Having your meal in a particular order could manage blood sugar. How?

India Today

a day ago

We're all used to mixing it all up on our plates - dal tangled with rice, sabzi folded in, a dollop of curd on the side, and a crunchy papad on top. It's how Indian meals have always been: comforting, hearty, and delightfully chaotic.But emerging science suggests that the order in which we eat our food may affect our health more than we realise, especially when it comes to managing blood sugar.advertisementWe need to manage our blood sugar because it gives our body energy. But too much sugar in the blood can hurt our heart, eyes, and kidneys. It can make us feel tired or sick. Keeping it balanced helps us stay strong, feel good, and avoid health problems later.
WHAT IS MEAL SEQUENCING?Meal sequencing, or the practice of eating food in a specific order, is gaining traction among health experts and influencers alike.The idea is simple: eat vegetables first, protein and fats next, and save carbohydrates for last. This, researchers say, can lead to smaller post-meal glucose spikes and improved metabolic health.'Meal sequencing is a dietary strategy that involves consuming components of a meal — such as vegetables, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates — in a specific order to optimise blood sugar control,' explains Shreya Divadkar, Clinical Dietician at Surya Mother and Child Super Speciality Hospital, Pune.'It improves insulin response and metabolic health by slowing the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates when protein, fat, and fiber-rich vegetables are eaten first," she adds.Last month, actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu shared on Instagram that her glucose monitor showed significantly lower sugar spikes when she ate her vegetables first, followed by protein, and then carbs — compared to when she had the same meal without any sequencing. She isn't alone.French biochemist Jessie Inchauspe, famously known as the 'Glucose Goddess,' frequently talks about 'clothing your carbs' — eating fibre-rich veggies first so they form a protective layer in the intestines, slowing the absorption of sugar.HOW IT WORKSThis eating order has a domino effect on digestion. When protein and fat are eaten before carbs, they slow gastric emptying, meaning food leaves the stomach more slowly.Carbohydrates then trickle into the bloodstream gradually instead of spiking all at once, which eases the demand on insulin and reduces stress on the pancreas.'It also triggers incretin hormones like GLP-1, which enhance insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent manner and suppress glucagon,' Divadkar says. Over time, this can help reduce insulin resistance and support long-term blood sugar stability, particularly for people with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes.advertisementIt's Not Just About Blood SugarBeyond managing sugar levels, meal sequencing offers other perks: better digestion, reduced bloating, stable energy levels, fewer cravings, and potentially easier weight management. That's a pretty long list for just changing the order of your bites.Divadkar offers a desi-friendly guide to sequencing:Start with non-starchy vegetables like bhindi, lauki, palak, or salads with cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, and beets.Follow with protein and good fats: think dal, paneer, legumes, eggs, grilled chicken, curd, buttermilk, or nuts and seeds.Finish with carbs such as roti, nachni bhakri, jowar, or daliya.SOUNDS GREAT, BUT IS IT PRACTICAL?Here's the rub: traditional Indian meals are built for mixing. Think dal-chawal, sabzi-roti, or khichdi. Asking someone to eat salad, then dal, and save the roti for last might feel, well, odd. Add busy workdays and family meals into the mix, and sequencing can seem like an unrealistic health hack.Divadkar agrees it's not always easy but insists that small tweaks can go a long way. 'While Indian meals often involve mixing vegetables, dal, and rice together, mindful sequencing is still possible with a few simple changes.Start your meal with salad or sauteed veggies. Even in khichdi or pulao, just up the portion of vegetables and dal compared to rice,' she says. 'The goal isn't to follow strict rules but to make small, practical changes that suit your routine.'advertisementMeal sequencing isn't a magical cure, especially if your overall diet is high in processed foods and sugars. But as part of a mindful eating practice, it might be a surprisingly effective tool for better blood sugar control, digestion, and even mood.- Ends