Tag: nuts and seeds

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Metabolic Health

Our metabolism, which refers to how well we produce energy in the body (among other things), requires proper functioning and cellular biology in order to maintain health. Metabolic health can also be defined as the absence of any of the following markers: elevated fasting blood glucose, high blood pressure, excess waistline measurement, high triglycerides, and low HDL.

As we realize more and more that keeping our blood sugar levels stable can be key to maintaining metabolic health, it becomes important to familiarize ourselves with the foods that do not raise our blood sugar significantly. These low-glycemic foods can still impact some people’s glucose responses to a greater degree, so it is up to you to progressively figure out which foods work best with your biology. What follows is a basic list of foods (vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds), that will help you better control your blood sugar levels.

Vegetables

Root vegetables (even though healthy and better than grains for many) may raise blood sugar slightly more. See how your body responds when eating them.

  • Artichoke
  • Arugula
  • Asparagus
  • Avocado
  • Bok choy
  • Broccoli
  • Broccolini
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Celery root
  • Chard
  • Collards
  • Cucumber
  • Eggplant
  • Endive
  • Fennel
  • Green beans
  • Hearts of palm
  • Jicama
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Leeks
  • Lettuce of all varieties
  • Mushrooms
  • Mustard greens
  • Okra
  • Onion
  • Peppers
  • Pumpkin
  • Radishes
  • Rapini (broccoli raab)
  • Rhubarb
  • Rutabaga
  • Snow peas and snap peas
  • Spinach
  • Sprouts
  • Summer squash
  • Tomatillos
  • Tomato
  • Turnip
  • Turnip greens
  • Zucchini

Fruits

Berries are the ideal low-glycemic fruit. Portion-size matters of course. Also, eating fruits along with nut butters or seeds, for instance, will help lessen the blood-sugar spike from fruits.

  • Blackberries
  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • Coconut
  • Lemon
  • Lime
  • Orange
  • Kiwi

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are awesome snacks providing fat, protein, and micronutrients, whether you are on the go or not.

  • Chia seeds
  • Flaxseeds
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Sesame seeds
  • Almonds
  • Brazil nuts
  • Cashews
  • Hazelnut
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Pine nuts
  • Pecans
  • Pistachios
  • Walnuts

In Summary

If we manage to stabilize our blood sugar levels and keep them in the optimum range throughout our lifetime, this may be the simplest way to maintain health and wellness, have longevity, and feel good all along!

Until next time!

References

The Levels Team. “110 Foods Unlikely to Spike Your Blood Sugar.” Levels, 25 May 2021, http://www.levelshealth.com/blog/here-are-foods-unlikely-to-spike-your-blood-sugar. Accessed 28 Aug. 2021.

“The Secret to Longevity, Reversing Disease and Optimizing Health: Fixing Metabolism with Dr. Casey Means | the Doctor’s Farmacy with Mark Hyman, M.D.” Shows.acast.com, 11 Aug. 2021, shows.acast.com/the-doctors-farmacy/episodes/the-secret-to-longevity-reversing-disease-and-optimal-health. Accessed 28 Aug. 2021.

You can also find me on Instagram.

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How to Support Your Detox System 

There are two kinds of toxins that can accumulate in the body: endogenous toxins (the metabolic processes’ natural waste products) and exogenous toxins (like chemicals and heavy metals we are exposed to via the air, water, and food).

To “work up a good sweat” often (by exercising or using saunas, for example) is one way to get rid of toxins. Dry brushing the skin’s dead cells away helps the lymphatic system and it also helps the liver and kidneys, which are the body’s major detoxification organs.

But is also good to know that if you eat foods that are beneficial to the liver and kidneys (and avoid the foods that aren’t helping), you are participating in the detoxification process a little bit every day too.

Foods That Can Help With Detoxification

If you want to support your detox system, there are certain foods that can help you do that. Here’s a short list:

  • Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli (sprouts), cauliflower, cabbage, kale, arugula, collards, as those vegetables have compounds like sulforaphane that aids the liver’s detoxification process.
  • The allium foods, like garlic, onions, leeks, chives, scallions, and shallots, which are rich in phytonutrients (including sulfur).
  • Spices and herbs as they offer so many antioxidants (good against oxidative stress). They can also have detox properties, like rosemary, turmeric, ginger, etc.
  • Pomegranate and berries (with dark pigmented skins).
  • Green tea, rooibos tea, burdock tea, dandelion tea, etc.
  • Nuts and seeds, like Brazil nuts (for the selenium) and pumpkin seeds (for the zinc and selenium), ground-up black seeds and chia seeds, etc.
  • Artichokes, great for detoxification with the fiber they offer (among other things) because when toxins come out they have to be bound up and eliminated through the stool.

Sidenote: Toxins can be eliminated via the stool, urine, and sweat. Dr. Mark Hyman calls it the triple P: “poop, pee, perspire.”

In Summary

Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” So eat the rainbow! We can benefit from so many nutrients when we eat whole foods every day. A wide array of foods can help with detoxification. Buy organic whenever you can (check the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists)!

Also, visit the EWG (Environmental Working Group) website to see which household cleaning products and personal care products are okay to use. Supporting our body’s detox system the best we can is an important part of maintaining our health and wellness.

Until next time!

References

Greenfield, Ben. Boundless : Upgrade Your Brain, Optimize Your Body & Defy Aging. Las Vegas, Victory Belt Publishing Inc, 2020, pp. 301-2.

“How To Optimize Your Body’s Detoxification System with Maggie Ward.” Dr. Mark Hyman, 26 Oct. 2020, drhyman.com/blog/2020/10/26/podcast-hc28/. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020.

Lipman, Frank M D. How to Be Well: The 6 Keys to a Happy and Healthy Life. Houghton Mifflin, 2019, p. 178.

Ward, Maggie. “Top 5 Food Picks to Support Liver Detoxification.” UltraWellness Center, 22 July 2016, http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com/2016/07/22/top-5-food-picks-to-support-liver-detoxification/. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020.

You can also find me on Instagram.