Simple Sugar Hack

Issue #24

Sugar – can’t live with/out it.

Glucose is the brain’s favorite food, and without it we’d reach the far yonder way earlier than we’d like. Yet, overconsuming it leads to a slow, painful death through diseases like diabetes.

There’s much we can do that’s preventive (sorry, not using “preventative”), but for today let’s focus on a simple hack . . . the order in which food is consumed. That’s right, not changing our food, just the order.

Research shows that eating vegetables first, then protein/fat, followed by carbs (starches and sugars) has a beneficial effect.

This particular ordering limits the spiking of post-meal blood sugar by quite a significant amount (half in some studies). It also dampens the insulin response and lowers HbA1c readings – effectively a reversal of diabetes.

Why does this happen?

It’s not the quantity i.e., it’s not that eating salad first reduces the amount of pizza I can stuff into myself (although that’s a nice side benefit). This effect is observed even when study participants consume the same overall quantity (with only order varying).

It’s happening because . . . ?

Veggies in the leadoff spot reach the intestines first thus delaying when the sugar hits and flattening the curve (yes, that pandemic term we learnt has other uses). This is the opposite of the strategy used by marathoners who ingest gooey sugar packs when looking for a quick boost of energy (tastes meh, but very helpful).

Veggies are also high in fiber which coats the walls of the intestines, slowing the absorption of sugars that come later – while also inhibiting the breakdown of starch into sugar molecules. (Personal fiber hack – check out Trader Joe’s unsweetened dried cranberries for ridiculously high fiber content). ??

Interestingly, this last trick can also be performed by vinegar, so a tablespoon before a meal helps flatten the glucose curve. If vinegar is too harsh for your delicate senses, peanuts before a meal can work too (and maybe other nuts, but I haven’t seen any research). ???

So, veggie first sounds like such a simple hack, but does the timing make a difference? That is, how much earlier do the veggies have to be eaten? According to one study, whether the meal took 10 or 20 minutes didn’t make a difference. So, it appears a salad just before a meal should be sufficient.

While there are many ways to be healthy, if we combine the ideas we’ve discussed in this newsletter we get a few (really) simple steps that can lead to significant health improvements. To wit:

First – Use the Michael Pollan rule [Eat (real) food, Mostly plants, Not too much].

Second – Eat veggies first (preferably with vinaigrette dressing), then protein/fat, then starch/sugar.

Third – Do soleus pushups and go for a short walk after eating (or just up/down stairs a few times).

No expensive drugs, no tricky instructions, no impossible workouts.

What could be easier? ?

End Notes

Glucose Revolution – Jesse Inchauspe popularized this hack. Find her on the Feel Better, Live More podcast (where she also recommends soleus pushups). Her book is “Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar.”

Food Order Has a Significant effect on Post-Prandial Glucose and Insulin Levels?

https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/38/7/e98/30914/Food-Order-Has-a-Significant-Impact-on

Eating Vegetables First Regardless of Eating Speed Has a Significant Effect . . .

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36904173/

Vinegar and Peanut Products as Complements . . . ?https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16321601/

#healthyliving, #insights, #learning, #glucosegoddess, #diabetes????????????