Blood Sugar Regulation: How to Avoid the Mid-Day Crash and Keep your Blood Sugar Under Control
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Blood Sugar Regulation: How to Avoid the Mid-Day Crash and Keep your Blood Sugar Under Control
Imagine this: You wake up in the morning, rush to get ready, and run out the door without eating breakfast. You stop to grab a big cup of coffee and a muffin and scarf it down in the car on your way to work.
You spend the morning sifting through an inbox full of emails or answering phone calls. You skip lunch and opt for another cup of coffee thanks to back-to-back meetings.
3:00 hits and you are exhausted. But thanks to that candy bar you got from the vending machine, you are able to get through the rest of the work day.
You make your way home and pull into a fast-food drive-thru because you are too tired to even think about cooking tonight.
You go to bed, and get ready to do it all over again tomorrow. Sound familiar?
The body works continuously to maintain normal blood sugar levels throughout the day. But when we eat too little, eat too much, or eat too many refined carbohydrates, our bodies can get stuck in a vicious cycle.
What is Blood Sugar?
Blood Sugar Regulation plays a key role in all aspects of human physiology:
- Energy production and balanceÂ
- The tissue integrity of organs and blood vesselsÂ
- Hormonal balance (including hormones of digestion, stress, and sexual function)Â
- Brain health, mood, memory, and cognitive function
Ultimately, if blood sugar regulation is not working efficiently, overall health cannot be achieved.
But diet, stress, and environmental toxins are all factors that can cause our blood sugar levels to rise too high. When this happens, our brains react in an effort to bring blood sugar levels back down, occasionally overshooting and dropping them too low (A.K.A., a blood sugar crash)
Sugar, Sugar Everywhere
Simple carbohydrates and hyper-palatable foods are everywhere. They have become the quick and easy option that fits right in with our busy, fast-paced lives.
These highly processed foods activate the brain’s reward center and make us crave more. They are also void of vital nutrients and tend to make us feel hungry soon after we finish eating. Then we reach for another snack and the process starts over again.
Large influxes of simple carbohydrates cause a rise in blood sugar levels, which our bodies see as an emergency that must be dealt with immediately. We get a spike of energy from the rise in blood sugar, but as our bodies jump into action to bring our blood sugar levels down, we feel that crash that leaves us lethargic and hungry.
Stress & Blood Sugar
We live in an environment where stress is never ending. To the brain, an urgent email from the boss can cause the same stress response as a bear threatening your life! Anytime we experience stress, our body reacts and goes into fight or flight mode. When this happens, our blood sugar levels rise.
Stress, combined with eating simple carbohydrates and nutrient-void foods, can put us on a roller coaster of blood sugar spikes and dips. Over time, this can really start to impact our quality of life and can lead to a host of health problems including high blood sugar, insulin resistance, diabetes, or even cardiovascular disease.
What are the Signs of High Blood Sugar?
Signs and symptoms of compromised blood sugar regulation include:
- Increased cravings for sugar and refined carbohydratesÂ
- Increased hunger and reduced satiation from mealsÂ
- Weight gainÂ
- Increased blood pressureÂ
- Fatigue and low energy levelsÂ
- Strong cravings for sweets and caffeineÂ
- Ravenous hungerÂ
- Irritability, anxiety, nervousness, and feeling lightheaded if meals are missedÂ
- Feeling jittery or shaky between meals
Thanks to processed foods and environmental stressors becoming a normal part of our daily lives, blood sugar swings and related health problems have become common. But just because high blood pressure, diabetes, and blood sugar swings are common, doesn’t mean they are normal.
Ways to Regulate Blood Sugar
Eating a balanced, nutrient-dense, whole foods dietÂ
Our bodies were designed to be energized by nutrient-dense fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. A balance of all whole food macronutrients throughout the day can help create the energy we need to function and thrive.Â
Our bodies were designed to be energized by nutrient-dense fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. A balance of all whole food macronutrients throughout the day can help create the energy we need to function and thrive.Â
Reducing stress levels through mindfulness and meditationÂ
Our minds are constantly worrying about decisions we’ll make in the future and regretting decisions we already made in the past. Meditating and focusing on the present can increase mindfulness and our resilience to stress.
MovementÂ
After something stressful occurs, movement can help our bodies process out stress hormones more quickly. This can be as simple as getting up and going for a walk, going to a workout class, or doing some simple stretches throughout the day.
SleepÂ
Sleep deprivation can cause stress and have a negative effect on our energy levels during the day. Try to avoid caffeine consumption in the afternoon and turn off your phone or TV a few hours before going to bed to help get a better night’s sleep.
Sleep deprivation can cause stress and have a negative effect on our energy levels during the day. Try to avoid caffeine consumption in the afternoon and turn off your phone or TV a few hours before going to bed to help get a better night’s sleep.
Now Imagine this…
You wake up in the morning and eat a balanced breakfast full of nourishing carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. You leave for work with balanced blood sugar–ready to take on the day! It’s amazing how productive and energized we can feel when we are mindful of our diet, manage stress, and take control of our blood sugar regulation.Â
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