We don’t notice some things are broken until it’s too late. This goes for home appliances, costly car repairs, relationships, and more. The same is true when it comes to our health. In fact, one of the most important areas people tend to overlook until it’s too late is maintaining stable blood sugar and insulin levels. Current research even points to unstable blood sugar levels as a root cause for metabolic dysfunction, belly fat, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and even cancer.
Just like that “check engine” light we ignore because the vehicle is for the most part still functioning and getting you where you need to go, we often ignore serious recurring symptoms, or our bodies’ cries for help, until we don’t have a choice, and doing so comes at a great cost — one that could’ve been avoided if we acknowledged the warning signs sooner and did just a few things differently.
The Benefits of Controlled Blood Sugar
Preventative care is always cheaper than treating the disease. And the importance of maintaining stable blood sugar throughout the day cannot be overstated. Controlling blood sugar comes with a barrage of benefits such as:
- Increased energy and focus
- Improved brain function and performance
- Better skin
- Weight loss
- Reduced risk of other diseases
- Prevention of prediabetes and diabetes
What if I told you there were simple hacks to block a sugar spike during the 30 minutes to two hours after you consume sugar and carbs?
What if a couple simple changes meant optimizing your metabolism and getting rid of that stubborn belly fat ahead of that tropical vacation?
Lucky for you, I’m going to share the wealth. Here are my six time-tested, sure-fire hacks to keep your blood sugar stable.
Seven Time-Tested Tips to Keep Your Blood Sugar Stable
#1 – Eat your biggest meals at breakfast and lunch and your smallest meal at dinner.
Eating big, carb-heavy meals at dinner puts a strain on our bodies, causing the liver to store the sugar as fat. For best results, save those larger meals for breakfast and lunch.
Bonus Tip: In addition to having a smaller dinner than you do breakfast or lunch, plan your last meal 3-4 hours before bedtime – this gives your body enough time to digest your food so you can drift into restore mode once your head hits that pillow. This much-needed break for your body and brain between dinner and bedtime enables your cells to clean house – that is, fully remove excess toxins and junk that don’t belong.
#2 – Include protein with each meal, and consume protein and fat before carbohydrates.
Thanks to a process called thermogenesis, protein gives your metabolism a boost where your body uses 10% of its calorie intake for digestion.
Because it takes longer to burn protein than carbs or fat, your body uses more energy absorbing the nutrients in a high-protein meal. Protein also blunts a blood sugar rise when consumed before and during a meal. Even though protein contains no glucose, it triggers a first-phase insulin response that occurs so fast that it keeps your blood sugar from rising high later and reduces the total amount of insulin you need to properly handle a meal.
If you struggle to meet your daily protein intake or need a quick, nutrient-dense breakfast on the go, Paleo Daily Protein is a delicious, dairy-free alternative that packs an impressive 21 grams per serving.
Bonus Tip: Increase your fiber intake at every meal. The soluble fiber in particular — in addition to keeping you feeling fuller longer — can help control blood sugar spikes. Adding fiber to your green smoothie each morning or eating a salad before your biggest meal of the day (which will help soak up the starch and sugar, slowing the blood sugar increase) are just a couple easy ways you can incorporate more fiber into your diet. Paleo-friendly Pure Daily Fiber can help you effortlessly include this critical nutrient in your diet that enables your body to detoxify, digest, curb cravings, support weight loss, and of course, keep that blood sugar at bay.
#3 – Take a 20-40-minute walk after meals.
Research has shown that walking after eating improves blood sugar management. During this time, your body is working hard to digest the food you’ve nourished it with, and walking is an easy, low-intensity way to facilitate improved digestion and blood sugar management.
Bonus Tip: Kill two birds with one stone! Studies show walking, especially outdoors (1), does wonders for your mental health! Not only does it reduce stress and anxiety, it can improve sleep quality. Additionally, walking in nature is linked to a lower risk of depression. (2)
Read More: How Stress Can Contribute to Insulin Resistance, Diabetes, and Stubborn Weight Gain
#4 – Take a shot of apple cider vinegar 30 minutes prior to a meal.
Consuming apple cider vinegar has been linked to weight loss (3), cholesterol reduction, antibacterial properties, and blood sugar control. Studies also show that consuming vinegar can increase insulin response and reduce blood sugar spikes.
Bonus tip: Mary Poppins taught us that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Check out this post for a recipe (without sugar) that’ll make your daily ACV more palatable!
#5 – Add minerals like magnesium and chromium into your daily supplement lineup.
Chromium and magnesium — essential trace minerals that are responsible for key functions in the body — are highly effective in combating blood sugar spikes.
Magnesium Restore contains elemental magnesium, the most absorbable form for your body. Since magnesium is responsible for hundreds of processes and studies suggest some 75% of Americans do not meet their dietary requirements for magnesium, this is one supplement you don’t want to skimp on.
Foods naturally high in chromium include grape juice, apples (also high in soluble fiber – a double whammy!), and green beans.
Bonus Tip: Because magnesium helps the body to relax, adding magnesium to your daily supplement regimen may greatly improve sleep quality, too!
#6 – Reduce your sugar intake.
While this hack isn’t as easy as the other five, limiting added sugar is integral to maintaining blood sugar levels. Americans consume 55-92 grams of added sugar daily. This is equivalent to 13-22 teaspoons of table sugar each day — or 12-16% of daily calorie intake. For perspective, the World Health Organization recommends less than 5% of calories from added sugar for optimal health.
With sugar hidden in just about everything, the effort it takes to avoid it and constantly canvassing ingredients list on every grocery store purchase can be taxing, let alone implementing the habit of limiting or avoiding sugar altogether.
If, like most of us, you find that beating the sugar dragon isn’t a walk in the park (or Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory), Crave Reset might be the jumpstart you need. This supplement contains critical amino acids and adaptogenic herbs that work together to combat those cravings and improve adrenal health. Crave Reset is perfect for anyone looking to support a healthier diet or manage their weight.
Bonus Tip: When those cravings hit, take a whiff of Peppermint essential oil. One study shows that inhaling peppermint oil is highly effective in reducing appetite and curbing cravings.
#7 – Incorporate super-herbs, such as berberine, cinnamon, banaba, and more into your daily routine.
Studies have shown that herbs like berberine and cinnamon can be effective in controlling blood sugar spikes.
Berberine has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Some of its uses include cholesterol reduction, weight loss and blood sugar control.
Studies have shown it can reduce blood sugar spikes by 25% after you eat it.
Berberine does this by reducing the amount of sugar produced by the liver and increasing insulin sensitivity. It has even been found to be as effective as some drugs used for type 2 diabetes.
While berberine is not the only herb that helps balance blood sugar, it certainly is a heavy hitter with many other metabolism-balancing benefits!
The other herbs that are great for supporting healthy blood sugar and insulin levels, modulating the inflammatory response, and supporting healthy lipid levels (cholesterol, HDL, LDL) are:
Cinnamon Extract:
Cinnamon is a potent antioxidant and also contains the mineral chromium. As part of the glucose tolerance factor, chromium is required for proper functioning of insulin receptors, and is widely recognized for helping to support insulin sensitivity, thereby lowering blood glucose levels.
Banaba Extract:
The active compound in banaba extract, corosolic acid, exerts insulin-like properties and can aid in managing blood glucose by helping to transport glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells to be used for energy.
American Ginseng Root, Fenugreek, Kudzu & Gymnema Extracts:
These herbs ingredients play roles in blood sugar control, uptake of glucose by muscle cells, and may help maintain healthy blood lipids such as triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).*
Bonus Tip: Get it ALL with NEW Gluco Support – available now!
Hands down, I recommend taking a combination of the herbs mentioned above each day to maintain healthy blood glucose and insulin levels, as well as support cardiovascular health through its antioxidant properties and ability to assist with a healthy inflammatory response.
My LATEST supplement, Gluco Support, which I’m SO excited for, isn’t just working to lower blood sugar levels and insulin levels…
This baby addresses all facets of metabolic dysfunction, which was my goal!
When it comes to an effective supplement, you need a comprehensive solution that will address every root cause of metabolic dysfunction… and that’s exactly what GlucoSupport does.
It is a blood sugar-management powerhouse that will change the game for all of us.
There you have it: seven tried-and-true hacks for stabilizing blood sugar that cost little but bring immeasurable value.
Positive Habits Stick When They’re Easy
In his New-York-Times-Bestseller Atomic Habits, author James Clear shares four laws to build better habits in his and one of them — #3 — is to make the new habit easy. With that in mind, I have provided several painless hacks that, with just a little bit of effort, can make a remarkable difference in your health. And the beauty is, they are all easy!
If you’re ready to make positive changes but feel overwhelmed or unsure how to get the ball rolling, my Gluco Support is an easy way to get the ball rolling.
Say goodbye to those unpredictable and dangerous blood sugar spikes, brain fog, and fatigue, and say hello to a more energized, healthier, happier, youthful you.
You have the power to heal from the inside out – it starts with you.
External Sources:
1. Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation: https://news.stanford.edu/2015/06/30/hiking-mental-health-063015/#:~:text=Specifically%2C%20the%20study%2C%20published%20in,a%20key%20factor%20in%20depression
2. Stanford researchers find mental health prescription: Nature https://news.stanford.edu/2015/06/30/hiking-mental-health-063015/#:~:text=Specifically%2C%20the%20study%2C%20published%20in,a%20key%20factor%20in%20depression
3. Beneficial effects of Apple Cider Vinegar on weight management, Visceral Adiposity Index and lipid profile in overweight or obese subjects receiving restricted calorie diet: A randomized clinical trial https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464618300483
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