If you have insulin resistance, which is when cells don’t respond to insulin properly, you may be making an effort to reverse it. You also might think your favorite meals are off-limits. As you probably know,eating low-glycemic foods is key to keeping insulin levels in check. Does that mean pasta dinners, taco dinners and dessert are no longer on the table? Not necessarily.
The key to maintaining a diet that will lower chronically high insulin levels is finding creative ways to make the meals you love using low-glycemic ingredients. Think it can’t be done? Keep reading for a doctor-approved simple swap you’ll use on repeat.
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Dr. Graham Simpson, MD,who is board-certified in internal medicine, anti-aging medicine and emergency medicine, and is the medical director of Eternity Medicine, says that one of his favorite food swaps for lowering insulin resistance is using cauliflower rice instead of white rice.
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No matter what type of cuisine you’re craving (Mexican, Mediterranean, Chinese, Cuban…) you can integrate rice into your meal. Unfortunately, white rice isn’t going to do any favors for those with insulin resistance. “White rice, and unfortunately even brown rice, is highly glycemic and spikes insulin levels. White rice has a glycemic index of 70 to 89, depending on cooking style, which places it in the high glycemic index category. Brown rice is lower but at a glycemic index of 50 to 68, it is still in the moderate category,” Dr. Simpson says.
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Cauliflower rice, on the other hand, will help support your health goal. “Cauliflower rice, which has a very low glycemic index, comes close in taste and consistency but has a minimal impact on insulin secretion as it has a glycemic index of only around 10 to 15,” Dr. Simpson says. Not only does the fiber in cauliflower rice help keep insulin levels in check, it will also help you get more of the nutrient that most Americans don’t get enough of.
What About Snack Time?
As versatile as cauliflower rice is, it isn’t exactly helpful if you’re craving something sweet. If you typically snack on a pouch of fruit snacks whenever a craving for sweets hits, Toby Smithson, MS, CDCES, FAND, RDN, a registered dietitian and senior manager of nutrition and wellness at the American Diabetes Association, recommends replacing it with a cup of raspberries and low-fat cheese.
“Packaged fruit snacks can raise blood glucose levels quickly because they contain carbohydrates but do not have any fiber, protein or fat,” Smithson says, of why the former isn’t a beneficial snack choice for those trying to lower or reverse insulin resistance. She explains that raspberries paired with low-fat cheese can work in your favor because raspberries are high in fiber, with eight grams per cup. Combined with the low-fat cheese, this snack helps reduce a significant rise in blood glucose.
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Smithson says that choosing a carb that’s high in fiber and pairing it with a food that’s high in protein or unsaturated fat is good advice to follow any time of day, not just snack time. She explains this can look like a slice of toast topped with no-sugar peanut butter, whole grain crackers with low-fat cheese or popcorn sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
Dr. Simpson says that it can also be helpful to wear a continuous glucose monitor for a month to get a better understanding of how certain meals, snacks and drinks impact your insulin levels. Additionally, he recommends annual blood work. “It is important to monitor your annual blood work to see how your fasting glucose (short-term) and HbA1c (longer-term) levels look relative to normal ranges,” he explains. He adds that the best marker to track is fasting insulin because it most directly correlates with potential issues of insulin resistance. This is often not part of a standard blood test, so be sure to ask your doctor about including it with your annual blood work.
Making long-term, healthy changes to your diet is much more likely when you find ways to enjoy the meals you love through simple swaps. The tips the two experts gave (cauliflower rice for meal integration and raspberries and low-fat cheese for snacks) is a great place to start. Once they become staples in your diet, find a new swap to try. You may find that getting creative in the kitchen is as fun as it is good for your health!
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Sources
Dr. Graham Simpson, MD,a functional medicine doctor board-certified in internal medicine, anti-aging medicine and emergency medicine and the medical director of Eternity MedicineToby Smithson, MS, CDCES, FAND, RDN, registered dietitian and senior manager of nutrition and wellness at the American Diabetes Association Read More Details
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