Balancing blood sugar during the day not only allows us to avoid the risk of high blood sugar, but also other health risks.
When our blood sugar is unstable but spikes up and down, this condition leads to increased accumulation of visceral fat and hormonal imbalance, starting with the thyroid. The T4 hormone does not convert effectively to T3, which in the long run leads to an underactive thyroid.

Furthermore, not having stable blood sugar compromises both the ability with which our body burns calories or stores them in fat accumulation, and the ability to manage stress, that is, we have no defenses to fight high cortisol. And this in turn compromises insulin sensitivity. In short: as you will have understood, a domino effect is created which over the years leads to the risk of metabolic syndrome.

How to balance blood sugar through nutrition?
Since many people confuse the glycemic index of foods, glycemic load and insulin load, I have decided to give you some really practical advice concerning also the right quantities and the combination of foods. More importantly: on page two you will find the 5 mistakes NOT to do to avoid both spikes and drops in blood sugar.

THE DIET TO BALANCE GLUCOSE AND REDUCE THE WAIST

For breakfast, lunch and dinner

Choose a carbohydrate-based, protein-based, and small-fat addition food for these three main meals in the following proportions and types.

• Carbohydrates: up to 60 grams of barley or oat bread, toasted or previously frozen durum wheat bread, up to 180 grams of boiled potatoes and cooled in the fridge, up to 50-60 grams of basmati rice, brown rice, pasta with long-shaped tooth or oat grains or barley grains, otherwise try low glycemic index cereals such as soy spaghetti, buckwheat pasta, legume pasta, quinoa, buckwheat grains, amaranth. A resource of these carbohydrates should be added in these three main meals: if you love fruit, you can replace it for these carbohydrates after a single dish with proteins and vegetables or fiber, in the doses of 120-250 grams.
  The smaller doses are for the most sugary fruit, the larger ones for the acidulous fruit such as kiwi, pineapple, red fruits, strawberries, citrus fruits.
  If you love squeezes and juices, choose them sugar-free, in doses of 200 ml. Those will be your carbohydrates. If you want a sorbet or a fruit-only ice cream, the same goes: 120 grams after the protein dish with vegetables. In short, avoid a meal based only on ice cream or fruit only.
• Proteins : proteins should always be paired with carbohydrates. This is because proteins also stimulate insulin, allowing this hormone to avoid glycemic spikes. Zero-carb proteins like eggs, lean meat or fish, tofu or seitan are easier to pair. Legumes contain carbohydrates, despite having a low glycemic index. To avoid mistakes, reduce the portion of carbohydrates to 40-50 grams, preferring cereals with a low glycemic index, and combine vegetables, preferring green ones or vegetables such as courgettes, peppers, mushrooms. Protein must always be present at breakfast, lunch and dinner! Quantities are important: since they are present at every meal, it is useless to eat too much protein in one meal. Stick to a medium portion.
• Fats: in main meals I suggest you reduce them. They don’t help lower blood sugar !!! I know you have heard this, but it is a false myth, disproved for a few years already. Conversely, limit fat if your main meal already contains carbohydrates. One to two teaspoons of oil (depending on the protein chosen) or other type of fat is more than enough. Likewise, avoid carbohydrates with added fats such as snacks, croissants, cookies. These foods have not only sugar, but a lot of fat too! If you want to indulge in biscuits or a croissant for breakfast, avoid Nutella, almond butter or other and combine them with a skimmed Greek yogurt.
• Fiber: Fiber is satiating, contains zero or very few carbohydrates and allows you to avoid too many snacks. If you don’t like whole carbohydrates, increase vegetables, even cooked ones. For example, you can cook the pasta al dente by choosing a spaghetti, add courgettes and clams, and a teaspoon of raw oil. Among the most fibrous vegetables we have: broccoli, cabbage, leafy vegetables, asparagus, artichokes, celery, fennel.
• Supplementation: Yeast tablets (not blocks), chromium, alpha lipoic acid, niacinamide (a type of vitamin B3), taurine and spices such as cinnamon or cumin seeds modulate the glycemic response. They are useful additions especially starting in the morning. Coffee and tea, on the other hand, reduce blood sugar: they should never be taken on an empty stomach. The risk? That of unleashing the nervous hunger.

For snacks.

• For snacks you can choose a naturally balanced food between sugars and proteins such as skimmed milk or soy, or fats such as walnuts, almonds or fresh pistachios or a piece of Grana Padano with a level teaspoon of honey, or a small yogurt. Again: avoid only carbohydrate-free protein snacks.
• If, on the other hand, you love fruit as a snack, always associate it with a small protein food. In this case, since the snack is low in calories, it can also have fat. For example, a slice of watermelon with a tablespoon of whole Greek yogurt, or a small pear with a piece of cheese. Finally, choose from two to three snacks to keep your blood sugar stable, keeping you on 100-150 calories at the most. Particularly if you have stress and digestion problems. On page two we see the 5 mistakes not to make.