If You Only Do One Thing For Your Health During Menopause, Balance Your Blood Sugar!
Why do I need to balance my blood sugar?
Taking control of your blood sugar levels is crucial for your health in general but even more so during perimenopause and menopause as when estrogen levels start to decline you may find your blood sugar levels become unbalanced. This may be due to the hormones estrogen and progesterone as they effect how your body reacts to insulin. I always say to my clients if there is only one thing you do for your health control your blood sugar as this area is crucial to support a healthy menopause. If you focus on getting this right many of your menopausal symptoms may settle down or even go away.
When you eat starchy/sweet processed foods or sugar loaded drinks and alcohol they are broken down in the body into a sugar called glucose. This is carried around in the blood stream and taken to cells which use it for energy. At any one time, the ideal amount of glucose to have in the blood is 4 grams which is around 1 teaspoon.
The level of glucose is the blood is carefully controlled by a hormone called insulin. After we eat, the amount of glucose in the blood rises. Insulin is released to bring blood glucose levels back down to 'normal' levels. However, if blood sugar rises too rapidly, the body can end up releasing too much insulin. This causes the blood sugar to swing to low again, making us feel tired, grumpy and hungry. This is sometimes referred to as the blood sugar rollercoaster. This can also have an effect on you menopausal symptoms like hot flushes.
It is the hormone insulin that makes you fat and keeps you fat. Insulin is a fat storing hormone! The more insulin you produce, the fatter you become. What increases insulin levels? Prolonged intake of high GI foods. These are starchy, sweet foods and drinks such as cakes, white bread, bagels, biscuits, chocolate bar, cereals and packaged highly processed foods which release their glucose into the blood stream quickly, causing excess production of insulin. This excess load triggers bodily systems to convert surplus glucose into fat.
The problem is that if this happens too frequently, the body starts to ignore the insulin message, a condition called insulin resistance. This can lead to permanently high blood sugar levels and more and more insulin being released. This further increases weight gain can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes and a greater risk of other negative health outcomes one of these being heart disease. High Glycemic foods and caffeine trigger insulin peaks and fat storage. Eating low Glycemic foods maintains energy levels and avoids insulin peaks. Glycemic index diet is an eating plan based on how foods affect your blood sugar level.
The glycemic index is a system of assigning a number to carbohydrate-containing foods according to how much each food increases blood sugar. The glycemic index itself is not a diet plan but is a tool for guiding food choices.
How to balance your blood sugar
· Timing of meals - When you eat is as important as what you eat. To balance blood sugar levels eat three well balanced meals a day. Every meal should contain healthy fats, carbohydrates from whole grains or vegetables and good quality protein. Avoid snacking and try not to eat to late at night and don’t forget to drink water. The below picture from the British Association of Nutritional Therapists (BANT) shows you what your plate should look like.
· GI ratings - Carbohydrates with a GI over 70 are usually considered to be High GI and are best avoided. Those with a rating under 50 are considered Low GI and should make up about a ¼ of your plate. Those in between can be eaten in occasionally in place of low GI foods.
Here is some examples of low glycemic index foods. They are the ones with a number that’s 50 or less. Some of these include:
Low glycemic index foods:
Vegetables: Peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, lettuce, eggplants.
Fruits: Strawberries, apples, pears.
Legumes: Chickpeas, beans (dried or boiled), legumes.
Dairy: Whole/full-fat milk, plain yogurt.
Sweets: Dark chocolate with more than 70% cocoa.
Nuts: Cashews, peanuts.
High glycemic index foods:
High glycemic index foods tend to have a number over 70 and include:
Processed foods: Corn chips, pretzels, crisps
Sugar-containing beverages: fizzy drinks, sweet tea/coffee, alcohol, sports drinks.
Fast food: Cheeseburgers, fried chicken, pizza.
Bakery/grains: Doughnuts, white bread, cakes, biscuits, cereals (unless whole grain).
Potatoes: Mashed potatoes, French fries.
· Hidden Sugars in Drinks - Avoid all fizzy drinks, squashes, alcohol and fruit drinks as they contain high levels of sugar.
· Protein- Protein slows glucose release from carbohydrates so try to include some at each meal. The best protein choices are: organic chicken or turkey, fish, eggs, live low-fat natural yogurt, raw nuts, seeds, quinoa, beans and lentils, tofu & tempeh, goats cheese and cottage cheese. Red meat can be consumed in moderation.
· Stimulants - Coffee, tea, energy drinks and alcohol disrupt blood sugar levels and are best avoided or at least reduced.
Reduce Stress- Stress plays havoc with many things one being your blood sugar levels so learning to manage stress in a way that works for you is so important for your overall health. Managing stress should not be stressful! do something that you can fit into your day like going for a 10 minute walk or just sitting down with a cup of tea for 5 minutes.
Here are some ideas for blood sugar balancing breakfasts
Steamed fish - Steam or grill a fillet of fish and serve with grilled tomatoes and mushrooms and a handful of steamed spinach
Sardines on toast - Top a thin slice of rye or pumpernickel bread with a small tin of sardines or mackerel in tomato sauce. Alternatively serve the fish with some oatcakes.
Kippers and oatcakes - Grill a kipper fillet or two and some fresh tomatoes and serve with 3 or 4 oatcakes.
Avocado on toast - Take slices of wholemeal or German rye bread and toast on one side. Turn the bread over and cover the untoasted sides with a layer of sliced tomatoes. Place back under the heat and grill until the tomato is starting to cook. When ready, top each slice with mashed avocado. Sprinkle with seeds and add a drizzle of hempseed oil before serving. You can add a few fried or poached eggs for an extra protein boost.
Kedgeree - Another great idea for a leisurely weekend breakfast.
Whenever you cook brown rice, freeze some extra portions to use for just such an occasion. Lightly steam fry a chopped onion, add brown rice and mild curry powder. Flake in cooked fish (salmon, white fish, smoked haddock). You may need to moisten the kedgeree with a dash of soya milk. Serve with black pepper to taste and a squeeze of lemon.
Healthy cooked breakfast - Traditional cooked breakfasts are not all bad. Grill organic bacon rashers and serve with low sugar beans, grilled tomatoes & mushrooms for a meal that will sustain your energy through to the afternoon. Limit this breakfast to just once a week.
Cottage cheese and fruit - Combine a small pot of cottage cheese with some chopped fruit (e.g. pear, apple, peach etc) and sprinkle with a handful of chopped nuts or seeds.
Natural vanilla yoghurt with berries - Stir mixed berries (supermarkets sell mixed berries frozen in bags) into a blend of natural, organic, live yogurt (cow's, sheep's or goat's) and a scoop full of natural vanilla whey protein. Top with a good handful of chopped nuts and seeds.
Soaked muesli or overnight soaked oats - Soak overnight in a little water to produce a soft & digestible breakfast. Make sure your muesli is sugar and wheat free or even better make your own. Serve with natural live, organic yogurt and a spoon of blackberries/blueberries/raspberries a grated apple or other low GI fruit and a scoop of whey protein to ensure adequate protein.
If you want help getting control of your blood sugar or with any other health concerns please feel free to contact me for a complementary 20 min discovery call where I can explain how we can work together to get you back to optimal health.
