Being smart about carbs is critical when it comes to reversing insulin resistance because reducing carbohydrates overall in the diet is an effective way to reverse insulin resistance.
However, I do understand that not everyone is able to make such a drastic change.
And the good news is you don’t have to be so restrictive in order to see improvements to your insulin resistance. little changes can make a big difference.
6 Ways to Enjoy Carbs
I’m going to be giving you six ways you can be smart about carbs in order to reduce blood sugar spikes and reverse insulin resistance.
1) Don’t eat them naked
Don’t eat them naked and by this I mean don’t eat carb rich foods in isolation. And this is in reference to both whole food carbs and processed carbs.
Ideally, you should be trying to eat mainly whole foods anyways. When you eat something like a banana that is rich in carbs and low in protein and fat, this causes a rapid spike in blood sugar and a surge of insulin.
However, when you pair the same food with foods that are rich in protein and fat, the spike is a lot lower.
Sometimes there isn’t even a spike at all. So this can be as simple as having a handful of nuts with that banana.
2) Cook and cool them
The second way to be smart about carbs is to cook and cool them. Did you know that by cooking and cooling certain carb rich foods, such as rice and potatoes, you can significantly lower blood sugar spikes?
This is because through the cooking and cooling process, some of the starch in these foods turns into resistant starch.
Resistant starch isn’t broken down into sugar, so blood sugar spikes will be lower because there is less digestible starch.
And yes, because I know I’m going to get this question, you can reheat the foods after you cool them. The starch that’s turned into resistant starch isn’t going to change back.
3) Don’t drink them
The third way to be smart about carbs is not to drink them. Refined carbs in drinks such as juice and soda wreak havoc on our blood sugar.
Because they are digested rapidly, they enter our system quickly and cause our blood sugar to spike sharply.
So anytime you can, opt for the whole food option of things such as fruit juices instead.
4) Eat them last
The fourth way to be smart about carbs is to eat them last. This simple strategy involves eating the protein, fiber and fat portion of your meal first, research shows that consuming carbs last significantly lowers insulin levels after a meal.
So enjoy your steak and greens first, then dive into those potatoes. And protein really is key here
It’s going to have a bigger impact than fat and fiber alone. And beyond that, protein is critical for our health for so many other reasons as well.
It’s important for satiety, proper hormone function and maintaining lean muscle mass.
5) Add vinegar to them
The fifth way to be smart about carbs is to add some vinegar. Incorporating vinegar into your meals can enhance glucose uptake in the muscle cells.
Studies have shown that it can increase insulin sensitivity up to 34%. Now if you can’t find a way to add it into your meal, you can simply add a tablespoon or two to a glass of water to dilute it.
Drink this before your meal and your blood sugar response to the meal is going to be significantly lower.
And don’t worry if you forget to drink it before. Drinking it after helps as well, but before is more effective.
6) Move your body
And the 6th way you can be smart about carbs is moving your body after you eat them.
When we use our muscles after we eat carbohydrates, they’re able to use the energy from those carbs immediately and they’re actually able to take it in without the need for insulin.
Now this doesn’t have to be an intense workout, even a quick ten minute walk around the block makes a big difference.
Final Word
Remember that all of these tips are meant to be easy. They’re meant to be added into your routine without too much hassle.
You don’t have to do all of them all of the time. What matters is consistency.
Make the right choices when you can, as often as you can, and that’s how you’re going to see sustainable results.