5 Foods I Recommend to Almost Every Patient

Could five simple foods help improve your blood sugar, gut health, hormones, and even how you age?

In this episode of Hormones & Hope, Dr. Chhaya Makhija shares the five everyday foods she recommends to nearly every patient for better metabolic health.

These affordable, science-backed staples can help support blood sugar regulation, nourish your gut microbiome, reduce inflammation, and promote healthy aging—without restrictive diets or expensive supplements.

You'll also discover why fiber is one of the most overlooked nutrients for long-term health, how your gut microbiome influences metabolism and hormone function, and practical ways to add foods like chia seeds, blueberries, walnuts, beans, lentils, and Greek yogurt to your daily routine.

Whether you're living with insulin resistance, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, PCOS, menopause, obesity, or simply want to build healthier habits, this episode is packed with practical, evidence-based nutrition strategies you can start using today.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Back in 2019, after my own surgery, which was a laparoscopic abdominal surgery, I had a lot of health challenges because of steroid injections that I had received for an allergic reaction. I found myself to look at health very differently, not as an endocrinologist, but actually as a patient. So today I have five fruits for you that I personally follow and recommend to every person I meet, as well as in my practice. One thing I would often discuss that with my patients is that don't be afraid of fruits. Fruits do not cause diabetes, they actually help improve your insulin sensitivity. Our goal is to find what works for our body, and that is why I'm here for you. Nutrition should always be personalized. It cannot be a trend that will help you. Welcome to Hormones and Hope, a podcast where we bridge science and wellness to help transform your health. I'm your host, Dr. Chaya Makija, or you can call me Dr. Chaya, a triple board certified endocrinologist and lifestyle medicine physician and founder of Unified Endocrine and Diabetes Care. Each week we dive into the powerful intersection of clinical medicine and real-life lifestyle strategies to help you feel stronger, live longer, and show up as your most vibrant self inside and out. So let's get empowered. Hello my friends, and welcome back to Hormones and Hope. Today I want to have a very simple conversation with you. Not about a new medication, not about GLP1 or the GLP1 pill or diabetes, neither about a latest supplement out in there, not about another restrictive diet or what medication to take for your cholesterol or for your heart for your testosterone. Instead, I want to talk about five foods that I discuss almost every single day with my patients. Whether you're living with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, polycystic ovarian syndrome, which is polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, menopause, you're on GLP1 receptor agonist, you have obesity or osteoporosis, or you're just leaning towards preventing all these problems and you want to improve your energy and longevity, these foods are going to be magical for you. And repeatedly they come up with every conversation I have with my family, friends, and even patients. But before we begin, I want to tell you a short story. Back in 2019, after my own surgery, which was a laparoscopic abdominal surgery, I had a lot of health challenges because of steroid injections that I had received for an allergic reaction. I found myself to look at health very differently, not as an endocrinologist, but actually as a patient. And visited so many specialists, gastroenterologists, and they just said, Oh, you're a vegetarian, you're already getting enough fiber, so just take this medication and it'll be okay. Now, I want you to understand that despite having lots of fiber in my foods during that recovery, I really wanted to understand why my body is not recovering. And it really fascinated me to dive deeper into our gut health. Our gut isn't just about digestion, it controls the production of our serotonin. That's where our GLP1 hormone is produced. The visceral fat is all inside the gut, surrounding our gut organs. Gut malfunction or poor health will trigger inflammation, will worsen our immune diseases, and it also impacts the blood glucose. Beyond that, we have studies showing that the gut microbiome influences our immunity, our immune system. Our mood, when I told you that serotonin is produced from 80% of it from our gut. And perhaps most importantly, that we have to remember that the way we age is also influenced by our gut health. Now, over the last several years, I've had the privilege of caring for thousands and thousands of patients. And one thing I've learned over and over again is that people are looking for simplicity. They're not looking for another diet, another fad, another trend that they could follow, give some success for a few months, and they're back to square one. They're looking for sustainable habits, looking for something that could be implemented in their daily routine despite their busyness of schedule and kids and life. So today I have five foods for you that I personally follow and recommend to every person I meet, as well as in my practice. Not because they're magical or super foods, but they're absolutely practical and beneficial. They're filled with power and they are affordable. These are all also backed by science and they can be a part of our everyday life. So before we continue, if you're enjoying this conversation, I have one small favor for you. Please subscribe if you're watching it on our YouTube channel or on our podcast on Apple and Spotify. And if you know of someone struggling with any hormonal issues, metabolic issues, or even want to learn about simplifying nutrition, share this episode with them. One conversation can truly change someone's health trajectory. So let's begin with one of my favorites. Chia seeds. Yes. If you're my patient, you're probably smiling because that's one question almost every wizard that Dr. McKechu, how much fiber should I actually be eating? And as you know, I am a person who would love to live with simplicity and also love to simplify the complex issues in the hormonal and metabolic world. So I don't give you a number, but I give you certain foods and the amount that could take you to that requirement of fiber intake in 24 hours. Now, as you know, most of us underestimate our fiber intake. That was including me in 2019. Geds are one of the easiest ways to begin improving that. Just two tablespoons, literally two, will give you roughly around 10 grams of fiber, along with plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and antioxidants. Now, I recommend you soaking it in water or overnight in your yogurt because chia seed forms a gel. And that gel also helps modify how your stomach is emptying. It helps you to stay full longer and also has an impact in reducing your blood glucose spikes, as with many other fiber foods. Most importantly, that you need to know about chia seeds that is it's feeding your healthy gut bacteria. So it's actually building your gut microbiome, the good bacteria living inside your gut. For my patients who are taking GLP1 medications, literally, chia seeds, it's one of the prescriptions that I have them start, even if they are having regular bowel movements at that time. It definitely supports bowel regularity, and sometimes many patients will struggle with constipation when on GLP1 receptor agonist. How do I personally use them? Well, I soak them overnight on Sundays or Mondays so that I have enough of it for the next few days, and then in the morning I just add them in my Greek yogurt with some oats, or I will just add them in my smoothie depending on how the day is. The soaking is very important. You can even soak it, put a tablespoon, add more water to it, squeeze some lemon, and just drink it. It's tasteless, so you won't find a tiaki. Nothing fancy, but very powerful. Okay, food number two. The second food is staple in many pantries, including mine, ground flax seed. Now you noticed I didn't say full flax seeds, I emphasized ground flax seeds, which is basically the powder form. Whole seeds may pass through the digestive tract without fully getting absorbed, and hence the ground seeds could be added in any of your stews, in soups, in lentils, or in your baking foods. It's soluble and insoluble fiber. It also contains lignins, that is, natural plant compounds, which have been potentially studied in the improvement of how your metabolic cycle metabolism, particularly in women, functions in the perimenopause, menopause age, or even when women have premenstrual uh symptoms or syndrome. It also provides omega-3 fatty acids like chia seeds and also supports healthy gut microbiome. One of the reasons I like flaxseed is because it's incredibly versatile. Like I said, you could mix it into anything, it does not ruin the taste, including your yogurt. I'm an Indian, so we tend to make rooties or the whole wheat tortilla. I just add ground flax seeds in the dough itself, which brings about that extra addition to our Indian tortillas. Again, small habits, but actually makes a big, large impact. Now, if you're finding this helpful, I would love for you to leave a review on Apple or Spotify, wherever you're listening to it, or add some comments in YouTube as I read most of them. Your reviews help many people discover this episode and this podcast, and together we can spread the evidence-based science and simplicity and also no more confusion. Okay, number three are blueberries. Yes, blueberries, fresh or frozen, doesn't matter. Both are excellent. Blueberries are packed with anthocyanins and polyphenols, powerful antioxidants to help reduce that oxidative stress and support healthy gut microbiome. In any realm of any health, blueberries are going to be very helpful. Now they're also relatively low in glycemic index, that is, less blood sugar spike as compared to many other fruits. One thing I would often discuss that with my patients is that don't be afraid of fruits. Fruits do not cause diabetes, they actually help improve your insulin sensitivity. But fruit is not a candy. Fruit is packaged with fiber, with water, with vitamins, with minerals, with nutrients, and thousands of beneficial plant compounds which are completely different from processed sugars. Now, frozen blueberries are not just nutritious, they're also affordable and they're available all year round. And again, you could add them in your smoothies, in your yogurt, in your morning meals, as a side, as a snack, or whatever you feel like. I commonly add that in our salads in case I'm forgetting it during the morning hours. Okay, number four is a nut. Walnuts. Now you won't go wrong with almonds either, but the reason I say walnuts is because I'm going to continue this with the power foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are plant-based. Walnuts are one of my favorite snacks because they're nutrient dense. Healthy fats, alpha linolitic acid, again, a plant-based omega-3. And they're also rich in magnesium, copper, manganese, vitamin E, and polyphenols, like the first few that we talked about. Again, we have enough research showing that walnuts can support or are supporting your heart health, your brain health, inflammation pathways, and even adding to the diversity of your gut bacteria. You don't mean a large amount, just a handful is usually enough. Or pick five, six pieces and add that in your yogurt, in your snack, in your morning chia pudding, or in your oatmeal. Again, consistency is what's going to be important for you rather than having it once in a while. Food number five, that's actually my most favorite, and I do not miss it any of the days. Beans and lentils. In my opinion, they remain the most underrated foods, which are rich sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and also important for your metabolic health, and a great source of plant-based protein, which can be used in diverse manners. Iron, folate, magnesium, potassium, even resistant starch, and they're slowly digestible carbohydrates. Together, beans and lentils can improve you to feel more fuller, that is, improves satiety, blood glucose stability, and also is nourishing your gut bacteria, helping you to build it, and of course, your long-term metabolic health and longevity. Remember, it's one of the staple diets for even blue zones. This is one of the concepts that I discuss with most of my patients. There are several different types of beans and lentils. If you don't tolerate one, you can try the other. But unless you don't make it as a consistent habit, you will not feel that you're getting the benefits. Our gut bacteria thrives on fiber. Fiber doesn't mean having loose tools. That's one of the common misconceptions that I hear and what my patients are concerned about that, oh Dr. Nikesha, I don't want to have diarrhea if I'm having more fiber. It is just the diversity that you're introducing to your gut, which is going to bring about the benefits. Remember, animal foods do not contain fiber. Now, that does not mean you're not eating lean proteins. It just means that you're combining these with your fiber, and if you're liking the animal lean proteins like fish, chicken, eggs, Greek yogurt, these can absolutely be part of your healthy dietary pattern. But I don't want patients to just focus on protein, which is coming from animal foods, and then forget about the real foods, the foundations that is fiber, and the few ones that I talked to you about the first four. Now, beans and lentils are one of the easiest ways to increase, to enhance your fiber intake, and they can actually be mixed with several of these animal-based proteins. You can make a chili and top it with your boiled eggs. You can add your lentils or your beans in your salad. You could add that as a side salad with your lean meats. You could make a soup, chicken soup with the beans and lentils, and add onions or ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and lots of mixed vegetables. That's the goodness of fiber and the diversity that your body will thank you for. Now, I'm not gonna leave you with just five foods, but I have a bonus food for you, and that is Greek yogurt. It provides high-quality protein, calcium, especially probiotics, is where I'm leaning towards with Greek yogurt. And it pairs beautifully with your berries, your chia seeds, your flax seeds, and walnuts. Now, if your body doesn't agree with dairy, there are excellent unsweetened plant-based yogurts, or there are other fermented alternatives like kimchi, sauerkraut. Again, our goal is to find what works for our body, and that is why I'm here for you. Nutrition should always be personalized. It cannot be a trend that will help you. Now, if you're looking to better understand your metabolism, your hormonal health, how they're interrelated with insulin resistance, with blood sugar control, with your cholesterol, with your blood pressure control, perimenopause, menopause, or even testosterone in men, along with your weight, I'd love you to join me. If you're in California, my team and I would love to be honored to see you at Unified Endocrine and Diabetes Care. And if you're looking to learn before becoming a patient, be sure to join my M3 Dr. McKeeja's Metabolic Method Masterclass, which will be coming as a next series in August. We are opening the registration soon and the spaces will be limited. You'll learn exactly how I approach hormonal metabolic hair at my practice and also what I teach my patients and what are the action steps to bring about those transformation outcomes that my patients experience along with evidence-based strategies, workbooks. As we finish today's episode, I want you to leave with one final thought. You do not need to transform your life overnight or change everything overnight. To start with one food, stay consistent. One habit, stay consistent. One intentional decision, stay consistent. Remember, those small daily choices compound and become your future health. Remember, your gut influences your metabolism. Your metabolism influences your hormonal health or your hormones, and your daily habits are the ones that take you towards good health and longevity. Thank you for spending a few minutes with me. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone you care about. Until next time, stay curious, stay empowered, and remember, knowledge is one of the most powerful medications or medicines we have. I'm Dr. Chaya Makija and see you next week on Hormones and Hope. Thanks for hanging out with me on Hormones and Hope. If you've liked this episode, do me a favor, hit subscribe, share it with someone you care about, and drop a review if you're feeling generous. Want more tools to support your hormones and health? Head over to unified endocrine care.com. We've got free guides, resources, and more waiting for you. Until next time, stay curious, stay kind to your body, and keep your hormones happy.