Repetitive and long-term blood sugar spikes can lead to belly fat accumulation, overall fat gain, and hormonal issues

Something has to change when it takes longer to achieve fitness results even if you’ve been trying hard for some time. Yes, it can be a case of hormonal imbalances or a slower metabolism resulting from blood sugar issues. The good news: Even without medication, you can do something about it by modifying your lifestyle.

It’s normal to have blood glucose spikes 30 minutes to two hours after eating. Immediate sugar spikes after consuming high-sugar foods can result in intense cravings because of the sudden rise, followed by a dip or crash. Repetitive spikes long-term can lead to belly fat accumulation, overall fat gain, hormonal issues, and the development of health problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular complications.

How do you manage your blood sugar? Consider the following: Find better food alternatives, lessen serving size, change the sequence of your intake (start with veggies, good fats, and proteins and then end with carbs), modify meal timing, consider a light dinner, and/or restrict your overall eating to a certain number of hours.

Our bodies react differently to food daily. You might be stressed today, and your high blood sugar response to a slice of cake can be overwhelming compared to yesterday when you were more relaxed, slept well, and exercised moderately.  

Here, I’m sharing my most important discoveries regarding meal timing, food quality, food portions, exercise, stress, and recovery so you can avoid health issues as early as now while effectively achieving your wellness goals.

READ: 33 ways to achieve balance, develop a flexible mindset, and stay consistent with healthy habits

 

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Time-restricted eating

One form of intermittent fasting, time-restricted eating (only within a specific window, ideally within 10 to 12 hours daily) can positively affect overall health and weight control. This form of fasting controls the total calories consumed during the day and stabilizes your blood glucose level.

Eating one heavy meal daily or more than four meals can impact blood glucose levels. However, additional meals eaten at the right time can benefit your body if you exercise more during the day. 

I eat four times daily and try to eat within 12 hours most days. Here is the schedule that I found effective in my case:

• Wake up between 4:30 and 5 a.m.
• Have breakfast at 6:30 a.m
• Eat a post-workout snack at 10:15 a.m.
• Have lunch between 12:30 and 2 p.m. I seldom eat an afternoon snack; if I do, I choose nuts.
• Have dinner at 6:30 p.m.
• Sleep between 9 and 10 p.m. 

Applying the 10- to 12-hour eating window:

• Consider your sleep and wake-up time. If you sleep seven hours (sleep at 11 p.m. and wake up at 6 a.m.), you can start eating at 7 a.m. and eat dinner at 7 p.m. (three hours before bedtime, which is ideal). If you want a smaller eating window of 10 hours, you can eat your first meal at 8 a.m. and last at 6 p.m.  
• Eat breakfast within two hours of waking up (but consider your last meal the night before—at least 10 to 12 hours before your first meal). This habit will provide sufficient energy for the day and improve your metabolism. A 2015 study shows that skipping breakfast can disrupt your stress hormone cortisol (responsible for attracting visceral fat or a deeper layer of fat within your abdominal cavity) and elevate blood pressure.
• Have your heaviest, well-balanced meals earlier in the day to avoid hunger pangs from the afternoon until late at night.
• First, eat foods containing high-fiber, good fats, and protein followed by complex carbs (brown rice, quinoa, or whole-wheat bread), and lastly, your food with the highest sugar content, such as fruits and desserts. This sequence will slow down the digestion of carbs and the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, resulting in a more stable glucose level.

 

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Here’s a meal strategy you can follow

Breakfast

1. Always opt for high-protein (eggs, nuts, seeds, milk, fish, lean meat, and poultry) and high-fiber carbohydrates (oats and whole-grain bread).
2. Eat fruit as the last part of your meal and choose those with a lower glycemic index (GI). GI is the value of how quickly a food raises blood sugar. Examples of fruits with low GI are avocado, strawberry, apple, and pear. Apply portion control (1/2 or 1/3 of one serving) for fruits with higher GI values, such as mango, banana, watermelon, and pineapple.

Lunch

1. This can be your heaviest, well-balanced meal. It should consist of vegetables, good-quality carbs, at least 20 to 30 grams of protein (the size of your palm), and a piece of fruit.
2. Fill a third to half of your plate with green leafy vegetables to avoid looking for more desserts at the end of each meal.

Mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack 

1. This can also serve as a pre or post-exercise meal.
2. You can have the same thing as your breakfast, but a bit lighter (especially if there is no physical activity prior to or after), just enough to regulate your appetite before lunch or dinner. However, if your breakfast or lunch is sufficient to fuel you before the next meal, you can skip a snack.
3. Avoid eating simple carbs such as those in sugary drinks, pastries, white bread, white pasta, rice cakes, and crackers. These will make you hungrier just a few hours after intake. If you eat a piece of bread or cracker, choose whole high-fiber options and combine them with foods containing enough fiber, protein, and fat, such as an egg (protein) with avocado (fiber and fat) or nut butter (almond, peanut or cashew) without added sugar. Fruits contain simple sugars that can spike your blood glucose level when eaten alone, so combining it with fats and proteins like nuts is best.

Dinner

1. The food composition can be the same as that of lunch. However, you can limit your carb intake by half since you have fewer physical activities after this meal. Refrain from eating foods filled with sugar, starch, and fat, such as rich sauces and breaded viands (tempura, deep-fried breaded chicken, and pizza) as these can negatively impact blood sugar and stress levels throughout the night.
2. Avoid eating three to four hours before bedtime, so you have enough time for the food to be digested effectively and for your blood sugar to stabilize before you sleep.
3. Eat light. Eating heavier meals (plus after-dinner meals) close to sleep time causes too much stress on your body, even while sleeping. High glucose and stress levels can continue the day (or more) after, depending on the food volume. 

Based on my Garmin watch, see how dinner the night before can significantly affect overall stress levels the next day. Notice also the stress level even while sleeping.

Feb 6: Stress score – 22  (Garmin watch stress level values: 0 to 25 – resting state, 26-50- low stress, 51 to 75 medium stress, 76 to 100- high stress)

Feb 5, 6:30 pm dinner (usual home-cooked meal): A piece of roasted chicken breast, 1/2 cup boiled corn, 4 cups lettuce, 1/2 avocado, one tomato, 1/4 white onion, and 1 tbsp homemade ranch dressing.

Feb 14: Stress score – 41

Feb 13, 7 pm dinner (restaurant meal with sister and husband): 1 cup Caesar salad, 10pcs French fries, 2 tbsp rice, 1/2 palm size lean pork, two bites grilled cheese sandwich, 1.5 deep-fried chicken fingers.

Is there still room for dessert?

Yes, you can still have desserts you like. However, eat your sweet treats occasionally (only when needed) as part of your breakfast or lunch (avoid at night) because you can still be active for the remaining hours. Ensure that you adhere to the food sequence—eat sugary foods as the last part of your meal.

Always practice portion control and refrain from finishing a whole dessert. Keep the rest or share it with someone.

Email the author at [email protected] or follow/message her on  Instagram @mitchfelipemendoza.