels and increased abdominal fat. This syndrome puts us at much higher risk of heart disease and dementias such as Alzheimers in part due to the inflammation caused by chronically high blood sugar levels. Studies have found that the risk associated with high blood sugar increases with each small increase in blood sugar readings. In fact the risk begins long before we ever reach a diagnosis of diabetes. This means that even those of us with normal blood sugar tests may already be at higher risk of chronic disease.
The good news is that diet is the single most effective way to control blood sugar and minimize risk! But wait… I don’t eat sugary treats. I hear this a lot. And I get it. Many people think that high blood sugar comes from cookies, candy, chocolate, ice cream and cake. While this is true, what is often missed are the many, many processed foods which don’t seem to be high in sugar but have an equally dramatic effect on our blood sugar levels. For example all baked goods such as that bagel for breakfast or the seemingly healthy whole grain sprouted breads will raise blood sugar almost as much as white bread. Ditto for the bowl of pasta, crackers, potato chips, sushi with loads of rice or noodle soups. Sugar hides in may places you might not expect such as condiments, packaged soups, pasta sauces and even those healthy looking yoghurts. We also don’t tend to consider drinks as food and therefore capable of boosting blood sugar. But very common culprits include sodas, fruit juices (even without added sugar), sweeteners in coffee or tea and alcoholic drinks.
So if we cut out most processed/ packaged foods what are we left with? The best thing is to start with whole foods. These are the foods that you find on the perimeter of the grocery store. Fruits and vegetables, meats, dairy and cheeses. If it comes in a box with a food nutrition label it is probably not a great choice. Of course this means that you will need to do a little prep and spend some time cooking but your good health is well worth this time investment.
In order to control blood sugar there a three things that you should consider absolutely every time you eat. The magic three are fat, fibre and protein.
Yep, I said fat. The guidelines for the last few decades telling us to eat less fat have been a complete disaster. In this time period we have indeed decreased our fat intake. And our health has gotten worse. Obesity has skyrocketed right along with things like diabetes and heart disease. Fat slows the rate at we digest food and therefore slows the blood sugar response. When it comes to fat we need to consider the source. There are good fats and bad fats. The good fats include things like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in avocados, olive oil and nuts and seeds. We can also include some healthy saturated fats from sources such as wild caught fish, coconut oil and grass fed butter or ghee. The bad fats include most man made processed vegetable oils (canola, sunflower, safflower, corn), trans-fats, margarines, deep fried foods and excess animal fats especially from grain fed commercial feeding operations.
Fibre is the second thing to slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream. So add a little hemp, chia or flaxseed to your morning smoothie or bowl of oatmeal. This will also keep you feeling satiated longer and reduce the craving for that midmorning coffee and muffin to “pick you up”.
Protein also slows the release of blood sugar. So if you do have that pasta, make sure you include meatballs, chicken or fish with it. Moderate amounts of grass fed animals products such as beef, poultry and eggs can be included with excellent health benefits.
So if you think about including fat, fibre and protein every time you eat you will be far ahead in the blood sugar game. And this is one game we definitely want to win.
