Learned that consuming cinnamon every day lowers blood sugar & since I'm on 20 mg of Lurasidone it will help because one of the side effects is that it increases it. Also learned that you shouldn't have more than 1/2 cup of blueberries a day so going to portion control that too.
I'm going to continue not having breakfast, only will have either a protein shake for lunch or boiled eggs with an avocado and a low carb & high protein dinner. I'm mostly vegetarian and vegan now but will have meat 2x a week.
I will only have chocolate via a protein shake with stevia or stevia chocolate. Maybe I'll get some cacao pieces too to chew on. I want to lose this last bit of weight to be better than I was before! I'm still having green tea every day & now adding 1tsp of cinnamon to it.
After Thanksgiving I'm not going to be buying any high carb food including my some of my favourites like pasta, burritos, ramen, sushi, pizza, chips, regular chocolate bars with sugar etc either until I lose 20 lbs then I will have a treat day once every week or two weeks.
Everyone says I look amazing and can't believe I gained 20 lbs but want to be me again. I was always a size small and size 5 or 7 pant. All my weight went to the right places I do admit but even still. I'm a size American small and size 10 pant so not bad but again it's not me.
Working out helps but it's not enough. As long as I am on Lurasidone I have to watch my carb and sugar intake. I was lucky before cause didn't really have to as much. This is a learning experience for me so I am grateful to be going through this to make me better and stronger!
Have quick oats sometimes w/blueberries, flax seed ground up walnuts&pure Canadian maple syrup/stevia but won't eat that again until I lose 20 lbs. Apparently steel cut oats are less of a sugar spike so will try that instead with stevia, 1/2 cup of blueberries,walnuts&flax.
I never used to portion control what I ate b4 either but now thanks to Nicole Collet I'm kinda into it. I'd eat like 2 or 3 bowls of blueberries per day but now it will only be 1/2 cup! I'm Southern Italian so food is a big deal & we are big eaters. I've evolved but need to more!
"Cinnamon may help support blood sugar management by increasing insulin
sensitivity, decreasing blood sugar levels after eating, and reducing
the risk of diabetes-related complications.
Diabetes impairs your body’s ability to regulate its blood
sugar, and this can lead to long-term complications like heart disease,
kidney disease, and nerve damage.
Treatment often includes medications and insulin injections, but many people are also interested in foods that can help lower blood sugar. One example is cinnamon, a commonly used spice that’s added to sweet and savory dishes around the world.
It provides many health benefits, including the ability to help lower blood sugarTrusted Source,
which can be useful in managing diabetes. There are a few different
varieties of cinnamon you’ll find in grocery stores, but they’re usually
categorized into two different types:
- Ceylon: Also called true cinnamon, this is the most expensive type of cinnamon.
- Cassia: This type is less expensive and found in most food products that contain cinnamon.
This article tells you everything you need to know about cinnamon and its effects on blood sugar management and diabetes.
A quick glance at cinnamon’s nutrition factsTrusted Source
may not lead you to believe that it’s often considered a “superfood.”
However, while a single teaspoon doesn’t contain a lot of vitamins and
minerals, many recipes call for more than that.
In
people with diabetes, either their pancreas cannot produce enough
insulin or cells do not respond to insulin properly, leading to high
blood sugar levels.
Cinnamon may help lower blood sugarTrusted Source by imitating the effects of insulin, helping to move sugar from the bloodstream and into your cells. It can also increase your insulin sensitivity, making insulin more efficient at moving sugar into cells.
One studyTrusted Source
of 80 people with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) found that taking
1.5 grams (g) of cinnamon powder daily for 12 weeks significantly
reduced fasting insulin levels and improved insulin sensitivity compared
with a placebo.
Several studies suggest that cinnamon may help improve blood sugar management.
For example, a 2019 systematic reviewTrusted Source
of studies on people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes concluded
that cinnamon could significantly reduce fasting blood sugar levels and
insulin resistance compared with a placebo.
Some studies have also found that it could also lower hemoglobin A1c, a measure of long-term blood sugar control.
A 2018 review reported that cinnamon could reduce hemoglobin A1c in people with type 2 diabetes by 0.27% to 0.83%Trusted Source. It also reduced fasting blood sugar levels by up to 52.2 mg per deciliter.
However, researchers also noted that more studies are needed to understand its effects.
Cinnamon should not be used in place of medications or diet and lifestyle changes to manage blood sugar levels.
Postprandial blood sugar refers to your blood sugar level after eating. Blood sugar levels can increaseTrusted Source quite a bit after you eat depending on the size of the meal and how many carbs it contains.
These blood sugar shifts can increase levels of oxidative stress and inflammation, which can damage your body’s cells and contribute to chronic disease.
Cinnamon can help keep these blood sugar spikes after meals in check. Some research suggests that it does this by slowing down the rate at which food empties out of your stomach.
Other studiesTrusted Source suggest that it may lower blood sugar following meals by blocking digestive enzymes that break down carbs.
In addition to supporting blood sugar management, cinnamon may also lower the risk of certain complications such as heart disease and stroke.
Diabetes has also been increasingly linkedTrusted Source
to the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia,
with some people now referring to Alzheimer’s disease as type 3 diabetes. However, the classification of type 3 diabetes is highly controversial, and the medical community does not widely accept it.
Cassia
cinnamon can be derived from a few different species of Cinnamomum
trees. It’s generally inexpensive and is found in most food products and
the spice aisle of the grocery store.
On the other hand, Ceylon is specifically derived from the Cinnamomum verum tree. It’s typically more expensiveTrusted Source and less widely available, but studies have shown that it contains more antioxidants.
Because of this, it’s possible that Ceylon cinnamon may offer more health benefits.
Although
several animal and test-tube studies have highlighted the benefits of
Ceylon cinnamon, most studies demonstrating the health benefits of
cinnamon in humans have used the Cassia variety.
Cassia
cinnamon is not only lower in antioxidants but also high in a
potentially harmful substance called coumarin, an organic substance
found in many plants.
Several studies in rats have shown coumarin can be toxicTrusted Source to the liver in large doses, leading to concern that it may cause liver damage in humans as well.
Accordingly, the European Food Safety Authority has set the tolerable daily intakeTrusted Source
for coumarin at 0.045 mg per pound (lb.), or 0.1 mg per kilogram (kg).
Using average coumarin levels for Cassia, this would be equivalent to
about half a teaspoon (2.5 g) of cinnamon per day for a 165-pound
person.
Cassia cinnamon is particularly high in
coumarin, and you can easily consume more than the upper limit by taking
Cassia cinnamon supplements or even eating large amounts of it in
foods.
However, Ceylon cinnamon contains much lower
amounts of coumarin, and it would be difficult to consume more than the
recommended amount of coumarin with this type.
Keep in mind that there’s limited information on the long-term safety
of cinnamon supplements for children and people who are pregnant or
nursing. Additionally, people with diabetes who take medications or
insulin should talk with a doctor before adding cinnamon to their daily
routine.
How much should you take?
Cinnamon’s benefits for lowering blood sugar
are well-researched. Despite this, there isn’t a consensus on how much
you should consume to reap the potential benefits while avoiding
potential risks.
However,
keep in mind that the coumarin content of Cassia cinnamon can vary.
That’s why it may be best to stick to lower doses of around 0.5 to 1 g
of Cassia cinnamon per day to avoid surpassing the tolerable daily
intake of coumarin.
On the other hand, Ceylon cinnamon contains significantly less coumarin and can be consumed safely in higher doses.
Be
sure to speak with a doctor before adding cinnamon supplements to your
routine. To avoid adverse health effects, you may want to start with a
lower dose and work your way up.
Many
studies have suggested that cinnamon can lower blood sugar and help
manage common diabetes complications, among other health benefits.
If
you want to take a cinnamon supplement or add it to your meals to help
lower your blood sugar, it may be best to use Ceylon instead of Cassia.
Despite its higher price point, it contains more antioxidants and less
potentially harmful coumarin.
It’s a good idea to speak
with your doctor before adding significant doses of cinnamon to your
diet. And if you have diabetes or prediabetes, you shouldn’t use it as a
replacement for your medication.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cinnamon-and-diabetes
