Dietary Guidelines for Balancing Blood Sugar

Dr. Christina Martinez here! When you think about the importance of managing blood sugar, you may think about conditions like diabetes, but in reality, everyone can benefit from balancing their blood sugar. This means that sugar (or glucose levels) in the body remain in a “sweet spot” and don’t go too high or too low, preventing energy crashes. We can do this mainly through our diet by ensuring the right ratios of macros in each meal. When we eat a carbohydrate alone, this causes our blood sugar to spike and then fall abruptly. However, combining the right carbs with fat, protein, and fiber, allows for our blood sugar to remain more steady, in that sweet spot!:) 

I speak about balancing blood sugar to almost every single one of my patients because if done well, it can have an amazing impact on almost all aspects of health, including better energy, moods, stamina, and sleep.

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My dietary guidelines for balancing blood sugar are the following: 

  1. DON'T SKIP MEALS 
  2. Eat breakfast within 1 hr of waking
  3. Include at least 20 grams of protein in each meal, making sure you are getting at least 80-100 grams per day!  (ex: Legumes, Hummus, Organic Eggs, Organic Chicken, Grass Fed Beef, Wild Seafood, Nuts/Seeds, Protein powder )
  4. Include a healthy fat in each meal (ex: Avocado, Nuts/Nut butters, Seeds, Olive Oil, Coconut oil, Avocado oil)   
  5. Include plenty of fiber in each meal (ex: non-starchy veggies, flax and chia seeds) 
  6. Limit carbohydrates to nutrient-dense, low glycemic types (ex: sweet potato, squashes, quinoa, beans, lentils, organic corn tortillas, oats)- include no more than 1 cup in each meal
  7. Avoid sugar and refined flour products (ex: added sugar, breads, pastas, crackers, pastries..) 
  8. Avoid inflammatory foods/trigger foods (ex: gluten, dairy, refined flour products, added sugar, alcohol, lectins in high quantities)

Blood Sugar Balancing Smoothie
Unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk or water
1/2 cup Frozen Blueberries 
1/2 Frozen banana 
Handful of Frozen Kale or Spinach  
1-2 TSP Coconut oil or MCT oil
One serving of protein powder (at least 20 grams)

Protein powders that I often recommend:

-Designs for Health PurePaleo Protein  

-Sun Warrior Vanilla Protein Blend