Why Managing Blood Sugar should be a priority for YOU!

What is blood sugar dysregulation?

It is when your blood sugar levels are not stable in the body and it creates a vicious cycle of roller coaster symptoms.

The average adult in America consumes their body weight (pounds) in sugar per year. That is a whole person of sugar! Our food system today is very sneaky about how they label sugar or how they market it. A lot of us unknowingly consume more sugar than we realize.

Some people think that going low carb or no carb will often cut out those unnecessary sugars, however if you are a woman, especially one who is still menstruating, or one who has a hormone or thyroid imbalance, cutting out carbs will do more harm than good and can make your symptoms even worse.

Think of it this way, when you have something high in sugar, you have that energy for the hour afterwards, but then that “high” has to come down and all of a sudden you feel the crash, then your body is craving that high all over again. That is why sugar is so addictive, it actually creates that opiate effect on us, Which is why we crave breads so much, the sugar in bread (glucose) creates that high and the opiate feeling in our brain. It makes us keep going back for more.

If you eat a meal and afterwards you feel yourself going to the cupboard for a little something to just “top” it off, your body is telling you that you didn’t get what it needed in your meals in regards to proteins, fats, fibre, vitamins, minerals etc. It can’t tell you exactly what it needs so it gives you the cue to go get something more, which leads to those poor choices and why you keep going back to the cupboard or the fridge for that “dessert”. That’s where the negative self talk comes in and then you feel bad for eating those 6 cookies or that pint of ice cream and when you talk to your self negatively it reflects back on your body’s hunger cues and the cravings or the need for comfort food starts again. It’s a vicious cycle when we really start to look at it.

So what can you do to help recognize a blood sugar imbalance?

1. Start to recognize any patterns you may have.

Do you wake up in the morning and head straight into a workout to get it in before the busy day starts? Or are you rushing around trying to get the kids off to school and yourself ready for the day and don’t eat until everyone is out the door? Or perhaps you are one that grabs the coffee and then isn’t hungry until 5hrs after you wake and are craving that bagel with cream cheese or that croissant. Your body needs nutrition in the morning! When we don’t start the day off with a BALANCED meal that contains protein, fat and fibre, our blood sugar levels get out of whack and we are derailed for the whole day.

FUN FACT: If your blood sugar levels are off in the morning, they are off for the day. Ever hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? That is the reason why 😊

2. Check your stress levels.

When we are stressed, our bodies hold onto that extra weight because it doesn’t know what to expect from day to day. Just like kids, our body’s LOVE routine. They love getting a balanced meal 3 times a day and when we are consistent about keeping our blood sugar levels stable, that extra weight tends to leave our body because it isn’t worried about going into starvation mode every second day. When our stress hormone, cortisol, is up from fasting it pulls glucose from storage and puts it into your blood stream which then leads to exaggerated symptoms of cravings, shakiness, brain fog, light headedness etc.

So stop all the noise of low carb, no carb, keto, juicing, new fad diets and really listen to your body and what it needs. She will tell you 😉

3. Eat your fibre and veggies first on your plate.

Getting more fibre in first will help your body absorb and utilize the starches. Then your protein and finally your fat and starches. Fibre/veggies->protein->fat->starch

4. After your meal, move around for at least 10 mintues.

This helps your body absorb glucose into your muscles and cells to use for energy and not for fat storage. It will also help to regulate your nervous system. Even cleaning up the dishes and moving about your kitchen counts!

5. Beans!

Eat your beans! Beans are very cooling to the body, especially for women. They are good for estrogen metabolism and support those bowel functions. They are great for our kidneys and balancing the ovaries, who knew! But maybe you are thinking, when I eat beans, I gas the whole household! Not all beans work for every person, just like not one diet fits all. Kidney beans, navy beans, black beans are all good, but make sure you are rinsing them! Rinse rinse rinse until there are no bubbles or suds, this is usually what makes us gassy. Also some beans are harder to digest, chickpeas for instance may be one that some people just can’t digest, that’s ok! Try another one.

6. Exercise!

Especially strength training, our muscles pull in the glucose and utilize it so it is not storing it as fat. This is why eating a balanced meal is critical for building muscle.

7. Adrenal fatigue.

If you suffer from this then it needs to be addressed first. Blood sugar dysregulation can wreak havoc on our adrenals (believe me, I know)… Keeping our blood sugar levels stable, keeps our adrenals happy and then we are happy. If adrenal fatigue is an issue then rest, sleep and walking or light exercise are important.

8. Stop abusing intermittent fasting.

Eating during certain hours of the day does not help with blood sugar regulation, it often makes it worse during certain times in our cycle. If we wake up at 5am and don’t eat until 8 am our body’s blood sugar levels have already dipped and it is now out of whack for the day. If you find yourself waking up everynight between 1-4am, it is often because of our blood sugar levels.

If you are thinking, what about those fruits that are high in sugar, its important to note that these are ok to eat, but when you do eat them, they are best paired with a protein or fat to balance it out and slow down the rise in glucose.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me and I will be happy to help find answers to them!

As always, your health is your wealth!