1. Lemons, Limes, and Apple Cider Vinegar
Sprinkling the juice of lemons and limes over your foods will change the way your body processes them during digestion. The citric acid within those juices will change the way your digestive system processes your foods in a way that slows blood sugar response (4). Apple cider vinegar has a very similar effect and has been shown to lower the glycemic index (blood sugar response) to higher carbohydrate meals significantly (5). All three of these liquids also have a range of other nutrients that can aid in digestion and help promote better insulin signaling. Simply adding these to your foods can be a great strategy. As an alternative, you can also add 1-2 Tbsp. to a glass of water and drink about 30 minutes before eating for a similar benefit.2. Low Carb, Ketogenic-Style Diet
One of the most powerful dietary strategies I have found to stabilize blood sugar, improve hormone balance, and kick sugar cravings is a ketogenic-style or low-carb/high-fat diet. By replacing high amounts of refined sugars with predominantly healthy fats and only consuming slow-digesting, low glycemic carbohydrates (when necessary), you are taking a massive step towards better health and blood sugar regulation. Another benefit of eating predominantly fats is their effect on satiety (feeling full after a meal). Dietary fats help promote proper secretion of leptin which is a hormone responsible for satiety as well as healthy blood sugar balance.3. Air Squats
Another MAJOR reason for blood sugar imbalance is inactivity. If we don’t use our muscles regularly, then stored sugar remains in the cells while blood sugar gets diverted into fat stores. By using your muscles through movement, you can burn up those stored sugars and improve blood sugar response for 2 hours following. My recommendation is to perform 20-50 air squats whenever you start to feel the craving for sugar coming on. If you have knee problems or for some reason cannot perform a squat, you can also perform an overhead press with light weight.4. Water & Good Salts
Sugar cravings can often be a result of dehydration and improper mineral balance. At first it can seem like these variables don’t tie together but it actually makes a lot of sense why you would crave sugar when dehydrated.Our liver utilizes water in the process of converting glycogen into glucose for energy. If we are dehydrated then our ability to maintain steady blood sugar decreases and the body tries to compensate by signaling you to consume more sugar.
Consuming adequate amounts of a high-quality salt such as Himalayan pink will help maintain proper hydration by providing trace minerals and electrolytes like magnesium, sodium and potassium. They will also promote proper balance of stress hormones which profoundly influence blood sugar.
Use pink salts generously on foods or add a pinch to your water before drinking. I personally use this pink salt.
5. Use Natural Sweeteners
Eliminating processed sugars and fast-digesting high-carb foods is one of the primary strategies to stabilizing blood sugar and eliminating sugar cravings. To safely consume sweet, delicious foods, make them homemade with natural sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit.Both stevia and monk fruit have been proven safe for diabetic populations because they have no significant impact on blood sugar levels. What I find amazing is that some evidence shows that incorporating these sweeteners into your diet can actually improve your ability to maintain steady blood sugar levels (6, 7)! The fact that they contain no sugar also makes them awesome for use in a ketogenic diet.
6. Reduce Stress & Adapt Stronger
Stress can be one of the most destructive forces to the human body. If we learn to tame it however, it can also be one of our greatest means for growth. The first step is make sure we separate bouts of stress with enough rest to fully recover. Our body is adapted for short bursts of high stress, but chronic stress can lead to problems.I fully understand the fast-paced nature of our society today so for times of prolonged stress it is important to ground ourselves through exercises like deep breathing, meditation, gratitude, prayer, and getting out in nature. These kinds of activities pull the body back into a parasympathetic state where recovery can occur. In this article, I go over a number of strategies to help you adapt stronger.
For additional support, it’s important to obtain adequate amounts of B vitamins and magnesium to help support stress responses in the body. I have also found adaptogens like cordyceps and ginseng to be incredibly powerful for this.
7. Support Dopamine Production
Dopamine is most commonly associated with the reward and pleasure centers in the brain. When we finish a task or accomplish a goal, our brain releases dopamine that gives us a feeling of euphoria. In this way, dopamine also highly regulates our motivation and ability to exhibit will power. Consequently, I have found that sugar cravings and compulsive eating habits are often a sign of low dopamine levels.Supporting proper dopamine production will allow you have greater willpower over your dietary choices and overcome sugar cravings. Proper strategies for optimizing your dopamine levels are outlined in this article.
For more information about how to begin to TRULY HEAL, go to our website at www.HealthFromWithinSTL.com or call 314-942-8608 or email healthfromwithinstl@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment