Eating for Balanced Blood Sugar
We hear about balancing blood sugar all the time, but there is a lot of conflicting information out there. Should we be fasting? Eating every 2 hours? Avoiding carbs? Eating whole grains?
How does blood sugar even work?
The Short Answer:
When we eat, carbohydrates are metabolized into glucose, which is sugar in the blood stream. If we don’t use or need all of the circulating glucose that we have, it can be stored in a form of sugar called glycogen. Insulin is a hormone that turns that glucose into stored glycogen. When that happens, our glucose (blood sugar) levels drop, signaling the need for more food.
The Juicy Answer:
Let’s get into it! Our blood sugar system impacts our energy, metabolism, and many of our hormones. When we eat, carbohydrates are metabolized directly into glucose, which is sugar in the blood. That glucose is able to be used by the all of the cells for energy, or it is stored in the muscles as a backup of energy for the future. That stored form of sugar is called glycogen. When glucose levels in the blood rise, that initiates the release of another hormone, insulin, from the pancreas. Insulin’s job is to turn that blood glucose into stored glycogen by moving it from the blood into the muscles. That is important because it is harmful to our cells if there is too much glucose hanging out in the blood stream for too long. We either want to use it or store it!
When glucose is successfully stored (yay insulin!), our blood sugar levels drop. This often signals our body that we need more food (cue rumbling stomach and carb cravings) or, if that doesn’t work, that we need to access that stored glycogen and convert it back into glucose, or blood sugar. We also release stored glycogen during high intensity exercise and in moments of stress, to supply the body with more energy.
Happy blood sugar
There is a natural ebb and flow to our blood sugar levels that is healthy and normal. What we want to avoid, however, is large dips and spikes suddenly, as that can overtax the system and mess with insulin as it tries to do its job (which can lead to metabolic diseases, weight gain, hormone imbalances, diabetes, and heart disease). Bio-individuality is important here, so it’s best to work with a Nutrition Consultant to develop a personal plan for you.
best practices for happy blood sugar:
Eat whole, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs, and spices. Avoid processed or pre-packaged foods.
Build meals to include a protein, fat, and complex carbohydrate such as a fruit or vegetable.
Choose fiber-rich carbohydrates (vegetables are king for nutrient and fiber content!) to slow the rise in blood sugar. Avoid refined carbohydrates such as flour products, bread, pasta, pastries, candy, cereals, or packaged oatmeal.
If eating a high-carbohydrate meal or snack, pair it with a healthy fat to slow the rise in blood sugar (for example, banana + almond butter or fruit smoothie + handful of nuts).
Replace all sweetened beverages (soda, juice, coffee drinks, alcohol) with unsweetened tea and purified water.
Decrease or eliminate sugar in all its forms as much as possible.
Eat moderate sized meals, as eating too much (even of something healthy!) in one sitting will cause an excessive spike in blood sugar.
Eating a protein and fat rich snack between meals can stabilize blood sugar and moderate meal size. Check out my Healthy Guide to Snacks for ideas!
