Smart Strategies to Keep Blood Sugar Stable

When it comes to eating for health, one of the most important recommendations is to limit the amount of sugar you’re eating.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting added sugars to less than 25 grams (or 6 teaspoons) a day, which sounds doable until you start to realize that sugar is found in so many things. Just one cupcake, a can of pop, or a double scoop of Mint Chocolate Chip can put you well over six teaspoons a day. There’s also a surprising amount of sugar added to healthy-sounding foods like protein bars, granola, and fruit flavored yogurts. That probably explains why the average American eats around 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day.

Why Limiting Sugar Intake Matters

There’s more to metabolic health than just avoiding added sugars. While carbohydrate-rich foods like grapes, oatmeal and bran muffins contain important nutrients, did you know they might also spike your blood sugar to an unhealthy level?

When our blood sugar stays elevated over time, it can disrupt the way our bodies process sugars. We usually process food we eat like this:

• When we eat some food, our stomach and small intestines turn it into glucose, a form of sugar our body uses for energy.

• The pancreas releases insulin, which signals our body to use that fresh glucose for fuel.

• Our cells open up to receive that glucose, and our blood sugar goes back down to a normal level.

• The pancreas stops making insulin until we eat again.

When we eat a lot of foods with natural or added sugars, our blood glucose can spike.  If we don’t use up that glucose, our body will convert it to fat and store it for a rainy day. This can lead to weight gain and eventually insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is described as the first stop on a journey of metabolic dysfunction – a precursor to diabetes, high blood pressure and increased risk for coronary artery disease.

It really is our responsibility to manage our lifestyle habits including our blood sugar if we want to preserve our health.

Eight Science- Backed Ways to Keep Blood Sugar More Stable

1. Know your numbers

You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge. To learn exactly how much sugar you’re eating, track your nutrition in a tracking app for about a week. If you need to bring that number down, you may want to try the Shaklee 7 Day Healthy Cleanse which is a great way to reset your palate so you don’t crave sugary foods as frequently.

2. Get moving

Exercise helps your body metabolize food. Studies of healthy volunteers have found a 30 minute walk  was an excellent way to moderate the increase in blood sugar after a carb-rich meal.

3. Have a high-protein breakfast

As your Mom used to say breakfast may be the most important meal of the day. Studies show that starting off with a high-protein meal, instead of one filled with carbs and sweet foods, can keep your blood sugar lower for the rest of the day. Plus it is supportive of cognitive function and mood.

4. Just add cinnamon

Cinnamon isn’t just a sweet spice for desserts. It has powerful active ingredients that could improve the way your body responds to sugar. Adding 1 teaspoon twice daily has been shown to provide improvements in A1C, fasting insulin levels, body mass, cholesterol levels, and may slow that insulin resistance train.

5. Eat fiber first

Beginning your meal with a mixed green salad or other fiber rich foods such as apples, blueberries, broccoli or garbanzo means can do more than just fill you up; the fiber can slow your digestion, so your blood sugar rises more slowly after your meal.

6. Pair carbs with fat, fiber and protein

Eating starchy foods like mashed potatoes or corn on their own may send your blood sugar soaring. But adding fiber, protein, and healthy fat at the same meal can help decrease the impact on blood sugar. That is just one more reason to add variety in every meal.

7. Have a spoonful of vinegar first

A tablespoon of vinegar in water before eating a starchy meal is another way to control blood sugar levels. A 2021 review found apple cider vinegar had a significant impact on fasting blood sugars, triglycerides and total cholesterol. If you sip vinegar water, use a straw to protect your tooth enamel and protect your esophagus.

8. Cool and reheat simple starches

There are two kinds of carbs: complex carbohydrates like broccoli and beets vs. simple ones such as wheat pasta, rice and white potatoes. Complex carbs are considered healthier since they have fiber and nutrients that slow sugar absorption. However, you can help your body treat simple starches like complex ones when you cook them, chill them and reheat them later before eating. Cooling and reheating makes simple carbs form resistant starches, which are digested more slowly. Another bonus: our beneficial gut flora love resistant starches.

I hope these simple ideas are helpful as you work to keep your blood sugar levels stable!

These concepts are adapted from many sources including  Mary Claire Haver – Pause Life