I am studying to become a certified holistic nutritionist right now, and have done a lot of reading on the topic of diabetes and blood sugar spikes and swings so I want to offer some holistic tips for regulating blood sugar and reversing insulin resistance. I decided I needed to see for myself how blood sugar spikes affects my own body so I bought myself a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) to wear for 10 days to see my results. Based on my experience with the CGM, and my learnings from the nutrition course and other reading, I have some easy things that anyone can find helpful.

Tips to regulate your blood sugar

1. Go for a walk after meals

Give yourself the gift of getting outside for 15 minutes after as many meals as you can. This will help you burn off the excess carbs (that turn to sugar in your blood) right away so they don’t cause a spike. I have implemented this in my life and am simply amazed at how much of a difference it has made in sustaining my energy levels through the day, helping me sleep (especially if I eat later at night – a quick walk helps process the sugars so then I sleep better).

This tip is number 1 because it is also great for your digestion, gut health, physical health, and mental health. If there is ONE thing you could change in your day today I would recommend just doing 15 minutes of moderate exercise after 2 of your meals each day. It doesn’t have to be walking, it can be squats, or ping pong, or stationary bike. You don’t even have to work up a big sweat. Check out this article from Healthline.com about some of the other benefits of walking after meals – it helps weight loss, regulates blood pressure, and this study found that it even decreases rates of cancers related to the digestive system organs.

A while back I wrote an article about the difference in digestion between the USA and Europe and after thinking about this for many years, one of the reasons I think Europeans are much healthier than Americans is because they walk. If they go out to dinner an eat pasta, they walk afterwards. Between the science and studies to back it up, and my own experience, I truly believe that walking is one of the most overlooked ways of increasing your health.

2. Eat your food in the right order

Eat your food in this order: (1) Fiber (Veggies, nuts seeds), (2) Proteins, (3) Fats, then (4) Carbohydrates and Sugars. This is another seemingly magical way to slow and level out any potential spikes in your blood sugar. The fiber, fats, and proteins slow the absorption of the sugar so you have a nice gentle curve up instead of a spike and a drop. The science behind this really works. I tested eating cookies on an empty stomach and my sugar shot up, and then tested eating cookies after a good meal filled with fiber, protein, and healthy fats. I didn’t have any spike action. (This was a great excuse to eat cookies, and I enjoyed it!). Here is a great article from UCLA Health with even more benefits to eating your food in the right sequence.

3. Add vinegar to your meals

The Glucose Goddess, otherwise known as Jessie Inchauspé, and author of my favorite book on the subject of blood sugar (The Glucose Revolution) has published some incredible information about how adding vinegar to your meals helps lower potential blood sugar spike.

I tried this for myself while wearing my glucose monitor and it does actually work. I add some Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) to water and drink it before or after meals. Or add some ACV to a salad dressing which mixed with olive oil makes a great, healthy dressing. This is another magic fix if you know you’re going to be having a lot of carbs and don’t have access to eating veggies or fiber first. Or if you’re just flat out going to indulge – this trick can help your blood sugar from spiking and crashing. Additionally, Check out this article in Vogue for more in depth information about this technique. Follow the Glucose Goddess yourself on Instagram for a lot more tips.

Why should you care about your blood sugar?

With the previous holistic tips for regulating blood sugar you have some great tools to make impactful changes on your health, but why does it matter? Regulating your blood sugar is important for everyone, not just those who are pre-diabetic or have diabetes. It is important that your body has a balanced reaction to sugars and that your system is not overwhelmed. Here are some of the highlights of why it is important.

1.More energy and focus

Having balanced blood sugar can stabilize your energy throughout the day and increase your focus. (Hello afternoon crash? This can help you!)

2. Less cravings and better mood

Getting your blood sugar under control can help balance your hormones, which can balance your food cravings and mood. Who doesn’t want to be in a better mood? It’s all connected ;). I have found that the more I do to control my blood sugar naturally, the less I crave unhealthy food.

3. Better weight management

Keeping your blood sugar under control can help you manage your weight. The changes I have implemented related to this have helped me naturally cut down my weight. Although I wasn’t even focusing on weight. Additionally, Here is an article about understanding blood sugar and weight loss if you’re interested.

4. Controlling your blood sugar naturally can help reverse insulin resistance

My nutrition course, as well as the National Institute of Health has shown that controlling your blood sugar can indeed reverse insulin resistance. This is great news for anyone struggling with high cholesterol, high triglycerides, obesity, and the development of chronic conditions like pre-diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. You can read more about my journey with cholesterol and high triglycerides here. Regulating blood sugar naturally can help reduce some conditions like PCOS. PCOS affects up to 10% of women of childbearing age.

I hope that these holistic tips for regulating blood sugar can help you in your health journey. Additionally, if you or someone you love is struggling with insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, or type 2 diabetes, I highly recommend the Glucose Revolution book. Let me know in the comments if you have other tips to share!

Cheers to your health,

Dan DuPraw