blood sugar

7 Breakfast Blood Sugar Spikers to Avoid (and What to Eat Instead!)

Glenda ThompsonUpdated on 25th April 202425th April 2024Leave a Comment3 min read

Breakfast.

The so-called “most important meal of the day” can also be the most treacherous when it comes to managing your diabetes and keeping your blood sugar in check.

Here are the 7 worst breakfast foods to eat if you want to keep your blood sugar in check…

And some tasty, blood sugar-friendly alternatives that will keep you energized, emotionally balanced, and not craving carb heavy snacks:

Cereal: Those colorful boxes and catchy jingles make it seem like a wholesome way to start your day. But most cereals are loaded with sugar, refined carbs, and artificial junk that will send your blood sugar soaring. Swap it out for a bowl of hearty, unsweetened oatmeal topped with nuts, seeds, and a sprinkle of cinnamon instead.

Toast with Jam: Step away from the white bread and sugary spreads! These simple carbs are a one-way ticket to a blood sugar rollercoaster. Try a slice of sprouted grain toast with mashed avocado and a poached egg for a satisfying, nutrient-dense alternative.

Fruit Juice: Don’t let the word “fruit” fool you. Most juices are just sugar water in disguise, without any of the fiber or nutrients that make whole fruit so good for you. Stick to low-sugar options like lemon water or unsweetened green tea, or blend up a green smoothie with plenty of veggies and a small serving of low-glycemic berries.

Muffins: Those coffee shop muffins might look innocent enough, but they’re often loaded with sugar, oil, and refined flour that will wreak havoc on your blood sugar. Bake up a batch of grain-free, sugar-free muffins at home instead, using ingredients like almond flour, coconut oil, and natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit.

Pancakes and Waffles: I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but those fluffy stacks of goodness are a diabetes disaster waiting to happen. The refined flour and sugary syrups are a surefire way to spike your blood sugar and leave you feeling lousy. Try a protein-packed alternative like a veggie-filled omelet or a chia seed pudding parfait.

Flavored Yogurt: Don’t be fooled by the health halo around those little cups of flavored yogurt. They’re often packed with added sugars and artificial ingredients that are no good for your blood sugar or your gut. Opt for plain, full-fat yogurt instead, and add your own natural sweeteners and toppings like fresh berries, a drizzle of sugar-free syrup, or a sprinkle of low-carb granola.

Breakfast Bars: Those grab-and-go bars might seem like a convenient option, but most of them are glorified candy bars in disguise. Loaded with sugar, artificial ingredients, and empty calories, they’ll leave you hungry and cranky in no time. Make your own blood sugar-friendly bars at home instead, using ingredients like nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, and sugar-free chocolate chips.

So there you have it.

Seven blood sugar spikers to avoid at breakfast and the healthier alternatives to try instead. So you can feel energized, mentally sharp, and satisfied all the way until lunch.

Until then, keep it real and keep it balanced.

Blood sugar

5 Superhero Ingredients to Help Lower Blood Sugar

Glenda ThompsonUpdated on 12th April 202510th October 2023Leave a Comment3 min read

Did you know that some foods have superpowers?

They can help lower your blood sugar naturally!

These superhero ingredients work together with your body to move glucose (a fancy word for sugar) from your blood and into your muscles, where it’s used as energy.

Here are five of these amazing ingredients that can help balance your blood sugar and improve your health:

Cinnamon: The Spice Superhero

Imagine a superhero wearing a cape that smells like warm cookies.

That’s Cinnamon, our first super-ingredient!

Cinnamon is a tasty spice that comes from the bark of a tree.

It’s usually used in delicious treats like cinnamon rolls or apple pie.

But did you know it’s also great at helping lower blood sugar?

Adding a sprinkle of cinnamon to your food can help your body use insulin better, so the sugar in your blood goes where it needs to – your muscles!

Apple Cider Vinegar: The Sour Powerhouse

Now, meet Apple Cider Vinegar, a sour superhero that can help you control your blood sugar.

This powerful liquid is made by fermenting apples.

It might taste a bit strange, but it’s really good at slowing down the digestion of carbohydrates. That means the sugar from your food will enter your bloodstream more slowly, giving your body more time to use it as energy.

Try adding a little apple cider vinegar to your salad dressing or mix it with water and drink it before a meal.

Chia Seeds: The Tiny Titans

Our next super-ingredient is so small that you might need a magnifying glass to see them.

Chia seeds are tiny but mighty!

These little seeds are packed with fiber, which can help keep your blood sugar levels steady.

Fiber slows down the release of sugar into your blood, so you don’t get a sudden spike after eating.

Chia seeds also absorb water and swell up, making you feel full longer. Add them to your yogurt, smoothie, or oatmeal for a delicious and healthy boost.

Bitter Melon: The Hero with a Tough Exterior

Don’t let the name fool you; Bitter Melon is a fantastic friend to have on your side in the battle against high blood sugar.

This bumpy green fruit looks a bit like a cucumber, but it’s much more bitter.

Its tough exterior hides an amazing superpower: it can help your body produce more insulin.

Bitter melon can be eaten raw, juiced, or cooked in different dishes. Just remember to go easy on it if you’re new to this superhero ingredient.

Avocado: The Creamy Crusader

Last but not least, meet Avocado, the creamy crusader that can help lower your blood sugar.

Avocados are full of healthy fats and fiber, which can slow down the release of sugar into your bloodstream.

Plus, they’re delicious! You can mash them up to make guacamole, slice them for sandwiches, or even blend them into a smoothie.

Now you know the secret identities of these five superhero ingredients.

Each one has unique powers that can help lower your blood sugar and keep you feeling strong and healthy.

So, the next time you’re planning a meal or snack, invite these heroes to join you on your adventure towards better health!

Blood sugar

Restoring Beta Cells Holds Key to Healthy Blood Sugar, Say Scientists

Gareth ChurchillUpdated on 4th October 20234th October 2023Leave a Comment2 min read

Blood sugar problems continue to blight the lives of millions of people across the world.

Which is why scientists across the globe are investing vast resources into addressing what they believe could help millions balance their blood sugar naturally: Restoring beta cells in the pancreas.

Beta cells live in your pancreas. Their main job is to make insulin, which then helps balance your blood sugar.

Think of insulin as like the key that unlocks cells and lets sugar in to be burned as energy.

And a key reason why many people don’t have enough insulin is because their beta cells have depleted and got burnt out.

Which is why scientists are trying to figure out how to fix or regenerate beta cells, so that the body can start producing insulin on its own again.

No more needles or medication would then be required to achieve a natural blood sugar balance.

Researchers are testing different ways to make this happen.

Some are looking at stem cells that could transform into new beta cells.

Others want to coax existing cells in the pancreas to change roles and start pumping out insulin.

There’s also gene therapy that could instruct cells to produce more beta cells.

It’s still early days, but scientists are hopeful that one day people’s bodies could start balancing blood sugar naturally like they’re supposed to.

Of course new treatments take time.

But just knowing researchers are on the case, trying to solve the beta cell problem, gives everyone at Erudite Lifestyle hope.

Blood sugar instability impacts so many lives.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if the body could fix itself?

Such a breakthrough could change everything!

Blood sugar

The Sneaky Sweet Truth: Hidden Sugar in Processed Foods

Gareth ChurchillUpdated on 6th May 20236th May 2023Leave a Comment3 min read

Did you know that there’s a secret ingredient hiding in some of your favorite snacks? It’s sugar! And not just any sugar, but the kind found in processed foods. Sometimes, it’s sneakier than a ninja! It turns out that sugar can be more addictive than cocaine. But why is sugar hiding in our food, and how can we find it?

Let’s imagine a detective story, where the villain is sugar, and we’re the heroes trying to catch it. But sugar is tricky; it doesn’t want to be found. The processed food industry helps it stay hidden by using many different names and forms. Can you believe there are over 50 names for sugar? That’s like having 50 disguises!

Some common sneaky sugar names are glucose, fructose, and sucrose. But it doesn’t stop there. Maltodextrin, dextrose, and even fruit juice concentrate can be code names for sugar. The industry loves to use these secret names so that we don’t know how much sugar we’re really eating.

One way the food industry hides sugar is by mixing it in with other ingredients. For example, ketchup is made from tomatoes, but many brands also contain a lot of sugar. Who would have thought that a sweet treat was hiding in our ketchup? But that’s not all; sugar can be found in salad dressings, pasta sauces, and even bread!

Another sneaky tactic is to make it seem like the sugar comes from a healthier source. Have you ever seen a food label that says “no added sugar” or “naturally sweetened”? Sometimes, these foods are still full of sugar, but they use other sources like honey or agave syrup instead. The truth is that sugar is still sugar, no matter where it comes from.

Now you might be wondering, “But why is sugar so bad?” Well, too much sugar can lead to problems like weight gain, tooth decay, and even heart disease. It can also make it hard to concentrate and leave you feeling tired. That’s why it’s essential to know where sugar is hiding, so we can make healthier choices.

So, how can we catch the sneaky sugar? First, we need to read food labels carefully. Look for words that sound like sugar, and remember the secret names we talked about earlier. Also, pay attention to the order of ingredients: if sugar appears near the top, that means there’s a lot of it in the product.

Another trick is to choose whole, unprocessed foods whenever possible. These foods, like fruits and vegetables, don’t have hidden sugar because they’re not made by the sneaky food industry. Plus, they’re packed with vitamins and minerals to help us stay healthy.

In the end, finding and avoiding hidden sugar is like playing a game of hide and seek. The more we learn about its devious ways, the better we can avoid it and make healthier choices. So, let’s put on our detective hats, and together, we can catch that sneaky sugar!

Blood sugar

New “Smart tattoos” May Replace Test Strips for Tracking Your Blood Sugar

Gareth ChurchillUpdated on 6th May 20236th May 2023Leave a Comment3 min read

Be honest. How often do you check your blood sugar? Several times a day? Every few days? Or never at all?

Well, no matter how quick and painless it can be, getting out the test strips is still too inconvenient for many diabetics to bother.

According to an American Diabetes Association survey, 1 in 5 type 1 diabetics NEVER check their glucose. While nearly half of type 2 disbetics never monitor theirs either.

Reasons not to check include the expense of test strips, too busy and for some people it’s too painful.

Well, soon all diabetics may be able to throw their test strips away for good thanks to a new blood sugar monitoring tattoo.

Biosensitive ink changes color with blood sugar

Harvard and MIT have developed smart tattoos that can eliminate all the hassle of blood test strips.

Two teams at Harvard Medical School and MIT’s Media Lab combined biosensitive inks with traditional tattoo artistry to create a new way of monitoring blood glucose. They’ve called it the “Demal Abyss”.

“We were thinking: New technologies, what is the next generation after wearables? And so we came up with the idea that we could incorporate biosensors in the skin.” – Ali Yetisen, Tosteson postdoctoral fellow at HMS and Massachusetts General Hospital.

The problem with current wearables monitoring devices for blood sugar is their short battery life and the need for wireless connectivity. However, there’s no ned for a battery or having to connect to your laptop to check the readings. All you do is check your tattoo’s colour.

How it works

The tattoo is made from a special ink that reacts to the chemicals in your interstituial fluid. If it goes green, you’re dehydrated. If it goes brown, your glucose is going up.

What’s more, just like type 2 diabetes, you dont have to live with the tattoo for the rest of your life. Scientits believe they can make the tattoo temporary, or even invisible unless shone under a light. They’ve also developed a smartphone app for analyzing the symbols to give you a health reading.

This all sounds very promising. Just imagine never having to bother with test strips again!

But it’s still a work in progress. They still need to find a way of stabilizing the inks so the designs dont fade or diffuse.

However, once perfected, it’s hoped that diabetics will be queueing to get stylish new tattoos so they can keep track of their blood sugar quickly, painlessly and conveniently.