Moment 124: 10 Sugar Hacks So You Can Eat Whatever You Want! Jessie Inchauspé

Aug 25, 2023 34m 28s 10 insights
This episode features an expert discussing practical 'hacks' to flatten the glucose curve and improve overall health. Key strategies include eating foods in a specific order, prioritizing savory breakfasts, and understanding how different foods impact blood sugar levels.
Actionable Insights

1. Eat Food in the Right Order

Consume vegetables first, followed by proteins and fats, and then starches and sugars last. This order can reduce the glucose spike of a meal by up to 75% because the fiber in vegetables creates a protective mesh in the intestine, slowing glucose absorption.

2. Stop Counting Calories

Shift focus from calorie counting to balancing glucose levels, as calories alone don’t reflect a food’s impact on health. Prioritizing glucose balance can significantly improve health, reduce cravings, and enhance energy without restrictive calorie tracking.

3. Prioritize a Savory Breakfast

Start your day with a savory breakfast rich in protein, fat, and fiber (like eggs, avocado, or veggies) instead of sweet foods. A sweet breakfast causes a large glucose spike that can destabilize your glucose levels for the entire day, leading to cravings and energy crashes.

4. Avoid Juiced or Blended Fruit

Consume whole fruit rather than fruit juice, smoothies, or dried fruit. Processing fruit removes its protective fiber, causing the concentrated sugar to be delivered rapidly to your bloodstream, which can lead to a significant glucose spike similar to consuming soda.

5. Drink Vinegar Before Meals

Have one tablespoon of vinegar diluted in a tall glass of water before a meal to reduce the glucose spike by up to 30% and the insulin spike by up to 20%. Acetic acid in vinegar slows down starch breakdown and encourages muscles to absorb glucose more efficiently.

6. Move After Eating

Engage your muscles for at least 10 minutes after a meal by walking, cleaning, or doing calf raises. Muscle contraction uses glucose from your bloodstream for energy, thereby reducing the post-meal glucose spike.

7. Add ‘Clothing’ to Carbs

When consuming starches or sugars, pair them with protein, fat, or fiber (e.g., chocolate cake with Greek yogurt). This strategy helps to slow down the absorption of glucose and reduce the overall impact of the sweet or starchy food.

8. Perform Calf Raises for Glucose

Utilize calf raises as a discreet and effective way to manage glucose levels, especially after a meal or when seated. The soleus muscle in the calf is particularly good at soaking up glucose from the bloodstream.

9. Reframe Sweet Foods as Dessert

If you enjoy sweet foods, consume them as dessert after lunch or dinner, rather than on an empty stomach in the morning. This approach helps prevent kicking off a day-long glucose roller coaster and better manages cravings.

10. Adjust Portion Size if Tired

If you experience an energy slump or tiredness after eating, consider reducing your portion size. Feeling fatigued after a meal can indicate that you’ve consumed too much food, impacting your energy levels.