Are you finding yourself reaching for the chocolate, cookies or other sometimes food treats? It is very common for people to skip a meal or eat meals to far apart which causes our blood glucose levels to drop and rise quickly – this is not ideal. To keep our energy levels balance, cognitive function at its peak, emotions steady, organ function at its optimum and so many more energies nice and level it is important to balance those glucose levels!
Simple steps can be done to ensure you don’t experience hypoglycaemic (low blood glucose levels) or hyperglycaemic (high blood glucose levels) episodes, which can result in the extreme fatigue, dizzy spells, sugar cravings, fainting – If you are finding that you might be experiencing these symptoms it’s always a safe idea to check with your health professional and monitor your Blood glucose levels as this may be your body showing you pre-diabetic signs and symptoms which can be understood and therefore prevent the onset of diabetes.
Ways to help you balance those important glucose levels:
- Consume nutrient dense meals throughout the day – now this does not mean you eat a whole cow stake, a whole oven bake, a whole plate of pasta, a whole loaf of bread, 9 sandwiches … its all in moderation. Aim for 6 meals.. breakfast, snack of 10 almonds, lunch, a piece of fruit, 3 fingers of seeds, dinner, a cup of licorice tea or 1 tablespoon on yoghurt with LSA. This allows our body to process the nutrients as needed whilst providing our bodies with fuel to prevent the rapid drop in glucose levels
- Which foods are the foods to choose? We want to be choosing nutrient-dense foods i.e low GI foods – avoid all those white, packaged, extra flavour/preservatives full products. Look for products with a higher protein range. This will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Another great choice is wholefoods. These unrefined foods take longer to breakdown in your tum tum – and if your tummy is busy working on breaking down foods it will not be asking for more food
- Chew your food! Take the time to look at your food – smell your food – admire your food. Looking at your food or making your food actually tells your body that food is coming! This will commence your digestive process! Taking the time to chew your food also allows you to listen to your body and stop once it is full. Shoving lots of food into your body at rapid speeds confuses your digestive system! Which often results in a bloated feeling due to not stopping eating when we are ready to stop!
- Exercise! Exercise helps to get everything back into balance. It also allows you to gain further understanding of your body and its different schedules.
Now we know how to eat… but what should we eat?
- Simple snacks and an amazing source of minerals, vitamins and protein are nuts and seeds! Create your own trail mix! Include a variety of at least 5 nuts and 5 seeds. Remember we should only be eating 3 fingers worth of nuts and seeds per snack in order to gain benefit from our yummy snacks.
- Using plant sources of protein in our foods will help to increase our protein levels and keep us fuller for longer by taking a bit longer to breakdown. Try different colours, sizes, textures of legumes and bean! Remember fresh beans and legumes (dry) need to be soaked overnight before cooking. If you find yourself a little gassy after beans and legumes – DO NOT Despair! Try eating some fermented foods beforehand such as sauerkraut or add dried seaweed into the cooking process. A probiotic may also be indicated to assist with your digestive flora.
It’s important to speak to your health practitioner if you have any questions about your blood glucose levels. Have a look at your foods and read those ingredients.
EASY RESOURCES FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!
Blood glucose levels
- Low GI foods are foods with a GI less than 55.
- Intermediate GI foods are foods with a GI between 55 and 70.
- High GI foods are foods with a GI greater than 70.
To have a look at different foods GI load visit http://www.the-gi-diet.org/lowgifoods/ for a wide range of food choices.