fbpx
360-800-5682 (360-800-5NTA) nta@nutritionaltherapy.com
  • Nutri-Q
  • Member Login
0 Items
Nutritional Therapy Association
  • About
    • About
      • Our Vision
      • Our Philosophy
      • Alumni Testimonials
      • Meet the Staff
      • Giving
      • Equity Commitment
      • Careers
      • NTP Scope of Practice and Code of Ethics
  • Courses
    • COURSE INFORMATION
      • Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) Program
      • Career Development Course
    • PROSPECTIVE STUDENT RESOURCES
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Scholarships
      • Payment Plans
      • Career Opportunities
      • Reporting Policy
      • ADA Policy
    • GETTING STARTED
      • Free Prospective Student Webinars
      • Enroll Today
  • Events
    • Events
      • Event Calendar
      • Informational Webinars
      • Past NTA Conferences
      • Purchase Conference & Event Recordings
  • Alumni
    • ALUMNI MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM
      • NTA Membership Form
      • Membership Info & FAQs
      • Membership Portal Login
    • GET INVOLVED
      • NTA Affiliate Program
      • Course Mentor Service
      • Engagement Opportunities
    • ALUMNI RESOURCES
      • Ripple Effect Grant
      • NTP Scope of Practice and Code of Ethics
      • Graduate Authors
      • NTA Blog
  • Find an NTP
    • Find an NTP
    • What is an NTP?
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Enroll Today
Select Page
Blood Sugar Regulation: How to Avoid the Mid-Day Crash and Keep your Blood Sugar Under Control

Blood Sugar Regulation: How to Avoid the Mid-Day Crash and Keep your Blood Sugar Under Control

Blog

Home » Posts Tagged "Low Blood Sugar"

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 balance 
  • The tissue integrity of organs and blood vessels 
  • Hormonal balance (including hormones of digestion, stress, and sexual function) 
  • 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)

Balanced Blood Sugar

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 carbohydrates 
  • Increased hunger and reduced satiation from meals 
  • Weight gain 
  • Increased blood pressure 
  • Fatigue and low energy levels 
  • Strong cravings for sweets and caffeine 
  • Ravenous hunger 
  • Irritability, anxiety, nervousness, and feeling lightheaded if meals are missed 
  • 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 diet 
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. 

Reducing stress levels through mindfulness and meditation 
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.

Movement 
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.

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. 

Want your recipe or article to be featured on our blog? Email our team Marketing@nutritionaltherapy.com with your full name, article, a short bio in third person, and a headshot. We may feature you in an upcoming blog post.
   

   

Join us for a Live Webinar with one of our Instructors and Admissions Advisors!

During this call, you’ll explore and learn:

  • How to create a rewarding career in holistic nutrition that will give you the confidence and competence to replace your full-time income (whether you’re new to nutrition or or using it to enhance your current services)
  • How our unmatched education and instructor support sets our NTP program apart from other nutrition programs​​​​​​​
  • How graduates are successfully using their education and the many career opportunities available to you
  • If the NTP program is the right fit for you and how to move forward in financing your education
Register for the Next Live Webinar

Categories

Receive Our Newsletter

Please Wait...
Success!
Something is wrong with your submission.

Nutritional Therapy Association, Inc.

Careers

P.O. Box 354
Olympia, WA 98507

(360) 800-5682
(360-800-5NTA)
Fax: (564) 888-5106

Contact Us »

Disclaimer

Annual Report

NTA Students

 

Scholarships

Financial Aid

Seminars/Trainings

Course Catalog

NTA Members

 

Member Login

Become a Member

Referral Rewards

Professional Development Opportunities

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Nutritional Therapy Association
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.