Similar to the dessert article I shared last week, this one is not about saying you HAVE to do as I say or else your health will suffer.
Not at all.
Rather, there’s a few easy things you can do to help your meals last longer in keeping you full and balancing your blood sugar better.
The latter can leave you with steady energy levels throughout the day, which leads to less cravings for carbs and sweets and effortless weight loss.
That’s why I’m sharing these four easy tips to help you do just that:
4 Things to Eat Before a Meal to Improve Blood Sugar, Satiety, and More
Whether you stick to one tip or combine a few, they’ll likely make a noticeable difference in how you feel once you try them:
1. A Vinegar-Based Salad
There’s great research out there showing that consuming vinegar before a meal slows down the digestion of carbs.
Without getting too technical, vinegar slows down the release of amylase, an enzyme that helps us break down the carbs we eat. So instead of breaking down the carbs and glucose too quickly, the entire process is slowed down a bit.
As a result, instead of giving you a huge blood sugar spike, it’s blunted. (Note: It’ll still be there if you’re eating carbs or starches but it won’t be as pronounced as it could have been.)
Consuming two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar diluted in water is the best way to reap these benefits but, undoubtedly, this won’t be an easy one for most people reading this.
An alternative is to sprinkle vinegar on a pre-meal salad.
This gives you the benefits of the vinegar without having to drink it. Plus, it combines this next tip for maximum effectiveness.
Before I get to that though, I want to point out that the vinegar you use makes a BIG difference.
Many balsamic vinegars have sugars or sweeteners in them which will negate any blood sugar saving attempts.
So you want to reach for pure vinegars without any sweeteners.
Apple cider vinegar, especially raw with the “mother”, is the best one for this because it is highest in acetic acid, which is where all of these great benefits come from.
2. A Side of Cooked Vegetables
Another thing you can do to slow down the absorption of glucose is to start your meal with fiber.
This can be a side of cooked non-starchy veggies (starchy vegetables have more carbs, which will cause a bump in blood sugar and negates this whole tip) or a small salad with vinegar like in the first tip.
As Dr. Rob Thompson points out in his book, The Insulin Resistance Solution, fiber soaks up digestive juices and helps prevent glucose from making contact with the intestinal lining.
This means less glucose is pulled into the bloodstream, causing those blood sugar roller coasters I keep mentioning.
Dr. Thompson talked about the fact that getting 10 grams of fiber per meal can lower the blood glucose spike by a whopping 20%, which is HUGE.
All from eating fiber.
Now, 10 grams may not seem like that much to get, and it won’t be after some time, but, initially, that’s probably more veggies than most people are used to.
Dr. Thompson talks about how this looks and it’s essentially starting your meals with a salad and then also having a side of cooked vegetables with each meal, something I also try to do and believe in.
Raw veggies and salads are surprisingly low on fiber, despite being so voluminous, so that’s where the extra veggie side comes in to save the day.
One more thing to note – for some people, raw veggies and salads just won’t agree with your digestive system.
You may see unwanted gas, bloating, and overall stuffed feelings after eating raw veggies.
This is likely a sign that your gut needs some repair and that it could use a break from raw veggies.
Lightly steaming, sauteing, or roasting your fiber choices would be better in this case.
This is also a reason why I’m not a huge fan of veggie platters, especially before meals.
Sometimes raw cruciferous veggies like cauliflower and broccoli are even harder to digest raw so they may be best left avoided for some people.
3. A Snack Rich in Healthy Fats (Nuts, Cheese, etc.)
Vinegar and fiber aren’t the only supertools you can use here.
Healthy fats also have incredible powers too, according to Dr. Thompson’s book:
- They can control how fast your body processes carbs
- Their mere presence helps trigger your pyloric valve which slows the absorption of food in your intestines
- It helps control appetite by keeping you satiated before a meal, instead of ravenous, which means you can fill up on less
A handful of nuts, some cheese, or a few avocado slices are some great healthy fats to reach for pre-meal to reap these benefits.
Dr. Thompson mentions that it takes as little as two teaspoons to get these benefits, which is incredible.
Enjoy your healthy fats 10 to 15 minutes before your meal and see how you feel.
I bet you’ll see a difference in just that first meal.
A great way to combine all three tips is to enjoy a nice salad with vinegar and healthy olive oil drizzled on top.
This gives you the benefits of all three and it takes less than two minutes to throw together (you could technically just do lettuce, vinegar, and olive oil).
4. A Small Shot of Fish Oil
I know this one is going to sound crazy and it came across the same way to me when I first heard of it.
But, after trying it, it definitely makes a difference.
Many people, including me, don’t eat enough fatty fish to reach a healthy omega-3 fatty acid range, which is a decent-sized mistake.
Omega-3’s come packed with a ton of incredible health benefits:
- Reduced inflammation in the body
- Brain support
- Reduced blood pressure
- Heart health support
- Better moods
That’s why, if you’re unable to meet your weekly fish quota from fish like salmon and sardines, taking fish oil could be a convenient supplement.
Now, if you’ve ever tried fish oil, it’s likely been in capsule form.
From what I learned from a fellow health coach, many of these pills have already gone rancid between processing and shipping.
This could be a reason why you get those not-so-pleasant fish oil burps.
A better alternative is to consume fish oil in liquid form which is less processed and oftentimes not rancid (yum!).
Having it before a meal also means you hit the last point too — having a healthy fat before a meal — which can trigger the same benefits while giving you the omega-3 perks just mentioned.
Some people also report that drinking it before a meal also helps combat the fish burps so you can test it out and see for yourself.
I personally still get a little bit of that but, since it’s fresher, they’re not nearly as bad as they used to be
Plus, the brand I buy (not sponsored) actually tastes good, it’s affordable, and it’s clean:
Enjoy These Foods Before a Meal Today
Before you sign off on this article, I want to mention that you don’t have to do these tips for every single meal, especially if you’re unable to for whatever reason.
But the more often you can do at least one of them, the better you’ll feel.
That’s because these tips will help steady your blood sugar, which reduces cravings, improves energy, and helps with effortless weight loss.
So try to do at least one of them as often as you can and see how you feel.
If it works for you, keep going!
And, if it’s too much work, ditch it for now. You can always revisit these tips later on!
Sending you hugs and less cravings,
Devan