The latest craze Icelandic Skyr. I eat a lot of yogurt, but this takes it to a new level. What is it? It is called "yogurt" but actually the process is related to cheese making. Like yogurt production, you add bacteria to warm milk. The difference is that you also add Rennet, an enzyme that causes proteins in the milk to clump together to make Curd. The result is a thicker creamier version of yogurt with less sourness. Sounds difficult! It isn't.

I am working on a tutorial now, but basically.

1. Heat milk to 110 F with a temp probe. 
2. Stir in a small amount of yogurt or Skyr with active culture and add some Rennet.
3. Let set in warm spot for 12 hrs
4. Dump into cheesecloth bag or nylon bag and let drain.

Milk. In theory if you use regular pasteurized milk you should first heat the milk to almost boiling as a first step. I am now using a milk called FairLife that is lactose free and has a higher protein content. It is ultra filtered so no pre-boil is needed. It is widely available in grocery stores

I added my new favorite sugar substitute to make both Vanilla and Chocolate versions.

      I did an experiment. I ate a giant Asian pear on an empty stomach. Then did the same thing, but after I ate a bowel of steamed vegetables and chicken.  On an empty stomach my glucose peaked at 200. After a meal, the spike was 164, which is an 18% reduction, and the spike duration was reduced by 42%.  Protein, fat, and fiber reduce the uptake of glucose and fructose. In my experiment, consuming a fructose load after a meal reduced the peak and duration of the glucose spike. This also happens with the ingestion of carbohydrates. This is the basis for the advice "Never eat naked carbs!'" Consume, protein, fat, and fiber before you consume carbohydrates, like pasta, potatoes, bread etc..

Check ingredients on what you are eating and you find Sugar and high Fructose corn syrup in almost everything. These sugars are not good for you in any form. Table sugar is Glucose and Fructose linked together. Is Honey a healthy sugar substitute? No. Honey has Glucose and Fructose, but they are not linked.  While there are a number of nutritional differences, the bottom line is that they both consist of Glucose and Fructose. Coconut sugar is mostly Sucrose. How about using sweet fruits as sweeteners? Also not good because the sugar that makes fruit sweet is Fructose. 

Fructose is a particularly bad sugar.  Overconsumption of it may result in insulin resistance, oxidative stress, inflammation, elevated uric acid levels, increased blood pressure, and increased triglyceride concentrations in both the blood and liver. Not good! 

Significantly reducing Sugar intake is relatively easy. Reading labels is a start. Using a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) is a huge help. Changing food choices based on sugar content is not that difficult. Let's look at fruits.

High Glycemic Index Fruits
Grapes, Banana, Pineapple, Peach, Sweet Cherries (not the red sour type)

Low Glycemic index fruits
Guava, Asian pear, plum, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry

Artificial Sweeteners. Stevia, Aspartame, Saccharin, Sucralose. They all have taste issues and they alter the bacteria in our digestive tract. 

An option that I am currently experimenting with is a combination of Allulose and Monk fruit. Allulose is a sugar that does not increase glucose levels and actually enhances glucose regulation and appetite control. Monk Fruit with Allulose. Note this is completley different from Monk Fruit with ERYTHRITOL which should be avoided. So far I have found this product to add sweetness without a weird aftertaste.

Why was my favorite "healthy " bread,  Dave's Good Seed, making my glucose increase? It does have carbs in the form of whole wheat flour which will increase glucose,  but wait, what else is in the mix?

5 gms of sucrose is about a tsp and contains about 20 cal 3.9 cal/gram

I am not diabetic, but I am now using a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) device. I use Dexcom Stelo.  This is a glucose analyzer that sticks to my arm and lasts for about 2 weeks.

 It continuously analyzes my glucose level and sends it to an app on my iPhone. It doesn't require a prescription and costs $100/month. I have been using it for a month now. I previously thought I instinctively knew what a healthy diet was; turns out I was an ignorant idiot. I have learned a great deal, and have drastically changed my diet. I also found that seeing in real-time what food was doing to my glu levels made it much easier to change eating behavior. 

1. Even small amounts of sugar caused a glucose spike; almost any prepared food has sugar. Protein bars are loaded with it. 
2. The worst sugar for metabolic health is fructose. Table sugar, sucrose, is half glucose and half fructose. Most sports drinks are sweetened with fructose
3. Even a small amount of physical activity after a meal drops glucose levels
4. Fruits like ripe banana, pineapple, and grapes are not good while guava, strawberries and plumbs are much, much better
5. Inadequate sleep raises glucose levels 

I noticed I was having a spike in glucose after breakfast which consisted of yogurt, fruit. Unfortunately the yogurt was loaded with sugar and the fruit was banana and peaches. Sounded healthy!

Today I had a cheese omelette, avocado slices,  and coffee. Absolutely no spike!