Response to Glucose Goddess: The 'Correct' Order to Eat Your Meals for Healthy Glucose/Insulin

Recently, the 'Glucose Goddess' appeared on the 'Feel Better, Live More' podcast with Dr Rangan Chatterjee.

One of the most common topics I have been tagged in over the past 12 months is the idea that there is a 'correct' order to eat your foods.

Vegetables/fibre first, then protein, then starches/sugars.

This idea is not without merit. There is actually a fair amount of research that supports the notion that food order can influence your glucose and insulin levels.

But, this is still a somewhat controversial idea because a couple of leaps are made for how important this is for people who don't have blood sugar-related issues. The claim that these will have significant impacts on your health (if you do not have diabetes or prediabetes) is not something that has a huge amount of evidence supporting it.

Also, like the trend of people monitoring their blood glucose, there is a risk that it goes too far.

For example, people are scared of eating 'naked' carbohydrates, and I have seen numerous videos on social media platforms of people measuring their blood glucose response to nutritious foods (like fruit and lentils) and then suggesting these are not healthy because their glucose levels rose significantly afterward.

If you try to keep your glucose as low as possible at all times, this can actually nudge you towards less healthy diets, as you could inevitably become more carb-phobic, and also protein-phobic in favour of a very high-fat consumption.

No joke, I saw someone talking about how great it was that their blood sugar stayed low when consuming bacon and eggs fried in animal fat, whereas their blood sugar rose a little bit when eating blueberries.

That is an example of when continuous glucose monitoring, and glucose manipulating in general, can go too far.

References:
- Eating vegetables before carbohydrates improves postprandial glucose excursions
- Food Order Has a Significant Impact on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Levels
- Consuming Carbohydrates after Meat or Vegetables Lowers Postprandial Excursions of Glucose and Insulin in Nondiabetic Subjects
- Meal sequence and glucose excursion, gastric emptying and incretin secretion in type 2 diabetes: a randomised, controlled crossover, exploratory trial
- The impact of food order on postprandial glycemic excursions in prediabetes
- Effects of fat on gastric emptying of and the glycemic, insulin, and incretin responses to a carbohydrate meal in type 2 diabetes
- Effects of a Protein Preload on Gastric Emptying, Glycemia, and Gut Hormones After a Carbohydrate Meal in Diet-Controlled Type 2 Diabetes
- Effect of eating vegetables before carbohydrates on glucose excursions in patients with type 2 diabetes
A simple meal plan of 'eating vegetables before carbohydrate' was more effective for achieving glycemic control than an exchange-based meal plan in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes
- Manipulating the sequence of food ingestion improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients under free-living conditions
- A Review of Recent Findings on Meal Sequence: An Attractive Dietary Approach to Prevention and Management of Type 2 Diabetes
- Lemon juice, but not tea, reduces the glycemic response to bread in healthy volunteers: a randomized crossover trial
- Vinegar consumption can attenuate postprandial glucose and insulin responses; a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials
- Tomato juice preload has a significant impact on postprandial glucose concentration in healthy women: A randomized cross-over trial
- Eating Fast Has a Significant Impact on Glycemic Excursion in Healthy Women: Randomized Controlled Cross-Over Trial
- Divided consumption of late-night-dinner improves glycemic excursions in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized cross-over clinical trial

[TheMinistryIsWatching]

Inchauspé mentions in her video: Eat your food in the Right Order that the simple solution to eating a burger, sandwich, and things that are mixed together would be to have a small vegetable side before that mixed meal and it would still have the same effect of lowering the glucose spike. This way of eating is useful to lessen the risk of pre-diabetes even in healthy looking individuals that are not overweight. Diabetes can affect fit looking people as well since diabetes is a lifestyle issue greatly involving eating habits. There are many bulking body builders with terrible diets high in fats and sugars at risk for heart-disease and diabetes. I think that her methods can be useful to people who would like to safely bulk up mass. It may even be useful to injured bodybuilders that were consuming high amounts of calories post-injury to gradually reduce their ‘empty’ calories like refined starches and sugars and remain faithful to the nutrient dense foods due to less cravings. 🙂

[marieperrott]

I find her useful because I'm diabetic. Where her stuff helps is say for example is if I was going out to eat, I'd have a veggie starter or side and eat it first. I'd ask for a burger without a bun or not eat the whole bun or if I'm treating myself to Sunday lunch, which order I'd eat it in. Diabetes can feel like food prison, so anything that helps is appreciated. It's a minefield of different advice and recommendations, but I like her stuff. I especially get sick of having to make every meal from scratch.

[sylviaanne]

I grew up vegetarian, and always thought my diet enough not to have many health problems, like my parents have been.
As I've gotten older, moved around, etcetera, I developed a poor diet without fully realizing it. I started getting all kinds of health problems. I am not diabetic, but I got leg swelling, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. One after the other. I found that video you're reviewing and changed my food order. I've lost over 20 pounds, and I feel like my mood is stable regardless of several hurtful situations. I have never felt like that before. It's so much better!! I can't believe how many people don't know anything about the human body! Knowledge really does give us power.

[Nika]

You were totally missing her point.
She is not suggesting a religion of way of eating but good healthier habits to eat when it’s comfortable that make a change.
You can eat a small salad before your burger and then have your burger normally. A burger isn’t a health food choice so anyway you probably don’t eat it daily. Other foods you eat daily are likely more convenient to eat in the order she is suggesting, in many times it’s very convenient to have your protein before your carbs but most importantly just have your veggies first and your sweet snacks as desserts at the end of your lunch or dinner.
Even if you haven’t discovered a health concern due to diet yet healthy habits are still better for you, if you are not ready it’s your thing only but health education might help others that want to listen.

[bassunderscoreharmonic]

Doesn't she also say not to do this if it's not for you

[mercuri]

In the mediterranean countries, Spain, Italy, etc we eat the vegetables first or a salad and then the main course..that's why people have lived active for nearly 100 years.

[fkrbueh]

Other things that help. 
1. slow and mindful eating
2 go for a walk afterwards..

[bballmaster]

Closest thing to this is like if I’m eating at a buffet or a work lunch where I make my own plate. I prioritize my meat and vegetables first then scoop on my carbs last because the protein and fiber will be more filling.

[internetfasting]

Just toss everything in a blender and call it a day 😂

[kymhocaluk]

If you’re not diabetic, no worries, you can eat anything you want.
I found her helpful.

[lindaed]

Jessie says eats salad 1st then your whole burger as is. She’s not being unrealistic there.

[joellenlevitre]

I've decided to eat some raw veggies before meals when the food is "mixed"...like casseroles, soup, sandwiches. For me it's worth the effort.

[dannywalshft]

After listening to one of those podcasts I thought the whole point was the convenience and simplicity of the method, going to extremes is missing the point of the convenience. If its not practical for a certain meal dont do it.

[CowCast]

I have diabetes and still wouldn’t eat like that.

[angela]

As a person with Type 2, I’m wondering if this means if I had a plate of crudite while I’m making dinner, it would mean better sugar control after the meal.

[jamersbazuka]

She doesn't pathologize absolute blood glucose (she generally advocates eating what you were already planning on eating anyway), but the spike and crash therein. Also, her target audience are those who have chronic issues that aren't being aleviated through normal treatment.

[thesowknow]

I think that you should watch her videos. But I understand that you are talking thinking about those people that will not research for more info. But her ideas are not focused on crazy and extreme ways to eat is just giving you some ideas that can improve your life in general, because glucose spikes can disturb you. (making you tired, having cravings and …)

[samanthapearson]

Haha I feel called out for being weird - never heard of this advice before, but I always eat the inners of a burger or sandwich first and then the bread lol. Call me weird but I don't want to fill up on boring bread, so I eat the good bits first and then the bread if I'm hungry 😋

[shaunam]

I'm not diabetic but I used a CGM for 37 days and learned a lot about my body. I also got my type 2 diabetic bf to wear one. For ME, the non diabetic, it doesn't seem to matter. I should note that I AM insulin resistant, even though I'm not diabetic or even pre-diabetic. My bf is full blown type 2 though, and it absolutely matters for him if he's not eating the whole meal at once. He ate chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant, then of course had to wait for his main meal, and his bg went over 300 that night. 👀 He can eat a Mexican meal I make at home, chips and everything, and only go up to 160. But he's eating it all at once. We've not played around with him eating veg first, the protein, then carbs, but eating a carb heavy appetizer, then his meal, is just awful for him. I can't imagine it matters all that much when you're eating it all at once.

[SovereignSelf]

I don’t think she means to pick at your food and break it down and separate it. Just eat a handful of vegetables first- like as an appetizer then have your burger