It's all about your Blood Sugar

By Nicole:

Blood sugar can greatly impact your health, even
for the non-diabetic.

The pancreas is an organ in the body we all take for granted, until it doesn't work anymore. Your pancreas is responsible for so many functions that most are not aware of.  I hate to say that one of it's functions is more important than the other, however, the production of insulin is probably it's most important.

Here are some questions, and answers, to some common questions regarding blood sugar and what they have to do with you.

What is Insulin?

Insulin is a hormone that is produced by your pancreas.  Your body uses insulin to move the sugar (glucose) obtained from food from the bloodstream into the cells throughout the body.  The cells are then able to use the sugar for energy.  However, if your pancreas does not work, then your blood sugar will rise to dangerously high levels.  Those high blood sugar levels are what will cause damage in your body from kidney, nerve, vision and cardiovascular damage.

What does this mean to my health?

Generally, you should try to avoid blood sugar spikes after eating, to ensure your body doesn't have to produce as much insulin to help metabolize your food.  Research suggests that your fasting blood sugar should be less than 95 mg/dL, anything over and you could be setting yourself up for disease. Remember, bacteria, viruses, and cancers thrive off of sugar; therefore, eating a diet that is low in sugar, less than 25 grams of fructose daily will help keep disease at bay.

What are some foods that cause a blood sugar spike?

Recognize that not all foods are created equal, some cause a higher spike than others.  Foods like corn, wheat, rice (white and brown), oats and many fruits will all cause acute spikes in blood sugar.

So, what can I eat?

High fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrate meals.  Please remember fat is actually good for you and important for your body.  Just try to fill over half of your plate with vegetables and a small amount of protein. One of your most important goals should be to try and source the majority of your food from grass-fed sources. These would include animal by-products, butter, eggs, and meat.

Below are some examples of meals we eat on a weekly basis

• Salmon, sweet potatoes with butter, and green peas
• Meatloaf, roasted cauliflower, and green beans
• Black bean burgers, green beans with bacon, and roasted broccoli
• Spaghetti - spaghetti squash, sauce and ground beef

If you are wondering if our children eat what we eat, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Our children eat exactly what we eat, they just get a little more carbohydrates through sweet potatoes and fruit.

Finally a few recipes to try for the weekend...

Pumpkin Pancakes

4 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin

2 TBSP coconut flour

2 TBSP coconut oil- melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 banana- mashed

1/4 tsp baking soda

1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

Combine and mix all ingredients, let sit for about 5 minutes to let coconut flour absorb.  This can then be made into pancakes, muffins or put in a pan for bread.  It is delicious with some butter and apple butter or just by itself.

Chicken chili

6 chicken thighs

6 small chicken breasts

Medium jar of salsa

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

salt/pepper to taste

1 can black beans- rinsed and drained

Place the first 7 ingredients into the crock pot on high for 3-4 hours.  Once the chicken is cooked, the chicken should shred.  Add the black beans and let cook through.

Enjoy, and be content knowing what you eat can help sustain those blood sugar levels throughout the entire day.