You don’t even need to change what you put on your plate to get healthy
Who doesn’t want to buzz with non-stop energy during the day, sidestep hunger pangs in between meals, and feel their best whatever happens. These aren’t overambitious goals – in fact, feeling good is entirely achievable. The simplest way to revolutionise your diet isn’t by counting calories, because looking and feeling great isn’t necessarily dictated by what we eat, rather HOW we eat it. So, if you often feel sleepy or hungry soon after eating, it could be time to make some changes. In her book Glucose Revolution (£16.99, Short Books), French biochemist Jessie Inchauspé uncovers the ultimate diet tools that could be the secret to improving our lives. Here’s what you need to know.
THE GLUCOSE RULES
The culprit of most of our diet woes is glucose. Once you know how this molecule works, everything else will fall into place. ‘When we steady our glucose levels, benefits include more energy, fewer cravings, better sleep, slowed ageing and less development of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease,’ says Jessie. By eating in a way that creates fewer and smaller spikes, we can increase our physical and mental wellbeing.
GET THE ORDER RIGHT
‘If you eat foods containing starch, fibre, sugar, protein and fat in a specific order, you can lower your overall glucose spike by a staggering 73%, as well as your insulin (a glucose-regulating hormone) spike by 48%,’ says Jessie.
Getting into the rhythm means eating fibre first, protein and fat second, then starches and sugars last. ‘It has to do with the fibre in the veggies coating our small intestine to reduce the absorption of glucose, and the proteins and the fats slowing down the speed at which glucose makes it through our stomach and into our bloodstream,’ adds Jessie.
So, for example, if you’re eating broccoli with salmon and brown rice, eat the broccoli (fibre) first, followed by the salmon (fat and protein) and, finally, the carbohydrate-rich rice. One trial showed that diabetes patients who ate in this way over eight weeks began to experience a reversal in their symptoms.
A SPOONFUL OF VINEGAR…
A few minutes before you eat, drink a glass of water with 1tbsp apple cider vinegar. Acetic acid (an ingredient in vinegar) temporarily inactivates the enzyme alpha-amylase, which is released when we eat. ‘This will help you have steady energy,’ says Jessie.
