The Single Most Effective Thing You Can Do for Your Health

The single, most effective thing you can do to prevent and reverse disease, maintain a solid immune system, achieve and maintain goal weight, and extend your health and lifespan is to keep your blood sugar in balance.

Your insulin is blood sugar that enters your bloodstream and signals the pancreas to release sugar (also known as glucose). It helps glucose enter the body's cells so it can be used for energy. Insulin is a hormone, made by the pancreas, to help glucose move properly and keep it steady; and, when this is done efficiently, your pancreas tells your liver to burn more fat; as well as, keep immune system stronger, and bring inflammation down for disease and aging control. We can’t help aging in number of years, but we can slow it down on how we look and feel each day.

So how can we do this and still enjoy life?

The biochemistry of your body is actually very simple. Refined sugars (and saturated fats) cause your pancreas to become too busy keeping up with bad choices to move blood sugar around your bloodstream efficiently and triggers your liver to release chemicals and cause inflammation. When this happens, glucose cannot be transported to your cells when your body is inflamed, which causes disease, low immune system, weight gain, and premature aging; therefore, combining macronutrients properly and adding deliberate physical movement to your day helps your body avoid this, thereby run more efficiently and metabolize more effectively.

Try these simple ways to optimize your health:

Consume a low-refined carbohydrate, lean heme and non-heme unsaturated fat, high-fiber, phytonutrient-rich diet.
Exercise and optimize your VO2 max (maximal oxygen to your body consumption).
Supplement magnesium glycinate (also helps with sleep!), vitamin D3 with K2, and omega-3 fats which support glucose control.
Go outside and get some sun. Even if it’s raining, the sun’s still up there. Natural sunshine keeps your body producing its own vitamin D hormone; it is the only vitamin that works this way. Try to get at least 20 minutes of outside air and sunshine exposure each day to maintain your vitamin D hormone function.
Address personal causes of inflammation from food choices to environmental toxins.
Get an annual physical and bloodwork as your body goes through changes every year; many practitioners specialize in ways to keep you sound and steady.
Get a personalized nutrition and lifestyle plan to help guide you in an everyday way.
Manage stress in natural and effective ways.

Enjoy this anti-inflammatory, low insulin recipe and enjoy the ease of staying healthy:

Crispy quinoa, chickpea, and kale bowl with lemon vinaigrette

⅔ cup quinoa
1 ⅓ cups water plus 1 tablespoon, divided
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 bunch kale, washed, stems removed, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet liberally with cooking spray. Combine quinoa, 1 ⅓ cups water, and ⅛ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain any excess water. Meanwhile, pat chickpeas dry with a paper towel. Toss with onion and 2 teaspoons oil in a large bowl. Spread out on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes. Toss kale with 2 teaspoons oil in the large bowl. Stir the kale into the chickpeas and roast for 15 minutes more.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk mustard, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and the remaining 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

Divide the quinoa among 4 serving bowls. Top with the kale mixture, bell pepper slices, feta, and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Makes 4 servings.

Want to know more and specifically how to achieve your health goals?

Check out my powerful nutrition and lifestyle plans. Whether you choose to get a personalized plan designed for you or a predesigned, anti-inflammatory plan that has helped so many already, now is the time. RNA viruses like COVID are the new Flu; and, as the next season hits, prepare your body. Longevity can be achieved easily with the right information that works.