Blood Sugar Balance

Some afternoons I find myself feeling bug eyed, craving sugar
and generally out of sorts. Invariably my blood sugar balance
has gotten out of whack. Fortunately there is a lot of GI
information on hand today, as well as supplements that
can assist in maintaining blood sugar balance. With a little
knowledge and some dietary tweaking it’s possible to avoid sugar
highs and lows, stay focused and feel great after eating a meal.

Here are a few tips from clinical nutritionist
Maria Middlestead.

“The factors below will help you regulate the breakdown of carbohydrates for
steady vitality. Preventing up and down energy spikes limits the release of insulin. In
excess this hormone promotes fat storage, worsening fatigue, abnormal cell growth,
PMS and menopausal problems.”
• At two more meals per day, especially at breakfast include
foods high in soluble fibre for example: psyllium, prunes,
figs, mango, slippery elm, seaweed, linseed, legumes, oat
bran, rice bran, barley, apple and mushrooms.
• At each meal have a visual total of 1/3 protein (tofu, tempeh,
eggs, fish, seafood, poultry, meat or a combination of
legumes plus nuts/seeds) and about 2/3 high fibre, low
GI carbs (most minimally processed wholegrains, vegetables
and fruits).
• With each meal or snack include good quality fat. Fats slow
the rate of digestion and like protein do not stimulate the
release of insulin. For example tahini, avocado, nuts/seeds,
extra virgin or cold-pressed oils.
• Include some ‘crunch’ at each meal or snack (fine, smooth
textures digest more rapidly). Eat raw food, unpeeled fruit
and vegetables, textured breads and cereals, and do not
overcook food.
• Include culinary acids in each meal. For example have
a lemon or apple cider vinegar based salad dressing; use
sauerkraut, ginger, gherkin, capers, yoghurt or naturally
cultured fermented milk products, tamarind juice,
pomegranate juice or pomegranate molasses. (Amber
says, “Add in astringents and bitter greens like mustard,
rocket and endive to get your digestive juices flowing).
• Don’t over-eat or eat for longer than 1 hour at a time
or a second wave of insulin is released.
• Minimise other factors that stimulate the release of insulin
such as caffeine (coffee, black leaf tea, soft drinks and
energy drinks), high sugar or artificially sweetened drinks –
and of course stress.

Eating too carb-heavy and protein-light encourages high
levels of glucose during digestion, followed by compensatory
high levels of insulin. Frequent elevations of insulin soon lead
to erratic or chronically sluggish mental and physical energy.
This is a common pathway to diabetes and cardiovascular
disease. Most commonly the metabolic rate gets reset to ‘low
and slow’ and eating no longer results in getting your metabolic
firepower re-stoked. Weight gain can occur and dieting can be
unsuccessful. Thin people too can become insulin-resistant
and store dangerous excess fat hidden around visceral organs.
Some underweight people have more fat than a sumo wrestler.

A way of estimating your blood sugar tendencies is to consider
your experience three hours after a typical meal. If you are
mentally sharp yet relaxed, but feeling hungry, you probably
ate too much protein and not enough carbohydrate.

If you are hungry and have poor mental clarity, you may
have had too many carbohydrates in proportion to your
protein intake.”

It is worthwhile to make the time and effort to be prepared
and have small quality meals throughout the day to keep your
blood sugar levels even. Experiment with recipes, snacks, and
proportionate carb to protein ratios and see the difference it
makes to your life.

Maria Middlestead is the author of The Shape Diet,
and Recipes For A Long & Delicious Life. For more tips
and helpful information sign up for her free newsletter
www.mariamiddlestead.co.nz