With Dr. Kristy Lewis
These days we need every advantage possible to keep energy up, moods balanced, and the immune system strong. One simple recommendation to maintain health and vitality is to keep blood sugar stable throughout the day. In my naturopathic practice, I have seen considerable shifts in health when this need is recognized and made a priority.
Here are my top 5 tips to help you maintain blood sugar levels and sustainable energy throughout the day.
1. Eat a high protein breakfast: a high protein start to the day has been shown to decrease empty nutrient intake and reduce sugar cravings for the rest of the day. Add hard-boiled eggs to your slice of toast or hemp hearts with nut butter to your oatmeal or a high protein smoothie, and you will be amazed how this will shift your energy, focus, and sugar cravings later in the day.
2. Eat a mid-afternoon snack: in the same way that breakfast protein decreases afternoon cravings, a mid-afternoon snack rich in protein will result in fewer sugar cravings after dinner. For example, choose a handful of nuts and fruit or plain greek yogurt mid-afternoon, and the result will be balanced late afternoon energy and less junk food after dinner.
3. Never miss a meal: after years of exploring, recommending, and trying multiple fads and therapeutic programs, I have returned to a very basic philosophy when it comes to nutrition. I call it “Grade 3 eating,” and it consists of 3 balanced meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout the day. When we miss a meal, not only do we set ourselves up to make poor choices later, we also spike our stress response, decrease our immune health and further aggravate our blood sugar levels. You are not doing yourself any favours by skipping a meal.
4. Always balance your meals: a balanced meal consists of protein like chicken, fish, tofu, or eggs and whole-food starch like rice, potatoes, or quinoa and good fat like nuts, olive oil, or avocado, and at least 1/2 your plate veggies. Most of us busy moms don’t balance our meals. Begin to ask yourself the question: is there protein or fat? Can I increase my veggies? Adding nuts, hemp hearts, hard-boiled eggs, and a handful of spinach can completely makeover your meal and offer you balanced energy for the day.
5. Eat your fibre: Fibre keeps our blood sugar balanced by slowing down the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar. When we eat more fibre, our energy becomes balanced. When choosing carbohydrates, always reach for the darker and denser options like brown rice over white rice or sweet potatoes over white ones. Another great tip to increase fibre and decrease insulin is to add 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed to your
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About Kristy Lewis, N.D.
Dr. Kristy Lewis has spent most of her life passionately learning, experiencing and sharing everything to do with health and wellness. She has run marathons, hiked mountains, become a yogi, and spent weeks in silent meditation. She has suffered with chronic pain, burnout and anxiety. She has been vegan, paleo and a raw foodist. She has both restricted and binged foods. She has led and attended retreats. She has been divorced, quit a successful business career, studied to become a Naturopathic doctor, traveled, found the love of her life and had a beautiful daughter.
She want to understand you, your current health challenges, the obstacles that are getting in your way and the direction that you want to take your life. She will make the connection between your current state of health and your heart goals and from this knowledge map out your best health plan. Learn more: www.drkristylewis.ca
