Are you struggling to keep your fasting glucose numbers in check?
Maybe you’ve noticed them consistently rising over the last few weeks or months. And perhaps you’re starting to get a little concerned.
Yes, diabetes is all about higher-than-normal fasting glucose readings.
According to the World Health Organization, about 8.5% of adults over the age of 18 have diabetes.That’s over 600 MILLION people worldwide!
And diabetic complications include kidney failure, blindness, strokes, and heart attacks.
BUT depending on your situation, there might not be any reason to worry - at least not quite yet.
You CAN do something about this.
And in many cases it comes down to the exact foods you’re eating.
After all, we are what we eat - as cliche as that may sound.
So, in today’s video, we’ll dive into:
→ What fasting glucose readings really mean
→ How the body balances out blood sugar levels
→ And 8 incredible foods which can help lower your fasting glucose... Some of these may surprise you!
8 INCREDIBLE FOODS TO LOWER FASTING GLUCOSE
Now, what does ‘FASTING GLUCOSE’ actually mean?
Fasting glucose (or fasting blood sugar) refers to your blood sugar levels after 8 hours without food.
This reading is usually taken first thing in the morning.This is because humans naturally fast at night; -- We’re sleeping, and we don’t eat for about 8-10 hours-- between dinner and breakfast.
Some people take fasting even further, and wait until lunchtime to eat their first food of the day.
So, what does this mean for your blood sugar levels?
Usually, your last meal will stay with you through the early hours of the morning.
This means that your body will spend the night breaking that meal down and will use it to balance your blood sugar, to then be used as fuel for your muscle cells.
After your body has completely used up this source of fuel, it turns to glycogen stores in the liver as a secondary source of energy.
Inside your liver, glycogen gets broken down into glucose through a process known as glycogenolysis (gly-co-gen-ol-i-sis) .
This glucose helps stabilize your blood sugar throughout the night.
This is also why it’s incredibly important to eat enough food during the day...
This ensures your liver has enough glycogen packed away for you to get a restful sleep.
When there isn't enough energy stored in the body, your stress hormones rise.
These stress hormones breakdown other tissue for energy.
And they also cause you to wake up.
Now, back to the liver:
During the night, as your liver releases this glucose, your blood sugar levels start to rise.
In response, your pancreas releases insulin.
Insulin acts as the key which allows glucose to enter your body’s cells. This effectively re-stabilizes your blood sugar levels.
When you wake up, the ideal fasting glucose reading should be about 100 mg/dL. (milligrams per deciliter)
Having a reading between 100 to 125 mg/dL indicates that you may be experiencing prediabetes.
And a fasting glucose of 126 mg/dL or higher means that you are diabetic.
If you’re struggling to balance your fasting glucose...
Your body might not be producing enough insulin. Or your body might not be responding to insulin properly.
And contrary to popular belief, it’s not necessarily the sugar that’s the problem.
Fasting blood sugar may depend on:
→ What was in your last meal
→ How much you ate at your last meal
→ And your body’s ability to produce and use insulin.
From this, you can try playing around with your diet in order to lower your fasting glucose levels.
Which leads us to… What foods should you be eating to lower your fasting glucose?
Well!
We’ve got 8 amazing, blood-sugar lowering foods you can incorporate into your normal diet!
By incorporating these 8 foods into your diet, you won’t just improve your fasting glucose levels...
You'll improve your overall health and wellness.
So, let’s get straight to it.
#8 → Cinnamon
Alright, you caught us! #8 isn’t exactly a ‘food.’ It’s a spice.
But this should make it easy to add to any snack or meal.
Get this:
A study published by the American Diabetes Association showed that an intake of 1, 3, or 5 grams of cinnamon each day can significantly reduce fasting glucose.
In this study, cinnamon also decreased:
- triglycerides (try-gli-car-ideas)
- LDL cholesterol
- and total cholesterol
....effectively lowering various risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
And this isn’t all cinnamon is good for.
It also has a ton of antioxidants.
These can help reduce inflammation and free radical damage within the body.
In a study published in the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, researchers found that cinnamon aided brain health. They also found that cinnamon can:
- protect neurons
- normalize neurotransmitter levels
- and improve motor function.
In turn, scientists believe that this spice may help prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
So, why not add some cinnamon to your sweet potatoes or oatmeal?
It’s excellent for lowering your fasting glucose, and it might just be great for your overall health too.
#7 → Turmeric
Don’t worry, this is the last of the spices we’ll discuss today. After this, we’re onto real food.
Now, turmeric is well-known for its various health benefits... from treating arthritis to wound healing.
This is one spice that hasn’t exactly floated below the health and wellness radar.
When it comes to lowering fasting glucose levels, there’s also a ton of evidence to back this up.
For example, a 2013 scientific review of various studies about turmeric suggested that this spice has the capability to decrease blood glucose levels.
And this isn’t anything new.
Both the Indian healing system Ayurvedic (Eye-Ur-Vay-dic) and Traditional Chinese Medicine have used turmeric to treat diabetes for thousands of years.
It’s thought that the active component in turmeric, called curcumin(Kur-ku-men), causes these effects.
This active component also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
With less inflammation, your body is able to function more efficiently.
With more antioxidants... your body is equipped with extra protection from free radical damage.
In other words... if you’re going to have any spices in your cupboard to help combat blood sugar issues... turmeric and cinnamon might be the best two.
So, go ahead and spice things up with both!
#6 → Nuts or Nut Butter
Nuts and nut butter can be great on their own or as part of a healthy meal.
You can healthfully snack on a handful of nuts or add nut butter to whole wheat toast, spread it across some celery sticks, and use it within a ton of different recipes.
Lowering your fasting glucose doesn’t have to be boring...
You pretty much just have to be smart about what you eat!
Nut butters, like peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter, can all jazz up otherwise boring foods.
But what does the science say about it?
One study showed that eating nuts, such as almonds and peanuts, lowered the fasting and post-meal glucose levels in those with Type 2 Diabetes.
Another study showed how pistachio nuts also decreased fasting glucose readings.
So, how does this work?
Nuts or nut butter contain a decent amount of protein.
In a 2 tablespoon serving of peanut butter, you get about 7 grams of protein.
Most women need about 46 grams of protein per day and most men need about 56 grams of protein per day.
Usually, this comes out to about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.
Now, protein is great for those with diabetes or those with signs of any blood sugar level impairment.
Why?
Because protein doesn’t have much of an impact on your blood sugar levels as other high-carb foods do.
And it can actually help your body manage the glucose load from other carb-heavy foods.
Plus, as protein digests slowly and is absorbed into the bloodstream at a moderate pace, it can keep you fuller for longer.
Thus, it won’t spike your glucose levels and can actually help your body stabilize your blood sugar.
So nuts and nut butters might actually help with any fasting glucose imbalances. Just make sure to avoid heavily salted or sugar-coated nuts, or more processed nut butters.
#5 → Pumpkin and Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin is traditionally used as a diabetic remedy in Iran and Mexico.
And many studies have shown that pumpkin and pumpkin seeds can help when it comes to regulating your blood sugar.
This is because they contain polysaccharides, a special type of carbohydrate.
Polysaccharides stimulate the body to release more insulin which effectively lowers your blood sugar levels.
But this isn’t the only way that polysaccharides do this.
They also activate other pathways, allowing your cells to take in more glucose.
Any instance where your cells are able to take in glucose will lower your blood sugar levels.
This mechanism does need further research, but it shows significant promise.
Pumpkins are also jam-packed with:
- vitamin A
- vitamin C
- vitamin E
- and beneficial antioxidants
...all of which contribute to overall better health and thus, a better life.
So don’t just pick up a pumpkin for your next Halloween decoration! This can be a perfect glucose-lowering food all year long!
#4 → Eggs
That’s right - despite the confusion and controversy surrounding them, eggs are some of the most nutritious foods around.
They’re an excellent source of protein, healthy fats, various minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.
In fact, a study published in 2018 showed that eating one egg a day reduced fasting glucose by 4.4% in individuals with prediabetes or Type 2 Diabetes.
High in protein, eggs slow the absorption of glucose into the blood--meaning you won’t experience huge blood sugar spikes when eating this food.
Plus, the protein and fat content will keep you full and satisfied between meals, which should keep you from over-indulging in blood sugar-raising snacks.
#3 → Beans and Lentils
Rumor has it that beans and lentils may have protective effects against diabetes.
Rumors aside, beans and lentils tend to be another very nutrient-dense food.
Many beans and lentils contain:- magnesium- protein- and fiber
...all of which can help control and lower blood sugar levels.
How do they do this?
Like other foods on our list, their protein content helps also slow down digestion, which means no huge spikes in your blood sugar.
And their high soluble fiber content also acts to slow digestion.
Plus, did you know that beans are a common food in the diets of people who live in Blue Zones?
Blue Zones are the areas of the world where people tend to live the longest...
And apparently eat plenty of beans.
Yep, It’s true, beans not only aid in lower fasting glucose levels, their high level of nutrients help keep people healthy in general.
#2 → Seafood
By now you’ve probably guessed that protein is essential for balancing blood sugar levels.
This is often why you’ll hear many health and fitness gurus say to include a good ratio of carbs, protein, and fat at each meal.
All three macronutrients matter, especially when we’re talking about blood sugar.
So, when it comes to seafood... it’s likely no surprise that it’s again the protein in these foods which can have a dramatic impact on your fasting glucose levels.
Or, we should say - the LOWEST impact - on your blood sugar levels.
Most seafood offers up a healthy dose of protein..along with various other nutrients (including trace minerals) that the body needs.
Plus, seafood, particularly wild-caught oily fish, like salmon, makarel, and sardines, contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
This type of fat actually helps the body reduce bad cholesterol while improving good cholesterol levels.
This has the effect of reducing the risk of heart disease, which is a major risk factor for diabetics.
#1 → Broccoli
Now, we know that broccoli isn’t exactly everyone’s favorite food.
But for the broccoli lovers out there, here’s some good news:
When broccoli is chewed and digested...
...A compound called sulforaphane is produced.
Research has shown that this compound helps- increase insulin sensitivity
- as well as reduce blood sugar levels
...Particularly in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes.
Studies have also found that sulforaphane has the ability to reduce glucose production in the liver, which can scale back the sugar load in your bloodstream.
Eating cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, spinach, and kale, is also associated with a lower risk of diabetes.
What does this tell us?
Eating your greens, like broccoli, isn’t just important for the nutrients they contain.
They also can help you manage blood sugar dysregulation...
...like a high fasting glucose reading.
So, now you’ve got 8 amazing foods that can aid your body in lowering your fasting glucose levels.
But if switching up your diet with these foods doesn’t help…
It’s definitely time to book a visit to your doctor.
From there, you can explore your options for managing your blood sugar issues.
Catching these problems early on can prevent the development of diabetes. And the complications and risks that come with it.
And ultimately, Diabetics Talk aims to help you live a happier and healthier life.
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Now, we have a question for YOU… What are YOUR favorite foods that help lower fasting glucose?
Let’s TALK! Tell us about your suggestions in the comments area below, and feel free to ask us any question you still may have.
Until next time… from all of us here at Diabetic Talk, Have a Happy and healthy day.