The word “blood sugar” is on everyone’s lips this summer. Especially because of the impressive success of the best-seller Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspé who extols the benefits of a dietary method aimed at regulating blood sugar. But surely also because regulating blood sugar is closely linked to weight loss, a goal that many of us have. But exactly why is controlling your blood sugar beneficial for weight?
Sugar fluctuations inevitably cause us to snack throughout the day.
Blood sugar is the level of sugar in the blood. It naturally increases after eating. Reasonably so if you have eaten a low-carb meal. Higher if you have eaten a lot of sugar or starchy foods. Blood sugar is therefore not stable.The curve rises and falls like a harmonious wave. This is normal, it reflects your fuel supply which, of course, must be continuous.“, explains Dr. Pierre Nys, endocrinologist-nutritionist, in his book “L’alimentation Glucose Control” (ed. Leduc).
On the other hand, what is problematic is when blood sugar varies too abruptly. This is what the endocrinologist calls “the glycemic roller coaster“. In the long term, large spikes in blood sugar levels lead to an increased risk of chronic diseases (such as diabetes, for example), fatigue, drowsiness during the day, but above all, food cravings, sugar cravings and a greater appetite (sugar fluctuations inevitably push us to snack throughout the day and encourage us to eat more during meals), which indirectly leads to weight gain, Aurélie Tetzlaff, dietician-nutritionist, told us in a previous interview. Hence the importance of “smoothing” it out as much as possible (if we obviously cannot flatten it completely, but we can try to keep it at an “acceptable” level).
Excess glucose is stored in the form of abdominal fat and converted into circulating fats in the blood (triglycerides).The higher the glucose, the more we store, the more we gain weight.summarizes the endocrinologist. And the problem is made worse if we snack: a chocolate here, a small piece of nougat there, a dried apricot an hour later, storage is then pushed to the maximum with always the same process: we eat, we produce insulin, we store, we gain weight, we eat again, we produce insulin again”. Glycemia “is therefore involved to a greater or lesser degree in problems such as being overweight, having a big belly or obesity, but also high blood pressure, excess cholesterol, etc.“
Fortunately, there are several tips for regulating your blood sugar: start by eating at regular times, limit sugary products or foods with a high glycemic index (do not eat sugar alone, but always with proteins and fibers), go for a 10-minute walk after lunch at a good pace (the body will immediately burn part of the sugar absorbed and the glucose will go down naturally), acidify your meals (by adding lemon juice or vinegar to reduce the overall glycemic index) or eat your meals in a very specific order (fibers, proteins, then carbohydrates).
“By eating in a specific order, digestion is easier and more enjoyable, you don’t get the “afternoon slump”, you have better appetite control, you are less prone to cravings and you tend to eat less during the day. This is particularly beneficial for people with diabetes, pre-diabetes or obesity“, concludes Aurélie Tetzlaff.