Sometimes, You Just Need Some Broccoli…

It happens to all of us.  No matter how much we prep and plan, there are, inevitably, times when we’re out and about longer than planned and find ourselves hit with a sudden sensation of being absolutely starving.

Starry eyed, dizzy and with a growling stomach is no way to function.

So what to do?  Head straight for the vending machine because it’s ‘easy’?

Heck no.

I had a situation just last week in which I found myself in the grocery store, on errand number 7, and all of a sudden, I needed to eat something.  Immediately.

So I did.

But here’s the catch.  Even though my brain was dipping on energy due to low blood sugar, that did not mean I needed to eat sugar.

I made a beeline right to the broccoli.   And olive oil.  And plain, roasted chicken.  Yes, I was at Whole Foods, so making that choice was far easier compared to if I’d been at a little league game, but then, if the latter had been the case, I’d have brought food with me.

And that meal was heavenly!   I felt back to normal within about 20 minuted and I was back up to speed and being my hyper-productive self.

That day, I simply tried to squeeze too many errands into too small of a time window and as a result, the estimated time away from home and corresponding snacks and meals I brought were insufficient.

So, I did experience what started out as a blood sugar crash, but rather than feed it with sugar, which only would have created a temporary spike followed by an even worse dip, I opted for protein, fat and some complex carbs from the broccoli, nipping the insulin response in the bud and triggering the pancreas to release glucagon in its proxy.

What does this mean?

Simply, I supplied my body with something to use as fuel instead of a sugar and as a result, I balanced out my blood sugar.  Yes, a very rudimentary explanation but really, it is that simple.

Eat balanced meals with some fat, some protein and some complex, natural carbs (True Paleo) and experience steady blood sugar levels throughout the day.

Or, don’t, and enjoy the roller coaster of peaks and crashes all day long, leading, over time, to weight gain, poor concentration, low quality sleep and even diabetes.

Your choice.

I say sometimes, you just need some broccoli.