Energy Boosting Foods for Optimal Blood Sugar Control

Do you feel like your daily energy levels are on a rollercoaster of highs and lows?  Are you frequently looking for that pick me up that is either caffeine or sugar loaded to restart your engines during the day?   This daily struggle may have to do with the types of foods you are choosing to fuel your body with and their effects on your blood sugar.

Certain foods may give you that short-term quick boost yet cause an even lower drop once it wears off. Which foods provide longer lasting energy to provide you with the focus and motivation to get through your day?  Keep reading….

That morning donut may hit the spot while washed down with a cup of coffee, but do you ever wonder why you hit a mid-morning slump?  If we break down the macronutrients of that donut, we can see the problem.  It contains a high amount of refined carbohydrates like sugar and white flour, poor quality fats and no protein.  We digest the carbs quickly causing a blood sugar spike which our body then responds with a surge of insulin. The insulin signals the body to pull glucose into the cells causing a drop in blood sugar.  That drop triggers a drop in energy and a renewed search for another “pick me up”.

The way we can prevent this spike and drop in blood sugar is to choose meals and snacks that contain ingredients which slow digestion and cause a steadier, less dramatic, increase and decrease in blood sugar levels.  Those ingredients include: 

• Protein

• Fiber

• High Quality Fats

Protein

There are many great sources of protein, both animal and plant based including meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts/seeds, and beans/legumes.  Depending on your daily protein goals, a reasonable amount would be 10-15 g protein for snacks and 20-30 g per meal.  See the following list of high protein foods. The exact amounts may vary according to each specific product, but a general rule of thumb is each of following foods contain ~7 g of protein:

•   1 oz of meat, poultry, or fish

•   1 egg

• 1 cup of cow or soy milk

•   ½ cup of beans/legumes

•   ½ cup of yogurt (greek yogurt has up to 14 g protein/serving)

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese

•   2 Tablespoons nut butter

•   1 oz of nuts/seeds

These high protein foods will digest slower as well as make you feel full and satisfied longer.  Couple high protein foods with complex and portion-controlled carbohydrates to help curb cravings and lessen the carbohydrate effects on blood sugar. The biggest difference between a complex carbohydrate and a refined one is fiber content.

Fiber

During the processing of grains like wheat, the outside covering is frequently removed, and the grain is pulverized into tiny pieces.  The outer part contains a large portion of the fiber content.  Without the fiber, these grains become much quicker and easier for the body to digest thus promoting a spike in blood sugars. 

Fiber is so incredibly important to keep our gastro-intestinal tract healthy, but it also helps us to feel satisfied.  Without the fiber, we can eat larger portions of these foods without ever feeling content.  Have you ever sat down in front of the television and polished off a bag of crackers, treats or candy without even getting full?  These foods contain salt, sugar and/or fats which make them highly palatable yet not overly filling.  This causes you to want more and more without your body telling you it’s had enough. 

When buying pre-packaged foods, read the ingredient list first and avoid those with added sugars, refined flours, and other processed ingredients.  Whenever possible, purchase whole, real foods from the list below which are naturally high in fiber: 

•   Vegetables

•   Whole Fruits

•   Beans/Legumes

•   Nuts/Seeds

•   Grains

The average, healthy adult should be getting in >25 g of fiber per day.  The fiber content can vary according to specific foods and brands but on average:

• 1 cup of vegetables=~5 g fiber

•   1 cup of berries=6-8 g fiber

•   1 oz of nuts/seeds=3-5 g fiber

•   ½ cup of beans=6-8 g fiber

These nutrient dense high fiber and high protein foods provide more energy promoting nutrition than their lower fiber counterparts.  It may seem more difficult to bypass that donut compared to an egg and veggie scramble, but I guarantee you will get more sustained energy and satisfaction from the eggs. For some additional macro balanced breakfast ideas, click here.

High Quality Fat

One last component, which is already built into some of these foods, is the high quality fat.  In the past, fat has been vilified and blamed as the main cause of weight gain, obesity, high cholesterol, heart disease, etc.  We forget that fat plays a very important role in our bodies and is an essential component to sustained energy levels and blood sugar control.  The problem lies in the type of fats we choose to consume.  This is a very similar issue to the processing of the grains in our pre-packaged foods.  The types of fats that are infused into the processed and refined foods so prevalent in the grocery stores today are ones that are poorer quality and tend to feed the insatiable cravings for more.  These types of fats can cause increased inflammation in the body. Read more about 5 dietary strategies for decreasing inflammation by clicking here.

The fats that come from whole real foods, especially fish and plant foods, are the ones we want to consume most often.  Fat, like protein, does not promote the blood sugar spikes that carbohydrates do and is slower to digest.  It is not typically difficult to get in adequate fat in a day because it is needed in smaller quantities and is more calorically dense than carbohydrates and protein.  See below for some of the better fat choices:

Monounsaturated fats:

• Extra virgin Olive oil

• Avocado

• Walnuts

• Peanuts

• Pumpkin seeds

• Sesame seeds

Omega-3’s:

• Fatty Fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna and cod

• Walnuts/pecans

• Chia/flax seed

The average healthy adult who needs ~2000 calories per day for weight maintenance would consume around 30% of their calories from fat. This would equal nearly 70 grams of fat per day. As a point of reference, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 oz of nuts or 4 oz of salmon provide ~14 grams of fat.

Conclusion

It can be difficult to maintain energy levels during the workday when food intake is poor quality or inadequate. It’s easy to lean on sugar and caffeine to boost those energy levels but the effects can be short term. Choosing foods which incorporate protein, fiber and high quality fats can promote satiety as well as longer lasting energy levels.

What are your favorite satisfying snacks that get you through the day? Comment below so we can all get more ideas!