The Easiest Formula for a Blood Sugar-Friendly Dinner, According to Dietitians

From eatingwell.com

By Kelsey Kunik, RDN

Diabetes is complicated, but a blood sugar–friendly dinner doesn’t have to be 

KEY POINTS

• Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables to stabilize blood sugar and boost fibre intake.
• Pair protein with carbs to slow glucose digestion and stay fuller longer; limit portions for balance.
• Choose complex carbs like whole grains and beans for steady energy and better blood sugar control.

If you’re living with diabetes or prediabetes, your head may be spinning with all the advice out there on how to manage your blood sugar. From food pairings and portions to what to fill up on and what to limit, you can easily spend your evening sorting through rules instead of getting dinner on the table.

While diabetes is complex, creating a blood sugar–friendly meal doesn’t have to be. The American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Plate follows a simple formula to meet your nutrition needs and support steady blood sugars without measuring, weighing or counting every morsel. Research suggests the plate method is just as effective for blood sugar management as counting carbohydrates and may also support heart-health measures. Keep reading to learn more about this blood sugar–friendly dinner formula along with easy meal ideas to put it into practice, even on busy nights.

Credit: Getty Images. EatingWell design

The Dinner Formula Dietitians Recommend for Diabetes

Make Half Your Plate Non-starchy Vegetables

Vegetables are at the foundation of any healthy diet, but with diabetes, non-starchy vegetables take centre stage. Vegetables like potatoes, corn, butternut squash and peas are higher in carbohydrates and can have a bigger impact on your blood sugar, while non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, bok choy and peppers have a different effect. “Beyond adding colour to a plate, non-starchy vegetables can help stabilize blood sugar because they are high in fibre, a carbohydrate humans can’t digest as sugar,” says Lori Watson, M.S., RD, LDN.

Filling half your plate with non-starchy vegetables can help you feel fuller, slow digestion and stabilize your blood sugar after a meal. Research suggests that eating vegetables before starchy carbohydrates at your meal can lower post-meal blood glucose levels in people with and without diabetes.

Make a Quarter of Your Plate Protein

Filling a quarter of your plate with protein helps you feel fuller, support muscle repair and growth and stabilize your blood sugar. Protein alone doesn’t significantly affect your glucose levels, but eating it alongside carbohydrates lets its blood-sugar benefits shine. “When paired together, protein will slow the rate that glucose is digested and released into the bloodstream. This leads to you feeling full and satisfied for a longer period of time,” says Kate Dwyer, M.S., RD.

Plant proteins like beans, lentils, nuts and soy, as well as dairy, fish, poultry and meat, count toward your protein portion. But while some protein is helpful, more isn’t always better. Eating too much protein at a meal can cause a delayed glucose spike that’s hard to bring down, because high protein levels can increase secretion of glucagon, a hormone that triggers glucose release from the liver.

Make a Quarter of Your Plate Fibre-Rich Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates break down into glucose, which raises your blood sugar, but they still deserve a portion of your plate. As with protein, you’ll want to limit your carbohydrate serving to a quarter of your meal.

“Carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of energy, but not all carbs impact how we feel in the same way,” says Alexis Silver, M.P.H,, RD. Simple carbohydrates like sweets, white bread, pasta, rice and sugar-sweetened drinks digest quickly and often lack nutrients like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

For a more nutritious meal and stable blood sugar, reach for complex carbohydrates. “Complex carbohydrates like whole grains, beans and vegetables are rich in fibre and raise blood sugar more steadily, leaving us feeling fuller for longer and providing us with balanced energy throughout the day,” says Silver.

Beyond your dinner, research suggests that increasing fibre intake by 10 grams a day can significantly reduce HbA1C (a marker that indicates average glucose levels over the past three months), fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels.

Dinner Combos to Try

“Don’t overcomplicate the diabetes-friendly plate,” says Dwyer. With this formula, you can easily turn any meal into a blood sugar–friendly option by adjusting your portions. Dwyer makes it even easier by recommending a palm-size portion of lean protein, a fist-size portion of carbohydrates, and filling the rest of your plate with non-starchy vegetables. “Your meals should taste good and include foods you enjoy,” she says.

Here are a few easy combinations to get your creative dinner juices flowing:

• Grilled Chicken Salad: Fill your plate with leafy greens, then top with grilled chicken and whole-grain croutons. Serve with a bit of grated cheese and a drizzle of dressing on top.
• Roasted Chicken Thighs & Quinoa: Roast boneless, skinless chicken thighs and serve with a scoop of herbed quinoa. Fill the rest of your plate with olive oil-sautéed vegetables like red onion, zucchini and peppers.
• Zoodle Spaghetti & Meatballs: “Reimagine spaghetti and meatballs by filling the base of your plate with zoodles (spiralized zucchini or spaghetti squash), topping with lean beef or turkey meatballs in marinara sauce and pairing with a sensibly portioned slice of crusty whole-wheat or sourdough bread,” Watson suggests.
• Sheet-Pan Salmon: Roast green beans, cherry tomatoes and baby potatoes with lemon garlic-marinated salmon. Keep your potatoes to a quarter of your plate, and fill the rest with non-starchy green beans and tomatoes.
• Chicken Fajita Bowl: Add a small scoop of rice to a bowl and toss in some taco-marinated chicken, sautéed peppers and onions and a scoop of black beans. Top with crispy romaine, avocado and fresh salsa. Keep in mind that black beans contain protein and carbohydrates, so you can adjust your rice portion as needed.

• Our Expert Take

  There’s no one-size-fits-all eating plan for diabetes, but dietitians often recommend this dinner formula to help support steady blood sugars. It’s a simple, flexible framework that lets you enjoy the foods you love in portions that support your glucose goals. By making a quarter of your plate carbohydrates, a quarter protein and filling the rest with non-starchy vegetables, you can easily assemble a meal that’s energizing and satisfying without spiking your blood sugar.

• https://www.eatingwell.com/dinner-formula-for-better-blood-sugar-12199160

How to Navigate Holiday Gatherings When You Have Diabetes

From eatingwell.com

Dietitians talk turkey about managing blood sugar during the holidays 

KEY POINTS

• Stick to your usual eating schedule to avoid blood sugar swings during holiday meals.
• Use the plate method: balance non-starchy veggies, lean protein and a favourite carb.
• Incorporate movement, like a walk, to help manage post-meal blood sugar levels.

The table is set, the turkey is carved and it’s time to dig in. But with diabetes, you might hesitate before you partake. When you’re working on blood sugar management, the holiday spread can sometimes feel less like a celebration and more like a minefield. “Between traditions, unfamiliar foods, larger portions, delayed meals and changes in routine, managing blood sugar during holiday gatherings can be tricky,” says diabetes care specialist Vandana Sheth, RD, CDCES, FAND. “Also, social pressure can lead to eating certain [unhealthy] foods even when you are trying to be mindful of your choices.”

Despite these challenges, managing diabetes doesn’t have to mean missing out on the joy of the season—even the joy of food. “You can absolutely enjoy your favourite foods, but focus on a few simple strategies,” says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDCES. Below, discover four dietitian-approved tactics for making the most of holiday meals with diabetes.

Credit:  Design elements: Getty Images. EatingWell design

Don’t Skip Meals to “Save Up”

When the big day arrives, one popular strategy may actually backfire: skipping meals to save up your calorie budget. “Arriving overly hungry can make it harder to tune into your hunger and fullness cues,” says Sheth. Plus, according to Palinski-Wade, going too long without eating—then overdoing it at the holiday meal—can cause your blood sugar to swing too high or too low.

Rather than going into feast or famine mode on a holiday, she recommends sticking as close to your normal eating schedule as possible. Sheth agrees. “Enjoy your usual meals throughout the day, and consider a small snack with protein and fibre if the holiday meal runs late,” she suggests.

Build a Blood Sugar–Friendly Plate

Just because it’s a holiday doesn’t mean healthy eating has to take a vacation. If you look closely, you may find that a buffet features foods that fit in a diabetes-friendly diet. Consider three broad categories: non-starchy vegetables, protein and carbs. “I recommend using the plate method: Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables, one-quarter with lean protein like turkey, and the remaining quarter with your favourite carbohydrate, whether that’s stuffing or sweet potatoes,” Palinski-Wade says. This method—in line with the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Plate—can help simplify your choices at the Thanksgiving table.

Palinski-Wade offers one more pro tip once you sit down to eat: “Eat your vegetables and protein first, which can slow digestion and help reduce blood sugar spikes.” Fibre and protein both keep you feeling fuller, too, preventing overeating.

Use a Rating System

At holiday get-togethers, the food overwhelm is real. You’ll probably need to make some critical decisions so you don’t end up with a 10-pound plate. After all, portion control is an important part of blood sugar management. The amount you eat directly influences the glucose in your bloodstream.

Palinski-Wade recommends using a mental rating system. “Before you fill your plate, take a minute to survey all of the food offerings,” she says. “And then ask yourself, on a scale of 1 to 10, what are the 9s and 10s (the must-haves) and then fill your plate with those. Don’t waste plate space (or extra carbs) on foods you don’t actually enjoy.” As you do so, remember to balance your favourites with lean protein and fibre-rich veggies. This way, “you can keep your blood sugar steady while eating what you love,” she says.

Incorporate Movement into the Festivities

If you’re off work for the holiday, you just might have time for extra movement. Whether it’s a morning hike or a game of touch football while the turkey cooks, physical activity can become a new tradition. Sheth suggests making it a family affair, inviting others to join in. The more you move, the better your blood sugar response is likely to be. Exercise is strongly linked with better blood sugar control.

Or, if you’re busy earlier in the day, you might prefer a post-meal outing. “Enjoy a 10- to 15-minute walk after the meal to help manage your post-meal blood sugar response,” Sheth recommends. Some research shows that walking for even as little as two minutes can help regulate blood sugar!

Other Tips for Managing Blood Sugar During the Holidays

Throughout the holiday season, it’s always a good idea to set healthy intentions. For steady blood sugar, try focusing on the following:

• Keep a consistent schedule. Holidays are notorious for disrupting regular routines. As much as possible, hold fast to your usual schedule of medications, meals, hydration, activity and sleep, Sheth says. Consistency is key for steady blood sugar.
• Prepare for fluctuations. Even the best-laid holiday plans can sometimes go awry. Stay prepared for potential disruptions to your blood sugar. Sheth recommends keeping a source of fast-acting carbohydrate on hand if you’re on insulin or other diabetes medications that can cause low blood sugar.
• Keep a big-picture perspective. If you accidentally overdo it on apple pie or your aunt’s famous pumpkin rolls, don’t beat yourself up. “Remember, it’s your overall habits that matter most, not one holiday meal,” says Palinski-Wade.

Our Expert Take

Living with diabetes may make holiday eating a little more challenging, but that doesn’t mean festive meals can’t be satisfying, delicious and diabetes-friendly. Try sticking to a regular eating schedule, focusing on foods with protein and fibre, prioritizing must-have favourites and making space for movement. And when mealtime rolls around, savour each bite—and each moment of celebration with family and friends.

https://www.eatingwell.com/how-to-navigate-holiday-gatherings-when-you-have-diabetes-12193401

The Best Time To Exercise for Better Blood Sugar, According to Research

From health.com

By Mark Gurarie

Mark Gurarie

Mark Gurarie is a writer covering health topics, technology, music, books, and culture. He also teaches health science and research writing at George Washington University's School of Medical and Health Sciences.

HEALTH's editorial guidelines

AT A GLANCE

• Why this matters: Some research suggests that working out at certain times may offer greater blood sugar benefits.
• What you can do: Aim to exercise in the evening or afternoon to more effectively lower blood sugar.
• The payoff: Regular physical activity can improve insulin sensitivity and support better blood sugar control over time.

Along with diet changes and medications, regular exercise helps manage blood sugar if you have diabetes. While movement at any time of day can help, some research suggests that working out later in the day may have the greatest impact.

Because of factors like meal timing and cortisol levels, evening exercise may be best for lowering blood sugar.  Halfpoint Images / Getty Images

Why Evening Exercise May Be Best for Blood Sugar

Getting in a workout at any time is good for your health. But the best time to exercise for blood sugar management seems to be later in the day.

In a recent review of studies, experts concluded that afternoon or evening exercise may lead to greater blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes. Late-in-the-day exercise was also associated with improvements in insulin sensitivity, or the body’s ability to respond to insulin and manage sugar in the bloodstream. Morning exercise did not appear to be as effective.

Similarly, a 2019 study followed men with type 2 diabetes who took part in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for two weeks. Those who did HIIT in the afternoons had improved blood sugar levels, while morning exercisers saw the opposite effect.

Researchers emphasize that more long-term research is needed. However, there are a couple of theories as to why evening exercise may be better for blood sugar:

• Cortisol: Your cortisol (a stress hormone) naturally spikes in the morning. This triggers the body to release stored sugars, raising blood sugar for people with diabetes. Exercising in the morning can raise cortisol even more, which could explain why it may not be as effective at lowering blood sugar.
• Meal timing: Research shows that workouts done after you eat are better at limiting blood sugar spikes. People who work out first thing in the morning likely aren’t doing so after a meal, so they may not reap those benefits.

How Exercise Affects Blood Sugar

Though afternoon or evening exercise may have a more substantial effect on blood sugar, physical activity of any kind can help you manage blood sugar spikes in both the short and long term.

Short-term Effects

During your workout and immediately after, you could experience both positive or negative changes to your blood sugar:

• Pros: As your muscles contract during exercise, they burn sugar directly for energy. Physical activity also improves short-term insulin sensitivity, which means your body is able to better use insulin to move sugar out of the bloodstream. In fact, a workout session can lower your blood sugar for up to 24 hours after.
• Cons: Certain types of exercise—specifically, adrenaline-producing workouts like heavy weightlifting or sprints—can cause short-term blood sugar increases. For example, an older 2013 study found that HIIT workouts increased blood sugar for about an hour after exercise. Still, the exercise had an overall beneficial effect lasting up to 24 hours.

Long-term Effects

Regular exercise is especially helpful for blood sugar management over time. Long-term effects include:

• Better insulin sensitivity: Regular exercise improves how well your cells respond to insulin, which helps manage blood sugar levels.
• Lower haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels: Consistent activity reduces HbA1c, which is a measure of average blood sugar levels over a two to three-month period.
• Greater muscle mass: Muscles take up most of the sugar in your bloodstream after a meal. Because of this, some research suggests that building muscle mass and strength may help lower blood sugar levels over time.
• Possible weight loss: Regular exercise can help you lose weight, which can make it easier to manage your blood sugar levels.

https://www.health.com/best-time-to-exercise-to-lower-blood-sugar-12184103 

Strawberries vs. Bananas: Which Fruit Is Better for Blood Sugar? Registered Dietitians Explain

From parade.com

By Beth Ann Mayer

Read this before you blend up your next smoothie 

Between the interest in GLP-1s and desire to ward off the dreaded 3 p.m. slump, blood sugar control has become a buzzy word on social media. Keeping blood sugar in check can indeed protect you against type 2 diabetes (or help you manage it if you have it) and keep you from becoming “hangry” and exhausted in the afternoon. However, registered dietitians like Amanda Sauceda, MS, RD, are noticing a rumour: fruits like bananas and strawberries are “bad” for blood sugar. Is that true? Not quite.

“While fruit is a source of natural sugar, like fructose, it won’t have the same effect on your body when compared to eating candy or refined carbohydrates,” Sauceda tells Parade. “Fruit is a mix of natural sugar along with a variety of vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre, which makes it better for your blood sugar.”

But which one is better for blood sugar: strawberries or bananas? After all, different fruits have distinct nutrient profiles, offering benefits to everything from your immune system to your brain health. When it comes to blood sugar, you can start by looking at the glycaemic index (GI).

“The glycaemic index (GI) is a scale that measures how quickly carbohydrate-containing foods raise blood sugar levels compared to glucose, a form of sugar,” says Kara Dawson, RD, the clinical nutrition manager at HonorHealth Four Peaks Medical Center.

Dawson says the scale ranges from 0 to 100, and high-GI foods (70 or above) cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. Low-GI items are digested slowly (55 and below), so blood sugar rises and falls more gradually. Below, registered dietitians will explain whether strawberries or bananas have a lower GI.

However, that’s not all to keep in mind when evaluating a food’s effect on blood sugar. Registered dietitians present their case for the great food fight—strawberries vs. bananas: Which fruit is better for blood sugar?

XOLODAN/Getty Images

Bananas vs. Strawberries for Blood Sugar

If managing blood sugar is a concern when you eat, strawberries may support you better than bananas. Here’s why:

• Strawberries are a lower-GI food than bananas. Dawson points out that strawberries have a GI of about 40, which classifies them as a low-glycaemic food. A banana’s GI depends on ripeness, with a medium one coming in at about 42-51. But riper bananas can have a GI of 56-85. “Bananas can cause a slightly quicker rise in blood sugar level, even if you eat the same number of calories of strawberries and bananas,” she says.
• Strawberries have a better fibre-to-total-carb ratio than bananas. Technically, bananas have a little more fibre by weight (about 2.6 grams per 100 grams, compared with about 2 grams per 100 grams in strawberries, reports Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., RD, a fitness and nutrition advisor for Garage Gym Reviews). Fibre slows digestion, helping keep blood sugar from rising too quickly after eating. Yet, the fibre edge somehow goes to strawberries. Here’s why: “Strawberries have much fewer carbs overall, so they give you a good amount of fibre for a lower sugar load,” he adds.
• Strawberries are packed with antioxidants to support blood sugar. Dr. Mohr says that strawberries contain anti-inflammatory properties, including vitamin C and anthocyanins (a plant-based compound). Some research suggests that eating strawberries may reduce blood sugar and insulin response when eaten with a higher-carb meal, but this can vary by person.

Quick note: While strawberries edge out bananas for blood sugar, Dr. Mohr notes that it matters how you consume the strawberries. “The main thing to watch is the form, since jams, syrups, sweetened dried strawberries and desserts with strawberries can have a lot of added sugar,” he says.

Bananas vs. Strawberries for Energy

Bananas have components that make them better than strawberries for a sustainable energy boost. Here are RDs’ reasons:

• A medium banana has double the calories as a cup of strawberries. Despite what diet culture would have us believe, calories are not the enemy. Calories simply measure energy—energy that helps us breathe, think, digest food, tissue repair and so many other vital functions,” says Sharniquia White, MS, a culinary dietitian and the founder of YouNiqly Nourishing LLC. “This could make [bananas] better suited for long day snacks or pre-/post-workout, since they provide more energy.”
• A medium banana boasts more than twice the carbs as one cup of strawberries. Carbs aren’t evil, either. “Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source,” White says. “Carbohydrates get broken down into glucose, which then enters the bloodstream and becomes available for cells to produce energy. The brain, muscles and nervous system all heavily rely on carbohydrates for sustained energy.”
• Bananas are a great source of vitamin B6. Sauceda says vitamin B6 helps “unlock the energy from your food.” “After you eat, your body will break down your food, then start to absorb those nutrients,” she explains. “From there, the body uses vitamins, like B6, to convert the food you eat into a fuel source for your cells.”
• Bananas will net you powerful potassium. Potassium is a vital nutrient for your overall health–energy levels included. “Potassium…helps with processes needed for nerve communication, muscle contractions and each cell’s metabolic processes,” Dawson says.

Bananas vs. Strawberries: Nutrients and Other Health Benefits

What does the actual nutrition breakdown for each fruit look like, anyway? Here’s a glance:

	Strawberries	Bananas
Serving size	1 cup, whole	1 medium
Calories	46 calories	105 calories
Total carbohydrates	11 grams	27 grams
Fibre	2.9 grams	3.1 grams
Vitamin C	84.7 mg	10.3 mg
Magnesium	18.7 mg	31.9 mg
Manganese	0.6 mg	0.3 mg
Potassium	220 mg	422 mg
Vitamin B6	0.1 mg	0.4 mg
Folate	34.6 mcg	23.6 mcg

It’s worth noting that strawberries and bananas are both so nutrient-dense that they offer benefits beyond blood sugar and energy. “Because strawberries are packed with vitamin C, they can support iron absorption.” White states. “They are super supportive of hydration, due to their high water content.”

Sauceda says bananas are also a win for gut health. “The resistant starch in green bananas can also act as a prebiotic, which means it can benefit your gut. Prebiotics help to feed your good gut bacteria, which encourages a healthy microbiome.”

https://parade.com/health/strawberries-vs-bananas-for-blood-sugar