
Today I’m chatting with my good friend and certified clinical nutritionist Kelly LeVeque. Kelly is also the best-selling author of several books, a wellness expert, and celebrity health coach. Our talk today centers around blood sugar balance and how women especially can maximize their nutrient intake for healthier, stronger bodies.
Protein is a big key here, but it’s something many of us don’t get nearly enough of. It helps to curb cravings, burn fat, and keep hormones happy. Kelly goes over some practical tips for how to make sure we’re getting enough of this macronutrient. She also reveals some exciting new plant-based protein that’s easy to put in smoothies, baked goods, and more.
We also cover how much carbs we really need (hint: it’s not zero!) and how to choose the healthiest carbs. Kelly also talks about what this looks like during pregnancy and breastfeeding as our needs change. And we cover how to do intermittent fasting in a way that will work to our advantage, not against us.
Kelly does a great job of explaining some of these more complex topics, and I’m sure you’ll learn a lot from today’s episode!
Episode Highlights With Kelly
- Why over 100 million people in the US have diabetes or pre-diabetes, and why this is largely preventable
- The reason we see a rise in these issues, even in children
- Understanding macronutrients at a higher level to make health easier
- Why amino acids and essential fatty acids are important, but we don’t have a dietary need for carbohydrates
- How the body can take protein and create what it needs through gluconeogenesis even if we don’t eat carbs
- Why protein has a zero to minimal effect on blood sugar and why protein is the most satisfying macronutrient
- The reason not eating enough protein leads to overeating and why this is an important survival response
- Metabolic syndrome, elevated blood sugar, diabetes, and inflammatory markers link
- Why carbohydrates in their whole food form are wrapped in fiber and interact with the body differently
- The reason cellular carbohydrates (like apples) are much different in the body than acellular ones (apple juice)
- How pregnancy and breastfeeding increase protein and nutrient demands in a big way
- Why carbs aren’t the enemy
- The reasoning that if low carb is good, no carb is not better and when glucose spikes are good
- A reason to avoid “naked carbohydrates” or carbs on their own
- How to use time-restricted eating to your advantage
- Tips for fasting optimally as a woman and getting enough protein
- How eating protein in the morning and stop eating by 6pm can make a huge difference
Resources We Mention
- Body Love: Live in Balance, Weigh What You Want, and Free Yourself from Food Drama Forever by Kelly LeVeque
- Body Love Every Day: Choose Your Life-Changing 21-Day Path to Food Freedom by Kelly LeVeque
- Be Well by Kelly – website
- Oura Ring
- Levels Glucose Monitor
- Protein powder – (Use code wellnessmama for a discount)
- Time-restricted eating study
- Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
More From Wellness Mama
- 402: How to Use Glucose as a Continuous Health Marker for Metabolic Health With Dr. Casey Means of Levels
- 597: Dr. Kelley-Chew on the Crisis of Metabolic Dysfunction & What to Do About It
- 599: Mara Labs on How to Hack Sleep, Glucose, and Aging with Berberine
- 562: Dr. Chad Walding on Collagen, Protein Consumption and Staying “On the Path”
- 561: Angelo Keely on Essential Amino Acids and Eating More Protein!
- 540: Dr. Stephen Cabral on How to Lower Your Biological Age, Live Longer & Look Younger
- What I Learned From Wearing a Continuous Glucose Monitor
- How to Help Your Body Reverse Diabetes
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