Daily tweaks to help get your levels in line
01
Eat in order
The next time you sit down to enjoy a meal, think about the order in which you eat the different macros, advises Inchauspé. First to chow down on: the vegetables. Then proteins and fats. And finally, starches and sugars. So if you’re tucking into a chicken breast with roast potatoes and broccoli, go for the broccoli first, then the chicken breast and finally the roasties. The fibre in the veg will line your intestine, which slows down the glucose absorption. Proteins and fats take longer to break down, which slows digestion and how long it takes for the glucose to travel from your stomach to your intestine.
02
Ditch the blitz
It’s way better to eat fruit whole rather than whizzed up as a juice or smoothie. That’s because whole fruits contain high levels of fibre, which – just like above – help to slow down the absorption of the natural sugars, regulating blood sugar levels.
03
Get plenty of sleep
It isn’t only food that can impact blood sugar levels. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can increase stress hormones, which will cause an increase in insulin levels and, over time, insulin resistance, explains Cox. Try to get at least six hours per night, but ideally eight or nine.
04
Top up healthy fats
Healthy fats are calorie dense. Eating them keeps you full for longer and will hold those sweet cravings at bay. ‘They help to move your body from getting energy from sugar to getting energy from fat,’ says functional medicine nutritionist Nicole Goode. Unlike that quick energy spike from sugar (that, as researchers have found, can leave you feeling sleepy half an hour later), ‘energy from fats is a slow burn, keeping you satiated for longer without the energy crashes’.
05
Time carbs carefully
‘It is best to time eating carbohydrates for when the body is likely to have a requirement for more energy, which is generally going to be earlier in the day rather than in the evening or just before going to sleep,’ says Hampson.
