Why Your Breakfast Should Start with a Vegetable

Before the pandemic, Barbara Senich, a retiree from Chapel Hill, N.C., was diagnosed with prediabetes, meaning the sugar levels in her blood put her at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. The source of that blood sugar was sweet foods, grains, and other carbohydrates. She says she thought about them every 30 seconds, leading to constant snacking. Today, she’s cut her cravings and blood sugar partly by changing how she eats. But Senich didn’t ditch the carbs. She changed the order in which she has them. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Researchers have recently found that eating certain foods like non-starchy vegetables before carbs may result in lower, healthier blood sugar, compared to having carbs first. Especially at breakfast, these veggie starters also suppress hormones that cause hunger throughout the day. Carbs aren’t inherently bad. They’re the main energy source for the nervous system and provide fiber that helps with digestion and lowering cholesterol levels. Although carbs are found in some unhealthy foods (think French fries), they’re also plentiful in wholesome options like unprocessed fruits, lentils, and beans that fuel the brain and muscles. With some high-carb foods, though, blood sugar levels, also known as glucose, can climb higher than the ideal range especially if eaten on their own and in excess. If these spikes occur often over the years, our cells stop responding to insulin, the hormone that normally...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Evergreen freelance healthscienceclimate Source Type: news