5 Ways to Balance blood sugar and never have to diet again

July 07, 2020

Trying to decrease sugar in your diet seems like a daunting task when you don’t know where to start. It’s easy to get overwhelmed because sugar is found in so many foods. 

The objective is to a eat whole food diet that has easy-to-digest foods that include a protein source (meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts/seeds or organic non-GMO tofu), fiber (lots of veggies) and some healthy fat to help delay the release of natural sugar from the rest of the food into the bloodstream. Remember, the key here is to delay the release of sugar into the blood. 

These are 5 simple steps to help you feel prepared and in control of your weekly meals:

1. Choose a 15 to 30 minute time frame to meal plan each week. Do this at a time when you can have time to focus without distractions, so you can get it done quickly. This time you set aside will save you time each day when you start wondering what to eat at breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack time. You will be glad you did this. Set aside a place where you can take notes and begin by deciding what type of meals appeal to you: Casseroles, soups, salads or grilled meats with side dishes.
2. Choose 2-3 easy-to-prepare recipes for your week for dinner that include whole foods and take less than 30 minutes to prepare. I recommend or choose a recipe that can be made in one pot, one sheet pan or in a slow cooker or Instant Pot. Follow my guide “How to Create Your Whole Foods Diet” to get ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner from my website, where you can also download recipes and cookbook recommendations.
3. Choose two favorite breakfast meals and stick to those two. Most people eat the same things for breakfast every day. If you choose a smoothie and a breakfast skillet, for example, you can vary the ingredients according to the season very easily. For example, you can make a nut milk based smoothie with berries and greens one day and switch it up to a coconut water-based smoothie with apples and cucumber and romaine the next day. When it comes to making skillets, you can vary your source of protein and your veggies daily. Once you get used to not eating a high carb breakfast, your day will transform. You won’t experience blood sugar swings and you’ll be able to get off the  sugar roller coaster.3
4. For lunch, decide how to include the same formula of protein, fiber and fat. I usually eat a soup and a wild greens salad or a high protein bowl, which is basically some greens, a gluten free grain like brown rice or quinoa, some beans or chick peas, some chicken, turkey or eggs and other raw shredded raw veggies. I top that with berries and or nuts and every day it feels like I’m eating a different meal. You can also wrap it all in a GF cassava tortilla and you’ll feel so much better than eating a high carb lunch.
5. Making your grocery list is easy when you plan ahead. Once you decide on the two or three recipes and two or three breakfast choices and two or three lunch choices, you’ll see how your list will start coming together. Fill in with some easy to eat snacks like hummus, guacamole, sliced turkey, nuts, seasonal fruits, flaxseed crackers, nut butters and salsa. Olive tapenade and a good quality jerky is also a good snack when you want to control your blood sugar. 

Starting on a journey to change the way you eat may seem like a big task. Start with one change and try not to get overwhelmed. Focus on one meal per day and once you get comfortable with the routine, you will see how easy it is to move to the next meal. If you need help along the way, please feel free to reach out. I’m Monica with Nourished Functional Nutrition and I’m here to help you on your journey to great health!

- Monica

 P.S. Remember to download your healthy eating guide “How to Create Your Whole Foods Diet” and follow this link to see my related YouTube video. 

Monica Paz, MS, CN, FNLP

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