The Top 12 Foods to Balance Blood Sugar
Oct 18, 2021
The Top 12 Foods to Balance Blood Sugar
As a society, we love our carbs, processed foods, and sugar. As a result, metabolic disorders are prominent and heart disease remains the number one killer in the US. This style of eating throws off our ability to have stable blood sugar levels which drives up inflammation, throws off hormones, and reduces our health and vitality. Taking steps to balance blood sugar is one of the first things I focus on when working with people to improve their health.
This strategy alone has a tremendous impact on overall health and certain foods are fantastic for this purpose. Incorporating the foods and herbs from this article into your daily nutrition plan is a great place to start.
Coconut
Coconut is an all-around superfood and one of the best things to make a staple in your diet. There’s coconut oil, butter, flakes, milk, and even flour. Each of these provide unique benefits and uses for helping to balance blood sugar.
First of all, coconut is an excellent source of healthy fats, particularly Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT). MCTs are types of fat that your body easily converts into a source of energy called ketones. When you burn ketones for energy instead of sugar, you naturally stabilize blood sugar and improve fat burning. These fats are found in most coconut products but are more prominent in coconut-based oil, butter, and milk.
Turmeric
Turmeric amazes me in its benefits. I especially love turmeric for blood sugar stability as I detailed in this article. In fact, I believe turmeric should be a staple for balancing blood sugar in a healthy diet.
The compounds in turmeric have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity which allows the body to deliver glucose to cells more effectively and prevent massive fluctuations in the blood.
Additionally, turmeric has been shown to act on the liver to regulate epigenetic (activation of genes) and enzymatic factors that all work together to stabilize blood sugar and triglyceride levels in people with diabetes.
Finally, turmeric is excellent for targeting and lowering inflammation throughout the body. Chronic inflammation can be a contributor to blood sugar imbalances as it can stimulate cortisol release and spike blood sugar. All around, turmeric is an excellent addition to stabilize blood sugar whether you use it in cooking or simply use it in supplemental form.
Cinnamon For Blood Sugar Stability
Similar to turmeric, cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity and allows glucose to be transported from the blood and into the cells much more efficiently. This effect reduces the need for as much insulin to be released and creates a more stable rise and fall in blood sugar that is not as detrimental to health as the rapid rise and fall found with high-sugar diets or those with diabetes.
I wrote a whole piece on cinnamon and the specific type to use here: Cinnamon
Raw Chocolate
I bet you never would have guessed that chocolate can help to stabilize your blood sugar. In, fact chocolate in its raw form is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. It is packed with antioxidants, minerals like magnesium and chromium, and can even be a decent source of vitamin C.
Many people don’t know this but chromium is a powerful mineral that most of us simply do not get enough of. Chromium helps to improve the function of insulin to stabilize blood sugar and can also help reduce sugar cravings.
Raw chocolate is also a decent source of dietary zinc which can help to improve blood sugar stability as well.
The key here is to only buy raw chocolate or “cacao” as it would be written on the label. This is to ensure the highest nutrient density and therefore greatest potential for beneficial effects.
Organic Coffee and Blood Sugar
When it comes to blood sugar, coffee consumption has been shown as a negative risk factor for diabetes. Basically, drinking coffee is associated with a lower risk of diabetes. Of course, it is very important not to drink it in the evening and I recommend keeping it to 1 cup a day.
Of course the type you drink is just as crucial. Organic coffee is what you want to look for, due to the growing and processing of the beans. Conventional coffee is highly contaminated with mold and other micro toxins.
A couple brands I recommend are Bulletproof and Peak Performance.
Green Tea
If coffee isn’t your thing, green tea is also an excellent choice. Similar to coffee, green tea is loaded with its own array of powerful antioxidants that help to fight inflammation, cancer, and all-cause mortality. The primary active component that is thought to be responsible for these benefits is the compound call Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG for short).
Another benefit of green tea is that it improves fat burning and helps to stabilize blood sugar and protect you from diabetes and heart disease.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Blood Sugar
Apple cider vinegar is a cheap way of balancing blood sugar that can be used in many ways. It contains acetic acid which helps to control fluctuations in blood sugar when combined with meals. Additionally, using apple cider vinegar may improve fat burning, improve digestion, and reduce carbohydrate cravings.
I will often recommend that people either consume a small amount of apple cider vinegar before meals or find ways to incorporate it into meals.
Lemons and Limes
Similar to apple cider vinegar, lemons and limes provide a blood sugar stabilizing effect due to their naturally occurring citric acid. Citric acid behaves similarly to acetic acid by helping to lower the glycemic load of meals.
I love to squeeze lemon on a salad instead of conventional salad dressing and use lime in my green smoothies.
Avocados and Blood Sugar Balance
Avocados are one of my favorite foods and I consume around 2-3 every day. They are loaded with minerals, fiber, and healthy fats that all help to stabilize blood sugar levels. Avocados are also a significant source of B vitamins which are important for energy production.
A lesser-known fact about avocados is that they contain a special type of sugar molecule called D-mannoheptulose. In fact, this type of sugar may actually have the ability to lower insulin levels.
Olives & Olive Oil
Many of the side effects associated with poor blood sugar imbalance are due to chronic inflammation. Sources of antioxidants will help to mitigate these side effects by protecting tissues from inflammation.
Olives and olive oil are an underestimated source of antioxidants that have been shown to protect the body from the damaging effects of diabetes such as neuropathy and heart disease.
Additionally, olive oil contains oleocanthal which is a powerful anti-inflammatory that acts on the COX enzyme system that has been associated with helping to reduce cancer risk, heart disease, and many other chronic diseases.
Grass-fed Butter To Balance Blood Sugar
Grass fed butter is a superfood in my book. Not only does it provide many fat soluble nutrients and healthy fats, but it also contains powerful metabolism boosting nutrients, namely conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
CLA is a long-chain fatty acid that is much more concentrated in grass-fed dairy products. In research, CLA has been found to improve insulin sensitivity and balance blood sugar. In fact, CLA has been compared to diabetic drugs but with no negative side effect.
Grass fed butter/ghee also just plain tastes better and looks different too. Grass fed butter is a richer yellow color and to me seems "naturally sweet" without any added sugars.
Pasture-Raised Eggs
Eggs from pasture-raised chickens are one of the most complete nutrient-dense foods you can eat. Additionally, eggs are a low-carb food so they have minimal impact on blood sugar. Some people will have sensitivities to eggs however, which could cause a spike in blood sugar due to the release of cortisol.
Similar to grass-fed butter, pasture-raised eggs are also a good source of CLA, making them great for blood sugar control. Additionally, there is evidence from longitudinal studies showing that increased egg consumption is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and metabolic disorders.
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