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#1 - EAT FOR HEALTHY BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS
I’m sure you have come across the role of blood sugar and weight management throughout our journey to eat healthy and manage your weight. Let’s keep it simple...
If you do not manage healthy blood sugar levels throughout the day, your body will store, store and store.
Your muscle to fat ratio will become unhealthy and you will find that weight management is impossible. If you do not control your blood sugar levels you may find you are hungry at inappropriate times of the day (eg. evening) and you find you have cravings for sugar or carbohydrates. I am told over and over in office how my clients feel they just can’t live without carbs, or how carbohydrates are their downfall. This is usually a result of unhealthy blood sugar levels.
You need to manage your blood sugar levels in order to manage your weight.
There are two considerations you should know when it comes to managing your blood sugar.
1) Avoiding becoming hypoglycaemic (low blood sugar). Going to long between meals and snacks will result in low blood sugar. Remember our body does not know the difference between busy and starvation. Low blood sugar or hypoglycaemia on a regular basis will only result in fat storage. This is our bodies natural defence to lack of regular nourishment and energy input. Becoming hypoglycaemic throughout the day is not only going to destroy your will power but make you crave all the sweets and carbs you really know you don’t need, especially when trying to control weight.
2) Avoid becoming hyperglycaemic (high blood sugar). Eating sugary foods and refined carbohydrates allows starch (sugar) to enter the blood stream at a rapid rate, resulting in the production of the hormone insulin. Insulin then takes the excess blood glucose (sugar) and stores it as saturated fat. Refined carbohydrates include (but are not limited to): chips, white flour products, sugary foods, French fries, high sugar cereals, junk food, soda and white rice.
When we skip meals and snacks on a regular basis, our low blood sugar makes our body crave, carbohydrates (sugar) in order to address the imbalance. This is a physiological response and not a lack of will power! Unpredictable eating habits and refined carbohydrates and sugar consumption results in unhealthy blood sugar levels and ultimately an unhealthy body composition.
Q: How do you keep healthy blood sugar levels all day long?
A: Simple, you EAT! All you need do is include regular, healthy meals and snacks and voila, you have achieved healthy blood sugar levels.
#2 - PLAN
If you do not plan to eat healthy I can guarantee you, you will not eat healthy. Nor will you reach your weight loss goal. Like anything if you want to be successful at it, you need to plan for it! Successful planning for healthy meals and snacks includes taking your daily schedule/activities into account.
Ask yourself:
What time will you eat breakfast?
What will you have to eat?
Will you need something fast?
Or will you have the time to prepare it?
What types of snacks are you going to include?
What are you going to have for supper?
Do you have the right foods on hand?
If you take 5 minutes each day to make a mental plan of your dietary habits (doing this the night before works best) then you will be prepared and you will eat healthy.
YOUR NUTRITIONIST AT NUTRINITY HEALTH SERVICES DOES THE PLANNING FOR YOU IN ALL OUR PROGRAMS!
Planning allows you to be prepared. You can pre-make meals and snacks, pull the necessary foods out of the freezer, and have them ready to be cooked when you get home from work. Even if you have a night out planned, you can mentally prepare for the choices you are going to make at the restaurant, or even plan to bring something healthy to a family event. Plan, be prepared, and you will succeed!
If you plan to eat healthy, you will eat healthy, you will allow for healthy blood sugar levels and, you will lose weight!
#3 - RECORD
Recording your dietary intake is an essential habit if you plan on being accountable, and assessing your habits.
Once you record your habits, you are now accountable for them.
Recording allows you to see where you did, or did not allow for steady blood sugar levels. You can easily see where you may of overate, or see that you are hungrier in the afternoon and hence need a more filling lunch. Recording is a crucial part to being successful at weight management.
#4 - SHOP
Ok so you are now ready to plan for healthy eating, you understand that you need to eat on a regular schedule to control blood sugar levels and you are going to record and keep track of your habits. Well none of this is going to go smoothly if you don’t have healthy foods to eat. Once you make your plan, take a look at the foods you are going to need over the next week, and make a list.
Now I understand you may live with other people and you need to take their preferences into consideration, but realistically if you are going to eat healthy why would you buy them anything that is going to tempt you?
Everyone in the house will benefit from your healthy grocery shopping. Having an open discussion on favourite meals and snacks and incorporating healthier alternatives to involve the whole family. If you can plan for healthy meals and snacks, you can create a healthy grocery lists and surround yourself with the healthy foods you will need to stay on track.
We custom write plans for families at Nutrinity Health Services!
#5 - MOVE
You now have a basic understand of how to get started. You are going to eat for healthy blood sugar levels, you are going to plan your meals and snacks, you are going to shop for the healthy foods, and you are going to record your habits. Fabulous, you are now on the right track! All you have to do now is Move! By “Moving” you will burn more calories, increase lean tissue (muscle, which burns calories), and as a result your body composition will improve making your results more permanent than a healthy eating plan with no physical activity. Move, Move, Move, each day. Do something over and above your regular activity for increased results. Be safe while exercising and you will be amazed by your results!
What you have here is a lot of information; please take the time to re-read this article when you get a chance. Write out a few goals and of course take time each day to plan for and eat healthy meals and snacks. This will allow for healthy blood sugar levels which will ultimately result in a healthier body composition. Shop for the healthy foods you require (leave the junk at the store), record your habits, and make a small effort to move each day and you will not only lose weight, but make your results Permanent!
Book a Private Consultation for Customized Recommendations!
Extended Health Care Coverage Available.
705-259-1152
Nutrinityhealth@Hotmail.com
Alisa Herriman RNCP ROHP CPCC
705-259-1152
nutrinityhealth@Hotmail.com
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