a nutrition tip that *isn't* about eating less...
what if you didn't have to change WHAT you ate, just HOW you ate it 👀
If you’ve been around the ol’ healthy eating block (like I have…😅), you’ve probably noticed that it seems like there are SO many “rules”.
Everyone is telling you to eat less of this, more of that, or eat this instead of that.
But what if I told you there was a SIMPLE way you could improve your nutrition, your blood sugar levels, your meal satisfaction, and your energy…
That had nothing to do with changing *what* you’re eating, but simply changing *how* you’re eating it?
Today I’m gonna break down a super easy tip that I share with my health coaching clients that is all about eating the foods you’re already eating but changing up the order in which you eat them so that they can work their best to provide nourishment to your body and keep that blood sugar steady!
Let’s jump in.
Well, Kate, why should I care about my blood sugar??
Great question. While blood sugar is, of course, crucial for some people to focus on (diabetics, pre-diabetetics, etc.), it does impact us ALL on some level, and many of us have an out-of-whack blood glucose situation that we may not even recognize.
Some signs of dysregulated blood sugar can include:
Irritability, brain fog, mood swings, etc. (ever feel “hangry” when you go too long without eating? yup. that’s blood sugar.),
Fluctuations in our energy (the infamous “afternoon slump?”. yup. that also can be your blood sugar talking.),
The foods we crave (ever have that “I need a dessert now” kind of feeling???),
It can impact how we store fat and if we have difficulty managing a healthy weight,
How well (orrrrrrr how poorly) we sleep,
Influence on our hormones, menstrual cycles, PCOS diagnoses, etc.
…. basically, your glucose levels can impact A LOT.
and eating my foods in a certain order can help?!
Yup, ya heard me correctly.
It may seem too simple, but hear me out— in any meal you have a variety of foods in front of you, but there’s specific “formula” of different food groups that could be help you feel nourished, fueled, and support your blood sugar in the process.
And this is not just my opinion— this is based on RESEARCH, but more on that below. (hint, hint: eating food in *this* order was shown to reduce the post-meal glucose levels by 36%…)
now, let’s get one thing straight —
You know me— with food (and, um, all things health), I’m not super strict, I’m not black and white, and I definitely believe in nuance.
….but I also like to fuel my body and feel GOOD.
So, do I always eat my food in this exact order? No, of course not.
But, in general, I do my best to follow this order of eating because
1) It is so dang easy (a health hack that takes ZERO time? sign me up),
2) It applies to nearly every meal, and
3) It seamlessly allows me to feel more full, more satisfied, and support my blood sugar in the process.
And that magical order would be (drumroll pleaseeeeeee…):