you're eating healthy but you're not seeing results you're doing green smoothies oatmeal and plant-based swaps checking all of the boxes but what if I told you that some of the most popular health foods might actually be keeping you insulin resistant today I'm going to be breaking down six foods that are marketed as healthy but that could be sabotaging your blood sugar and I'll show you exactly how to swap them or fix them if you've been struggling to lose weight to better balance your blood sugar and your hormones then this video is for you hi I'm Kate a nutritionist who specializes in insulin resistance blood sugar control and metabolic health i have helped hundreds of clients reverse insulin resistance pre-diabetes and PCOS all without calorie counting or restrictive diets now today's video isn't about fear-mongering or telling you these foods are bad it's about learning how they affect your body if you're insulin resistant and simple tweaks you can make to turn things around so let's start by talking about why this all matters insulin resistance happens gradually it's fueled by repeated blood sugar spikes high insulin and chronic inflammation and many foods that are marketed as healthy can quietly contribute to this process even without you realizing it and if insulin resistance isn't addressed it doesn't just block fat loss it also drives hormone imbalances it causes energy crashes and cravings and eventually it will progress to pre-diabetes and type two diabetes the good news is that knowledge is power and today I'm giving you the knowledge to spot these hidden culprits and make smarter choices starting off with number six overripe bananas yes bananas are fruit and yes bananas are natural but that doesn't mean they don't spike blood sugar as bananas ripen they convert their starches into simple sugars a very ripe banana has a glycemic index similar to a cookie for someone with insulin resistance eating an overly ripe banana can cause a huge blood sugar spike followed by a blood sugar crash this leads to cravings and more hunger most people don't realize that natural sugar still acts the same in your body as table sugar when it comes to the insulin response now like I said I'm not trying to say that bananas are bad but there are some ways you can make them more blood sugar and insulin resistance friendly the first way is by choosing bananas that are slightly green less ripe means less sugar you can also pair them with a source of protein or fat like nut butter cottage cheese or Greek yogurt pairing carbohydrates with a source of protein and fat helps to slow down the digestion if they're digested slower then there's less of a blood sugar spike and less insulin is needed all at once and this makes them a little bit better for blood sugar control and improving insulin resistance number five green juices you see green and you think healthy but most green juices are a blood sugar nightmare the base is often apple pineapple or pear juice with a tiny handful of spinach thrown in for color a small bottle of green juice can pack a whopping 30 to 50 grams of sugar as much or more than a soda and because it's in liquid form it's digested extremely quickly leading to a bigger blood sugar response than if you were to eat the fruit whole some better strategies if you still want a green drink choose juices that are mostly vegetables like cucumber celery spinach and parsley or even better eat your fruit and vegetables whole when you eat these foods instead of drinking them you still get the fiber which also helps to slow down digestion less of a blood sugar spike less insulin i think you know what I'm getting at by now number four plant-based meat alternatives if something's labeled plant-based it might sound like it should be healthy but fake meats are highly processed most are made with refined starches soy protein isolates vegetable oils and additives they often also contain hidden sugars to improve flavor and texture a lot of plant-based burgers out there actually have more carbohydrates in them than they do protein if you're insulin resistant you want to be eating mainly whole food and stay away from this processed junk as often as you can animal protein is always going to be the better option the protein that's in meat animal products and seafood is more bioavailable than the protein in plants our bodies can absorb more of it and it doesn't come with the additional carbohydrate load number three oatmeal oatmeal is often called the perfect breakfast but it's not so perfect if you're insulin resistant even steel cut oats or rolled oats are very high in carbohydrates and cause a blood sugar spike een alone oatmeal causes a sharp spike in blood sugar and if you're eating the flavored instant kind it's basically a dessert better ways to eat oatmeal if you still do want to include it are to add protein like a scoop of clean protein powder collagen or Greek yogurt add fat such as nut butter chia seeds flax seed or coconut oil and always avoid the instant packets that are loaded with sugar building oatmeal with a source of protein and fat makes it a much more blood sugar and insulin friendly breakfast number two low-fat yogurt low-fat yogurt has been a diet culture favorite for decades but it's one of the sneakiest blood sugar traps when the fat is removed that means we digest the carbohydrates in it quicker again leading to a bigger blood sugar spike and when we remove the fat to compensate for loss flavor most brands load it up with sugar sometimes 20 grams or more low-fat dairy doesn't keep you full in the way that full fat versions do which means more snacking and cravings later a better choice would be a full fat unsweetened Greek yogurt way more blood sugar and appetite friendly and finally number one oat milk this is the worst offender on the list it's trendy it's everywhere but oat milk is basically liquid sugar processing oats into milk removes the fiber concentrates the starches and leaves you with something that spikes your blood sugar in the same way or even worse than soda and many brands also add sugar and inflammatory oils the next time you go to buy an oat milk read the nutritional label oftent times the second ingredient is oil if it's not sugar some better alternatives are to choose unsweetened almond milk macadamia milk or coconut milk because they are naturally low in carbohydrates and won't spike your blood sugar in the same way again also make sure they don't have the added oil so by now you can probably see how making these small tweaks can make a huge difference but I do want to say that it's not about cutting everything out it's about building your meals smartly starting with protein not fearing healthy fat and being smart about carbs and if you want a full road mapap on how to do this I released a video a couple weeks ago on the best foods you can eat for insulin resistance so I'll link that up above and you can check it out afterwards but if you're looking for a little bit more guidance and support I do have a 3-day blood sugar reset this reset includes a shopping list a sample meal plan and also additional support from me through a private Facebook group i'll put the link up above if you want to check it out and you can use code YouTube to save 10% you don't have to do this alone small changes in consistency lead to big results now I want to hear from you guys which of the foods on this list surprised you let me know in the comments down below and don't forget to subscribe if you're looking for more videos on insulin resistance blood sugar all of the good stuff i upload two to three per week so click that subscribe button thanks guys for watching and I'll see you in the next one bye