Life hacks of a nutritionist: how to eat sweets and reduce their harm
Everyone loves to eat sweet and starchy foods, and this is no accident. Since childhood, when we tasted mother's breast milk at first, we have a craving for sweets, because this was a condition for survival. And now in adult life we are looking for this sweetness, and when we get it, we feel calmer and happier. But this effect is temporary.
Eating sweets raises glucose levels in blood and this causes more insulin to be produced, which increases the availability of an amino acid called tryptophan in the brain, from which it forms serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood and many other mental processes such as pain, memory, anxiety, sleep, aggression. When the influence of serotonin ends, it's followed by a sharp decline in mood, fatigue, and lethargy. And a person, like a drug addict, “gets hooked” on sweets, because without them there is not enough energy.
Trying to give up sweets, the most common mistake is overeating. But the real problem is regular overeating. According to scientific researches, after eating too much food, the level of glucose in the blood rises so much that it begins to be toxic to many cells and tissues of the body. This condition is called hyperglycemia.
So how to keep a balance and not deny your favorite food?
The main thing to do is change your eating habits. In order to prevent sudden spikes in insulin and avoid the “roller coaster” of your condition and mood, you need to reduce the glycemic load of food.
Start with a non-sweet breakfast. For example, an omelette with vegetables, avocados and nuts. Or chickpea pancake with vegetables, herbs, avocado and chia seeds.
Jessie Inchauspe, a French biochemist and writer, in her book "Glucose Revolution" shows on a graph how glucose levels change if you eat a sweet smoothie breakfast with banana, apple, mango and kiwi (upper graph), and how sharp the situation changes if you have omelet with avocado.
A sweet breakfast will lead to a high spike in glucose, you will want to eat sooner and break into sweets and snacks in the afternoon.
2. Eat greens before eating simple carbohydrates. Try eating a green salad first and then your favorite chips in one meal. See how the curve changes if you eat chips at the beginning (upper graph) and how smoothed the curve is if you eat chips after a green salad. (We need to follow second variant!)
Leafy greens are low in calories and high in fiber, which can help you feel full and satisfied with a smaller portion size. They are also high in nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Eating leafy greens before carbohydrates can help slow down the absorption of sugars from the carbohydrates and reduce the overall glycemic load of the meal. This may help prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes and can also improve insulin sensitivity.
3. Add organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar(ACV) to green salad. It may help lower the glycemic load of a meal by slowing down the digestion of carbohydrates. The acetic acid in ACV has been found to inhibit the activity of enzymes that break down carbohydrates, which can slow down the digestion of carbohydrates and reduce the spike in blood sugar levels after a meal. Some studies have also found that consuming ACV before a meal can lead to an increased feeling of fullness and a decrease in overall calorie intake, which can also contribute to weight loss. Additionally, consuming ACV may help improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels.
See how the curve on the graph changes if you first eat a salad with olive oil and then a bowl of rice, and how glucose levels are smoothed out if you add apple cider vinegar to your salad with olive oil and then eat the same bowl of rice.
This means that 2 hours after eating, you will not search for snacks, and your mood will be more stable.
4. Choose fruits instead of juices. An orange will give a smaller glucose spike than orange juice. There is almost no fiber in the juice and glucose penetrates into the blood much faster. In addition, sugar may be added to a lot of juices.⠀ ⠀
5. Eat potatoes and white rice cold. The process of cooking and then cooling potatoes changes their structure in a way that makes them more resistant to digestion, which means that they are broken down more slowly in the gut, releasing glucose at a slower rate. When potatoes are cooled after cooking, the starch molecules inside them form a more complex structure, called retrograded starch. It crystallizes, turning into resistant to enzymes in the gut which means that it is broken down more slowly, further slowing the release of glucose. Its effect on the body can be compared with fiber. However, it's important to note that the effects of consuming cold potatoes on blood sugar levels can vary depending on the variety of potatoes, cooking method, and other factors.
6. After a cake, immediately go for a walk for 15-20 minutes at a calm pace. It lowers the glycemic load!
Walking after eating can help lower glycemic load of a meal by increasing insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake in the muscles. When you walk, the muscles in your legs contract and relax, which helps move blood sugar into the muscles and away from the bloodstream. This reduces the amount of sugar circulating in the blood, which in turn reduces blood sugar levels that can occur after eating. Additionally, walking after meals can help improve digestion and metabolism.
Your diet should not always consist of simple carbohydrates and fast food! Choose the lesser of two evils and favor complex carbs. When 90% of the food is balanced, then such life hacks will help you eat 10% of "sweets" without harm. And if you want to learn even more life hacks about nutrition and build a healthy relationship with food - subscribe to the Wispence app, read our blog and try our healthy recipes.