Blood sugar is one of my favorite topics. Why? It’s super important for hormone health and pretty simple to keep in check. In fact, not only will this help with PCOS and fertility, it can help you prevent Type II Diabetes (or manage it better if you already have it) and it can help you avoid unnecessary weight gain. These are my top 4 ways to start working on it.

1. Add protein, fat and/or fiber to your carbs – When you eat a bunch of carbs like, let’s say, a piece of toast, chips or tortillas, be sure to add in some fiber, protein or fat and you’ll lower the glycemic load, slowing the digestion of the foods and ultimately preventing a blood sugar spike. That means adding things like nut butters, tahini, fish, eggs, cheese, beans, hummus, tofu, dressing, nuts or seeds can help keep your blood sugar in check. This is particularly important if you have PCOS, type II Diabetes or other insulin resistance.
2. Favor whole grains over refined grains – The good news is nature did this for us by packaging whole grains with fiber, fat and protein along with beneficial B vitamins, antioxidants and minerals! When you eat a refined grain, the bran and the germ have been pulled out, so you mostly just get starch – hence the need to add your own, but if you’re eating a whole grain, it’s all built in!
3. Change Out Sugary Beverages – While I definitely believe in an “all foods fit” model, there are a few things we want to limit and/or replace if we want to keep our blood sugar in check. Lame, I know! but I find that once you start limiting sugary beverages, your taste buds actually change and you no longer crave these things! How do you do this? Favor whole fruits over juice – juice removes the healthy fiber and other nutrients from the fruit, leaving you mostly with sugar and water. Replace sugary beverages like soda and energy drinks with bubbly water, infused water, diluted juice (1 part juice to 3 parts water), coconut water, kombucha or other low sugar beverages, and try limiting the sugar you add to your daily coffee drinks in favor of the natural sugar in cow milk or just the added sugar in your plant milks. Try adding spices like cinnamon and nutmeg instead to get those cozy winter flavors without the sugar spike.Looking for the satisfaction of a frothy blended Frappucinno? Try blending a banana with cocoa powder, vanilla, milk and espresso.
4. ️Be aware of how much added sugar is in the foods you eat – Note that 4 grams = 1 tsp of sugar, and try to limit added sugar to 2-3 tsp per meal/serving of a food. If you’re eating something with a bunch of added sugar, try to get in some protein and/or healthy fats. Note that foods like yogurt, protein bars, cereal and granola and
5. Consider limiting fake sugar, too – Why? They are much sweeter than actual sugar, keeping your taste buds used to super sweet things and hindering your ability to change your tastes. Plus, there’s some research that suggests these actually increase hunger are are associated with weight gain.

Need some help making this work for you? Book a free nutrition chat, so we can make a game plan for you here.