“Can you still lose weight if you spike your blood sugar levels and I read I should have a bit of cheese when I eat fruit so it doesn’t spike my blood sugar levels”
^^ question I had the other day
So I’m on a mermaid hunt with the kids (hunt sounds aggressive, doesn’t it? Let’s for with “mermaid trail”)
We had to find these mermaids scattered around a park.
What’s interesting is that even though we’d been around that park about 6 times before
I’d never noticed the mermaids before…
But now I’m looking for them?
I see them more. I notice them more.
Why am I sharing this?
Well, what you look for, you see more of, and you notice it more.
When it comes to nutrition?
This could result in us seeing differences in spite of what we do rather than because of what we do.
Take these two examples:
Example 1: Someone starts monitoring their blood sugar responses to food. They notice processed foods and alcohol especially spike their blood sugar levels. So they cut back on processed foods and alcohol, and also add in some Greek yoghurt with their fruit and lose weight. Concluding that lowering your blood sugar spikes result in weight loss, without considering that they have actually simply lowered their calorie intake and increased protein intake (Greek yoghurt).
^^ notice how they’ve not shown a difference in weight loss results when calories are kept the same and they compare blood sugar spikes
Example 2: someone tracks calories, cuts out some alcohol and some processed foods, adds more protein to their diet. They lose weight.
My point?
If you’re only focussed on the mermaids 🧜♀️ (blood sugar spikes) that’s all you’ll see and notice.
And as I walk writing this now…
I’m burning a few calories
But also reducing my post meal blood sugar spike…
Does it really matter?
In people without Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes ?
No. It’s a normal response to glucose. Sure, adding some cheese and yoghurt will lower the glucose spike. If your goal is weight loss, as long as within calories to create a deficit, this is fine. If it means you overeat calories? You may want to rethink this.
In people with Type 1 Diabetes, this is of more interest as they do not have any insulin so need to monitor exogenous insulin.
In people with Type 2 Diabetes, it’s your average that usually counts most (also known as HbA1c). Sure though, increasing exercise, upping your protein and fibre, lowering carbs calories and, in many cases, losing body fat…can help with this
Hope this helps
Matt “mermaid” Fruci