Take Charge of Your Health: Session 4

Healthy eating is less about willpower than it is about having a plan – and this class is built around making that plan practical. In this free class, Megan Ellison, RDN, CDCES of Sound Dietitians, LLC covers Chapter 5 of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide by Jill Weisenberger, walking through macronutrient pairing, meal timing, and a flexible meal planning system designed to keep blood sugar steady through real-life weeks. This is the fourth session in the Take Charge of Your Health series, offered through Stilly Valley Health Connections – explore more in our free class recordings library.

What’s covered in this class:

• Why meal planning is the real key – how deciding what to eat before you are standing hungry at the fridge is what makes healthy eating sustainable, and why planning ahead reduces stress, saves money, cuts food waste, and makes it easier to get in the variety your body needs
• Macronutrient pairing for blood sugar stability – why carbohydrates alone spike blood sugar quickly and leave you hungry sooner, how adding protein and fat slows digestion and flattens the blood sugar curve, and the two exceptions when carbs alone are appropriate (treating a low blood sugar or fueling right before exercise)
• Meal timing for blood sugar and weight management – why eating something in the morning matters even when you are not hungry (a common effect of prediabetes), why a well-paired meal lasts 3-5 hours, and why constant grazing prevents blood sugar from ever coming back down between meals
• Breakfast ideas and common pitfalls – well-paired go-to options including overnight oats, breakfast burritos, veggie egg muffins, and Greek yogurt parfaits, plus why skipping breakfast or eating an all-carb morning meal undermines both muscle and blood sugar goals throughout the day
• A four-tier backup plan for every night – Plan A (planned homemade meal), Plan B (15-minute go-tos like fish tacos, big dinner salads, or eggs), Plan C (quality frozen meals under 600mg sodium or your own leftovers), and Plan D (takeout with smart swaps), so there is always a solid option no matter how the day went