Fiber First
Thanks for coming back for Day 2! I hope yesterday’s tip of expressing gratitude was helpful and feels easy to do. Today is equally simple. But first, a tiny bit of science about your blood sugar.
First, what even is blood sugar? We’ve all heard of it, but do you know what it means? I definitely didn’t. We know it has to do with diabetes, yes? But what about everyone else? How can you tell if your blood sugar is balanced or not; what are you looking for? It is such a broad and fascinating topic with far-reaching health implications that affect all systems of the body. I won’t be able to cover everything today, but here are some basics before we get into Hack #2:
Glucose (more commonly called “sugar”) is our body’s preferred source of energy, and we get it from carbohydrates. We can use other energy sources too, but the body will always choose glucose first because it’s the easiest to break down. We like easy! When you eat carbohydrates, your digestive system does its thing and ends up with single molecules of glucose. Those will eventually begin circulating in your bloodstream (which is why it’s called blood sugar), ready to be used as energy. Great! Way to go you.
Except for the catch. Because glucose is so easy to break down, it can hit the bloodstream quickly. Sometimes too quickly. When we ingest more glucose than we need or have room to store, we’ll see a “spike” in our blood sugar. These spikes are ok when we need immediate energy (say, just before or after a workout). But, when there’s no demand, and we have too much supply, this circulating glucose has nowhere to go. Over time, this can result in chronically elevated blood sugar levels, insulin resistance (which I want to cover in more detail in another post), and a bumpy road of energy spikes and dips. These spikes can affect our ability to burn fat, the quality of our sleep, and even make us moody and short-tempered. No bueno. We don’t want spikes.
But Brianna, Thanksgiving week is literally all carbs and you just said yesterday we don’t have to skip dessert. What gives?
Not to fear; I have a tip for you. Eat your fiber first.
This will be the key to keeping your blood sugar stable. This simple hack backed by science and made popular by the brilliant Glucose Goddess makes a meaningful impact on blood sugar response. How? Because when fiber enters the digestive tract first, it slows down the digestion and absorption of everything that follows. When we slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, glucose will be absorbed into the blood stream slow and steady. Just what we want! That way your body can use it or store it away as needed. No five alarm fire. No spike.
A safe bet is to begin your meals with what the Glucose Goddess calls a “green starter”. That could be a salad, green beans, broccoli, etc. Green vegetables are normally full of fiber, but there are other great sources too - berries, seeds, avocados, and beans. Seasonal tip: one cup of cubed sweet potatoes has 4g of fiber.
So we know fiber first, but what next?
The Ideal Food Eating Order:
1) Fiber
2) Fat & Protein
3) Starch & Carbs
It’s as simple as that. Here’s the order in which I’ll probably eat food on Thursday: salad, green beans, sweet potatoes, turkey, mashed potatoes, bread, and dessert. Do I do this perfectly every day, at every meal? Nope. But once I learned this hack, I’ve made a real effort to implement it. Because it’s so easy. Consistency, not perfection, is what we’re going for.
My very first time hosting Thanksgiving in 2016. I made everything from scratch and was so proud. I’m hosting again this year but outsourcing a bit more. Remember: relaxed state.
If you’re not feeling confident about the presence of fiber at your Thanksgiving gathering, offer to bring a salad. Or, try this: 20 minutes before you leave, stir 1-2 Tbsp of chia seeds into some yogurt or even a big glass of water. Eat or drink that on your way, and you’ve gotten a nice dose of fiber first. (These are my favorite, fiber-rich treats.)
I hope you can find a way to work this hack into your Thanksgiving celebration and beyond! Your blood sugar will thank you.
xoxo
Brianna
P.S. We’re just scratching the surface on the benefits of fiber and the importance of blood sugar regulation. Make sure you’re subscribed to my email list (see below) and receive updates each time a new post is published.
