▶ Consume dietary fiber, protein, or fat first, and carbohydrates such as rice, bread, pasta, etc. last.
▶ It’s easy to improve blood sugar levels… Affects satiety
Scientists have discovered that it’s not the types of foods we eat that affect our health and metabolism, but the order in which we eat them. A growing number of studies have shown that eating fiber-rich vegetables, proteins or fats first and refined carbohydrates such as rice, bread or pasta at the end of a meal improves blood sugar levels and levels of hormones that promote satiety and fullness. rises. Some preliminary research suggests it may also help with weight loss.
This strategy, known as food sequencing or meal sequencing, runs counter to the way people commonly eat. It is better to eat foods that are high in carbohydrates and low in fiber, such as bread or chips, at the end of a meal rather than from the beginning.
Recent research on food sequencing has been small but rigorous. Researchers found that if you start your meal with protein, fat, or fiber-rich vegetables instead of carbohydrates, which spike blood sugar levels, the digestive process tends to slow down. This is because it reduces the speed at which food leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine, that is, the gastric emptying process, making you feel fuller longer.
“We’re not asking people to fast, skip meals or avoid certain foods, but just eat low-glycemic foods at the beginning of a meal and eat the rest at the end,” said Domenico Trico, an assistant professor who studies nutrition and diabetes at the University of Pisa in Italy. explained.
■Change in thinking about food and health
The study shows a growing shift in the way nutrition researchers think about how food affects health. Researchers are discovering that, in addition to nutrients and calories, what is important in food is a variety of factors, including the degree of food processing, time of consumption, and exact method of consumption.
Studies have shown that eating vegetables first secretes more GLP-1, a satiety hormone secreted in the intestines in response to a meal. (GLP-1 is the same hormone mimicked by the popular weight loss and diabetes medications WeGobee and Ozempic). Some studies have shown that this strategy may also help prevent large, sustained increases in blood sugar levels after a meal.
Researchers found that starting each meal with vegetables or protein may be especially helpful in improving blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes.
In a Japanese study on rice as a staple food, researchers found that patients with type 2 diabetes who were instructed to eat vegetables before carbohydrates at each meal for two years had better long-term blood sugar control than a control group.
In another study, endocrinologist Daisuke Yabe looked at what happened when healthy adults and patients with type 2 diabetes were fed meals consisting of white rice, fish, and meat in different orders. He found that people had higher levels of satiety hormones and fewer spikes in blood sugar levels. People also found that when they ate fish or meat first and rice last, their digestion rate was significantly slower than when they ate rice first.
“It is a very surprising result that GLP-1 secretion increases when eating the same foods but changing the order of meals,” said Yabe, professor and chair of the Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan.
“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to dieting,” says Trico, a researcher at the University of Pisa, but studies have shown that the order in which you eat your foods can have a surprising impact on blood sugar and hormone levels. He highly recommends this method to patients suffering from diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic diseases. This is because it is relatively easy to follow and there is no need to fundamentally change the food you eat.
How to follow a food sequencing strategy
Nutrition experts advise that you shouldn’t stick to this strategy for every meal. Because eating food you like is an important part of life. However, if you routinely consume high-glycemic foods (refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, and sweets), a way to mitigate the impact on your metabolic health is to incorporate some elements of a food sequencing strategy and try to reduce refined carbohydrates. .
▲Eat nuts first. Before eating a bagel or muffin for breakfast, consider eating a handful of almonds, which are packed with fiber and healthy fats. One study found that people who consumed about 20 grams (less than a handful) of almonds before each meal for 16 weeks had a significant reduction in body fat, including visceral fat that surrounds internal organs, compared to a control group. Another study found that eating about 12 almonds as an ‘appetizer’ or ‘preload’ before a meal improved blood sugar response in people with pre-diabetes.
▲Start with a salad drizzled with olive oil. If you eat something high in carbohydrates (pasta or white bread turkey sandwich) for lunch or dinner, fill yourself up with a salad beforehand. Salads contain heart-healthy fats and fiber, which slow digestion, improve blood sugar levels, and promote satiety. “You eat less pasta because you feel less hungry,” Trico said.
▲Eat vegetables and protein first. In a small study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that eating chicken, vegetables, and white rice in that order had higher levels of satiety hormones and caused smaller, more gradual rises in blood sugar than when eating them mixed or in a different order.
▲Limit intake of high-glycemic foods. That doesn’t mean you should never eat french fries, white bread, chips or mashed potatoes, says Mario Kratz, a former clinical researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and founder of Nourished by Science, a website that promotes chronic disease prevention. said. But ideally, these foods should not be included in your daily diet.
▲Do not eat simple carbohydrates (naked carbs). This means eating only carbohydrates with little or no fat, protein or fiber. Examples include toast with jam, a plate of crackers or tortilla chips, or a bowl of sweet cereal with non-fat milk. Because these foods are quickly absorbed and digested, they can cause blood sugar to spike and plummet, creating a vicious cycle of hunger and cravings, so it’s ideal to eat them with healthy fats, protein, and fiber. For example, spread peanut butter on toast, eat crackers with cheese and almonds, or dip chips in guacamole.
By Anahad O’Connor>
2023-10-09 15:49:59
#order #eat #food #important.. #Eat #vegetables #mealtime
