Eat your veggies first

Your mother is right. And you probably know it. Here is the scientific data for the hows and whys.

‘How you eat’ is as important as ‘what you eat’. The sequence in which you consume food impacts glucose levels in your body. Eating your vegetables first, followed by protein and good fats and eventually finishing it with carbohydrates flattens the glucose spikes and is better for your overall health.

For people with diagnosed medical conditions like diabetes or those on the borderline with a family history of diabetes or hypotension, this sequencing can be important. Moreover, high and prolonged glucose spikes aren’t good for anyone as they are linked to inflammation and inflammation is linked to heart diseases and other internal organ anomalies.

Why eat vegetables first? Because they have fiber.

-Fiber isn’t broken down into glucose by our digestive system

-Fiber reduces the action of alpha-amylase, the enzyme that breaks starch down into glucose.

-It slows down the process of gastric emptying, the process where food passes through the stomach to the intestines where it is broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream.

-It creates a viscous mesh in the small intestine. This mesh makes it harder for glucose to reach the bloodstream.

Second go the protein and fats as they are also slow gastric emptying foods. Last in the sequence of eating go the carbohydrates; if you have followed the correct sequence, you should feel a lot less hungry and consume fewer carbohydrates. Your carbs and sugar burn at a slower rate if you have lined your stomach with fiber first.

Armed with this tip, you can manage how high and long your glucose spikes last. With Orange Health you can now monitor and manage your sugar levels with our Random Blood Sugar, Fasting Blood Sugar or HbA1c (3 months average sugar) tests.

KEY TAKEAWAY

-Eat your salads first

-Include protein at every meal

-Avoid sugary beverages