Healthytarian Minutes with holistic teacher Evita Ochel. This episode explains how different macronutrients impact our blood glucose levels and risk of diabetes and provides guidance on how to maintain and support healthy blood sugar levels.
Learn how to eat an optimal diet for your health and weight with the Eat Real Food: Whole-Food, Plant-Based Eating online video program.
Video Transcript:
Carbohydrates, protein, and fat are three macronutrients that we require for proper health. How each of these will impact our health and specifically blood glucose will predominantly depend on their quality, in terms of what food sources they come from, and quantity. Whole-food versions of these three macronutrients, especially from plant sources, are supportive, whereas refined or processed versions of these are destructive to our health and weight.
While it is true that refined carbohydrates can spike blood sugar and are not a healthy option for many reasons beyond blood glucose alone, research shows that the most troublesome culprit for blood glucose levels and increased diabetes risk is the fat type and quantity in the diet. This means diets high in fat, especially saturated fat from animal sources, and oils. Generally, protein has neutral effects on blood glucose levels, but many high-protein foods are also high-fat animal foods, which don’t equate to better blood glucose, health or weight in the longterm.
Ultimately, isolated nutrients are not the solution to better health, but the type and amount of the food you eat. The healthiest thing you can do to support healthy blood glucose levels is to:
Maintain a healthy weight or lose any excess weight.
- Eat a diet made of whole foods, especially plant foods.
- Eat a diet that is naturally low in fat.
- Eat a diet that is high fiber, which is highly effective at providing satiety, slowing gastric emptying and being favorable for blood glucose levels.
References:
- Study: The Role of Carbohydrates in Insulin Resistance
- Research: The Carbohydrate Hypothesis of Obesity - A Critical Examination of Research
- Article: Insulin Resistance - A Vicious Circle of Excess Fat
- Study: The Influence of Dietary Fat on Insulin Resistance
- Article: Protein Controversies in Diabetes - A Review of Research
- Article: How Does Fat Affect Insulin Resistance and Diabetes
- Article: 6 Worst Foods for Diabetes - Dr. Joel Fuhrman
- Study: Meat Consumption as a Risk Factor for Type 2 Diabetes
- Research: Diabetes as a Disease of Fat Toxicity
- Research: Plant-Based Diets and Diabetes
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