Regular exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. However, it can be worrisome for people with diabetes or those monitoring their blood sugar levels because exercise can cause blood sugar levels to spike. In this blog post, we will explore the reasons behind blood sugar spikes during exercise and provide additional strategies to manage them effectively.
Regular exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. However, it can be worrisome for people with diabetes or those monitoring their blood sugar levels because exercise can cause blood sugar levels to spike. In this blog post, we will explore the reasons behind blood sugar spikes during exercise and provide additional strategies to manage them effectively.
We had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Hillary Meisner, a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and a Type 1 Diabetic. Hillary is a mom of three beautiful girls, a dog mom, and is passionate about health and wellness, specifically in the space of blood sugar management. In this interview, we learn more about Hillary’s definition of healthy, what led her to her career in health and wellness, and the biggest tip she gives her clients when they first come to her for help.
What does healthy mean to you?
Healthy means something different to everybody. For me, healthy is about being the best that you can be and living a life of moderation where you do what you can to keep whatever works for your body working properly. It means being active and enjoying where you can be in your life. Healthy involves lifestyle, nutrition, sleep, stress, and movement. When you can get these in balance with one another, you can lead your healthiest life.
What led you to your career in health and wellness?
I always loved health and wellness. I was active in sports in high school and loved everything about cooking. When my twins were born, one of them was allergic to everything but wheat, and I was newly diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic. I had to navigate a whole new world with a toddler, and I had to find ways to determine what I could feed my daughter. It made me like a mad scientist in the kitchen. I found an opportunity to take the health coaching course at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, which I did and loved, and I became a certified health coach there. Then I found the Nutritional Therapy Association and went for my nutrition certification, and my entire world opened up. I realized this is a great career that fits my passion, and I get to help people navigate in a way that they don’t feel lost.
What would be the biggest tip or tips that you normally give clients when they first come to you and they are struggling?
The one thing that is a commonality is people feel lost. They’re given a piece of paper or a prescription, but they’re not given a roadmap to get there. The biggest component that people miss is tracking what’s going on in relation to what their goal is. For example, if their goal is strictly to lose weight or if their goal is to get their A1C down in three months, we start with what they’re eating, when they’re eating, and what their body is telling them. Tracking helps us see the bigger picture, including what they’re feeling, such as tiredness, hunger, and headaches. It’s important to listen to the cues that your body sends you.
What do you wish more people understood about blood sugar?
The biggest thing is that blood sugar regulation plays a role in every aspect of your body as part of your physiology. It doesn't just affect people with diabetes or metabolic dysfunction. Every cell in your body relates to something that happens with blood sugar and your endocrine system, with your hormones. Understanding how to regulate your blood sugar is essential for living a healthy life.
What is your favorite food?
Pizza. I'm a New Yorker, and I love the sensory experience of walking down the streets of Manhattan and smelling the pizza. If I could only bring one food with me to a desert island, it would be pizza.
Is there any way that you make your pizza slightly more diabetic-friendly?
I have a strategy where I plan for pizza. I'll make almost like a zucchini pizza where I'll shred up some zucchini and use Parmesan cheese in the crust and a couple of other cheeses to bind it together with some egg. It's more like a zucchini cheesy bread than a pizza. Or I'll get a super thin crust pizza, which happens to be one of my favorites. When you can bulk up a pizza with some veggies, it helps.
What is your favorite nutrition hack?
My favorite nutrition hack is finding ways to enjoy your favorite foods without spiking your blood sugar. One of my personal favorites is chia seed pudding. I keep it in my fridge so I can have my treat when I want it, and I know that it's not going to spike my blood sugar.
Which health trend do you wish would end?
The idea that there's only one right way to be healthy or manage diabetes. There's no specific diabetic diet or protocol for anybody. Everyone's body is different, and what works for one person might not work for another. Instead of following trends or canceling out certain ways of living, we should find space in the wellness industry for everyone's unique needs. Another thing that should end is the stigma surrounding mental health. We need to start treating mental health with the same importance as physical health.
Hillary’s passion for health and wellness is contagious, and she truly wants to help her clients navigate their way to a healthier life. Thank you, Hillary, for sharing your story and tips with us!
If you would like to see more from Hillary or work with her she can be found on Instagram @TheMeisnermethod
Today, we interview Baylee Reller who is a passionate and dedicated registered dietitian who specializes in helping clients achieve their health goals through personalized nutrition plans. With a focus on fat-loss and blood sugar monitoring, Baylee works one-on-one with her clients to develop sustainable and practical strategies that fit their unique lifestyles. Her holistic approach to nutrition takes into account each client's individual needs, preferences, and medical history to create tailored meal plans and lifestyle recommendations that lead to long-term success. With Baylee's guidance and support, clients can improve their overall health and well-being, while feeling empowered and confident in their ability to make lasting changes.
Mallory Nowak is a Functional Nutritionist (FNTP), licensed RESTART® instructor and proud founder of The Type 2 Transformation Program.
In 2013, she received a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition & Food Science from California State University, Sacramento before continuing her education through the Nutritional Therapy Association in 2017.
Mallory uses a functional approach to help people with Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes repair their blood sugar and A1C naturally. Improved numbers with fewer medications is the ultimate goal for her clients, who regularly celebrate A1C results in the non-diabetic range while doctors happily reduce or eliminate their medications.
As a self-proclaimed lifelong learner, Mallory’s work fulfills her greatest passion: educating, supporting and guiding the community she has fostered toward optimal health.
Selena De Vries is a Registered Dietitian specialized in Celiac Disease. Living with celiac herself, she helps others improve their symptoms and boost confidence so they can live life unrestricted. She shared with us some of her favorite gluten-free replacements for baking, her inspiration for becoming an RDN, and advice for those who may suspect […]
What inspired you to become an RD and diabetes educator? Well, in the beginning, I thought I wanted to do OBGYN. After a diagnosis of celiac, I realized how involved I could be and how much of a difference I can make by serving patients one on one and I wanted more bedside manner. So, I changed my degree to pre-med and nutrition to be more
I was always obsessed with nutrition from a very young age. I was an athlete, and I was always trying to find ways to become a better athlete, so this led me to experiment with my diet and food. I could really see how different foods made me feel a certain way, train better, train differently so it just was super fascinating to me. So, I said hey, why not just make this my job.
The founder of Gorham Consulting Group, Jenna Gorham RD, LN has created a brand marketing agency that helps connect health-driven brands to dietitians. Jenna spoke to us about her day-to-day, the importance of calories, and her advice for anyone starting a new diet. – What inspired you to become an RD? “I was originally inspired […]
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This week, we sat down with Kristen Carli, a Registered Dietitian who specializes in Vegetarian Nutrition as well as Integrative and Functional Nutrition. Kristen provides evidence-based, personalized nutrition counseling and she is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.
To help educate us about Type 1 Diabetes and observe American Diabetes Month, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Mary Ellen Phipps shared with us some of her favorite diabetic-friendly meals and snacks, her inspiration to becoming an RDN, and advice for those living with diabetes.
