Picking up from our last discussion, we continue using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to tackle the question: how should we eat carbs wisely to control blood sugar?
Let me begin with a chart:
It's a CGM comparison between me (age 42) and a metabolically healthy 27-year-old under a low-glycemic diet. What excites me is this: on this regimen, my glucose curve closely mirrored his —
- Post-meal rises were moderate;
- Peak values only 10–15% higher, still far below the clinical threshold of 10 mmol/L;
- A stable low range lasting 14–16 hours (from 7pm to 10am);
This is precisely our goal in glucose control.
Sure, advanced techniques have their place. But if we can dramatically improve health without disrupting daily routines — why not?
I call this gentle, sustainable, and science-backed approach —
The Prime Diet.
1. Staple Carbs: Grains, Tubers, Legumes
Findings:
- White rice triggered sharp spikes, while whole grain rice blends (black, red, brown rice, quinoa, oats, buckwheat) produced milder responses — provided you avoid glutinous rice.
- Noodles performed slightly better than white rice but worse than whole grains.
- Sweet potatoes had a surprisingly high glycemic response.
- Hummus emerged as a standout — nutritionally balanced, low-glycemic, and packed with fat, protein, and carbs.
Suggestions:
- If your gut handles it, substitute white rice with whole grains. If not, mix them.
- Avoid rice porridge — it's basically sugar water.
- Legumes (e.g., chickpeas, lentils, mung beans, kidney beans) are excellent rice substitutes.
2. Bread & Burgers
Findings:
- Whole wheat bread had slightly lower spikes than butter bread, but still ranked high. Many assume "whole wheat" equals low-glycemic — it doesn't.
- Burgers are often dismissed as junk food. Yet they produced milder glucose responses, likely thanks to their structure: carbs (bun), protein (meat), fat (sauce), fiber (veggies).
3. Oats
Findings:
- Fruit granola was the worst offender. It's more a tasty processed snack than real oats.
- Rolled oats seem clean and natural. But flaking is a form of refining. It raises GI.
- Steel-cut oats are the real MVPs. Slow-digesting, structure-preserving, rich in soluble fiber (notably beta-glucan).
Simple rule: The faster it cooks, the faster it spikes. The longer it takes, the lower the GI tends to be.
4. Yogurt
Findings:
- Plain yogurt — often contains added sugar. Free sugar spikes blood glucose fast.
- Even sugar-free yogurt causes a small rise, but it's mild and manageable.
- From a glucose perspective, sugar-free yogurt is the better choice.
5. Common Beverages
Findings:
- Unsweetened lattes and milk tea caused mild glucose bumps — mostly from milk lactose.
- NFC and fresh juice seem "healthier," but both are loaded with free sugars that spike glucose significantly.
- Coke Zero didn't spike glucose at all.
Spike ranking: Classic Coke > NFC juice > fresh juice > sugar-free latte/milk tea > sugar-free Coke.
