Home / Diet and Nutrition

Diet and Nutrition

Why Does Eating Less Improve Insulin Sensitivity? Ceramides May Hold Part of the Answer

Healthy meal illustrating how calorie restriction may affect ceramides, adiponectin, and insulin sensitivity.

Why does eating less sometimes improve insulin sensitivity beyond what we might expect from weight loss alone? Human research points to an intriguing connection between ceramides, insulin resistance, and adiponectin. Findings from the CALERIE research program suggest that sustained, moderate calorie restriction changes circulating bioactive lipids in ways that may …

Read More »

Eat Your Carbs Last: Food Sequencing for Better Blood Sugar

Vegetables, grilled chicken, and brown rice arranged in food sequencing order with a glucose meter beside the meal.

Could changing the order of foods on your plate improve blood sugar without changing what you eat? Research on food sequencing for diabetes suggests it may. Eating vegetables, fiber-rich foods, and protein before carbohydrate-rich foods can reduce post-meal glucose rises in some people. Rather than removing rice, bread, pasta, or …

Read More »

Years After Bariatric Surgery, Blood Sugar Can Crash Without Warning. Here’s Why.

Patient checking blood glucose after experiencing symptoms of post-bariatric hypoglycemia

Blood glucose may improve dramatically after metabolic or bariatric surgery. Yet, for some patients, a very different glucose problem develops months or years later. Post-bariatric hypoglycemia can cause sudden drops in blood glucose after meals, with symptoms ranging from sweating and tremor to confusion, seizures, or loss of consciousness. Because …

Read More »

Could Too Much Protein Be Affecting Insulin? Scientists Take a Closer Look

Protein-rich foods alongside a glucose meter and molecular model illustrating how branched-chain amino acid metabolism may influence insulin secretion and diabetes risk.

New research is changing the conversation around protein and metabolic health. For years, high-protein diets have been praised for supporting weight loss, preserving muscle, and improving blood sugar control. However, scientists are now discovering that the story may be more complex. Rather than blaming protein itself, researchers are focusing on …

Read More »

Does It Matter When Your Patients Eat? The New Science of Chrono-Nutrition

Healthy breakfast with a glucose meter and clock illustrating how meal timing and circadian rhythms influence blood sugar control in people with diabetes.

For decades, diabetes management has focused on what patients eat and how much they consume. However, emerging research suggests another factor deserves attention: when they eat. The growing field of chrono-nutrition research in diabetes explores how meal timing interacts with the body’s internal clock to influence glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, …

Read More »

Rethinking Sugar-Free: Are Artificial Sweeteners Raising Cardiovascular Risk?

An anatomical heart model surrounded by erythritol, xylitol, stevia, and a blood glucose meter, illustrating the potential link between artificial sweeteners and cardiovascular risk in people with diabetes.

For years, artificial sweeteners have been promoted as an important strategy for reducing sugar intake in people with diabetes. They help lower carbohydrate intake, reduce post-meal glucose spikes, and support weight management without adding calories. However, recent research has challenged the long-held assumption that all non-nutritive sweeteners are metabolically neutral. …

Read More »

Protecting Muscle While Treating Obesity: New Protein Targets for Older Adults on GLP-1s

Older adult performing strength training with protein-rich foods and muscle anatomy model, illustrating sarcopenia prevention during GLP-1 therapy and obesity treatment.

The rise of highly effective GLP-1 receptor agonists and dual incretin therapies has transformed obesity treatment. Medications such as semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) are helping patients achieve levels of weight loss that were previously difficult to attain without bariatric surgery. However, as clinicians celebrate these advances, a …

Read More »

Fasting With Diabetes: How Clinicians Can Reduce Hypoglycemia and DKA Risk

Blood glucose monitor, insulin supplies, healthy meal, and dates arranged for safe diabetes fasting management

Patients with diabetes are increasingly exploring fasting for religious, cultural, and metabolic health reasons. From Ramadan observance to intermittent fasting trends, many individuals choose to abstain from food and fluids for extended periods despite potential risks. For clinicians, this creates an important challenge. Simply advising patients not to fast often …

Read More »

Is Carb Counting Becoming Obsolete? The Rise of Precision Nutrition in Diabetes Care

Patient using continuous glucose monitoring alongside a healthy meal to support precision nutrition diabetes care and personalized blood sugar management.

A bowl of oatmeal can keep one person’s glucose stable while sending another person’s blood sugar sharply upward. The meal is identical, yet the metabolic response is completely different. That reality is pushing many clinicians to reconsider one of the most established principles in diabetes nutrition: carb counting. The growing …

Read More »

Postprandial Glucose Spikes: Are We Missing the Most Actionable Metric in Diabetes Care?

Glucose meter showing elevated post-meal blood sugar with healthy meal and CGM device illustrating postprandial glucose control

When managing diabetes, most people focus on A1C or time in range. However, what if the real opportunity lies in something more immediate and actionable? Managing post-meal blood sugar, often called postprandial glucose control, may hold the key to better outcomes. While long-term markers still matter, post-meal spikes often go …

Read More »