How to actually lose weight

Why regulating blood sugar matters for weight

Fat accumulates according to one rule — the same for everyone. Until you know it, you won’t lose a single kilogram.

The body's priority is balance. The research frames weight management around blood sugar rather than calorie counting: when blood-sugar levels fall, the body begins to "burn" stored fat as fuel; when carbohydrate intake is high, the body preferentially stores. Strict crash diets tend to backfire — they slow the metabolism as the body adapts to fewer calories and enters a "saving" mode, burning less fat, so that returning to normal eating leads to faster fat accumulation than before. Regulating blood sugar is presented as more sustainable than restriction.

How to regulate blood sugar

You lose weight when you don’t eat, but if you go without food for too long, your body’s metabolic rate will slow down, so when you start eating plenty of carbohydrates again, your body will quickly regain the fat you’ve lost… What’s more, if you restrict your food intake too much, life won’t be much fun and the diet simply won’t work…

You don’t necessarily have to rush straight away to join the fanciest gym or start training for a marathon… You could simply do as few as 50 squats, at home or at work… Bends or little jumps – you don’t need any equipment or money for that, you just need to overcome your laziness. Decide not to use the lift and always take the stairs wherever you go. Never look for a free parking space right by the shopping center entrance; instead, park in the furthest corner – you’ll find a space and get some exercise on your way back with your shopping.

High-GI foods still need limiting

The highest GI is found in liquid, sweet products: any lemonade, juice, rice milk, even carrot juice and tea with honey — and it does not matter whether the sugar is sucrose, glucose, lactose, fructose, dextrose or any other "-ose." Also high-GI: wheat flour, and worst of all flour combined with sugar (buns, biscuits, waffles, jam on bread — even homemade). Better choices are lower-GI, slower-absorbing carbohydrates: fish, meat and vegetables (freely), wholegrains in moderation. The aim is not hunger but smarter carbohydrate choices.

What else has a high GI? Flour (wheat). Never mind the pasta – that’s not the worst of it; it’s worse when flour is combined with sugar: buns, biscuits, waffles, jam on bread…

What should you choose, what should you eat? Opt for foods with a lower GI and carbohydrates that are digested more slowly (fish, meat and vegetables – as much as you like): wholegrain products, buckwheat, oats, potatoes, beans… No juices – if you want fruit, eat it with the fiber rather than drinking the juice.

Which medicinal mushrooms lower blood sugar and cholesterol?

Auricularia auricula-judae polysaccharides — the active compounds of this medicinal mushroom — are studied for lowering blood glucose and improving the lipid profile. Because elevated blood sugar and an unfavorable lipid profile often travel together, an ingredient studied for both can support the same underlying goal.