By Food and timing is everything
The time of day you eat is just as important as portion size and the calories contained in that food source. These findings were published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Meals should directly reflect your circadian rhythm — or in other words, your biological clock. Our biological clock is our unique and individual process regulating sleep and wake cycles, repeated every 24 hours. People with diabetes can improve their health outcomes by eating certain foods at different times of the day. Mornings are reserved for potatoes, whole grains in the afternoon, greens and milk, and less processed meats in the evening were associated with better long-term survival for those with diabetes. Says Qingaro Song, MD of Harbin Medical University in Harbin, China. Nutritional guidelines should integrate the optimal consumption of foods in the future. The analysed data was derived from 4,642 people with diabetes. They found that people with diabetes who ate potatoes or starchy vegetables in the morning, whole grains in the afternoon, and dark vegetables (like broccoli and other greens plus milk) in the evening were less likely to die from heart disease. Conversely, those who consumed processed meats were more likely to die from heart disease. Does this surprise you?
Key takeaways
We consume starches in the morning during the peak activity time rather than in the evening when insulin tends to rise. Small changes like this can help us more readily manage blood sugar. Here are some other carb hacks you could use to decrease your chances of increasing insulin response:
One: Cook your potatoes and rice, then put them in the fridge
Re-heating your carbs before eating them helps significantly lower the carb rating whilst providing a probiotic for your gut. Try it out as an experiment (in small portions) only in the mornings.
Two: Try oats and sweet potato
Carbs that contain fibre will lower blood sugar. You might like to try them in the morning, using sweet potatoes to form pancakes and oats as a warm or cold meal. Both alternatives are just as delicious!
Three: Add cinnamon to your carbs
I always use this trick — add cinnamon to your oats (and even sweet potatoes) as cinnamon helps fight diabetes and increases glucose transport into cells.
Four: Eat an abundance of green veggies
Steam, bake or eat them raw. Veggies are so important in our diet, and making them a more significant portion of our daily life will help us combat the symptoms of diabetes and increase our longevity. Veggies are also very low in carbs, high in fibre and full of antioxidants.
Five: Exercise!
Don’t forget that being active is key to longevity. Thirty minutes a day is all you need, or why not aim for taking a certain amount of steps per day? Include weight training and walking as part of your exercise plan.
Six: Patience
It takes time to adhere to and accept habits. It takes a bit longer for the body to register these changes. We have to exercise patients and allow the body to catch up. This could range from a few weeks to several months. This will make or break your dietary plan over a lifetime. Unfortunately, swapping and changing diet strategies breeds inconsistency and leaves the door open for disappointment. Read more about this study here.
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