PGX & Diabetes
Dr. Ben,
I took your advice and ordered the book by Dr. Murray on diabetes. Very good! He recommended taking PGX before meals to lower the amount of glucose absorbed. There was nothing on the label about PGX interfering with the absorption of vitamins, supplements, and prescription drugs, but that issue concerns me. Do you know anything about PGX and how I can take that as well as my vitamin supplements and metformin?
Diane Meyers
Answer:
Diane -
I have located the answers for you.
From the PGX website:
Can I take PGX with medications? "It is recommended that any oral medication be taken 1 hour before PGX and/or 2 to 3 hours after consuming PGX softgels or granules."
Can I take PGX with supplements?
"There is no problem taking PGX along with all your supplements including essential fatty acids (EFAs) and multivitamins/multiminerals. PGX slows down the rate of absorption of foods, vitamins or supplements, but overall absorption of nutrients is enhanced because nutrients are more gradually introduced to the gastrointestinal system and blood sugar levels are balanced when taking PGX."
Find the source of the information here
I will look into bringing PGX onto the HealthE Goods website. It appears to be an effective product.
If you eat typically any form of complex carbohydrates (ie. whole grain breads, seeds, nuts, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, wild rice, etc), your blood sugar absorption will be slower.
Also if you eat some form of healthy fats, your blood sugar absorption will also be slower. However, if you eat trans fats, your blood sugar will rise albeit a few hours later. I do not know why trans fats raise blood sugar levels - but I know they do.
Eating balanced protein with each meal also helps maintain blood sugar.
So, in brief, if you eat your meals with:
- protein such as beans, nuts, quinoa, grass-fed beef, free range hormone free chicken and wild salmon (not farmed salmon. Anything labeled Atlantic Salmon is farmed).
- whole grains such as quinoa, chia seeds, whole grain breads, wild rice, brown rice
- no to very few trans fats. 0 grams is best.
- olive oil or coconut oil
All the above will significantly reduce spikes of sugar absorption.
Consider obtaining Chia Seeds. We have a recipe for the gel right on the package. They are also quite filling so they help people lose weight.
Consider obtaining Quinoa. The White Quinoa is most common and I recommend it for those eating quinoa for the first time. Look online for excellent quinoa recipes. There are many. Once you are familiar with quinoa, I highly recommend you try Black Quinoa at some point. It is a mixture of flavors so it tastes somewhat like nutty wild rice.
Personally, I' d like you to try and maintain blood sugar levels utilizing simple dietary interventions.
If you find yourself craving carbohydates and sugar, it is likely due to the fact that your meals are not balanced in protein and complex carbs. If meals are not balanced in protein and complex carbs, blood sugar absorption is rapid and insulin overshoots thereby causing a decrease in blood sugar in about 15 minutes. This is known as the ' blood sugar crash' .
Should you still find you have cravings, consider CarbCrave Complex and Satiet-Ease
Should you have further questions, please do ask.
In health,
Dr Ben
PGX & Diabetes
Dr. Ben,
I took your advice and ordered the book by Dr. Murray on diabetes. Very good! He recommended taking PGX before meals to lower the amount of glucose absorbed. There was nothing on the label about PGX interfering with the absorption of vitamins, supplements, and prescription drugs, but that issue concerns me. Do you know anything about PGX and how I can take that as well as my vitamin supplements and metformin?
Diane Meyers
Answer:
Diane -
I have located the answers for you.
From the PGX website:
Can I take PGX with medications? "It is recommended that any oral medication be taken 1 hour before PGX and/or 2 to 3 hours after consuming PGX softgels or granules."
Can I take PGX with supplements?
"There is no problem taking PGX along with all your supplements including essential fatty acids (EFAs) and multivitamins/multiminerals. PGX slows down the rate of absorption of foods, vitamins or supplements, but overall absorption of nutrients is enhanced because nutrients are more gradually introduced to the gastrointestinal system and blood sugar levels are balanced when taking PGX."
Find the source of the information here
I will look into bringing PGX onto the HealthE Goods website. It appears to be an effective product.
If you eat typically any form of complex carbohydrates (ie. whole grain breads, seeds, nuts, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, wild rice, etc), your blood sugar absorption will be slower.
Also if you eat some form of healthy fats, your blood sugar absorption will also be slower. However, if you eat trans fats, your blood sugar will rise albeit a few hours later. I do not know why trans fats raise blood sugar levels - but I know they do.
Eating balanced protein with each meal also helps maintain blood sugar.
So, in brief, if you eat your meals with:
- protein such as beans, nuts, quinoa, grass-fed beef, free range hormone free chicken and wild salmon (not farmed salmon. Anything labeled Atlantic Salmon is farmed).
- whole grains such as quinoa, chia seeds, whole grain breads, wild rice, brown rice
- no to very few trans fats. 0 grams is best.
- olive oil or coconut oil
All the above will significantly reduce spikes of sugar absorption.
Consider obtaining Chia Seeds. We have a recipe for the gel right on the package. They are also quite filling so they help people lose weight.
Consider obtaining Quinoa. The White Quinoa is most common and I recommend it for those eating quinoa for the first time. Look online for excellent quinoa recipes. There are many. Once you are familiar with quinoa, I highly recommend you try Black Quinoa at some point. It is a mixture of flavors so it tastes somewhat like nutty wild rice.
Personally, I' d like you to try and maintain blood sugar levels utilizing simple dietary interventions.
If you find yourself craving carbohydates and sugar, it is likely due to the fact that your meals are not balanced in protein and complex carbs. If meals are not balanced in protein and complex carbs, blood sugar absorption is rapid and insulin overshoots thereby causing a decrease in blood sugar in about 15 minutes. This is known as the ' blood sugar crash' .
Should you still find you have cravings, consider CarbCrave Complex and Satiet-Ease
Should you have further questions, please do ask.
In health,
Dr Ben