With the holidays fast approaching, it’s likely that most of us (including me) will be indulging in a few more high sugar and high carb foods than we normally would. And whilst I do suggest keeping these to a minimum and choosing our treats wisely for maximum metabolic health, I am definitely not against a slice of homemade pie at this time of year!

Should you choose to indulge, here are my top 5 tips for lowering your blood sugar after enjoying treat meals and foods:

 

1) Glucoreg

This is my ‘secret’ supplement that I take on birthdays and holidays when I choose to indulge in sugar or high carbohydrate meals! But be warned, it doesn’t mean you can eat sugar and high carb foods all the time and just chug the bottle – it’s just a little helping hand to help glucose get into your cells to be used for fuel, rather than being stored as fat. You can purchase here, and use code H92OON2F9YLZ for a 10% discount. Ideally you would take this before or during a meal, but straight afterwards is fine.

 

2) Halo Electrolytes

When our blood sugar is high it can cause a number of minerals in our body to become imbalanced, so a great clean electrolyte powder can help balance sodium, potassium and magnesium levels, which in turn can balance out our blood sugar! In particular, magnesium, known as the mineral of insulin sensitivity, exerts positive effects on the insulin receptors in each cell of the body. In a randomized study performed on overweight people, taking 365 mg of magnesium daily for 6 months significantly improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. The participants had lower fasting glucose and blood pressure was reduced a significant amount at the end of the study.

My favourite mineral rich electrolytes are from HALO hydration, and you can purchase yours here. Use code ‘JENN’ for a 20% discount.

 

3) Apple Cider Vinegar

Not just great in salad dressings, vinegar acts as an insulin mimetic, which means it moderates the release of insulin – the fat storage hormone that is released when you eat high-carb foods. It also helps to shuttle glucose (blood sugar) into the muscle cell where it can be used as fuel rather than being stored as body fat, and it improves pancreatic function. Try 1 tablespoon of ACV in a glass of cold water to lower blood glucose after a high sugar/high carb meal.

 

4) Strength Training

One of the (many) reasons I love strength training is that it can benefit blood sugar and insulin levels on both a short and long term basis. In the long term having more lean muscle mass raises our metabolism and makes us more insulin sensitive (where you can use dietary carbs as muscle fuel rather than storing them as fat). In the short term strength training literally pulls the sugar out of our blood to be used for fuel, having almost an immediate effect on our blood glucose levels.

 

5) Walking

Walking is such an underestimated tool for balancing blood sugar! There are numerous studies that show how walking can lower postprandial (after eating) blood sugar levels, and even just a 15 minute walk can give some benefits. Ideally, go for a 30-60 minute brisk walk within 30 minutes of a meal for maximum results.

 

Want to learn more about cutting down on sugar or cutting it out completely? My new Skinny on Sugar online program is a 7-day detox diet plan designed to help you stop sugar cravings and end your sugar addiction for good! Find out more here: 

I want the Skinny on Sugar! 

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