Page 133 - Tracy Anderson Magazine - Fall 2021
P. 133

my spine at age 19. In an effort to reconnect with my body,  “IN FACT, NEW
                My life has been one long learning journey since breaking
                ers, scientists, strangers, books, movies, and inspirational  RESEARCH RECKONS
                I looked for teachers everywhere: in parents, friends, heal-

                quotes on bus stops.                            THAT 88 PERCENT
                that changed everything. I was one of the first nondiabetics  OF NONDIABETICS
                Then, four years ago, I started learning from my body. And
                tached to the arm for two weeks that measure our glucose  LIKELY EXPERIENCE
                to put on a continuous glucose monitor, circular devices at-
                tion to our phone. Thanks to it, I could see spikes (sharp  GLUCOSE SPIKES
                (blood  sugar)  levels  continuously,  and  send  the  informa-

                increases in glucose)—and spikes meant that something I   EVERY DAY.”
                just ate was causing my insides trouble.

                My glucose levels showed me that anxiety and brain fog   flattens the glucose curve of that meal. Holding a plank or
                were linked to spikes. That I didn’t respond well to cook-  doing some squats in front of the TV also works. Just saying.
                ies, but that brownies were a better option. That my 11 a.m.
                craving was due to my breakfast choice (when I thought it   3. Refuel with a glucose-steady smoothie. You’ve heard
                was due to stress), and that my lethargy was due to a glu-  from Tracy that smoothies are a great way to refuel after
                cose crash after my afternoon oat latte. That there was a   a workout. But not all smoothies are created equal. Some
                reason I had more cravings right before my period. That   will do you more harm than good. Avoid smoothies made of
                I felt crappy in the morning not because of my sleep, but   just fruit, because they’ll send your glucose levels through
                because my dinner had caused spikes throughout the night.  the roof, inflame and age you instead of keeping you in top
                                                                shape. Make sure to always incorporate protein (e.g. pro-
                I dove into the science, and spent a year putting it all to-  tein powder), fat (nut butter, avocados, coconut milk), and
                gether and learning hacks to keep my glucose levels steady.   fiber (from fruit, berries are your best bet).
                And boy, did I feel better—my acne cleared up, my weight
                steadied, I felt energized all day long, I slept better, and my   4. Incorporate vinegar into your diet. Either in your salad
                brain fog was long gone.                        dressings, or in water, vinegar will help keep your glucose
                                                                steady. It slows down the breakdown of starches, and tells
                Odds are, you’re spiking every day without knowing it,   our muscles to uptake more glucose (a bit like what hap-
                too—just like I did. In fact, new research reckons that 88   pens during a workout). You can try a teaspoon of vinegar
                percent of nondiabetics likely experience glucose spikes ev-  in a tall glass of water before a meal (up to one hour before
                ery day. Those translate to inflammation, aging, cravings,   a meal works) or in a vinaigrette on your salad.
                dysregulated mood, poor sleep, and sex hormones going
                haywire. Many symptoms you feel every day could be due to   5. Eat foods in the right order. When faced with a meal, eat
                your glucose levels being out of balance.       your veggies and protein first, and starches and sugars last.
                                                                This will on average flatten the glucose spike from your meal
                I have been fueling the Glucose Goddess community with   by more than 50 percent. Of course, if you’re having a pro-
                easy tips to avoid glucose spikes—without going on a diet.   tein smoothie or a mixed dish and can’t do this, don’t stress
                And now, I’m here to share a few with you.
                                                                it. People in the community have lost weight (even post-
                                                                menopausal weight) just by implementing this easy hack.
                                                                Try out these tips, and see how you feel. And do let me
                eat your favorite cookie or cake without setting off a chain
 LEARN  FR OM  THE   Cristina Matos Albers, Unsplash; Anys Holdstock.  1. Eat your cake before or after a workout. Here’s how to   Jessie Inchauspé is the founder of the widely popular @glucose-
                reaction of spikes and cravings for the rest of the day: Eat
                                                                know! Reach out @glucosegoddess on Instagram. ■
                your sweet indulgence up to one hour before or one hour
                after  a  workout.  Your  working  muscles  will  soak  up  the
 SCIEN CE  WITHIN  glucose as you digest it. You’ll eat your cake, but avoid the   goddess Instagram account, teaching her more than 120,000
                spike, so you’ll avoid cravings later on.
                                                               followers about healthy food habits. She invented a new way to
                                                               illustrate nutrition science, which is helping people learn how to
                                                               in mathematics from King’s College, London, and a master’s in
                lent for combating postmeal sleepiness. Just 10 minutes of
 Jessie Inchauspé incorporates technology to understand her body’s   2. Go for a 10-minute walk after each meal. This is excel-  eat to heal physical and mental struggles. She holds a bachelor’s
                walking, started within one hour of the end of your meal,
                                                               biochemistry from Georgetown University.
 glucose cadence.
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