Understanding Blood Sugar and the Role of Drinks

Maintaining stable blood sugar levels is crucial for overall health, particularly for those managing diabetes or pre-diabetes. When blood sugar spikes occur, it’s important to understand what options are available for quick and safe management. While medication and dietary changes play a central role, certain drinks can offer a helpful boost in lowering blood sugar levels when needed. However, it’s vital to remember that these drinks are supplementary tools and not substitutes for medical advice or prescribed treatments. Understanding how different beverages affect your body is key to making informed choices. Furthermore, consult your healthcare provider before making any major dietary or beverage changes if you have a blood sugar condition. This article explores some of the most beneficial drinks for managing blood sugar, with insights and practical examples to guide you.

Important Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet or treatment plan for blood sugar management.

The Power of Water in Blood Sugar Management

Perhaps the simplest and most effective drink for managing blood sugar levels is water. Dehydration can actually elevate blood sugar by causing your blood to become more concentrated, so proper hydration helps maintain blood volume and therefore promotes healthy glucose concentration. Drinking plenty of water assists your kidneys in flushing out excess sugar through urination. Staying properly hydrated also supports optimal metabolic functions, impacting your body's ability to process glucose efficiently.

Practical Example:

• Start with drinking a glass of water before each meal.
• Keep a water bottle handy and sip throughout the day, especially during workouts or if you feel thirsty.
• Aim to drink between 8 and 10 glasses of water daily, which will depend on your body weight, activity levels, and the climate you're in.

Dehydration Effect	Blood Sugar Impact	Solution
Increased blood concentration	Higher glucose levels	Consistent water intake
Reduced kidney function	Impaired sugar flushing	Adequate hydration

Herbal Teas: A Soothing Approach to Lowering Blood Sugar

Certain herbal teas can play a significant role in supporting blood sugar management. They are generally low in calories and can offer compounds that help improve insulin sensitivity or affect glucose absorption positively. Below are some examples of beneficial herbal teas:

1. Chamomile Tea: Chamomile has been shown to have some blood sugar-lowering properties by potentially affecting the glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme. Its relaxing properties can also help reduce stress, which indirectly can affect blood glucose levels.
2. Cinnamon Tea: While more research is needed, some studies indicate that cinnamon may improve insulin sensitivity and could help to moderate the post-meal rise of glucose. This is why incorporating a cinnamon-infused tea could offer additional benefit to the diet of someone trying to reduce or control their blood glucose.
3. Green Tea: Rich in antioxidants known as catechins, green tea has been linked to various health benefits, including an improved ability to regulate blood glucose. It can also help boost the immune system. Some studies show that it promotes better utilization of insulin as well.
4. Ginger Tea: Beyond being an excellent stomach settler, ginger has been shown to increase insulin production and is associated with better lipid control, a known comorbidity of blood glucose disorders. This tea has also been linked to aiding weight loss.

How to Incorporate Herbal Teas:

• Consume 1-2 cups of herbal tea daily, particularly after meals.
• Make sure your tea is unsweetened.
• Consider using loose-leaf teas to maximize flavor and beneficial compounds.

Herbal Tea	Potential Benefits
Chamomile	Blood sugar management, Stress reduction
Cinnamon	Insulin sensitivity
Green	Glucose regulation, Antioxidants
Ginger	Improved insulin production

The Role of Unsweetened Beverages: Lemon and Apple Cider Vinegar

Besides water and herbal teas, a couple of unsweetened options are available that may be able to assist with regulating blood sugar levels, particularly when used strategically:

1. Lemon Water: Lemon juice is low in sugar and calories and contains vitamin C and antioxidants. While it won't directly lower blood sugar levels, some studies show that it may be able to improve insulin response by changing some of chart for a1c blood sugar levels the insulin secretion behavior. Its natural, zesty flavor is also a refreshing addition to any meal or day.

2. Diluted Apple Cider Vinegar: Several studies suggest that apple cider vinegar (ACV) can improve insulin sensitivity and moderate post-meal blood sugar spikes. However, ACV must be diluted with water to avoid tooth enamel damage and gastric discomfort.

Practical Tips:

• For Lemon Water, squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a glass of water. This may aid digestion and provide added vitamins and minerals.
• For ACV, mix 1-2 teaspoons in a glass of water. Consuming this before meals could be beneficial, but only if the ACV is diluted in water.
• Use both in addition to, not in place of, other dietary or therapeutic measures to control your blood glucose.

Beverage	How It May Help	Considerations
Lemon Water	Insulin Response	Low in sugar and calories
Diluted ACV	Improved insulin sensitivity	Dilute properly to avoid issues

Title 5: What to Avoid: Sugary Drinks That Spike Blood Sugar

It’s equally important to understand what drinks to avoid when trying to manage blood sugar levels. Sugary beverages, in particular, can cause dramatic spikes that can lead to adverse effects. These should ideally be avoided:

1. Soda and Soft Drinks: Loaded with high amounts of refined sugar, these can quickly cause a steep rise in blood glucose. Regular consumption can also increase your risk of insulin resistance.

2. Fruit milk and blood sugar Juices: While they may seem healthier, many commercial fruit juices are high in natural sugars with very little fiber. This combination can trigger blood sugar spikes similarly to soft drinks.

3. Sweetened Teas and Coffee: Many people add sugar, syrups, or flavored creamers to their coffee or tea, increasing both calories and glucose levels dramatically.

4. Energy Drinks: These often contain a high amount of sugar along with stimulants that may also affect your blood glucose control and insulin sensitivity.

Tips for Making Better Choices:

• Opt for unsweetened versions of drinks wherever possible.
• Read nutrition labels carefully to be aware of hidden sugars.
• Develop healthier alternatives to your favorite sugary drinks.

Drinks to Avoid	Impact on Blood Sugar
Soda/Soft Drinks	Rapid rise in glucose
Fruit Juices	Spikes in glucose, lack of fiber
Sweetened Teas/Coffee	Increase blood glucose through sugar and syrups
Energy Drinks	Blood sugar and heart function disturbance

Title 6: Important Final Considerations and Summary

Managing blood sugar levels through beverage consumption requires awareness and mindful choices. Water, herbal teas, lemon water, and diluted apple cider vinegar can be supportive in your strategy for balanced blood sugar. On the flip side, beverages with high sugar content, like soda, fruit juices, and energy drinks should be limited or ideally eliminated.

It is vital to consult a healthcare professional to understand what methods, diet changes and other life strategies you can deploy to effectively manage and stabilize your blood sugar, since everyone's body can respond in various ways. Always consider combining dietary strategies with other measures, such as regular pre diabetes blood sugar range exercise, stress management and prescribed medications. By being proactive, you will be able to enhance your well-being and improve your overall health outcome.

Today we’re talking all about why the most important molecule in your body, glucose, is a double edged sword and how flattening sugar levels in your bloodstream is key to less cravings, improved mood, better weight control and less risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia and depression. My guest is Jessie Inchauspé, (in chow spe) who is on a mission to translate cutting-edge science into easy advice to help people improve their physical and mental health by knowing more about their glucose levels. Jessie holds a degree in mathematics from King's College London, a degree in biochemistry and her first book, Glucose Revolution, she shares her discovery about the essential role of blood sugar and the surprising hacks to optimise it while still eating the foods we love. Today we talk about: The importance of adequate glucose Why blood glucose variability and the velocity of change in your blood glucose is important to know How excess sugar impacts your mitochondria, DNA, inflammation, oxidative stress and glycation levels Why keeping Insulin levels steady is important Glucose flattening hacks How the order of food consumption impacts blood sugar Why curry is good for breakfast Vinegar before meals And how a post dinner walk could be good for sleep and cravings A bit of housekeeping, we discuss normal ranges of glucose in mmol/l as 4.0-7.0 fasted and under 8.0 2 hours after eating. But, your individual target range for your blood sugar levels may be different, especially if you have a metabolic condition and your healthcare team will agree with you what that should be. Do not use this podcast episode or any other material from The Doctor’s Kitchen as a replacement for medical advice. It’s important to remember that glucose isn’t everything. As we say at the end of the pod, just because your glucose level is flat does not necessarily mean that you’re eating the healthiest diet and it should be seen as just one of those many levers that we can use to optimise behaviour change and positively impact our physiology. ________________________________________________________________________ CHAPTERS: Timecodes: 00:00 - Introduction 09:29 - Why is Glucose Important? 10:45 - Glucose Reference Ranges 16:30 - Glucose Spike effects 24:00 - Reducing Glucose in Diets 35:17 - Enjoying Indulgence 39:30 - Vinegar & Movement 48:07 - Pro's and Cons of Glucose Monitors ________________________________________________________________________ FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM Jessie Inchauspe: Instagram - www.instagram.com/glucosegoddess Book - ________________________________________________________________________ EAT WELL EVERYDAY 📱 Download the Doctor's Kitchen app for free here: 🥗 Download a FREE 7 day meal plan: LEARN FROM THE BEST 🎤 Listen to experts on the podcast: 👨🏽‍💻 Browse articles on the website: www.thedoctorskitchen.com MY COOKBOOKS 📚 LET'S BE FRIENDS 📷 Instagram: 📹 Subscribe: 🙋🏽‍♂️ Facebook: 🐦 Twitter: 👔