The food we eat has a direct impact on our well-being. No matter what foods you may be eating, your body will break them down to essential nutrients and use them as fuel to run all functions. So, why does it matter whether the fuel we take a healthy or not? It matters because if you do not eat the right foods, your body will have to overcompensate for the lack, which will in turn hurt your body.

That’s why one must ensure that the food they eat is good enough. As we know, our body needs essential carbs and fat to stay energized. However, many people are told to skip most carbs as they can cause blood sugar spikes. So how does one find the balance?

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the reason why junk foods cause rapid blood sugar spikes is because they breakdown too easily, causing glucose to enter our blood stream in a rapid succession. While blood sugar spikes happen to everyone, it is worse for people who are diabetic, prediabetic or at risk of it. It becomes a concern when your body is producing less insulin as it is a necessary hormone to breakdown the blood glucose for use. So how does a person who is predisposed to have high blood sugar navigate this issue?

The answer is simple: you go for fiber!

Fiber: The Blood Sugar-Friendly Carb

In a widely viewed YouTube video, Dr. Eric Berg, popularly known as Dr. Berg on social media, who is a board-certified chiropractor and the author of 'The Healthy Keto Plan,' identified fiber as the singular carbohydrate that "doesn't influence insulin." This unique characteristic makes fiber an exceptionally beneficial dietary component, particularly for individuals closely monitoring their blood glucose, such as those with diabetes. Unlike other carbohydrates that are broken down into glucose and cause a subsequent rise in insulin to manage the increased blood sugar, fiber passes through the digestive system largely undigested. This lack of insulin response makes fiber an ideal carbohydrate choice for maintaining stable blood sugar levels.

How Can You Optimize Your Nutrition and Steady Blood Sugar?

To maintain stable blood sugar levels while ensuring optimal nutrition, it's advisable to be mindful of the types of carbohydrates consumed. When incorporating carbohydrates into a meal or snack, pairing them with a source of protein is highly beneficial. Good protein options include lean meats, a small handful of nuts, or low-fat dairy products. Here are some foods that should be a bigger part of your diet.

Whole Grains

Opt for minimally processed grains like quinoa, brown rice, oats, barley, whole-wheat bread, and whole-grain pasta, which release glucose more slowly.

Starchy Vegetables

Include nutrient-rich starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, corn, and peas in moderation.

Legumes

Incorporate lentils, beans, and chickpeas, which are excellent sources of both fiber and protein, further aiding in gradual carbohydrate absorption.

Fruits

Enjoy fruits like berries and apples, which provide fiber and essential nutrients, while being mindful of portion sizes due to their natural sugar content.

Non-Starchy Vegetables

Make non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and leafy greens a dietary staple, as they are low in carbohydrates and high in beneficial fiber.

Nuts and Seeds

Include almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and flax seeds for their healthy fats and fiber content.

Effective Strategies to Keep Your Blood Sugar In Check

To help keep blood sugar steady, it's important to do more than just pick the right carbs. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that combining carbs with protein and healthy fats helps your body digest them slowly, stopping big sugar rushes. Choosing whole, unprocessed foods like whole grains, fruits, and veggies over processed stuff is also key. Remember to watch your portion sizes, even with healthy carbs. Drinking enough water is helpful too. Getting regular exercise makes your body better at using sugar. If you have diabetes or worry about your blood sugar, checking it often can show you how different foods and activities affect you.

For decades, food has not only been an important source of nutrition but also of emotion and culture. It's the way we share ourselves, celebrate, and find solace. But what occurs when food starts to lose its appeal? For a lot of people on mainstream weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, this has become a very personal and physiological challenge. One of the most fascinating and sometimes disturbing—side effects noted is a stark dislike of once-loved foods, especially meat and fried foods. Why?

As weight-loss drugs like Ozempic (semaglutide) and its alternative Wegovy become more popular, so too are first-person accounts of changed taste and appetite. Though these drugs are praised for their ability to control weight, users are now reporting an unexpected change in how they feel about food—one that science is just starting to completely grasp.

Ozempic is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that was first developed to treat type 2 diabetes. Its cousin, Wegovy, has the same active ingredient—semaglutide—but with the specific approval from the FDA for weight reduction. Both of these medications copy a hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), which the body naturally secretes from the gut in reaction to food. When the drug binds to the GLP-1 receptors of the brain and body, the medication assists with maintaining blood sugar levels, slowing down gastric emptying, and curbing appetite.

But scientists now believe its impacts extend well past the ability to make individuals full. GLP-1 receptors also occur within regions of the brain used to process rewards as well as human taste buds. This dual influence—upon taste and appetite—may account for the reason so many users can find themselves in disgust at eating foods that before they enjoyed highly.

Former Minnesota food reporter Alyssa Fraser gives a powerful illustration. A once enthusiastic home cook who loved to prepare her go-to chicken and vegetable recipes, she found herself no longer liking those same dishes after beginning Wegovy. Finding meat to taste like the "barnyard" it originated from and wine strangely "vegetal," Fraser didn't just lose her appetite but underwent a shift in sense perception.

This experience is not singular. Countless individuals online on forums as well as medical research have noted the same issues—meat too pungent, foods fried too weighty, even desserts losing desire after a mouthful or two. In several instances, meals are no longer an enjoyment, but rather become more of an instrumental necessity.

Is the Brain Rewiring Its Cravings?

Psychobiologists have proposed that GLP-1 medications induce a decoupling between "liking" and "wanting" food. In daily life, individuals tend to keep consuming calorie-rich foods even if they don't like them, motivated by habit or emotional reward. GLP-1 agonists seem to break this cycle by suppressing the brain's dopamine-mediated "wanting" response, allowing for easier resistance to indulgent foods.

In a way, your brain is being re-conditioned not to pursue the sensory high of food—especially from sugar, salt, and fat. This may be one of the reasons why greasy, fried, and heavy foods now feel too much or even disgusting.

While much of the existing data is reliant on self-reporting, increasingly studies are starting to investigate these effects in more systematic ways. One source, published in Food Quality and Preference, discovered that individuals taking GLP-1 drugs ate less refined grains, red meat, and sweets compared to controls. They also ate more fruit, more leafy greens, and drank more water—gravitating toward a naturally healthier diet, even with no deliberate intention.

But much of this evidence is based on small groups or animal studies. University of Arkansas professor of food policy economics Brandon McFadden cautions that self-reporting can be sketchy. But the trend is unmistakable: individuals taking these drugs take in fewer calories—sometimes as many as 700 fewer a day—primarily because food is less appealing.

Another study presented at the Endocrine Society's 2024 conference provided some neurological insight. Brain scans of women on semaglutide showed increased activity in areas related to taste processing, particularly in response to sweet stimuli. This suggests that taste sensitivity may increase, making intense flavors—like the umami richness of meat or the oiliness of fried foods—overwhelming or off-putting.

Food as a Necessity, Not a Joy

For others, such changes are a blessing. Lower cravings make weight loss easier and more sustainable. But others experience a deeper emotional price tag. As Fraser has said, "Not only am I not cooking or really taking an interest in food—if I want it, it's sweets. And even then, if it's super sweet, I'll take a bite or two, and I'm like, I gotta put it down."

There's a quiet mourning that accompanies losing the enjoyment of food—a ritual greater than sustenance. Preparing, sharing, and relishing meals are a part of many individuals' identities and social existence. When that pleasure disappears, some users feel severed from a component of themselves.

How Uncomplicate Your Relationship with Food?

Rebalancing your relationship with food isn't about rules, though—regaining joy, balance, and awareness. Food shouldn't ever become the enemy or another item on the "stress about that" list; if it's begun to take on that shape, these six shifts in attitude will remind you what nourishment is all about.

1. Bye-bye, restrictive diets

Let's get this straight—dieting isn't the hero of your health story. Skipping meals or eliminating entire food groups can have the opposite effect, leaving you mentally drained and physically starved. Rather than running after food rules, begin listening to what your body truly needs.

2. Make Eating an Experience, Not a Task

When did you last really taste your food? If you're typically eating on the move, in front of screens, or while multi-tasking, you're not alone. Slow down. Sit down to eat. Savor each bite. Mindful eating not only amplifies pleasure, but naturally supports wiser food choices.

3. Ask Why Are You Eating Right Now

Hunger doesn't have to be physical. Other times, we eat out of boredom, stress, or celebration. The next time you grab a snack, take a moment and ask yourself: What am I really feeling? That pause could help you spot patterns you weren't aware of.

4. Find Your Satisfaction Sweet Spot

Picture yourself eating just enough to be energized, satisfied, but not full—that's your sweet spot. It's not about calorie counting, but more about learning to listen to your fullness cues and trusting them again. The more you pay attention, the more sensitive you'll become.

5. Change from 'Skinny' to 'Strong & Healthy'

Trapped in the social media cycle of ideal bodies and fitness trends? It's time to break free. Actual health isn't about losing weight—it's about feeling strong, full of energy, and connected to your body. Get rid of the filters and redefine wellness for you.

6. Consult a Dietitian

You don't have to sort it out all by yourself. A registered dietitian can be your good friend co-pilot—giving you evidence-based guidance, debunking misconceptions, and steering you in the direction of a healthier, guilt-free partnership with food that really works with your life.

As semaglutide-based drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy continue to redefine weight loss and diabetes treatment, their influence on food desires brings an additional layer of sophistication. The alteration in taste, hunger, and desire are very real, but intensely personal. While some embrace the disconnection from food as a kind of liberation, others lament the erasure of the pleasure of cooking.

Until more definitive studies are available, patients and clinicians should be informed about these sensory and psychological side effects. And most importantly, anyone with marked changes in appetite or taste should talk to their healthcare provider—not just to control side effects but also to have a healthy, balanced relationship with food.

TikTok is no stranger to viral food and drink trends, and the latest buzz is all about “cloud coffee” — a breezy, summery twist on your typical iced espresso. Swapping out plain water for coconut water, this tropical take on your morning brew is frothing up feeds and taste buds alike.

The trend first gained momentum when TV host and cookbook author Daphne Oz shared her version back in 2022. In a TikTok that garnered over 39,000 views, Oz poured a shot of espresso over ice, added coconut water, and finished it with creamy non-dairy milk, calling it a “hydrating elixir.” “Coffee without the jitters, trust me,” she promised.

Since then, the #cloudcoffee movement has grown, with users like Caroline Hadley amping up the visual appeal by frothing the drink to a light, airy texture — hence the name. Whether served still or foamy, the drink has become a go-to for coffee lovers looking to sip something both energizing and refreshing.

A Nutritional Boost in Every Sip

It turns out this breezy beverage isn’t just about looks — it may actually offer some health benefits, too.

“This trend is basically an Americano but with coconut water swapped in for regular water, giving it a tropical, nutrient-boosted twist,” said Mackenzie Burgess, a registered dietitian nutritionist and recipe developer for the Cheerful Choices blog, in an interview with The New York Post.

Burgess explained that coconut water contains naturally occurring electrolytes like potassium and magnesium, which may make the drink more hydrating than traditional coffee. “Each brand may vary,” she noted, “but one cup of coconut water contains 470 mg of potassium — 10% of the daily recommended intake — and 19 mg of magnesium, about 5% of the daily value for adults.”

Why It Might Be Worth a Try

“Overall, if you’re into the flavor, it’s a fun way to sneak a few extra nutrients into your morning drink,” Burgess told The New York Post. She added that since many people fall short on daily electrolyte intake, “cloud” coffee can offer a refreshing way to fill in some gaps — particularly in hot weather or after a workout.

Beyond hydration, coconut water offers antioxidants that support immune health and combat oxidative stress. Topping it with a splash of unsweetened non-dairy milk — such as almond-coconut blends — adds creaminess without excess sugar, making it a lighter alternative to traditional sugary creamers.

A Word of Caution on Sugar and Taste

That said, it’s not for everyone. “This flavor combo might not be everyone’s cup of coffee — some people find the mix of coconut water and espresso a bit unusual,” Burgess admitted. And not all coconut waters are created equal. Some contain added sugars, which can dull the drink’s health halo.

Her advice? “Choose coconut water with 2 grams or less of added sugar — or ideally zero added sugars.”

Whether you're in it for the nutrients, the novelty, or the Instagram-worthy aesthetic, “cloud coffee” is one way to keep your mornings cool, creamy, and island-inspired.

The thought of eating insects could even make non-vegetarians squirm, let alone vegetarians. But there a plenty of everyday food items that secretly contain insects. Discussion on the issue began after a report recently revealed that cockroaches were being added to chocolate bars. However, the claim was very quickly debunked.

However, a similar report published in Scientific American claimed that a person consumes an average of one to two pounds of flies, maggots, and other bugs each year without even knowing it. Every day, food items like peanut butter, frozen vegetables and spices like cinnamon can contain a certain amount of bugs.

What Should You Know About Insects In Your Food

Peanut Butter

The peanut butter jar in your pantry can legally contain up to 136 insect parts, according to the FDA’s Food Defect Action Levels guide. From the field to your grocery store, insect fragments often make their way into food production.

Chocolate

The FDA permits up to 74 insect fragments in a 4.4-ounce chocolate bar. Cockroach parts are among the most common contaminants, adding nearly 6,000 bug pieces annually to a chocolate lover’s diet.

Pasta

One gram of pasta can contain a bug fragment, with up to 225 insect parts allowed in a 225-gram portion. These fragments usually come from wheat, which itself may hold up to 75 parts per 50 grams.

Coffee Beans

Your coffee may contain around 120 insect parts per cup. The FDA approves coffee with less than 10 per cent insect infestation, translating to nearly 140,000 bug fragments consumed annually.

Raisins

A single cup of raisins might have up to 35 fruit fly eggs and ten insects. The FDA ensures such small amounts are safe to consume, as eliminating all defects would make food production costly.

Mushrooms

Canned mushrooms with up to 19 maggots and 74 mites are considered FDA-approved. While unappealing, these fragments are often too small to notice and provide protein comparable to chicken or salmon.

Frozen Broccoli

Frozen broccoli can include up to 60 aphids per 100 grams. Regular consumption might lead to unintentionally eating over 1,600 aphids a year, as these tiny bugs commonly infest crop fields.

Canned Tomatoes

A 14.5-ounce can of tomatoes can legally contain eight fly eggs or one maggot. Interestingly, insect eggs are a delicacy in some cultures, like Mexican caviar, made from aquatic insect eggs.

Fruit Juice

The FDA allows canned fruit juices to have one maggot per 250 millilitres. Despite this, insects are a natural part of food processing, so your morning OJ likely contains a harmless amount.

Ground Pepper

Ground pepper can legally hold up to 475 bug fragments per 50 grams. Those insect heads and legs may be adding more spice to your meals than you realise.

Cinnamon

Up to 400 insect fragments are allowed per 50 grams of cinnamon. While this may not deter you from using the spice, it’s worth noting that your favourite desserts might not be entirely vegetarian.

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut can contain up to 50 thrips, small stick-like insects. Knowing this might make you reconsider your next serving of this condiment.

Berries

Raspberries and blueberries can legally include up to four larvae or ten insects per 500 grams. These critters often end up unnoticed in canned or frozen berries.