If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know how much I harp about blood sugar. Our bodies are intricate systems where every element plays a vital role in maintaining balance⚖️, and stable blood sugar levels are an important foundation we can support daily. When our blood sugar fluctuates wildly, it can lead to a cascade of imbalances like:

➡️ High testosterone and PCOS like symptoms (irregular periods, acne, hirsutism).

➡️ Increased aromatase which increases estrogen production.

➡️ Inflammation.

➡️ Fluctuating mood and energy levels.

➡️ An increased risk of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and yeast infections.

➡️ Increased LH which impairs follicles and ovulation.

➡️ Weight gain.

Each meal🥘 is another chance to stabilize your blood sugar and balance your hormones. So here are my favorite blood sugar hacks!👇

HACK #1

The order that you eat your food also matters. If you eat vegetables, protein, and then carbohydrates (for example, eat your salad first, then chicken, then rice), your blood glucose will be much happier than if you were to eat the same quantities and start with the carbohydrates. The order goes: fiber first, protein and fat second, starches and sugars last. Eating your food in this order can reduce your overall glucose spike by 73% and your insulin spike by 48%.

PMID: 26106234, 30381620, 27548711

HACK #2

Add a green starter. Eating a fiber rich appetizer (like a garden salad) can reduce the glucose spike of a carby meal by 35%.

PMID: 18287346, 25066659

HACK #3

Stop counting calories. Think more about if what you are going to eat will spike your blood sugar instead of how many calories it contains. A 2017 study showed that when overweight people focused more on balancing their blood sugar, they ended up eating more calories but losing more weight than those who focused more on eating less calories.

PMID: 29269731

HACK #4

Eat your breakfast within 2 hours of waking up so avoid your body running on stress hormones. Make sure your breakfast contains protein and fat to start your day with a blood sugar balancing meal. Protein for breakfast is a crucial way to improve insulin sensitivity and balance stress hormones. Traditional breakfast foods like cereal, pancakes and waffles, donuts, or bagels are mostly carbs and will send your blood sugar soaring.

HACK #5

Avoid the fake sweeteners, too. Artificial sweeteners just aren’t your friend. Instead, try monk fruit and stevia. Avoid sucralose and aspartame and hidden sugars in ingredient labels.

HACK #6

If you want a sweet treat, have it on a full stomach. Eating something sweet on an empty stomach spikes your blood sugar more than if it is already filled with fiber, protein, or healthy fats.

HACK #7

Vinegar to the rescue. Consuming diluted apple cider vinegar in water before meals is a great way to flatten the glucose curve. The acetic acid in vinegar helps encourage the muscles to make glycogen faster than they usually would, which leads to a more efficient uptake of glucose. It’s also been shown to regulate menstrual cycles in those with PCOS.

PMID: 23666047, 19661687, 31221273, 28292654

HACK #8

Move after your meal. Even just 10 minutes of walking within 70 minutes after eating can help curb a glucose spike - no matter what you eat!

PMID: 29396781

HACK #9

Avoid constant snacking throughout the day or skipping meals. Both tend to keep your blood sugar on a consistent rollercoaster. Skipping meals can lower your blood sugar and cause hypoglycemic symptoms such as dizziness, shaking, irritability, anxiety, feeling hangry, and fatigue.

HACK #10

Always eat your carbohydrates with fiber and protein. For example, instead of just eating a banana, eat it with some almonds or nut butter. Top your oatmeal with hemp seeds and walnuts or put avocado on your toast. Combining your macros like this will help steady the spike of blood sugar than if you ate the carbohydrates by themselves.

PMID: 30395790

Wonderful hacks provided by Jessie Inchauspe from her wonderful book Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar.

Peace & Periods,

Allison

Want to learn more about strategies you can use to support your menstrual cycle and fertility?

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Blood Sugar Hacks to Balance your Hormones and Boost Fertility