That chocolate pastry catches your eye in the bakery window? Yes, but here it is: you are currently trying to pay attention to your figure. The tip of French biochemist Jessie Inchauspé (known online as @glucosegoddess) could well free you from this dilemma. She claims that by accompanying her sweet portion with another simple food, we could indulge ourselves without upsetting the balance of our body.
Blood sugar: what your dessert triggers in your body
In her post, the scientist draws attention to a discreet but decisive phenomenon: blood sugar peaks. “A chocolate cake is composed mainly of carbohydrates and fast sugars. Once digested, these elements are transformed into glucose and cause blood sugar levels to rise sharply.“, she explains.
This sudden increase is not trivial: it promotes fat storage, triggers bouts of fatigue and fuels cravings. In short, it complicates weight management.
Greek yogurt to lessen the impact
Rather than banning sweets, Jessie Inchauspé recommends a strategy: eat a small portion of protein and good fats before giving in to temptation. For example, 150 g of natural Greek yogurt, to take just before your dessert. “This slows the absorption of sugar and cushions the blood sugar spike that follows“, explains the biochemist.
But this tip, however attractive it may be, is not revolutionary, as Alexandra Murcier, a dietician-nutritionist contacted by True Medical, points out.
“The principle is correct: combining sugars with lipids and proteins effectively limits the rise in blood sugar levels. But this is an old idea, widely known in the context of low glycemic diets.“
These simple alternatives don’t cancel out the calories
Rather than systematically resorting to Greek yogurt, Alexandra Murcier also suggests varied and easy-to-adopt options: “A handful of oilseeds, rich in good fats and proteins, also fulfill this role perfectly. And generally speaking, it is better to eat sweet foods at the end of a meal than as an isolated snack..”
Be careful, however, not to misinterpret these tips: they do not cancel out the calories in dessert. “Eating 500 g of chocolate cake every day, even with Greek yogurt beforehand, will not prevent you from gaining weight. If you are not diabetic, our body already knows how to regulate blood sugar. The main thing is moderation“, insists the dietitian.
And the cider vinegar in all this?
Another piece of advice often relayed by Jessie Inchauspé: drink a large glass of water with a spoonful of cider vinegar before or after a sweet meal. Here again, Alexandra Murcier qualifies: “Yes, vinegar can smooth the blood sugar response. But let’s be honest: who walks around with a bottle of vinegar to accompany a makeshift ice cream? And for sensitive stomachs, it’s sometimes too aggressive.“
Pleasure, yes, but remaining moderate
What this approach highlights, however, is that we can rethink the way we consume sugary foods, without falling into guilt or excess control. However, you should not think that a trick can allow you to multiply sweet dishes without any consequences. Pleasure, but without excess, still remains the best method.