The big pitfall in sugar control that 90% of diabetics fall into
Many friends with high blood sugar and diabetes have been clinging to a wrong logic of sugar control: if blood sugar is high after meals, then eat less or even no staple food!
But reality slapped us hard: starving ourselves to control sugar intake not only makes us feel dizzy and fatigued, but also leaves us prone to hypoglycemia. Postprandial blood sugar still spikes, and it's impossible to stabilize it repeatedly!
Hou Zeling, an endocrinologist from Hainan Chengmei Hospital, stated: The real culprit behind postprandial blood glucose imbalance has never been eating too much of the main course, but rather your bad eating habits! Instead of blindly dieting and starving yourself, changing three small daily eating habits can easily stabilize postprandial blood glucose without having to miss a single meal. It's convenient for lazy people and effective in the long run.
Why is it that the less one eats, the more unstable their blood sugar becomes?
Dr. Hou Zeling explained that the core principle behind postprandial blood sugar spikes is quite simple - carbohydrates are rapidly absorbed by the intestines and stomach, leading to a surge in blood sugar levels in a short period of time.
Deliberately eating less or cutting out staple foods can be particularly harmful: it not only leads to insufficient energy in the body, causing dizziness, fatigue, and hypoglycemia, but also triggers the body's protective mechanism, resulting in rebound hyperglycemia. The more you try to control, the more chaotic it becomes!
Actually, there's no need to go through the hassle of dieting. Simply changing your eating habits can slow down sugar absorption and stabilize insulin secretion. This method is suitable for people with high blood sugar levels, diabetics, and pregnant women with gestational diabetes.
In fact, optimizing daily eating habits can effectively delay sugar absorption and stabilize insulin secretion, thereby addressing postprandial blood glucose fluctuations at their source. This approach is suitable for individuals with diabetes, those in sub-optimal health with high blood sugar levels, and pregnant women with gestational diabetes.
Check yourself, do you often have breakfast consisting solely of staple food, without sufficient amounts of green vegetables and protein, leading to a surge in blood sugar.
Detail 1: For each main meal, the staple food, meat, eggs, fish, and green vegetables are proportionally combined, with none of the three major food categories being dispensable.
For example, a meal consisting of one fistful of staple food, two fistfuls of green vegetables, and one palm-sized portion of lean meat. With this combination, consuming high-fiber green vegetables and protein foods alongside the staple food can lower the glycemic index of the meal, slow down the increase in postprandial blood glucose, and significantly reduce it compared to eating only staple food. Moreover, it makes one less likely to feel hungry, which can lead to hypoglycemia before the next meal.
According to Dr. Hou Zeling, there is no need to blindly reduce the amount of staple food to lower blood sugar levels, nor is it necessary to starve oneself. By proportionally allocating three meals, the blood sugar drop before and after meals can be smaller, resulting in a smoother blood sugar curve.
Many diabetics believe that congee and soft noodles are easy to digest and nourish the intestines and stomach.
Detail 2: The softer and more tender the staple food, the more it raises blood sugar
Dr. Hou Zeling explained: The more tender and finely chopped the ingredients are cooked, the higher the degree of starch gelatinization becomes, and the absorption rate is comparable to that of sugar water, leading to an instant surge in blood sugar!
"Big mistake! These are invisible 'sugar bombs'"
A simple comparison: Congee > soft and tender rice > normal granular rice. Drinking Congee controls sugar, but the more you drink, the higher your blood sugar becomes!
An ultra-practical guide to low-sugar staple foods
Abandon white Congee, rice paste, and mushy noodles, and retain the granular texture in staple foods
Replace plain white rice with a mix of coarse grains: brown rice, oats, red beans, and pearl barley
Eating a combination of coarse and fine foods ensures adequate nutrition, slows down blood sugar increase, and keeps blood sugar levels from spiking even after a full meal
Drinking water while eating or having soup with rice is a harmful habit that 90% of diabetics are unaware of, as it can raise blood sugar levels!
Detail 3: Don't drink soup when eating! Separate wet and dry foods to control sugar intake
Dr. Hou Zeling reminds us that drinking a large amount of water or soup during meals can dilute gastric juice and accelerate gastrointestinal peristalsis, doubling the absorption rate of carbohydrates and causing postprandial blood sugar to skyrocket!
Especially rich and thick soups, as well as soups with thickening agents, contain a large amount of starch, fat, and salt, which can unknowingly lead to excessive calorie intake, putting both blood sugar and blood lipids under pressure.
Dry and wet separation sugar control principle
✨ Physician's summary: Good blood sugar control, no need to starve yourself
Drink water and soup half an hour before meals and an hour after meals
Refuse thick soup and thickened soup, and only drink light and clear soup
Eat with focus, avoid watering down or drinking tea, and slow down the pace of digestion
Expert reminder
True scientific sugar control has never been about starving oneself or going on a diet, but rather about managing details. Blindly eating less staple food can harm metabolism, lead to weight regain, and cause numerous side effects. By adhering to these three small habits: adjusting the order of meals, avoiding soft and mushy staple foods, and maintaining a separation between dry and wet foods, one can stabilize postprandial blood sugar levels, reduce blood sugar fluctuations, avoid complications, and easily achieve long-term home-based sugar control without starving oneself or restricting dietary intake!
Expert Introduction
Hou Zeling, Attending Physician
Medical expertise: Specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and its related complications, as well as thyroid diseases such as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and thyroiditis. Additionally, proficient in the diagnosis and treatment of common endocrine diseases including obesity, gouty arthritis, lipid metabolism disorders, electrolyte metabolism disorders, and primary aldosteronism.