the impact of food order

By Dr. Saloni Sharma | Lifestyle Medicine Physician

Little steps to less inflammation & improved blood sugar.

The quality and quantity of food matters but food order can impact absorption, metabolism, and inflammation. A simple yet helpful strategy is to recognize that the order in which you eat your food matters. As we age, our metabolism shifts, insulin sensitivity declines, and muscle mass begins to shrink. Visceral fat tends to accumulate around the abdomen. It is not inert but metabolically active and contributes to insulin resistance and inflammation. It contributes to increasing blood sugars. Even without a diagnosis of diabetes or pre-diabetes, many adults experience blood sugar spikes that quietly fuel this process of inflammation, weight gain, and fatigue. What if changing your food order could help improve your blood sugar and reduce inflammation? It can—and let’s dig into how this works.

What Is “Food Order” and Why Does It Matter?

Food order, or “meal sequencing,” is the practice of eating fiber and protein before starches and sugars during a meal. Rather than focusing only on what you eat, this strategy emphasizes when different types of foods are consumed relative to each other. Here’s how it works when you eat fiber-rich vegetables and protein first, they:

• Slow gastric emptying

• Reduce the rate of carbohydrate absorption

• Blunt post-meal blood sugar and insulin spikes

These effects are especially important for adults over 30, people in perimenopause, and menopause who may be losing insulin sensitivity even if basic blood work is normal.

Backed by Science: Key Studies on Food Order

1. Eating veggies and protein before carbs reduces blood sugar by up to 30–50%. A study in Diabetes Care found that when participants with type 2 diabetes ate vegetables and protein first, followed by carbs, their blood glucose levels were 29% lower, and insulin levels were nearly 50% lower.

2. Food order benefits healthy individuals too. Even people without diabetes saw their glucose spike reduced when they ate protein and vegetables before carbs.

3. Fiber-first meals reduce inflammation and insulin resistance. Soluble fiber from foods like greens, legumes, and cruciferous vegetables improves insulin sensitivity and reduces inflammation markers like CRP.

Why It’s Crucial After 30

Beginning in our 30s and accelerating through our 40s and 50s, many metabolic changes increase the risk of chronic disease:
• Sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) reduces the body’s ability to clear glucose
• Visceral fat increases, fueling systemic inflammation
• Blood sugar spikes after meals become more exaggerated
• Oxidative stress rises, damaging cells and tissues over time

These changes can lead to conditions like:

• Metabolic syndrome

• Type 2 diabetes

• Heart disease

• Fatty liver disease

• Cognitive decline

  Food sequencing is a simple intervention that can help counter these changes naturally.
  
  The Ideal Food Order: A Physician-Recommended Sequence

  1. Fiber-rich vegetables


  —> Think: leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, or a colorful side salad.
  2. Protein and healthy fats


  —> Examples: salmon, grilled tofu, chicken breast, beans with olive oil, eggs, or tempeh.
  3. Starches or natural sugars, if desired


  —> Choose: sweet potatoes, brown rice, or fresh fruit.

  
  Pro Tip: Eating breads, pastas, and rice at the end of a meal leads to a slower glucose release than eating them first on an empty stomach.

Food Order & Inflammation

Blood sugar spikes don’t just affect energy—they activate inflammatory pathways and promote oxidative damage throughout the body. Repeated spikes contribute to:

• Endothelial damage (raising cardiovascular risk)
• Formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs)
• Higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels

By reducing glucose variability with food sequencing, you calm the body's internal fire—protecting your joints, blood vessels, brain, and metabolism.

Bottom Line: A Small Change with Big Impact

When done consistently, considering food order can:
• Stabilize blood sugar
• Improve insulin sensitivity
• Reduce inflammation
• Support weight management
• Increase energy
• Promote longevity

Changing the order in which you eat your food is one of the most powerful and accessible strategies to improve your health. It’s not a diet. It’s not a restriction. It’s a timing technique that aligns with your body’s natural physiology. Give it a try and help improve your health one microboost at a time!

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This is better living for busy people. We have the power to take back control of our health and thrive! For practical ways to support longevity for you and your loved ones, check out the award-winning guide: The Pain Solution: 5 Steps to Relieve and Prevent Back Pain, Muscle Pain, and Joint Pain without Medication.

Cheers to owning your health and living better!

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This piece is for education only and is not medical advice.

Any health changes must be discussed with your own physician.

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References

1. Shukla AP, Iliescu RG, Thomas CE, Aronne LJ. Food Order Has a Significant Impact on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Levels. Diabetes Care. 2015;38(7):e98-e99.

2. Touhamy Ii S, Palepu K, Karan A, et al. Carbohydrates-Last Food Order Improves Time in Range and Reduces Glycemic Variability. Diabetes Care. 2025;48(2):e15-e16.

3. Tricò D, Filice E, Baldi S, Frascerra S, Mari A, Natali A. Sustained effects of a protein and lipid preload on glucose tolerance in type 2 diabetes patients. Diabetes Metab. 2016;42(4):242-248.

4. Kapur S, Groves MN, Zava DT, Kapur S. Postprandial Insulin and Triglycerides after Different Breakfast Meal Challenges: Use of Finger Stick Capillary Dried Blood Spots to Study Postprandial Dysmetabolism. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. 2010;4(2):236-243.

5. Murugesan R, Kumar J, Thiruselvam S, et al. Food order affects blood glucose and insulin levels in women with gestational diabetes. Front Nutr. 2024;11:1512231.

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