If you’ve ever felt that big slump after a meal, here’s some great news—you can help your blood sugar and energy levels with one simple move: calf raises. French biochemist Jessie Inchauspé (aka the Glucose Goddess) suggests taking just 5–10 minutes after eating to lift your heels up and down, either standing or sitting.

Why does it work? Because this activates your soleus muscle, which acts like a little “sugar sponge,” pulling glucose out of your bloodstream and using it for energy. That means fewer blood sugar spikes, steadier energy, and less strain on your heart and metabolism.

The best part? You don’t need the gym, special clothes, or lots of space. You can do calf raises while brushing your teeth, waiting for coffee, or even at your desk. If it feels uncomfortable, just go for a short walk instead—both are effective.

Here are the benefits you’ll love:

• Keeps blood sugar steadier, lowering long-term risk of diabetes.
• Boosts insulin sensitivity, helping your body process carbs.
• Supports heart health through better circulation.
• Helps digestion and avoids the “post-meal crash.”
• Super easy and accessible for anyone, anywhere.

Tip: Start with 5 minutes after meals and build up to 10. Pair it with balanced meals (protein + fiber + healthy fats) for even more stable blood sugar.

So next time you finish eating, instead of sitting still, try this tiny shift. It’s simple, low effort, and your body will thank you with better energy, digestion, and overall health. A small step—literally—can lead to big changes over time!

When you’re living with diabetes, you probably already watch your sugar and carbs like a hawk. But there’s something sneaky hiding in many everyday foods that doesn’t get enough attention—food additives. These hidden extras may not taste sweet or look suspicious, but they can still put a lot of pressure on your pancreas. Knowing what to look out for could make a big difference in how you feel and how your body manages blood sugar.

Let’s start with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), an artificial sweetener lurking in sodas, candy, breads, and even salad dressings. On the surface, it just seems like sugar by another name, but HFCS is especially tough on your body. It’s processed mainly in the liver, where it encourages fat buildup and makes your cells less responsive to insulin. In other words, it asks your pancreas to work overtime pumping out more insulin just so your blood sugar doesn’t spike (NIH).

Next up: sodium nitrite, which you’ll spot in foods like bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats. Nitrites help preserve these foods, but once inside your body, they can turn into harmful compounds called nitrosamines. Those aren’t just fancy chemistry words—they can actually damage the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes (Diabetes Care).

Then there are trans fats, sometimes listed as “partially hydrogenated oils.” While many companies have phased them out, you’ll still find traces in some packaged baked goods or fried foods. Trans fats are a double (or triple!) whammy: they increase inflammation, mess with insulin sensitivity, and raise your risk for heart issues. Even small amounts can strain your system, which is why the FDA strongly warns against them (FDA).

Now here’s one that surprises a lot of people: artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose. Since they don’t raise blood sugar directly, they seem like a good solution for diabetics, right? Well, not always. Studies show they can actually change the balance of bacteria in your gut, which may throw off your body’s insulin response and glucose control (Nature). So while they might feel like a “free pass” in the short term, the long haul picture isn’t as friendly.

And finally, MSG (monosodium glutamate), the flavor booster found in lots of packaged snacks, soups, and restaurant foods. Research suggests it can lead to higher insulin levels by nudging your pancreas to pump more than necessary. Over time, that extra workload could tire out your pancreas and make your diabetes harder to manage (PubMed).

The takeaway? Sugar isn’t the only ingredient to watch. Hidden additives like HFCS, nitrites, trans fats, artificial sweeteners, and MSG can quietly wear down your pancreas and make managing diabetes that much tougher. Reading labels carefully and cutting back on heavily processed foods can give your hardworking pancreas a break—and that’s a gift your whole body will thank you for.

Smart Swaps for a Happier Pancreas

It’s easy to feel like everything yummy is off-limits when you start learning about these additives—but don’t worry, there are plenty of pancreas-friendly swaps that can help you enjoy food without the hidden stress. For example, instead of grabbing a soda or juice sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, try sparkling water with a splash of fresh fruit juice or slices of lemon and cucumber. You’ll still get the refreshing fizz and flavor without making your liver and pancreas work overtime.

When it comes to meats, you can sidestep sodium nitrites by choosing fresh, unprocessed cuts like chicken breast, turkey, or fish. If you love that smoky flavor from bacon or deli slices, try roasting your own meats at home with herbs and spices—it’s healthier and surprisingly easy.

For those sneaky trans fats, you’ll want to read labels closely. A tasty alternative to packaged baked goods is baking at home with healthy oils like olive or avocado oil. Not only do you cut out the hidden additives, but you can also control sweetness and add fiber-rich ingredients like oats or almond flour.

And instead of leaning heavily on artificial sweeteners, consider more natural options like stevia or monk fruit. They don’t seem to carry the same long-term risks as aspartame or sucralose, and a little goes a long way. Even better, gradually retraining your taste buds to enjoy less sweetness overall makes it easier to manage diabetes in the long run.

Finally, if you’re worried about MSG, focus on fresh, whole foods and flavor boosters like garlic, onion, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. These can add just as much zing to your meals without the extra strain on your insulin system.

At the end of the day, it’s not about perfection—it’s about making smart, sustainable choices. By swapping out a few risky additives for healthier alternatives, you’ll give your pancreas a breather and feel better overall. Think of it as showing a little love to the hardest-working gland in your body.

Diabetes is a major and growing cause of premature death worldwide. Recent global estimates show millions of lives lost each year as a direct result of diabetes and its complications, with the burden rising over the last decade as prevalence increases and populations age.

The World Health Organization reports that in 2021, diabetes was directly responsible for about 1.6 million deaths, and an additional ~530,000 deaths from kidney disease were attributable to diabetes — together accounting for just over 2 million deaths that year (WHO, 2024 fact sheet). See the WHO summary here: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes.

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) provides a broader recent estimate: the IDF Diabetes Atlas (11th edition) reports that diabetes was responsible for about 3.4 million deaths in 2024 and highlights the growing scale of the disease globally (IDF Diabetes Atlas). For context and the Atlas overview, see: https://diabetesatlas.org/.

For country-level figures: the United States reported 95,190 deaths where diabetes was listed as a cause in 2023 (CDC/NCHS — FastStats), with diabetes ranking among the leading causes of death in the U.S. See the CDC summary here: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/diabetes.htm.

Canada’s most recent published rate (2023) shows a diabetes death rate of about 18.1 per 100,000 population (Statista summary of diabetes mortality trends). That rate corresponds roughly to an order of magnitude of several thousand diabetes-attributable deaths annually in Canada (approx. ~7,000 if applied to a ~39 million population), though exact national totals and methods vary by source — see the Statista page: https://www.statista.com/statistics/495457/deaths-due-to-diabetes-worldwide-number-by-region/.

All of these figures come with methodological caveats: “deaths caused by diabetes” may be reported as deaths where diabetes is the underlying cause, deaths attributable to high blood glucose (modelled), or include related complications (e.g., kidney disease, cardiovascular events). For the most comparable, up-to-date national totals, check official national vital statistics (e.g., CDC WONDER for the U.S. or Statistics Canada releases) and the global overviews linked above.

The true cost — one small daily indulgence, big annual impact

If you buy one chocolate bar priced at $2 plus a bottle of pop and a bag of chips six days a week, the small daily habit adds up quickly. For this piece I’m using the following typical Canadian retail prices (rounded to simple amounts for clarity):

• Chocolate bar: $2.00
• Bottle of pop: $2.00 (typical single-bottle retail) — see examples of Canadian retail soda pricing at Walmart Canada and other grocery suppliers.
• Bag of chips: $3.50 (many snack SKUs retail in the $3–$5 range in Canada; see industry pricing summaries).

Putting those numbers together, each purchase day costs $2.00 + $2.00 + $3.50 = $7.50. At six days per week that’s $7.50 × 6 = $45.00 per week. Over a year (52 weeks, consuming 6 days/week ≈ 312 purchase-days) the totals are: chocolate $2 × 312 = $624.00; pop $2 × 312 = $624.00; chips $3.50 × 312 = $1,092.00. Combined, the three items cost about $2,340.00 CAD per year.

To put that in perspective: $2,340 could cover several months of a basic grocery budget item, a modest utility bill, or a chunk of a savings goal. Broken down monthly, $2,340 ÷ 12 ≈ $195 per month; per week it’s the $45 noted above. Small daily choices like this can therefore materially affect yearly spending even when each purchase seems inexpensive.

Beyond money, there are physiological costs to frequent sugary/processed-snack consumption. Repeated intake of high-sugar drinks and refined-carbohydrate snacks forces the pancreas to release insulin frequently; over time this heightened insulin demand contributes to insulin resistance and can exhaust insulin-producing beta cells — mechanisms described by diabetes authorities and pancreatic physiology reviews (see discussions of insulin resistance and beta-cell stress from the American Diabetes Association and pancreas-focused reviews). Chronic overstimulation is linked to higher risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, and in the long run can harm pancreatic function and metabolic health American Diabetes Association, Pancreapedia review on insulin secretion, Medical News Today overview.