On any given week, we might closely track the weather, our weight, the price of eggs or our favorite team. But our blood sugar? For those of us who don’t have diabetes, that’s hardly ever on our mind. Harvard- and MIT-trained women’s health expert Sara Gottfried, M.D., hopes to change that: “I want you to care about your blood sugar more than you care about your retirement account.”
Why? Because blood-sugar (or glucose) spikes trigger more than fatigue and cravings. Long-term, Dr. Gottfried warns, “They lead to cardiovascular disease and all of the downstream problems associated with accelerated aging.”
“Women experience the damaging effects of elevated glucose at lower thresholds than men,”adds Dr. Gottfried, noting that blood-sugar levels naturally rise beginning around age 50. In fact, research from Brazil finds 88% of postmenopausal women are metabolically unhealthy when it comes to how our body handles blood sugar.
Despite this nearly universal problem, blood sugar has historically been tricky to manage. Levels skyrocket after eating carbs, but within hours, they drop, driving us to grab another snack, setting off the sequence of events again. “When blood sugar is elevated, your metabolism gets slower and slower, while you may get fatter and fatter,” says Dr. Gottfried. How? A healthy body releases insulin to carry blood sugar out of the bloodstream and into muscles to burn as energy later. But the more carbs we eat and the more insulin is required, the faster our muscle storage runs out, forcing our body to switch to backup storage: fat cells. No wonder the National Institutes of Health finds that fluctuating blood-sugar levels make weight loss twice as hard.
Bu hikaye First for Women dergisinin July 03, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye First for Women dergisinin July 03, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
FLAME GRILLED FEASTS
Become your own grill master with these easy and healthy recipes for every occasion
10 BRILLIANT USES FOR EGGSHELLS
Savvy ways the food scraps save the day
Top Gun Cast
Catch up with the stars of the 1986 hit movie that had us all saying, “I feel the need—the need for speed!”
Pretty Lilac Pitcher
Perk up any part of your home with a fragrant floral display
EASY WAYS TO CURATE A COZY BOOK NOOK
Surround yourself with books and other treasures you love
APRICOTS
This vibrant fruit is at its peak in local markets
SOWING SEEDS OF LOVE & KINDNESS
As one of the highest-paid linemen in the NFL, Jason Brown had it all: a beautiful wife, Tay, a growing family and fame. But when felt a nudge on his heart to leave his career behind to start a farm that gives to people in need, Jason knew he couldn’t ignore it…and it has changed his life and the lives of millions of others!
"I'm pain-free and so energized!”
For decades, Jane Wooten, 68, fought fatigue, pain, GI issues & more. Then she discovered the diet change that restored her health!
TASTY WAYS TO KEEP DIABETES AT BAY
Balance blood sugar with these delicious superfoods
FLAT-BELLY SMOOTHIES
FOUND: The missing ingredient that burns 3x more calories! (No, it's not protein.) Here, the daily drink that powers off pounds