what is meal sequencing? how the order in which you eat impacts digestion and longevity
2 minute read
the message here for longevity comes back to eating a balance of wholegrains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of colourful vegetables to best fuel your body and keep blood sugars more consistent over the day.
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eating well for longevity and performance becomes even more important at midlife to protect your body in your senior years.
dr. suzanne ferree, a longevity expert and founder of vine medical associates and the cellular medicine institute in roswell, georgia, practices what she helps her patients adopt, she tells cnbc. she served in the u.s. navy, goes to meditation retreats, and does a lot of gardening and weightlifting. at 53, she’s a shining role model for her patients aged 45 to 65.
midlife is “where the patients, if they do (make) some changes, can make the most impact,” she says.
food for longevity needs colour and balance
what you eat is a huge priority, especially when we’re surrounded by processed convenience foods that offer easy fuel for hectic days. but eating whole, fresh foods is one of the pillars of good health as you age.
when it comes to her meals, ferree aims for “as many colours as i can possibly get,” she says.
while that may not come as a surprise, she also says the order in which you eat your food matters: vegetables first, then protein, and, lastly, carbohydrates, with any drinks coming at the end of the meal.
why? ferree explains, “it helps with slowing down that glucose absorption, so that you’re not getting such high spikes of blood sugar.”
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the process of ordering your food is known as “meal sequencing.” jessica hernandez, a registered dietitian, explains the term in an article for ohio state university’s health blog.
avoid the ‘glucose mountain’
foods that are higher in refined carbohydrates—like white potatoes, white bread, and carbonated drinks—typically cause a larger, faster rise in blood sugars. think of it like a “glucose mountain” where you come crashing down soon after, leaving you tired, irritated and often hungry, so you repeat the habit.
compare this with complex carbs, like nuts, beans, and whole-grain bread, which have more fibre, making them slower to digest and slower to raise glucose levels in the bloodstream. these foods allow for a more steady, consistent rise in blood sugar, resulting in more stable energy, mood, fullness, and even concentration.
eat carbs last to slow digestion
studies have shown that if you save the carbs for last, it will slow down the digestion of the carbs. the speed at which you eat also factors into digestion. now, you don’t have to deconstruct your sandwich or poke bowl, but just be mindful when you do have the opportunity to eat your food in the sequence.
as bbc news reports, “your body has a natural system built in to deal with the changes in blood sugars that happen. the problem comes when there are large and rapid increases in your blood sugars routinely.”
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while monitoring blood glucose may be one of the latest diet trends, it’s not necessary unless you live with diabetes, a condition where your body doesn’t use insulin as it should. as people with diabetes will tell you, blood sugar levels are not just affected by what you eat. they can be impacted by sleep patterns, physical activity, stress, illness, and hormone levels.
the message here for longevity comes back to eating a balance of wholegrains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of colourful vegetables to best fuel your body and keep blood sugars more consistent over the day.
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