The food and diet industry is BIG business!
Today, brands are spending a lot of Advertising $$ to make us think foods are healthier than they are because we, as consumers, are becoming smarter and more savvy with what we put in our mouths and how we spend our $$.
In other words, as we get smarter, food packaging gets more, shall we say, “creative”!
That’s okay so long as you know how to separate effective marketing campaign and hype from factual ingredients on the actual label.
So how do you know if you’re being misled?… and what are the better options to choose instead?
Here are my top 2 seemingly-healthy (and most common) breakfast foods that are actually BAD for your blood sugar… INCLUDING substitutions you can try TODAY. (The General Guideline here, according to Dr. Sears, is we want to have a BRAINY Breakfast which means Proteins + complex Carbs).
1. Cereal w/ Fruit:
- Cereal + milk + fruit = a carb-only breakfast! Although milk has a bit of protein, it also contains carbs and is a liquid so it will RAISE your blood sugar faster.
- Better OPTION: ½ c of cooked, whole oat, gluten-free oatmeal (organic if you can do it; I personally like Bob Mills organic, gluten-free whole oats) w/ 2 tablespoons of walnuts (omega 3 / 6), +unsweetened almond milk (protein), shredded coconut (healthy fat), cinnamon (antioxidant), chia seeds and / or flaxseed (healthy fat – omega 3) with Hemp Seeds (protein). Add ¼ c berries of your choice (antioxidants) or honey (natural sugar so still use in moderation) for a bit of sweetness. For that extra hit of Protein – add either a ‘dollop’ of greek plain yogurt (no sugar added) or even some organic almond or sesame butter to the mix! DELISH!
2. Fruit-Juice and/or Fruit-only Smoothies:
- Fruit is good for us but, it’s much better for our blood sugar if we are eating it whole vs. liquefied because of the fiber you get when you get it whole. When we liquefy the fruit, the sugars enter the bloodstream faster and can cause a ‘spike’ just like a junk sugar would do. We need fiber to slow the release of sugar in the blood.
- Better OPTION: If you’re eating smoothies for breakfast, create a homemade, simple green smoothie! So easy! 8 oz of unsweetened almond milk (protein), ½ c of Frozen berries (low-glycemic fruit), + 1 cup of greens (spinach/baby kale) + chia seeds and/or flaxseed (healthy fat ‘omega-3’) + spoonful of almond or sesame butter (protein) + dollop of greek, plain yogur (protein) + 2-3 ice cubes. Some additional ‘add-ons’ could be Spirulina (detoxing), avocado (health fat & adds creaminess), Cocao Powder (chocolately – flavor w/ natural minerals / magnesium) + aloe vera (anti-inflammatory / good for the gut) – the options are limitless!
I hope you found some of these options helpful for your morning route! I’d love to hear if you try them!
Cheers to buying, and EATING, more confidently every day!
