Eating Notes from a Glucose Hacker
Or How Wearing a CGM Has Changed my Eating Habits for the Better
Last week I wrote in this space about how I’ve been using a continuous glucose monitor to see how different foods affect my blood sugar levels. Today I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned about glucose and metabolism. This is an ongoing adventure, and I know there’s more learning to come, but a few things have really jumped out.
You do not need to eat KETO to impact glucose levels and lose weight. Generally speaking a KETO diet means you are consuming less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. That is not a lot. And truthfully, when you start eliminating carbs it sort of becomes hard to ensure you get enough carbs because if you’re like me and things are easier to manage if they are black or white it can be easier to just say no to all carbs. But that’s a mistake, as the human body needs carbs just like it needs fat and protein. I am trying to find a good niche, a style of eating called “low carb, high fat” which means you try to stay under 100 carbs a day. In fact, from my research it seems the optimal ratio of macros is 12% carbs, 25% protein, and 63% fat. Finding this balance is taking me some time. A few days ago I made the mistake of going for a walk when my glucose levels were already quite low. As a result, my glucose tanked and about halfway into my walk the CGM blasted an alarm letting me know I was in danger. I was struggling just to finish a two-mile walk. Bottom line — you need carbs.
Speaking of walking, even a modest amount of exercise can lower your glucose significantly. One of Jessie Inchauspé’s glucose hacks is to move after eating. Even 10 minutes of walking, or calf raises, immediately lowers your glucose levels. If it were sustainable to walk after every meal my glucose would never spike out of range again. Still, it’s a valuable lesson that if you do fall off the wagon even a bit you can hack your sugars by going for a walk. Have a little too much pasta? Go for a walk after.
I like beer. But alcohol is essentially a sugar, and it has an effect of your blood glucose levels. But I’ve learned in the past two months wearing this CGM that not all beer is alike. For example, a low carb beer like Michelob Ultra has pretty much no effect on my glucose levels even if I drink a few. The same seems to be true for light beers, and even lagers like Modelo or a craft beer like Barrio Blonde. On the other hand, the other day I drank a Joybus Wheat and my sugars shot into the stratosphere. I mean, it makes sense, especially when you realize beer is basically liquid bread. Going forward I will forgo the heavier beers in lieu of a lighter-bodied beer. For me at least, this is a compromise worth making if the alternative is no beer at all.
It took me a while to fully understand that gluten free does not mean carb free. If I eat too much gluten my stomach can get pissed at me, so for a while I was avoiding all wheat products. When you eat gluten free, grains like quinoa and millet, and even corn, don’t contain wheat and therefore don’t mess with my gluten-sensitive gut. But quinoa and other grains are no carb free. Quinoa actually spiked my sugar pretty good, as did brown rice and other “safe” grains. What doesn’t spike my sugars? Cauliflower rice. This is a hard lesson if you want to keep your sugars flat. Grain is bad. Veggie are better. I’m pretty much no longer eating rice or grains as a side dish or in a bowl with veggies and meat on top, one of my staples prior to starting this. At Chipotle now I go with greens, veggies, meat and guac. I tried two corn tortilla tacos over the weekend at a Mexican place and it too spiked my sugar. Does this mean my taco days are over? Is life even worth living without tacos? Well, if I do eat tacos out in the future I’ll stick with two instead of three and ensure there’s plenty of fat (i.e. guac) involved. But it will be followed by a short walk, or preceded by one of Jessie Inchauspé’s other hacks like drinking a vinegar drink or having a veggie starter first.
Anyway, the learning continues. Meanwhile my A1C according to my CGM is below pre-diabetic range for the first time in years and as an added bonus I’m down 11 pounds in two months. If you’d like to try a CGM ask your doctor to prescribe one, or you can buy one without a script at places like Zoe and Levels.