In 2020, our daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Overnight, food stopped being casual. Every meal suddenly mattered — not emotionally, but metabolically.
We didn’t set out to “eat perfectly.” We set out to make food feel safe, predictable, and still enjoyable — especially for her.
What followed was a long process of learning, experimenting, making mistakes, and adjusting. Here’s what actually stuck.
1. Measuring first — habits later
At the beginning, we measured everything.
We weighed pasta, counted rice, measured potatoes, and calculated carbohydrates for every meal. Over time, something interesting happened: we learned what 40 grams of carbs actually looks like on a plate.
Now, we mostly eye-measure.
That’s the point I want to emphasize:
Dietary change takes effort at first. But once something becomes a habit, it stops feeling like work.
This is true whether you’re managing blood sugar, digestion, hormones, or energy levels. Consistency comes after repetition — not before it.
2. The zero-sugar detour (and what we learned)
Like many families, we went through a phase of baking and cooking with zero-sugar sweeteners — monk fruit, erythritol, and low-carb substitutes.
At first, it felt like the “right” choice.
But after digging into the research and observing real blood sugar responses, we stepped away from them.
Why?
- Sugar alcohols can still provoke insulin responses
- They often lack fiber, which slows glucose absorption
- Some sweeteners may increase glucose variability and cravings, especially when used regularly
Research has shown that certain sugar alcohols and non-nutritive sweeteners can disrupt glucose regulation and gut signaling, particularly in people already dealing with metabolic instability.
The lesson wasn’t “never try alternatives.”
The lesson was: You will make mistakes — and you must be willing to adjust.
What works now may not work forever.
Different seasons of life require different approaches.
Keep learning. Keep refining.
3. The most effective blood sugar tool we found: movement
If there is one thing that made the biggest difference, it wasn’t a supplement or a perfect meal. It was movement. When our daughter’s blood sugar runs high after meals, the most reliable way to bring it down is to move her body.
Here’s why:
There are two primary ways glucose enters your cells:
- Insulin-mediated uptake
- Muscle contraction–mediated uptake
When muscles contract (walking, light movement, resistance), they activate glucose transporters (GLUT4) independently of insulin. This allows glucose to move out of the bloodstream and into the muscles even when insulin sensitivity is impaired.
This is why post-meal movement works so well — and why it works for everyone, not just people with diabetes.
This is also why my husband and I aim to walk after meals whenever we can. It’s one of the simplest, most effective blood sugar habits we’ve adopted.
4. Eating order matters more than most people realize
Another surprisingly powerful tool: the order in which you eat your food.
Research shows that starting meals with:
- Fiber-rich vegetables
- Followed by protein and fat
- And eating carbohydrates last
can significantly reduce post-meal glucose spikes.
Fiber slows gastric emptying. Protein and fat blunt glucose absorption. The result is more stable blood sugar and fewer crashes.
No food is forbidden — sequencing simply changes the metabolic response.
Final reflection
None of this happened overnight.
We learned by doing.
We adjusted when something didn’t work.
And we focused on habits we could live with long term.
That approach is exactly what I bring into my work now.
The Body Balance Program
The Body Balance program, that I am launching this spring, is built around this philosophy:
not rigid rules, not perfection — but understanding how food, movement, stress, and daily habits interact in real life.
It’s about building patterns that support blood sugar, digestion, energy, and hormones — in a way that adapts as your life does.
Sign up at an early bird price now at $599! Price goes up February 28th. Read more here.
References:
Colberg SR et al. Physical Activity/Exercise and Diabetes. Diabetes Care.
https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/39/11/2065/36847
Richter EA, Hargreaves M. Exercise, GLUT4, and skeletal muscle glucose uptake. Physiol Rev.
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physrev.00038.2012
Shukla AP et al. Food order has a significant impact on postprandial glucose. Diabetes Care.
https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/38/7/e98/37294
Suez J et al. Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota. Nature.
https://www.nature.com/articles/nature13793
Livesey G. Health potential of polyols as sugar replacers. Int J Dent.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3269663/