Balancing Blood Sugar with Plant-based Proteins

Dr. Daina Parent, ND sits down with Dr. Karma James-Dulin to discuss managing blood sugar with a diet that includes complete proteins and important fibers. Dr. James-Dulin shares her personal journey with managing her own blood sugar during pregnancy, and her passion for developing foods that are healthy and taste great. Drs. Daina and Karma discuss a small clinical study that confirms the ability of complete plant-based proteins to balance blood sugar, and how ancient varieties of seeds provide higher protein and lower carbohydrates. They wrap the episode with clinical takeaways to help patients navigate the many high protein options in the marketplace. Dr. Karma James-Dulin is a food scientist with over 9 years of experience in the food and dietary supplements industry. She has a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Grambling State University and completed her Ph.D. in food science at Penn State University, where she investigated the effects of green tea on the liver. Dr. James-Dulin is passionate about food, flavor and nutrition, believing that healthy food should taste good. She enjoys cooking, dancing and spending time with family. She is currently a product development manager at Standard Process, Inc, having joined the company to establish the Food Science Team and Lab. In this capacity she oversees many aspects of the development of products from ideation, formulation and prototype development through to commercialization. During her tenure at Standard Process, Inc, she has led the development of serval products, most notably a one-of-a-kind nutrition bar for an adventure athlete on his quest to cross Antarctica. Additionally, she has led the development of the company's first food line comprising of protein powders and whole food nutrition bars.   Blood Sugar Regulation 3:03 Dr. James-Dulin's personal connection to blood sugar management 4:51 Insulin resistance state in pregnancy 5:20 Why proteins and fats fare important for blood sugar regulation 7:02 Dressing up your carbs with proteins and fats 7:44 Developing a high-quality protein blend 11:08 Animal protein versus plant-based protein 12:58 Significance of ancient oats – phytonutrient and macronutrient profile 14:59 Nutrition in ancient seeds versus modern varieties 15:49 Ways to consume protein blends 16:36 Resistance starch fiber's ability to slow blood glucose release 17:12 Golden chlorella as a vegetarian source of B12, plant-based folate and protein 18:07 Small clinical study measures success of protein blend to minimize glucose spikes 20:02 Dr. James-Dulin's passion for Food Science and her focus on nutrition and flavor 22:35 Advice for practitioners to help patients find products to balance blood sugar levels 23:56 Types of fibers and how they affect blood sugar regulation 25:55 Complete protein blend plus fiber gives optimal blood sugar regulation