Health
Eating foods in this order could help with weight loss and blood sugar, experts say
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The order in which you eat foods during meals may affect your health, according to some nutrition experts.
The concept — known as “meal sequencing” — involves first eating fiber-rich, non-starchy vegetables, followed by protein and then fats, before eating the carbohydrates on your plate.
This orderly way of eating may help prevent blood sugar spikes, increase feelings of fullness and help with weight loss, according to nutrition experts who spoke to Fox News Digital.
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“Starting with vegetables, protein and healthy fats — before eating starches or sugary foods — may help blunt post-meal glucose spikes,” Caroline Susie, a registered dietitian based in Dallas, Texas, told Fox News Digital.
“This effect is particularly beneficial for people with insulin resistance, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes,” said Susie, who is also a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The order in which you eat foods during meals may affect your health, according to some nutrition experts. (iStock)
The expert noted, however, that people with diabetes should receive personalized guidance from a medical expert.
Elevated blood sugar levels (known as hyperglycemia) after meals can increase an individual’s risk for type 2 diabetes, according to a UCLA report. Controlling blood sugar levels can help benefit the treatment of diabetes and obesity.
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Previous research published in the journal Nutrients found that patients who followed the meal sequencing method — eating vegetables before refined carbohydrates — showed a significant improvement in glycemic control and blood sugar after a five-year period, while the group that did not follow the approach did not show improvement.
“What causes the sugar spikes is eating too many carbs.”
“What causes the sugar spikes is eating too many carbs,” Sandra J. Arevalo, a New York-based registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Fox News Digital.
“Eating them alone makes it even worse,” she cautioned. “When eating them together with protein and fiber, we are cushioning their effect by slowing their absorption.”
Meal sequencing and weight loss
In addition to lowering blood sugar levels, meal sequencing may also assist with weight loss.
Studies have shown that eating protein before refined carbs promotes the secretion of the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) from the gut, which delays gastric emptying and suppresses appetite.
In addition to lowering blood sugar levels, meal sequencing may also assist with weight loss. (iStock)
“When you eat other foods first — mainly fiber-rich foods — and then you drink water, the fiber from the foods helps you feel satisfied, thus decreasing your appetite,” Arevalo told Fox News Digital.
“And let’s not forget that fiber also helps to reduce the absorption of sugar in the blood, helping to cushion your sugar levels.”
All carbs not created equal
Complex carbohydrates — such as most vegetables, beans and legumes — are rich in fiber and slow to digest, which causes a gradual rise in blood sugar levels, according to the UCLA report.
Refined carbohydrates — such as sugar, white rice and white flour — have higher glycemic levels, which are easier to break down and contribute to faster blood sugar spikes.
As nutrition experts pointed out, eating fiber before refined carbohydrates can help slow the carbs’ absorption, which helps blood sugar levels stay lower during digestion.
Eating fiber before refined carbohydrates can help slow the carbs’ absorption, which helps blood sugar levels stay lower during digestion. (iStock)
To assist with healthier food choices and to monitor blood sugar levels after a meal, experts recommend using a food rating system called the glycemic index.
This rating scale determines how quickly certain foods can cause blood sugars to rise and fall, according to the UCLA report.
Getting started
For those interested in trying meal sequencing, Susie laid out the following steps.
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- Start with eating non-starchy vegetables first, as the fiber slows digestion.
- Eat protein and healthy fats. This will promote feelings of fullness and slow glucose absorption.
- Eat the carbohydrates last, as this may lead to “lower glucose excursions,” Susie said.
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Everyone reacts differently to different meal plans, Arevelo noted.
Both dietitians emphasized the importance of working with a licensed registered dietitian nutritionist who can help with planning balanced meals and monitoring blood sugar levels.
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Fireworks have been a quintessential part of Fourth of July celebrations across the nation for generations.
But as Independence Day festivities light up the night sky, the colorful displays can also pose serious health risks — especially to the lungs.
Nearly 300 million pounds of fireworks are released into the atmosphere each year in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association. This creates smoke filled with tiny particles, as well as gases like sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, which are “very harmful to our lungs.”
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The smoke from fireworks can also release harmful metals, like aluminum, manganese and cadmium, into the air.
Some illegal fireworks may contain lead, which the association describes as “extremely dangerous” due to its potential to cause lasting health damage.
Attendees watch the Independence Day fireworks display along the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“Inhaling any of these chemicals can irritate the lungs, making it hard to breathe and causing serious health problems, which is why it is important to avoid firework smoke whenever possible,” the group said in a public advisory.
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Air pollution levels increase by an average of 42% on the Fourth of July, according to a 2015 study.
Smoke from fireworks can worsen symptoms and cause flare-ups in those who have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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Fine particle pollution has also been linked to more serious health consequences, including heart attacks, stroke, lung cancer and premature death, according to the American Lung Association.
The organization warned that children, older adults and pregnant women, as well as people with lung and heart disease, are especially vulnerable.
Smoke from fireworks can worsen symptoms and cause flare-ups in those who have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. (iStock)
Dr. Afif El-Hasan, member of the Lung Association’s board of directors, shared some advice for high-risk fireworks spectators in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Instead of using fireworks at home, El-Hasan recommends watching them from a distance.
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People with asthma who use a rescue inhaler should keep it close at hand in case fireworks trigger wheezing or other symptoms, the expert advised. Wearing a well-fitting N95 mask can also help reduce exposure to fine particles from fireworks smoke and debris.
“If you are familiar with the area and the wind patterns, try to be upwind from the fireworks display and avoid areas where smoke may accumulate,” he said.
An expert recommends watching fireworks from a distance to avoid exposure to air pollution. (iStock)
The expert also recommends attending fireworks events with friends or family, so someone is available to help if a medical emergency arises.
“Make sure you have taken all of your preventative medication before a fireworks show,” El-Hasan advised. “If possible, take a car to the fireworks display. Try to park as close as possible to the event in case you have to get to the car quickly.”
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The expert also recommends drinking water immediately after the show to clear the upper airway. Changing and washing clothes upon returning home can also help to prevent smoke particles from accumulating in the home.
If case of shortness of breath or chest pain, it’s important to seek medical care immediately.
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A study of World Trade Center responders found that PTSD is associated with molecular changes linked to accelerated biological aging and a higher risk of chronic disease.
The study, led by Stony Brook University in New York, could offer new clues to the long-term physical health effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The researchers tested blood samples from 393 WTC responders, collected approximately 18 years after the September 11, 2001, attacks, according to a university press release.
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Out of the sampled responders, 232 were diagnosed with PTSD and 161 were not. Between the two groups, 114 proteins and seven metabolites were significantly different.
Firefighter Gerard McGibbon, of Engine 283 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, prays after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed on September 11, 2001. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
In particular, the researchers detected changes in blood markers linked to brain function, immune activity, energy metabolism, protection against cell damage and how cells communicate and repair tissues.
Also reported were signs of accelerated biological aging in multiple organs — including the heart, kidneys, liver and lungs — among responders with PTSD.
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These discoveries could help explain why people with long-term PTSD are at greater risk for chronic conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, cognitive decline and other age-related illnesses.
“This study found that chronic PTSD is associated with long-lasting biological changes throughout the body, affecting multiple organs and biological systems decades after their traumatic exposure,” lead study author Benjamin Luft, director and principal investigator at the Stony Brook WTC Wellness Program, told Fox News Digital.
“Traumatic experiences can produce lasting biological changes that persist for decades.”
The study reinforces the view that PTSD is a “whole-body illness” rather than simply a mental health disorder, he noted.
“Traumatic experiences can produce lasting biological changes that persist for decades,” Luft said. “These changes appear to accelerate aspects of biological aging and may increase the risk of many chronic diseases.”
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Several proteins that are critical for healthy brain function were also altered in those with PTSD, the researchers found.
“Many of these proteins play critical roles in helping brain cells communicate with one another, repair damage and maintain healthy connections that support memory and thinking,” Luft said.
A New York firefighter is pictured amid the rubble of the World Trade Center following the 9/11 attacks in 2001. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The study – which was funded in part by the CDC, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and the National Institutes of Health – was published in Nature Communications.
Luft said the findings should be viewed with “cautious optimism.”
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“The research provides compelling evidence that PTSD is associated with long-lasting biological changes throughout the body, including signs of accelerated aging, altered metabolism and changes in proteins involved in brain health,” he said.
“These findings strengthen the growing recognition that PTSD is not simply a mental health disorder, but a condition that can have lasting effects on physical health as well.”
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Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study but called the results “fascinating.”
“This speaks to the complex reality that PTSD is not an isolated psychiatric event due to emotional trauma alone, but that it is also tied in with physical trauma,” he told Fox News Digital. “The stress is both emotional and physical, and leads directly to immune dysregulation and aging processes.”
“These findings strengthen the growing recognition that PTSD is not simply a mental health disorder, but a condition that can have lasting effects on physical health as well,” the researcher said. (iStock)
“The chronic diseases that resulted from high exposure in the aftermath of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks were conjoined in terms of the impact on physical and emotional well-being, longevity and effects on multiple organ systems, as well as core metabolic and immunological processes,” the doctor added.
Study limitations
There were some limitations to the findings, the researchers noted.
“Because all measurements were taken at one point in time, the research can only show an association — not that PTSD directly caused the changes,” Luft noted.
“We are currently doing studies in these patients examining multiple time points to see whether the changes in specific proteins and metabolites precede clinical changes.”
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Also, because the study was done on a unique population – World Trade Center responders who experienced very specific trauma and environmental exposures – the findings may not apply to everyone with PTSD, “such as combat veterans, survivors of abuse or people who experienced other types of trauma.”
Several proteins that are critical for healthy brain function were also altered in those with PTSD, the researchers found. (iStock)
Women are not well-represented in the study, comprising only 10% of responders.
“Blood tests cannot tell us exactly what is happening inside the brain,” Luft said. “Although many of the altered proteins are related to brain function, blood measurements are only an indirect reflection of processes occurring in the brain.”
Looking ahead
Additional studies are needed to determine whether these blood markers can predict disease progression or treatment response.
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“From a public health and policy perspective, the study reinforces the importance of recognizing PTSD as a chronic medical condition with significant long-term health implications,” Luft said.
“Investing in early diagnosis, comprehensive treatment and long-term follow-up for trauma survivors, including our first responders and veterans, may improve quality of life while reducing the burden of chronic disease.”
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