A recent small case report in three individuals with type 2 diabetes showed intermittent fasting could meaningfully reverse diabetes in as little as 7 months. These participants did hour fasts, times per week. What does this look like in practice?

All 3 participants could regain enough insulin sensitivity to get off their high doses of insulin medication within 3 weeks of starting their fasting regiments. One participant, who initially was taking 80 units of insulin daily, discontinued all insulin injections after just 5 days of fasting!

Intermittent fasting is thought to increase the expression of genes, hormonal pathways, and cellular physiology that improve metabolic fitness and insulin sensitivity. Bottom line: Twenty-four-hour fasts can improve insulin sensitivity. For practical purposes, this means eating breakfast one morning and then not eating calories again until the next morning.

Jessica Migala. One study in overweight, non-diabetic people showed that even engaging in time-restricted feeding for just 4 days can significantly lower fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and mean glucose levels.

At the end of 4 days, the time-restricted feeding intervention led to significantly lower fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and mean glucose. Timing of food intake matters: our bodies are naturally more insulin resistant at night, so the same food eaten in the morning tends to have much less of a glucose spike than that food eaten at night.

One study showed that eating food later in the evening will cause a significant increase in both insulin and glucose levels compared with eating the same meal consumed in the morning.

In this study, evening meals were at pm and morning meals were at am. Looking to minimize glucose spikes? Eating earlier in the day may be a good bet. Bottom line: Based on scientific studies, a strategy to improve metabolic fitness includes eating each day during a ~ hour window and finishing the last food intake no later than mid-afternoon.

Eating later in the evening negatively affects glucose levels more than eating the same foods earlier in the day. Naomi Barr. Vinegar is known to have a glucose-lowering effect when taken before or with a meal.

One study showed that when about 1 ounce of white vinegar is consumed with a carbohydrate-rich meal, post-meal glucose spikes and insulin levels are significantly lower. Also, vinegar increases satiety ratings of a meal!

In this particular study, the carbohydrate used was white bread containing 50 grams of carbohydrates. Bottom line: Taking in a small amount of vinegar along with a carb-rich meal appears to generate a lower post-meal glucose spike. Meghan Rabbitt. Compounds in cinnamon have been found to improve insulin signaling and glycemic control through several potential mechanisms.

This is true even in individuals who are non-diabetics: A study of 41 healthy adults assessed whether glucose levels were improved by taking 1 gram, 3 grams, or 6 grams of cinnamon per day for 40 days.

The participants were instructed to mix their daily dose of cinnamon powder with apple and milk and consume it. At the end of the day study, those taking doses of cinnamon 1, 3, or 6 grams all had a statistically significant drop in the post-meal glucose levels after a standardized meal.

Additionally, those individuals taking 6 grams of cinnamon had reduced pre- meal glucose levels, indicating that their baseline glucose during the day was lower. Bottom line: Based on the research, cinnamon may be a helpful adjunct in the quest for improved metabolic fitness.

Given that high post-meal glucose spikes are associated with worse health outcomes, cinnamon may be an effective way to blunt these surges. Ajai Raj. Interestingly, multiple studies have shown that drinking a large amount of water with a meal will increase the glucose and insulin peak after a meal, likely because the fluid load speeds entry of food into the small intestines for rapid glucose absorption.

With that said, good hydration overall is an important part of metabolic health, so we never skimp on water; we try to be smart about when we drink it in relation to our meals. The Explainer. Quick answers to queries like why we measure glucose, how to avoid blood-sugar spikes, and when you can get Levels for yourself.

Metabolic Health. Ultimate Guide. Metabolic health can be improved by consistently making choices that keep glucose levels in a stable and healthy range. Ceri Perkins. Rich Joseph, MD. The glycemic index provides insight into how particular foods affect glucose but has limitations.

Stephanie Eckelkamp. Ami Kapadia. Being aware of these causes of inaccurate data can help you identify—and avoid—surprising and misleading feedback. Joy Manning, RD. Inside Levels. Levels Co-Founder's new book—Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health—releases May 14; available for pre-order today.

Metabolic flexibility means that your body can switch easily between burning glucose and fat, which means you have better energy and endurance.

Dominic D'Agostino, PhD. Written By Casey Means, MD. Avoid added sugar and refined foods. Related article:. Nutrition What are processed foods and why are they so bad for metabolic health?

Exercise Walking after a meal: the simplest habit for stable blood sugar Jennifer Chesak. Sleep How does sleep affect blood sugar? Mental Health How does stress affect my glucose levels? Nutrition Why fiber is essential to metabolic health Kaitlin Sullivan.

Nutrition The benefits of fasting for metabolic health Jessica Migala. Sleep How circadian rhythm impacts metabolic health Naomi Barr. Nutrition Does vinegar really lower blood sugar? Nutrition Does cinnamon lower blood sugar?

Get updates, new articles, exclusive discounts, and more. Email Required. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. More Metabolic Basics. Metabolic Basics The Explainer 11 Common questions about food choices, blood sugar and Levels Quick answers to queries like why we measure glucose, how to avoid blood-sugar spikes, and when you can get Levels for yourself.

Metabolic Health Ultimate Guide The ultimate guide to metabolic health Metabolic health can be improved by consistently making choices that keep glucose levels in a stable and healthy range.

The Latest From Levels. Nutrition Ultimate Guide Is the glycemic index useful? Metabolic Basics The Explainer 7 things that can falsely impact glucose readings Being aware of these causes of inaccurate data can help you identify—and avoid—surprising and misleading feedback.

And, in the short-term, they can make you feel lousy by being associated with feelings of anxiety , fatigue, irritability and increased cravings.

So how do you keep your blood sugar at optimal levels? Start by paying close attention to these factors, all of which have a major impact on glucose and your metabolic health. Your unique genetic makeup and microbiome composition can influence how a particular food impacts your body.

One study of participants found that many had extremely different blood glucose levels after eating the exact same meals. The type of meal that induced the highest PPGR differed from person to person, and in some cases different people had opposite PPGRs to pairs of different standardized meals.

That said, there are some universal truths when it comes to how food affects blood sugar. When you consume a food that contains carbohydrates, your digestive tract breaks it down into sugars including glucose that can be used for energy.

Simple carbohydrates, like sugar and refined flours, get processed easily, so glucose reaches your bloodstream quickly; more complex ones, like those found in whole-grain foods or produce, take longer to be digested.

Although they eventually are broken down into sugar that enters the bloodstream, this happens more slowly, hence, leading to a more stable blood glucose level. Other macronutrients also play a role. Fiber , which moves through your body mostly intact without getting digested , slows the absorption of glucose.

And protein and fat prompt the release of compounds such as cholecystokinin, which keep food in your stomach longer and prevent your bloodstream from getting quickly flooded with glucose.

Foods with added sugar and refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, and rice, are more likely to lead to blood sugar spikes. Even whole grains can be problematic, says Deena Adimoolam, MD, a New Jersey-based specialist in endocrinology and metabolism. While you may choose to avoid some of these foods, oftentimes the best approach is to pair them with some healthy fat, protein, or fiber, all of which can help blunt the blood sugar spikes caused by carbohydrates, says Krystal Kobasic, RN, MS, CDCES, program coordinator of the Diabetes Teaching Center at UCSF Medical Center.

Foods that combine both fiber and protein —such as bean, legumes, and nuts—may be especially helpful for keeping blood sugar stable, due partly to the fact that fiber slows the rate at which food moves through your GI tract. Finally, the order in which you eat foods can make a difference in your blood sugar response.

Studies show that eating fat and protein before carbs can blunt the glucose rise. What You Can Do: Limit simple carbohydrates and sugars and avoid these five worst foods for metabolic health.

Whenever possible choose foods that are unlikely to spike blood sugar and choose whole foods that are rich in micronutrients , fiber , omega-3s , and probiotics.

Casey Means, MD. Exercise provides both short-term and long-term metabolic health benefits. In the short-term, it helps move glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells, which is why doing moderate exercise in the hours after eating can help blunt a blood sugar spike.

Although they have access to some stored glucose in the form of glycogen , they first try to take it from your bloodstream rather than tap into the reserves.

Your pancreas then secretes insulin, which enables sugar from the blood to move into the cells. Exercise makes your cells more sensitive to insulin and improves the movement of sugar into cells, which is known as the glucose transporter response.

Exercise boosts the number of glucose transporters traveling to the lining of cells GLUT4 channels , so more glucose can enter muscle cells without additional insulin production. While that helps by lowering your blood sugar right away, some of the beneficial effects of exercise linger.

Postmeal walks were particularly effective in lowering glucose in the 3 hours after dinner, likely due to the fact that a walk after dinner uses glucose as fuel, while the glucose benefits of a longer mid-day walk are less pronounced after the next meal.

In the long-term, regular physical activity helps, in part, because it increases the number of muscle cells, which means more mitochondria to turn glucose into energy.

Regular exercise also prompts the liver to metabolize glucose more efficiently and reduce insulin clearance, which can help improve glycemic variability. In other words, your muscles become primed to absorb more glucose. Being too sedentary has the opposite effect. Several studies have linked sitting too much throughout the day to more inflammation and higher levels of insulin resistance.

And while some forms of intense exercise, such as HIIT or weight lifting, can lead to transient increases in glucose , this effect is short-lived and does not detract from the long-term metabolic health benefits of exercise.

What You Can Do: Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, five days a week, as recommended by the World Health Organization. If possible, time your movement after meals, as evidence shows that walking after eating offers significant benefits for curbing postprandial glucose spikes.

In addition, consider adding strength training to your routine, as increased muscle mass increases glucose uptake capacity and improves insulin sensitivity. The Levels Team.

Stress prompts a hormonal response in the body that affects glucose levels. To increase blood glucose, your body pumps out more adrenaline and glucagon , and consequently your cells become insulin resistant so that glucose stays in your blood. The result is elevated glucose, as illustrated in research that shows a link between perceived work-related stress and increased levels of circulating glucose.

While an intense episode of stress is apt to cause this reaction, long-term stress is also problematic, says Kobasic. Chronic stress may lead to prolonged insulin resistance, because your body is constantly coping with elevated levels of cortisol. Taking steps to better manage stress can greatly benefit metabolic health.

Research has shown that people who participated in 20 sessions of diaphragmatic breathing had significant reductions in their cortisol levels—which, in turn, helps lower blood glucose levels.

Prioritize your psychological well-being and take steps to manage stress. For example, diaphragmatic breathing exercises can be helpful in managing stress and its metabolic effects.

One study of people with Type 2 diabetes showed that a daily minute practice of diaphragmatic breathing led to reductions in fasting blood glucose and post-meal glucose levels in 9 weeks. Research shows that sleep quantity and quality are vital for optimal metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and glucose variability.

One study on healthy young men offers a compelling glimpse at this connection: After five nights of sleep deprivation —four hours of sleep per night—study participants exhibited metabolic profiles that resembled people with Type 2 diabetes.

There is also a large body of evidence that connects sleep loss and poor sleep to the development of obesity and diabetes. Although the exact mechanisms are still being teased out , changes in hormone secretion likely play a major role. Higher levels of these hormones precipitates a rise in blood glucose.

When you sleep, your body also produces balanced amounts of ghrelin and leptin , two hormones that impact appetite and satiety. That can indirectly lead to higher glucose levels by prompting you to overeat. And research has shown that people who are sleep-deprived often crave sweets and starches.

Lack of sleep has also been tied to increased inflammation. Additionally, research has shown that lack of sleep increases levels of C-reactive protein , an inflammatory marker in the blood. Other studies have found that sleep deprivation also decreases daytime secretion and normal cycles of IL-6 , as well as tumor necrosis factor-alpha TNF-a , which are inflammatory substances.

What You Can Do: Prioritize getting enough quality sleep. How much sleep you need is individual, but research indicates seven to eight hours is optimal for metabolic health. The risk of diabetes increases sharply for every hour lost below seven.

The risk also increases above eight hours on average. Alex Moskov. While the factors above, especially diet and exercise, have the greatest impact on your blood sugar levels, many other levers also affect it—and early research sheds light on their importance.

The most significant of them include:. But micro nutrients—which your body needs in smaller amounts—also impact how your body handles glucose. Several different micronutrients have been linked to better metabolic health. One is magnesium , which may affect glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity through a process called autophosphorylation : Magnesium enables phosphorus, another mineral, to attach to an insulin receptor and turn it on, which improves insulin sensitivity.

Magnesium also seems to help glucose transporter proteins move sugar out of the bloodstream and into the cells. Several other minerals , including selenium an antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation and vitamin B6 which is involved in numerous cellular reactions that regulate glucose metabolism also have the potential to impact glucose levels.

What You Can Do: Base your diet on whole foods or minimally processed foods. Avoid ultraprocessed foods as those are notoriously devoid of micronutrients, and use supplements and vitamins if needed.

The full landscape of micronutrients—and the health benefits they offer—is very broad. Learn more about what to look for in our comprehensive guide.

Kaitlin Sullivan. Another way micronutrients might impact glucose levels is by altering your gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome refers to all the microbes bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in your intestinal tract.

This includes bad bugs that have the potential to make you sick as well as health-promoting ones. The balance and composition of your microbiome is extremely important.

This article will explain 12 strategies that have been shown in research to positively impact glucose levels. Your best bet is to always aim for a diet of real, whole foods, get plenty of sleep , exercise regularly, and minimize stress. Top of the list to eliminate? Added sugars of any kind , refined grains i.

These added sugars can be in obvious foods like soda and candy bars but can also be in less obvious foods like ketchup, salad dressing, and pasta sauces. Naturally occurring sugars in their whole food form, like sugars in fresh fruit, are generally going to have less of an effect on glucose levels, as they will be surrounded by unprocessed fibers and other nutrients, making them slower to be digested.

Generally speaking, any food in its unrefined form will cause less of a glucose spike. In studies that have compared eating the same caloric amount of whole grains least processed , coarse flour more processed , and fine flour most processed , they have found a linear increase in glucose and insulin elevation as the grain becomes more processed.

If you want to get your glucose to a more optimal level , stick to unrefined whole foods known to cause minimal glucose spikes in the average person. These include whole food forms of beans, tofu, chickpeas, green leafy vegetables spinach, lettuce, collards , kale, chard , eggs , blueberries, blackberries, garlic, onions, mushrooms , zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, peppers, avocados, fish, lean red meat, chicken, oils, olives, chia seeds , and apple cider vinegar.

Additionally, it is thought that the phytochemicals and antioxidants that exist in unrefined versions of plant foods can enhance the cellular processes that lead to optimal glucose regulation, particularly polyphenols. Bottom line: Consuming unrefined, low glycemic foods will likely lead to lower glucose spikes and improved metabolic health over time.

CGM allows you to see exactly how a particular food and portion size affects your glucose response. Vegetables and low glycemic fruits also contain polyphenols, which may improve glucose regulation, and can be helpful to include.

Kaitlin Sullivan. Exercise of pretty much any form including mild aerobic activity, moderate aerobic activity , high-intensity interval training, and resistance training improves metabolic fitness and glucose control.

Similarly, high-intensity training actually improves both fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity in as little as two weeks. It is also important to optimize the timing of exercise for glucose control. Long story short: short bursts of activity multiple times per day lowers glucose more than one big chunk of exercise once a day.

How so? One study compared 3 exercise regimens that all added up to 60 minutes of exercise per day:. It was found that the short but regular bursts of exercise done by group 3 were most effective in reducing post-meal glucose spikes. Some of us on the Levels team opt for being active in short bursts throughout the day to keep glucose down, rather than doing one big chunk of exercise before or after a meal.

The same effects hold for walking. Another study compared two walking regimens, both of which added up to 30 minutes per day. The two groups consisted of:. This study showed that the frequent, short walks in scenario 2 were significantly more effective at reducing post-meal glucose peaks and insulin levels than a single long period of walking, despite both groups doing the same number of total walking minutes per day.

Bottom line: Exercise of any type helps with glucose control and metabolic fitness. Short, frequent bursts of exercise seem to be more effective than longer isolated chunks of exercise. Try to be active throughout the day! Jennifer Chesak.

Sleep is absolutely critical to glucose regulation and metabolic fitness. Restricting sleep to 4 hours per night for just 5 days has been shown to significantly decrease glycemic control and metabolic fitness.

In fact, partial sleep deprivation generates metabolic responses in otherwise healthy individuals that appear to be similar to people with clinically impaired glucose tolerance. Just a short stint of sleep deprivation can send the body into pathologic metabolic states.

Luckily, this may be reversible in as little as 2 days by improving sleep duration. Bottom line: You need good sleep hours per night for most adults to have proper glucose regulation. No matter how good a diet is, sleep still plays a key role in metabolic function.

Alex Moskov. Stress raises glucose levels, and if we want optimal metabolic fitness , we have to take ownership of managing the stress in our lives. Studies have shown a significant correlation between perceived work-related stress and increased levels of circulating glucose. Fortunately, stress management techniques can be effective at reducing glucose levels.

In a study of insulin-resistant individuals patients with type 2 diabetes , those who engaged in a program of 20 minutes of daily diaphragmatic breathing exercises showed reduced fasting blood glucose and post-meal glucose levels at the 9th week of the study as compared to those who did not do the breathing intervention.

Additionally, 6 months of twice-weekly meditation practice in individuals with heart disease has been shown to result in a significant decrease in fasting blood sugar, post-meal blood sugar, and hemoglobin a1c.

Bottom line: Stress of any kind can negatively impact glucose levels. In many forms, self-care, including meditation and deep breathing, can promote improved glycemic control and metabolic fitness.

The Levels Team. In insulin-resistant individuals, high amounts of fiber are associated with lower post-meal glucose levels, insulin levels, and lower glycemic variability glycemic variability refers to up-and-down swings in glucose.

In a study of 18 individuals, those who ate ~51 grams of fiber per day had better glucose-related metrics than those who had an identical amount of calories per day, but only ~15 grams of fiber. Other fiber sources include seeds flax , chia , others , all types of beans, and nuts.

Bottom line: High fiber diets appear to improve glycemic control in diabetic individuals. To get ~50 grams of fiber per day requires making an effort to include fiber sources including beans, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, or whole grains at every meal.

In one study , consumption of 23 grams of protein and 17 grams of fat minutes before carbohydrate ingestion significantly decreased post-meal glucose elevation in nondiabetic individuals and those with insulin resistance. Similarly, eating fat alone in conjunction with a carbohydrate load will decrease the post-meal glucose spike.

Research shows that eating 3 ounces of almonds with a meal of white bread leads to significantly lower post-meal glucose spikes than when white bread is eaten alone.

Similar trends were seen when participants were served 1 and 2 ounces of almonds, but the biggest effects were seen with 3 ounces of almonds ~40g of fat. Saturated fats include fatty cuts of beef, pork, lamb, dark chicken meat, poultry skin, dairy foods milk, butter, cheese , tropical oils like coconut and palm, and margarine.

To optimize insulin sensitivity, emphasizing unsaturated fats like nuts, seeds, olives, olive oil, avocado, fish, soybeans, and tofu appears to be a better bet. Bottom line: Try not to overdo it on saturated fat, as it seems to be associated with lower insulin sensitivity.

Favoring unsaturated fats is likely better for metabolic function. Intermittent fasting means restricting food intake for longer periods of time, usually for 24 hours or more.

A recent small case report in three individuals with type 2 diabetes showed intermittent fasting could meaningfully reverse diabetes in as little as 7 months. These participants did hour fasts, times per week. What does this look like in practice? All 3 participants could regain enough insulin sensitivity to get off their high doses of insulin medication within 3 weeks of starting their fasting regiments.

One participant, who initially was taking 80 units of insulin daily, discontinued all insulin injections after just 5 days of fasting! Intermittent fasting is thought to increase the expression of genes, hormonal pathways, and cellular physiology that improve metabolic fitness and insulin sensitivity.

Bottom line: Twenty-four-hour fasts can improve insulin sensitivity. For practical purposes, this means eating breakfast one morning and then not eating calories again until the next morning. Jessica Migala. One study in overweight, non-diabetic people showed that even engaging in time-restricted feeding for just 4 days can significantly lower fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and mean glucose levels.

At the end of 4 days, the time-restricted feeding intervention led to significantly lower fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and mean glucose. Simply keep in mind to add protein, fats and fibre as well. If you want to have a smoothie, add some protein to it, for example, in the form of protein powder.

Add your fats in the form of coconut oil, MCT oil, or even better: Funky Fat Chocs which contain cacao mass, cacao butter, and MCTs. Add some greens such as spinach or avocado. And last, for something sweet, add some berries which have a higher content of fibre than other fruits.

On a molecular level, there is no difference between table sugar and honey. You may be wondering about sweeteners, we do have a full article on this here , however, just to recall, the best sweeteners that cause no side effects on glucose and insulin levels are:.

As mentioned in hack 1, eat your foods in order. If there is a base of fibre to help digest and slow down the breakdown and absorption of glucose molecules, the better.

After eating our body goes into the postprandial state, which is when our bodies are working on digesting, sorting, and storing molecules from the food we just ate.

This usually lasts 4 hours. It is then that insulin levels, oxidative stress, and inflammation increase. Vinegar has been proved to flatten glucose and insulin spikes by just taking 1 tbsp of vinegar in a tall glass of water a few minutes before eating something sweet, before meals, or in the early morning.

Putting it in simple words, the more you use the muscles , the more energy they need, and the more energy they need, the more glucose they need. Got it? Got it. The fewer carbs go into your body, the less will be turned into glucose. The fewer glucose spikes the fewer dips, so less hunger less often.

Last, but not least, the order! Have snacks high in healthy fats and protein. Following these hacks are a great way to ensure you stay healthy for longer, help improve your metabolic flexibility, allows you to enjoy the foods you love without affecting your glucose spikes, and provide better mental clarity.

Keto Coconut Macaroons Dipped in Chocolate. Your cart is empty Continue shopping. Clear Close. Health How to Optimize Blood Sugar Levels. Research has shown that elevated blood sugar is linked to several diseases. Stabilizing blood sugar levels is important in the short run but also, in the long run.

In the short run, it will help with hormonal health , fat loss, stabilise energy levels, and more. What is blood sugar? How and why measure blood sugar? Exercise regularly Exercise is one of the best tools to have good health in general. Manage your carb intake As you might know by now, your carb intake strongly influences your blood sugar levels.

You can find fibre in fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Get quality sleep and manage your stress levels Stress and sleep can make a huge difference in our overall health.

And we summarize them here: 1. Add a green starter to all your meals Bring the fiber and fats back! All sugars are the same On a molecular level, there is no difference between table sugar and honey.

Pick dessert over a sweet snack As mentioned in hack 1, eat your foods in order. Reach for vinegar before you eat Vinegar has been proved to flatten glucose and insulin spikes by just taking 1 tbsp of vinegar in a tall glass of water a few minutes before eating something sweet, before meals, or in the early morning.

After you eat, move Putting it in simple words, the more you use the muscles , the more energy they need, and the more energy they need, the more glucose they need. If you have to snack, go savoury The fewer carbs go into your body, the less will be turned into glucose.

Examples: Nut butter, a spoonful sounds about right High-fat yoghurt such as Greek Nuts on their own macadamia, almonds, pistachios Hard-boiled egg with avocado mayo Funky Fat Chocs SUMMARY Following these hacks are a great way to ensure you stay healthy for longer, help improve your metabolic flexibility, allows you to enjoy the foods you love without affecting your glucose spikes, and provide better mental clarity.

Share Share. Reading next Keto Coconut Macaroons Dipped in Chocolate. Leave a comment All comments are moderated before being published.

You can also talk with your coach about ways you can "time" your food intake. For example, you may want to discuss intermittent fasting when you eat only during certain blocks of time and then fast during others.

You fast for 16 hours and then eat for 8 hours during that day. You can decide on your eating window - it may be 10 a. or noon to 8 p. You still have to choose healthy foods.

A healthy diet includes staying away from added sugars. This includes most packaged snacks, frozen meals, cereals, soda or soft drinks, and condiments e. ketchup, jelly, and jam. The difference with naturally-occurring sugars e. fresh fruit is that those foods also have nutrients, like vitamins and minerals, and unprocessed fiber.

Having healthy fat, protein, and fiber with carbohydrates helps prevent blood sugar spikes. Beans, nuts, seeds, and vegetables are good choices to have with carbohydrates.

For example, you might have raw nuts or cottage cheese with a serving of fruit. Or avocado and quinoa salad. When you are in the mood for dessert, fresh whole fruit is the most nutritious option.

Even though the sugar is natural, it still can cause blood sugar spikes. So, have the fruit with some type of fat, protein, or fiber. For example, have yogurt, cheese, raw nuts, unsweetened nut butters, chia seeds, flax seeds, olives, avocado, or unsweetened protein powder with your fruit.

Watch out for high-sugar fruits like bananas, grapes, mangoes, and pineapple. Avocado, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Garlic, Green leafy vegetables e. spinach, lettuce, collard greens, kale, Swiss chard , Mushrooms, Olives, Onion, Peppers, Zucchini, Blackberries, Blueberries.

Eat more prebiotic and probiotic foods. They help to control blood sugar levels. Foods with prebiotics : Artichokes, Blueberries, Cabbage, Cocoa, Flaxseed, Garlic, Leeks, Onions. Foods with probiotics : Apple cider vinegar, Cottage cheese, Kefir fermented milk , Kimchi fermented vegetables , Kombucha fermented tea - watch for added sugars , Miso fermented soybeans , Pickles made with salt, not vinegar , Sauerkraut, Tofu.

There is some evidence that vinegar in the diet white, apple cider, balsamic, rice, etc. can help regulate blood sugar. It may also increase the feeling of fullness satiety. You might add more vinegar to your diet. For example, start a meal with salad and a vinegar-based dressing or drizzle vinegar over steamed or roasted vegetables.

A key to healthy eating is preparing simple meals with whole food ingredients fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, meat, fish, and whole grains. They are unlikely to cause blood sugar spikes or high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.

The beauty of striving for improved metabolic health is that it is in our control. Where we fall along the spectrum of metabolic health has largely to do with our dietary and lifestyle choices and is dependent on making consistent, well-informed decisions. This article will explain 12 strategies that have been shown in research to positively impact glucose levels.

Your best bet is to always aim for a diet of real, whole foods, get plenty of sleep , exercise regularly, and minimize stress. Top of the list to eliminate? Added sugars of any kind , refined grains i. These added sugars can be in obvious foods like soda and candy bars but can also be in less obvious foods like ketchup, salad dressing, and pasta sauces.

Naturally occurring sugars in their whole food form, like sugars in fresh fruit, are generally going to have less of an effect on glucose levels, as they will be surrounded by unprocessed fibers and other nutrients, making them slower to be digested.

Generally speaking, any food in its unrefined form will cause less of a glucose spike. In studies that have compared eating the same caloric amount of whole grains least processed , coarse flour more processed , and fine flour most processed , they have found a linear increase in glucose and insulin elevation as the grain becomes more processed.

If you want to get your glucose to a more optimal level , stick to unrefined whole foods known to cause minimal glucose spikes in the average person. These include whole food forms of beans, tofu, chickpeas, green leafy vegetables spinach, lettuce, collards , kale, chard , eggs , blueberries, blackberries, garlic, onions, mushrooms , zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, peppers, avocados, fish, lean red meat, chicken, oils, olives, chia seeds , and apple cider vinegar.

Additionally, it is thought that the phytochemicals and antioxidants that exist in unrefined versions of plant foods can enhance the cellular processes that lead to optimal glucose regulation, particularly polyphenols. Bottom line: Consuming unrefined, low glycemic foods will likely lead to lower glucose spikes and improved metabolic health over time.

CGM allows you to see exactly how a particular food and portion size affects your glucose response. Vegetables and low glycemic fruits also contain polyphenols, which may improve glucose regulation, and can be helpful to include.

Kaitlin Sullivan. Exercise of pretty much any form including mild aerobic activity, moderate aerobic activity , high-intensity interval training, and resistance training improves metabolic fitness and glucose control.

Similarly, high-intensity training actually improves both fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity in as little as two weeks. It is also important to optimize the timing of exercise for glucose control.

Long story short: short bursts of activity multiple times per day lowers glucose more than one big chunk of exercise once a day. How so? One study compared 3 exercise regimens that all added up to 60 minutes of exercise per day:. It was found that the short but regular bursts of exercise done by group 3 were most effective in reducing post-meal glucose spikes.

Some of us on the Levels team opt for being active in short bursts throughout the day to keep glucose down, rather than doing one big chunk of exercise before or after a meal.

The same effects hold for walking. Another study compared two walking regimens, both of which added up to 30 minutes per day. The two groups consisted of:. This study showed that the frequent, short walks in scenario 2 were significantly more effective at reducing post-meal glucose peaks and insulin levels than a single long period of walking, despite both groups doing the same number of total walking minutes per day.

Bottom line: Exercise of any type helps with glucose control and metabolic fitness. Short, frequent bursts of exercise seem to be more effective than longer isolated chunks of exercise.

Try to be active throughout the day! Jennifer Chesak. Sleep is absolutely critical to glucose regulation and metabolic fitness. Restricting sleep to 4 hours per night for just 5 days has been shown to significantly decrease glycemic control and metabolic fitness.

In fact, partial sleep deprivation generates metabolic responses in otherwise healthy individuals that appear to be similar to people with clinically impaired glucose tolerance.

Just a short stint of sleep deprivation can send the body into pathologic metabolic states. Luckily, this may be reversible in as little as 2 days by improving sleep duration. Bottom line: You need good sleep hours per night for most adults to have proper glucose regulation. No matter how good a diet is, sleep still plays a key role in metabolic function.

Alex Moskov. Stress raises glucose levels, and if we want optimal metabolic fitness , we have to take ownership of managing the stress in our lives. Studies have shown a significant correlation between perceived work-related stress and increased levels of circulating glucose.

Fortunately, stress management techniques can be effective at reducing glucose levels. In a study of insulin-resistant individuals patients with type 2 diabetes , those who engaged in a program of 20 minutes of daily diaphragmatic breathing exercises showed reduced fasting blood glucose and post-meal glucose levels at the 9th week of the study as compared to those who did not do the breathing intervention.

Additionally, 6 months of twice-weekly meditation practice in individuals with heart disease has been shown to result in a significant decrease in fasting blood sugar, post-meal blood sugar, and hemoglobin a1c. Bottom line: Stress of any kind can negatively impact glucose levels.

In many forms, self-care, including meditation and deep breathing, can promote improved glycemic control and metabolic fitness. The Levels Team. In insulin-resistant individuals, high amounts of fiber are associated with lower post-meal glucose levels, insulin levels, and lower glycemic variability glycemic variability refers to up-and-down swings in glucose.

In a study of 18 individuals, those who ate ~51 grams of fiber per day had better glucose-related metrics than those who had an identical amount of calories per day, but only ~15 grams of fiber. Other fiber sources include seeds flax , chia , others , all types of beans, and nuts. Bottom line: High fiber diets appear to improve glycemic control in diabetic individuals.

To get ~50 grams of fiber per day requires making an effort to include fiber sources including beans, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, or whole grains at every meal.

In one study , consumption of 23 grams of protein and 17 grams of fat minutes before carbohydrate ingestion significantly decreased post-meal glucose elevation in nondiabetic individuals and those with insulin resistance. Similarly, eating fat alone in conjunction with a carbohydrate load will decrease the post-meal glucose spike.

Research shows that eating 3 ounces of almonds with a meal of white bread leads to significantly lower post-meal glucose spikes than when white bread is eaten alone.

Similar trends were seen when participants were served 1 and 2 ounces of almonds, but the biggest effects were seen with 3 ounces of almonds ~40g of fat.

Saturated fats include fatty cuts of beef, pork, lamb, dark chicken meat, poultry skin, dairy foods milk, butter, cheese , tropical oils like coconut and palm, and margarine.

To optimize insulin sensitivity, emphasizing unsaturated fats like nuts, seeds, olives, olive oil, avocado, fish, soybeans, and tofu appears to be a better bet. Bottom line: Try not to overdo it on saturated fat, as it seems to be associated with lower insulin sensitivity. Favoring unsaturated fats is likely better for metabolic function.

Intermittent fasting means restricting food intake for longer periods of time, usually for 24 hours or more. A recent small case report in three individuals with type 2 diabetes showed intermittent fasting could meaningfully reverse diabetes in as little as 7 months.

These participants did hour fasts, times per week. What does this look like in practice? All 3 participants could regain enough insulin sensitivity to get off their high doses of insulin medication within 3 weeks of starting their fasting regiments.

One participant, who initially was taking 80 units of insulin daily, discontinued all insulin injections after just 5 days of fasting!

Intermittent fasting is thought to increase the expression of genes, hormonal pathways, and cellular physiology that improve metabolic fitness and insulin sensitivity. Bottom line: Twenty-four-hour fasts can improve insulin sensitivity. For practical purposes, this means eating breakfast one morning and then not eating calories again until the next morning.

Jessica Migala.