Poor blood sugar regulation speeds up ageing by increasing inflammation and causing damage to proteins and DNA through glycation. These lead to wrinkles, sagging skin, and diseases like diabetes and dementia.
Stabilising blood sugar through simple diet, exercise, and lifestyle hacks helps slow ageing!
6 simple hacks that help decrease blood sugar spikes:
1. Take a walk or engage in light activity after meals.
Walk 100 steps after each meal, you will live to 99! This Chinese saying highlights the power of simple walking. A 2013 study backed this up: Walking just 15 minutes three times per day after meals effectively helps blood sugar. Stopping sugar spikes is central to longevity.
2. Start your meal with protein- or fibre-filled foods.
Research has shown that the order in which you eat your food impacts how much your blood sugar rises post-meal. Opt for vegetables and protein before simple carbohydrates for a positive effect on blood sugar. For dual benefits, consider incorporating plant-based protein sources like legumes, nuts, and whole grains.
3. Add vinegar to meals to help slow glucose absorption.
Add vinegar to meals to help slow glucose absorption. Vinegar’s main constituent is acetic acid, which gives it its characteristic taste and smell. Consuming vinegar with meals was used as a folk medicine for treating diabetes before pharmacologic glucose-lowering therapy. Studies show that vinegar improves insulin sensitivity in healthy volunteers and individuals with diabetes.
4. Incorporate fat into meals.
Eating healthy fats with carbs can help control blood sugar, as the fats help lower the sugar response to that meal. However, they should be healthy fats (nuts and seeds, avocados, omega-3s from fish and other sources such as flax and chia seeds, and olive oil). Any ultra-processed or trans fat or too much of any fat is counterproductive.
Here are some simple hacks to modify your fat intake to improve your metabolic health:
- Aim to include mostly unprocessed fats in their most natural form
- Limit (or eliminate) your intake of fried foods and processed foods
- Incorporate oily fish a couple of times per week
- Include nuts and seeds regularly in your diet
- If you eat meat (aside from fish), choose lean cuts of meat and trim excess fats
- Practice moderation—too much fat, even health-promoting fat, is counterproductive for the body and longevity!
5. Add cinnamon!
Adding cinnamon to your food to lower blood sugar after meals. Blood sugar levels can increase significantly after eating, leading to oxidative stress and inflammation. Cinnamon helps keep these spikes in check. The mechanism? Research suggests it may slow down the rate at which food empties from your stomach or lower blood sugar by blocking digestive enzymes that break down carbs.
6. Do not drink sugar – opt for water, or tea and coffee in moderation, NOT fruit juice and soda.
Carbohydrates in drinks come in various forms – from added sugars in soft drinks, cordials, and alcoholic beverages to naturally occurring sugars in milk and fruit juice. Swapping one sugary drink serving with water, coffee, or tea can decrease the risk of diabetes, as any sugar-containing drink will raise blood glucose levels. Remember, the choices you make impact your health.
Top performing drinks:
- Water
- Uncarbonated (still) bottled waters, including mineral and spring waters
Runners up:
- Tea and coffee in moderation
- Milk in moderation (choose lower fat varieties if you have high ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol or are trying to reduce your waistline)
- Plain soda water or plain carbonated mineral or spring water in small amounts
- Limited amounts of probiotic drinks for gut health
- Small amounts of home-juiced fruit and veggies (juice the whole fruit to get maximum fiber, without hard skins)
Go easy on:
- Sugar-sweetened drinks, especially carbonated ones
- Fruit juice, sweetened milk drinks/smoothies
- Artificially sweetened drinks
Incorporating these simple hacks into daily practice will maintain stable sugar levels and support healthy longevity.