How To: Flatten Your Waist and Lower Your Blood Sugar

So let’s talk blood sugar. I know I mention it a lot in my stories but I think it’s still a topic that’s confusing for a lot of people. And it’s so important because it really dictates how you feel from controlling other hormones to sustaining energy levels and ensuring a good night's sleep. Blood sugar, or glucose, is our main source of energy. It dictates how hungry and energetic we feel. Blood sugar is produced when we break down any carbs from quinoa and lentils to pop tarts and candy. When our blood sugar is balanced, is when you can lose weight and that comes through eating the right amounts of protein, fats, carbs, and fiber at each meal so that you can naturally stabilize your blood sugar, burn fat, and have consistent energy throughout your day.

Healthy weight loss happens between meals when your blood sugar is nice and balanced. Your energy levels are nice and sustained so you can stay focused throughout the workday. And you notice more when you’re hungry and full. That’s why understanding your blood sugar is a great way to facilitate long-term healthy fat loss and energy production - to keep your metabolism high!

So how do you balance your blood sugar?

I’m not about counting calories or tracking macros, it’s just about making sure you have 4 things on your plate at each meal! Protein, fat, carbs, and fiber. Ideally, all of these things come from whole foods to lower levels of inflammation in the body. Remember, don’t starve yourself! Not only does starvation cause the production of cortisol that prevents weight loss, but the low blood sugar that comes from restrictive eating causes the body to go into muscle-burning mode and lowers metabolism.

You want to limit your simple carbs, especially later in the day. Simple carbs include different forms of sugar like sucrose, lactose, glucose and fructose. They’re metabolized more quickly and will cause a rise in your insulin levels. This is why I recommend fruit FIRST and always having breakfast after. So that you can give your body the sugar it needs for energy and avoid afternoon cravings for sweets and chips. Crashes will absolutely occur if you’re just having fruit, which will lead you to eat more later on. Just notice how you respond to simple carbs (like bread) and be mindful of adding in a source of protein (like nut butter) to decrease your blood sugar spikes and crashes

Make sure to look out for hidden sugar. I hear it all the time in my DMs, why am I not seeing results? And the first thing I ask them is to check for hidden sugars in everything they’re eating. Check nutrition labels on things like

• processed foods: there’s sugar in things like bread, ketchup, peanut butter, and canned products.
• fat-free foods almost always have sugar to make up for the taste of the missing fat
• beverages often have added sugar so check for it in things like coffee, alcohol, and pre-packaged juices.

The best way to stabilize your blood sugar is to ensure you’re having protein, fat carbs, and fiber at every meal.

• Fats have no impact on your blood sugar but what they will do is keep you feeling fuller longer and slow the absorption of your meal
• Protein keeps the blood sugar levels stable. But you don’t want to eat too much of it because that’s tough on the liver and it can convert to glucose
• Fiber slows the absorption of nutrients, especially glucose so try to have fruits and vegetables in their whole state. It’s great to have greens too because they add tons of minerals and vitamins to your diet. Greens are high in fiber and magnesium which is great for blood sugar regulation.
• Whole carbs are great because they’re packaged with fiber. You still need carbs for energy and hormonal balance so cutting them is never a good idea - it’s all about the right ones like sweet potatoes, quinoa, and oats!

Each meal being balanced is your key to success. Never starving yourself because that just has the opposite effect of what you’re aiming for. I know this is brief but this is a lot of what I work with clients on. Here is a link to book a free consultation with me!

Tweaking their diet to help manage their weight without another cleanse or pill. Because that’s just not sustainable. Trying to eat less and lose weight is short-term and does damage to your metabolism. You know there’s a ton of mindset work that goes along with this too, but this is tangible. So next time you’re thinking of a juice cleanse, choose again and come back to what you know is better for your hormones. Because you are more than a calculator. It’s not about eating less, it’s about eating better!