You're eating well... but in the wrong order (and that triggers your glucose)

Sometimes we think that to improve our glucose we need huge changes, impossible diets or eliminating foods we like.But there is something much simpler that can make a big difference: the order in which we eat.

Yes, the order.

There are more and more studies that show that not only what we eat matters, but also how we structure the plate.The so-called “food sequence” can help prevent insulin resistance, a metabolic problem that is behind prediabetes and many type 2 diabetes.

Insulin resistance occurs when our cells stop responding well to this hormone.The body then needs to produce more and more insulin to keep glucose at bay.Over time, this takes its toll.And this is where small adjustments can have a real impact on our health.

The evidence points to something very clear: start the meal with fiber, continue with proteins and healthy fats, and leave carbohydrates for last.

When we start with non-floury vegetables such as salad, broccoli or legumes, fiber acts as a kind of “barrier” that slows down the absorption of the sugars that come later.If we later add proteins such as chicken, fish, eggs or lean meats, along with healthy fats such as olive oil or avocado, we help gastric emptying to be slower and glucose to rise more stably.

In comparative studies, people who started with white rice had much higher glucose and insulin spikes than those who started with vegetables or protein.The same dish, different order... and a different metabolic result.

For those of us who live with diabetes or are at risk, this is a very powerful tool.We are not talking about prohibiting, but about reorganizing.It's not removing, it's changing the sequence.It is a practical strategy that we can apply today at home, at work or when we go out to eat.

In addition, the order also influences satiety and weight control, another key factor in improving insulin sensitivity.And let's not forget something important: regularity in schedules and portion sizes also count.Skipping meals or eating chaotically tends to destabilize our glucose much more.

As always, each person is different and if you have diabetes or a metabolic history it is essential to discuss any changes with your medical team.But sharing these types of strategies in the community helps us all make more conscious decisions.

Have you tried changing the order of the foods on your plate?Have you noticed fewer spikes after meals?

I encourage you to tell it in the forum.Together we build real knowledge, based on experience and science.Because living with diabetes is not just about counting carbohydrates: it is understanding how our body works and supporting ourselves to do it a little better every day.

Hello @fer,

As you mention, I believe that the order in which we consume food affects the speed at which glucose enters the bloodstream.By first taking foods with fiber, proteins, and fats, we will slow down digestion and glucose will enter the blood more gradually, thereby attenuating glucose peaks.

I think this strategy makes more sense for healthy people, with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, or even at the beginning of LADA (before insulinization).Before starting insulin, I ate meals in this order to avoid peaks and to give the little insulin I produced a chance to process glucose more easily.

When we are injecting rapid insulin we have to balance the times, and perhaps it is not worth delaying digestion excessively since if the insulin starts to act we will end up with hypoglycemia.I use FIASP and generally after 20 minutes it begins to act quite intensely, so if I delay the intake of carbohydrates for too long I will have to take dextrose to correct it.

Using the order of foods in this way can be useful when we start from a high glucose level or if for some reason we cannot wait long enough for the insulin to start acting.We can also do it on those days when the insulin, instead of acting in the time to which we are accustomed, for whatever reason, takes longer.

This topic is very interesting @fer

In my experience when I started with diabetes and occasionally tried to have something special for dinner like a piece of pizza, there was no insulin capable of controlling the blood sugar spike.After a few months avoiding pizza, I tried eating first a plate of salad and then pizza (with the corresponding dose of fast), and with this method I get almost flat curves.

I am aware that no one dies from not eating pizza and at the same time that when you feel like pizza you don't feel like salad, but for an occasion from time to time this has worked for me.So it's clear that eating fiber before carbs helps flatten the curve.

How good to read@theOne and @pva91, mWhat you say seems super important.

The order of food is not a “magic rule” that works the same for everyone.In people with insulin resistance or in the initial stages it can be a very powerful tool.In those of us who use rapid, as you say @theOne, the action times, the type of insulin (FIASP is not the same as others), the prebolus, the previous glucose level come into play... and there the strategy changes.

And what @pva91 shares is gold: it's not about banning pizza, but about understanding how to make that moment more compatible with our glucose.If a simple plate of salad beforehand can help you have an almost flat curve, that is not a “restrictive diet”, it is applied knowledge.It is informed freedom.

In the end, that's what living with diabetes is about: trying, observing, adjusting and sharing.What works for one may give a clue to another.And even though we have pumps, sensors and algorithms, we continue to learn every day how our body responds.

That's why I encourage you to continue telling your experiences, even the ones that don't turn out "perfect."Every contribution adds up.

Greetings,

In relation to this topic, someone in the forum suggested the book "The Glucose Revolution" by Jessie Inchauspe, in this book it clearly tells you the order in which you should eat foods to keep your blood glucose low and why, in addition to other very useful advice. I have read it and I recommend it.