Thanksgiving Without the Crash: Glucose-Friendly Tips for Feeling Good
Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, family, and delicious food—but it’s also a time when many of us experience a rollercoaster of energy highs and lows, thanks to glucose spikes. Inspired by the work of Glucose Goddess, here are simple, science-backed strategies to enjoy your holiday meal while keeping your blood sugar steady and feeling great all day.
What Are Glucose Spikes, and Why Do They Matter?
Glucose spikes occur when the sugar in our food causes a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. While this is natural, excessive or frequent spikes can lead to energy crashes, fatigue, brain fog, and even inflammation over time. On Thanksgiving, with an abundance of carbs, sugars, and rich dishes, these spikes are almost inevitable—but they don’t have to be!
Start with a Savory Appetizer
Kick off your Thanksgiving meal with fiber, protein, or healthy fats instead of diving straight into the breadbasket. A salad with leafy greens, a veggie platter with hummus, or deviled eggs are great options. According to Glucose Goddess, eating fiber or fat before carbs can slow down glucose absorption, helping to stabilize blood sugar.
Dress Your Plate with Veggies First
When it’s time to load up your plate, eat your veggies first. The fiber in vegetables acts as a buffer, slowing down the absorption of sugars and starches from the rest of your meal. Aim for a variety of colorful vegetables—roasted Brussels sprouts, green beans, or a fresh salad—to create a fiber-rich foundation.
Enjoy Carbs the Smart Way
Thanksgiving isn’t complete without mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pie, but try to pair your carbs with protein or fat. For example:
Add gravy (fat) to your mashed potatoes.
Pair your stuffing with turkey (protein).
Add a dollop of whipped cream (fat) to your pumpkin pie.
This pairing strategy slows digestion, reducing the intensity of glucose spikes.
Go for a Post-Meal Walk
One of the simplest hacks to reduce a glucose spike is light movement after eating. A 10- to 15-minute stroll after your Thanksgiving meal can help your muscles absorb glucose from your bloodstream, preventing a post-dinner crash. Plus, it’s a great way to connect with family and enjoy the crisp autumn air.
Save Dessert for Last
If you’re planning to indulge in pumpkin pie or other desserts, make sure to eat them after your main meal. This way, the fiber, fat, and protein you’ve already consumed will help slow down the sugar absorption, reducing the glucose spike.
Sip Smartly
Many holiday beverages like sweetened cocktails, soda, and even juice are high in sugar. Opt for water, sparkling water with a slice of lemon, or a dry wine instead. If you love festive drinks, try Glucose Goddess’s trick: enjoy them with your meal instead of on an empty stomach to minimize spikes.
Don’t Skip Breakfast
It might be tempting to save all your appetite for the Thanksgiving feast, but arriving at the table overly hungry can lead to overeating and more dramatic glucose spikes. Start your day with a balanced breakfast—think eggs with avocado and whole-grain toast or a smoothie with protein powder, spinach, and chia seeds.
Gratitude, Not Guilt
Thanksgiving is about connection and gratitude, not perfection. If you enjoy an extra helping of pie or an extra buttery roll, savor it without guilt. A healthy glucose response is about balance, not restriction.
The Glucose Goddess Mindset
Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, family, and delicious food—but it’s also a time when many of us experience a rollercoaster of energy highs and lows, thanks to glucose spikes. Inspired by the work of Glucose Goddess, here are simple, science-backed strategies to enjoy your holiday meal while keeping your blood sugar steady and feeling great all day.
Vital Vials: Decoding the Allure and Caution of Dietary Supplements
What Do Supplements Do?
In the great tapestry of health and wellness, where vitamins and supplements form colorful threads, countless Americans integrate these into their daily rituals. These tiny emissaries of health promise to shield against deficiencies and diseases or simply add a spring to your step towards proactive health management.
Since their debut in the 1940s, dietary supplements have captivated the public’s imagination—transforming from health shop novelties into staples of modern medicine cabinets across the nation.
A Look At Dietary Supplement Usage Statistics
Today, a significant slice of the populace, over one-third of Americans, embrace supplements. Leading the sales, multivitamin and mineral supplements claim a 40% market share. Notably, the most popular supplements include those enriched with fish oil, omega-3, DHA, or EPA. Particularly among adults aged 65 and older, about 30% consume four or more types of supplements daily.
With recommendations bombarding us from every medium—be it commercials, social media, or casual conversations—the challenge lies in discerning the suitable supplements for personal health goals.
5 Things You Need to Know About Dietary Supplements
Variety and Purpose
Supplements manifest in diverse forms—pills, powders, or liquids—with a unified goal: to augment your diet and enhance health through vital nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Popular picks include calcium, fish oil, and vitamin D, often combined in multivitamins to simplify consumption.
Evaluating Efficacy
The allure of supplements is undeniable, and rightfully so in many cases. Certain supplements like vitamin B12, folic acid, and fish oil are celebrated for their definitive health benefits. However, despite extensive research, the broader efficacy and impact of multivitamins on longevity and disease prevention remain ambiguous.
Safety First
While multivitamins typically do not pose health risks, vigilance is paramount. Interaction with medications, potential risks for specific medical conditions, and the less stringent federal regulations compared to prescription drugs underscore the need for cautious consumption. Noteworthy are risks associated with supplements like vitamin K and St. John’s wort, which can conflict with prescription medications.
Consultation is Key
Before embarking on any supplement regimen, consulting with healthcare professionals is crucial. They can tailor advice based on individual health profiles and needs. Additionally, adhering to recommended dosages and being skeptical of outlandish claims are essential practices for safe supplement use.
Diet Over Pills
Supplements should not replace the rich, varied nutrients from a healthy diet. The true essence of dietary health lies in natural food sources, underscoring that supplements are just that—supplementary.
In essence, while the world of supplements offers tantalizing promises of health and vitality, navigating this landscape with informed caution and professional guidance ensures that these tools are both safe and effective.