The Top 7 Eating Habits to Avoid Blood Sugar

Article By - Rajkumar Raikwar

 

When it comes to blood sugar control, there are many factors to consider. According to the CDC, overeating,  feeling stressed, and even getting sick can raise your glucose levels and lead to unwanted symptoms like fatigue and distorted vision. For many, exercise, medication, and proper eating plans can control these problems. And while exercise plans and pharmaceutical diets can easily fit together, tracking your meals and eating habits can be a little trickier.

 

The Mayo Clinic recommends that your diet consists of seafood, fruits, and vegetables that are high in fiber and good fats and that you limit lots of refined carbohydrates. While this tip is easier said and done, you still need to manage exactly how you eat.

 

Fortunately, we've rounded up the best positive eating habits to adopt when you need to avoid blood sugar spikes and the nasty side effects that come with them. By incorporating these patterns into your eating routine, you can keep glucose spikes to a minimum and feel much more consistent. So, for more meal inspiration, check out our list of the 22 foods to melt belly fat in 2022.

 

1. Start your meal with vegetables.

“One of the best ways to minimize blood sugar spikes is to start each meal with vegetables, preferably leafy greens, cucumbers, zucchinis, or other non-starchy vegetables,” says Samantha Presicci, MCN, RD, LD, CPT at FOND Bone Broth. "From there, eat your protein, healthy fats, then the carbs you're eating (rice, potatoes, etc.). Fiber, followed by fat and protein, helps smooth out blood sugar spikes."

If you need some vegetable inspiration to get you started, you can't go wrong with 12 amazing vegetables that are healthier when cooked. Just make sure you select the options with the least amount of starch, and you can't go wrong.

 

2. Associate carbohydrates with fats.

 

It may seem counterintuitive, but eating a serving of fat with carbs can do wonders for your blood sugar.

“If you're snacking, always combine your carbs with fat or protein,” says Presence. "For example, if you're going to eat an apple or berries, wash them down with a handful of nuts, nut butter, whole-grain cheese, whole-grain yogurt, or another healthy source of protein or fat. A few bites of these protein-rich foods, high-fat food before eating the carb portion of the snack will cause fewer spikes in blood sugar because fat (and protein, to a lesser extent) are digested more slowly than carbs and rarely cause a blood sugar spike. blood alone.

“It's best to avoid eating pure carbs, just carbs without the inclusion of proteins and fats,” continues Presence. “If you want to control your blood sugar, a good rule of thumb is to stick to 1-2 servings of carbs per meal (30 grams or less) and combine those carbs with adequate protein (30 grams or more) and healthy. fats (1-3 servings)."

3. Drink more bone broth.

 

If you want to diversify your meals, you can't go wrong with adding some liquid components to your meals.

“In addition to veggies before most of the meal, I also like to recommend a drink to balance blood sugar, like bone broth,” says Presence. "Bone broth contains specific amino acids like glycine and glutamine that help balance blood sugar and nourish the digestive tract. Because it's high in protein, it can be a great glycemic balancer for a meal." or a snack.

Don't assume you have to stress all day in the kitchen to prepare this staple. Next time you're at the grocery store, keep an eye out for the best and worst brands of stock and store-bought stock and take home the stock you like best.

4. Eat a balanced diet.

 

It may seem obvious, but eating a balanced meal can do wonders for your blood sugar.

"When it comes to dietary prevention of blood sugar spikes, it's best to eat a balanced meal or snack," says Caitlin Carr, MS, RD. "Highly processed carbs or 'refined carbs' cause blood sugar spikes. Does that mean we should avoid them all the time? No. We have to eat carbs

5. Increase the amount of fiber in your diet.

 

Getting an extra dose of fiber in your life wouldn't hurt and would even lead to stable blood sugar levels.

"95% of Americans don't meet the recommended fiber intake of 14 grams per 1,000 calories or about 25 to 38  grams per day," says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, founder of NutritionStarringYOU.com and author of The Everything Easy. Pre-diabetes cookbook. "Fiber, especially soluble fiber, can help control blood sugar by forming a gel with water that slows the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. Two wonderful sources are oatmeal and beans."

Search your cupboards and pantry for the 43 best fiber-rich foods for healthy eating and start including more of them in your daily meals.

6. Eat your meals earlier.

 

Eating early in the day can have a ton of positive health benefits, and anyone who needs to monitor their blood sugar has one more reason to love eating early.

"Research shows that people who eat more of their total calories early in the day may have better blood sugar control than those who eat the same number of calories with a higher percentage shifted later in the day," says Harris-Pincus.

“Our bodies also handle carbs better earlier when we are active during the day rather than sitting on the couch at night when our digestive system slows down in anticipation of sleep,” she continues. "Try the adage, 'Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper' for better blood sugar control."

7. Make your meal times consistent.

 

“Getting into the habit of being consistent is essential for someone with diabetes, the body reacts based on what they've eaten in the past so a person must stay consistent over time, food types and portion control" Over time the body will balance itself out and the typical long-term test known as Hgb A1c will show whether there has been consistency in sugar levels."

Consistency is key when it comes to reducing blood sugar spikes. Once you get into this habit, you will have a lot of control over reducing blood sugar spikes and feel better throughout the day.

Now that you have these eating habits in place, be sure to stock up on these best drinks for lowering blood sugar, experts say.