Tips for Managing Blood Sugar
What You’ll Learn:
- What to eat to stabilize blood sugar
- How to avoid blood sugar fluctuations that push your body into fat storage mode
- How to monitor your blood sugar & bodily reaction to foods
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Thanks Jon, always good to be reminded of being proactive to avoid the dips. One question – My 16 year old son is very particular with his food – has been since 2yrs old. He is almost a vegan excepting the milk chocolate he gobbles up. He is super fit and super slim, so doesn’t care that he eats junk. He has big exams in May this year and has recognised he is very tired and doesnt sleep well which is affecting his concentration. He ‘knows’ he needs to eat more protein but sources are very limited. I recently bought the warrior blend vanilla protein powder you recommend but it really didn’t taste nice. He is willing to drink it but I need to make it more tasty. Any suggestions, I’m genuinely concerned about his blood sugar levels. He will not even try the green smoothies, so I need to make it super yummy. Thanks x
Hi Pixie,
Picky teenagers are tough! I remember because I was one of them!
Chocolate milk shakes are a great way to hide the flavor of the protein powder and also a great way to sneak in greens without a big fuss. A good base recipe you can experiment with is:
-Raw cacao to taste
-A heaping spoonful of nut butter (peanut, cashew, almond)
-A serving of protein powder (or less if the flavor is too strong for him…even a tiny bit helps!)
-1/2 avocado
-a handful of baby spinach (start with a few pieces a work your way up right until he can start to taste it and then back off a bit. This is better than all or nothing.)
-non-dairy milk (coconut or almond milk) to desired thickness
-spoonful of coconut oil or mct oil or avocado oil (healthy fats can help with energy and the brain as well)
-ice
-additional sweetener if the protein powder is not enough (stevia, maple syrup, raw honey or coconut palm sugar)
-If he doesn’t mind the texture chia seeds can help get him some Omega-3s
Blend up and experiment with proportions. See if you can make a deal with him that he will be willing to keep trying them until you work to find a balance he likes. Even if it’s 1 piece of spinach and 1 pinch of protein powder, start small and build. (feel free to hide the spinach from him if needed 😉 )
This works for us adults as well!
Beans and lentils will also at least help with the protein if possible.
Establish some non-negotiables with him and create a dialogue. Even though he is a teen he is still the kid in the relationship. You can create an open dialogue establishing that he MUST eat a spoonful of nut butter if he doesn’t eat something else during the day. Or if he opts out of some chore then it’s a non-negotiable to eat some carrots (or something else!).
Helping him understand non-negotiables can help him later in life to establish them for himself to create lasting positive habits.
As a teen I ate as much junk food as humanly possible and my mother kept a pretty strict kitchen at home which I hated. She let me slide with some things and not with others. However having her set the example, I have come back around, years later excited about healthy living. Now we are able to share that in our relationship.
Remember if you can’t win the battle, the best you can do is to set an example that he will carry with him into the future. As much as I hated when I was forced to eat my vegetables I am eternally grateful for it now.
Good luck!! You got this!
-Janine, GM Team
Thank you for this information. It is truly strengthening to be reminded of these truths. The processed “food” of today is so highly addictive for too many reasons. Videos like this help me make healthy food choices, in spite of the loud, flashing processed food beacons demanding our attention:)
Glad you enjoyed this Arlene!
Hard as I try, I cannot keep from getting the lull around 3:30 every afternoon. I try to plan ahead and get some fruits and veggies in prior to the dip, and I try to make sure I am well hydrated as well, but it still just seems to really get me. I work in a cube and have a hard time getting opportunities to get up and moving. I’ve been back from lunch for about 2.5 hours by the time it hits. I need help keeping my energy high enough to get through the afternoon. I also have a hard time keeping my energy up to make it from dinner clean through kids’ bathtime int he evening. I just run out of steam after 7:00 pm.
Hi Nichole,
The drop could also come from needing more protein. Instead of fruit/veg try to incorporate some more nuts and seeds. Here is a great recipe for you:
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-10939/gluten-free-dairy-free-superfood-breakfast-balls.html
Otherwise, the issue could be that you are not getting enough quality sleep which may mean that your energy does not last you all day.
I hope this helps!
Janine
The Gabriel Method Team
Hi Nichole,
It seems that protein is what your body is needing most to prevent that afternoon slump. Are you having a good source of protein with your lunch? Is it possible to add more, in the form of ground chia seeds for example?
Another suggestion would be to have a pre-made protein rich smoothie to have about an hour before the slump normally hits – would this be achievable?
Or another option would be to snack on some healthy protein balls – here is a link to a yummy recipe here on the Support Group :
https://members.thegabrielmethod.com/superfood-breakfast-balls/
Either of these suggestions might also help get you through the usual chaos of dinner, bath and bed when you have kids.
I hope this helps. Let us know how you go.
Den
Wow, how I wish someone had explained all this to me 30 years ago. I completely recognise the bad blood sugar circle and know that this is what has been going on in my body all these years. Been to the doctors so many times without getting any kind of useful advice or help, so much so that I’ve given up on doctors all together. So glad to have found Jon and his method, I feel as if I may have a chance at having a happy life after all. Thank you
Hi Birgitte,
That is so wonderful to hear! Please keep us posted.
Kind regards
Den – GM Team
Hi. I have never done green smoothies only juicing. I noticed the Jon said celery juice. Does this mean that you juice the celery first and then blend that with the spinach and kale etc? Thanks
Hi Jacqueline,
It depends on the quality of your blender. A good quality blender would be able to blend up chopped up celery just fine. A lesser quality might still leave some of the fibres. Let us know how you go.
Den – GM Team
You’ve hit the nail on the head for me! I’ve had this issue all my life, and I do tend to eat a piece of fruit to curb it, which is obviously not right. I also always carry around mixed fruit and nuts, raisins and mixed nuts type thing. But I guess the raisins are not good.
I am trying to think of something I can always have in my handbag….would a mouthful of chia seeds work?!! I find I can eat them like that no problem, even tho I spend the next hour picking them out of my teeth!
Those chia balls would be a good snack but, like you said, the whole chia seed in the teeth thing scares me. Ha!
Hi Annabel,
It would be best to soak the chia seeds or mix them with something as eating dry chia seeds can pull water from your mouth and body since they are hydrophilic (they love water!)
Janine
The Gabriel Method Team
Thanks!
Thank you for explaining that, Jon. It’s so nice to have the information so that I feel in control. If you had just said ” Be sure to eat two snacks a day in between meals” with no explanation, it would not have stuck. This makes me conscious and therefore empowered. I really love your approach to all of this. It is making a big difference in my life. It is so nice to not go to bed thinking, ” I blew it. It was a bad day”. I never have those thoughts anymore. Thank you! Kim
Hi Kim,
That is so wonderful to hear!
Den
Thank you Jon! For several years I thought I had a terrible yeast issue because of the intense sugar cravings I would get at three in the afternoon and some other symptoms. But this has given me a new way to look at all of this! Thanks! Will try your suggestions and see if the craving issue disappears!! Blessings!
Please keep us posted!
Den
Hi Jon, well it worked! I drank a green smoothie with chia seeds before I went outside to do some pretty demanding yard work this morning. I had the green smoothie before I went out because I know that I’d have to come back in and make one in about 1/2 an hour if I just went out and began working. I didn’t have the right greens, but used what I had, black Swiss chard, red leaf lettuce, and romaine lettuce, with chia seeds. It really worked well, and I’m very happy about it. I worked pretty hard for an hour then drank another green smoothie, and finished the rest of the job in another hour. It was my 3rd day of working my body pretty hard, one day with Brian’s and Erin’s workouts, plus my own workout routines, and then the two days back to back doing yard work. I am going to get all the ingredients and drink this smoothie a lot. Thanks again for some great information!
Awesome Bette!
Stay conscious and proactive with your blood sugar and it will change your life.
Jon
Thank you, I will do that. Just wanted to let you know that I got all the same ingredients that you had in your video, and drank it this morning. I got up before I should have this morning due to a noisy dog that would not stop barking. I felt groggy and just wasn’t shaking it off during the following three hours. Well, I made a liter sized green smoothie and after drinking almost half of it, I realized that suddenly I felt alert. I sure works like a miracle! Again, thank you for all your help.
Wow Bette, great to hear!
Are nuts a good choice too? I can’t always have a green smoothie handy with me. But I can carry some nuts with me for those times.
Certainly better than something sweet, but make sure the are raw or activated, not roasted in vege oil.
Jon
What do you mean by “activated”? Is it the same as sprouted?
Hi Kim,
Activated is the same as sprouted.
Den
I used to be so good about sprouting my nuts. I have gotten out of the habit. I have a dehydrator now so I have no excuse. I can still have crunchy nuts after I soak them. Thanks for the reminder.
I usually take a midium Latte with a banana! I know coffee and milk are not your favorite ingeredient, but when I don’t have access to any healthy food I knwo I can find a starbucks.
This is interesting. Before this moment where you don’t feel like eating sugar at all, there is a moment – for me – where it is so difficult to stop bread, any kind of bread even the ones without wheat – (a French problem!).
Could you give more recipes with chia brand or chia seeds and brand or .. (what about sorgho flour?) or chia flour? Or recipes of these things that you should eat around 11am or 3pm for not getting high blood sugar.
If I eat some smoked salmon with avocado and and some chia cracker, is it OK? Is it possible to make chia crackers without any other flour that chia..?
Thank you so much for everything.
I did not loose weight yet. I am overcoming big stresses but I have the conviction I will succeed now.
cati
T
Hi Catherine,
Smoked Salmon, with avocado and chia crackers sound perfect (and yum!). If you are not a fan of chia bran, perhaps try using coconut flour or even better almond meal.
A smoothie or some health balls would be a great way to manage blood sugar. There are some recipes here on the support group – here are some links:
https://members.thegabrielmethod.com/recipes1/snacks/
https://members.thegabrielmethod.com/superfood-breakfast-balls/
https://members.thegabrielmethod.com/chocolate-shake/
I hope this helps.
Den
Thank you! I don’t have problem with chia seeds or bran,. It is just that I don’t have a dehydrator yet.
I will buy one but at the moment somebody is asking me if I want to buy a nutribullet which is a high speed blender I already have a good blender but not so powerful) do you think it would be useful? Is it better than a casual blender or a juicer?
In other terms is it better to have all the fibers in small pieces? Or do both depending on the moments…? Thank you again
I hope you all have a happy summer
cati
Boy, did I need to hear this today, Jon. Thank you!! I had an episode of heat exhaustion/stroke last week and I have been feeling like my body chemistry was totally out of whack since – thyroid stressed and every time I ate the food sat in my esophagus and I was short of breath and felt like I was choking ever since (I flew out of town on a work/vacation the same night I had the heat stroke and was not eating my normal routine alot of the week – too much salt, etc.). I still have cravings at night and then I’m not hungry in the morning, so blood sugar is still an issue despite all the positive changes I have introduced (cider vinegar each morning, keifer smoothy with a raw food powder and Calton’s whey protein, Calton’s liquid mix vitamins, visualizations morning and night, and increased exercise). Been thinking I need to alter my food intake midafternoon – another salad or some lean protein/green juice w chia/flax. I’ll start this today and keep you posted. I have been feeling awful since the heat stroke – a good wake up call that my thyroid needs help too I think (I had increased my dose over the winter, but the heat stroke made it clear that I am still on too much meds and it is stressing my endocrine system). I am on the lookout for a holistic doctor in my area as my GP is not someone I want to solely work with on this.
I’ll keep you posted on all this. I was feeling really good up until the heat stroke – now I am back to dragging around and feeling breathless (that is new). So, something is going on.