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Is your blood sugar out of balance?
Do you have any of these signs or symptoms?
If so, your blood sugar may be going on a daily rollercoaster.
What’s going on?
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that keeps blood sugar levels in check.
After eating, the pancreas releases insulin into your bloodstream, and the glucose (blood sugar) is used to fuel your cells with energy, then insulin lowers your blood sugar levels back to baseline after a meal.
Insulin resistance happens when insulin isn’t doing its job to direct sugar into the cell, remaining in the bloodstream, as a result, your blood sugar remains elevated and the pancreas secretes more insulin.
Testing for Insulin Resistance:
Fasting Blood Glucose
A measure of how much glucose is in your blood after an overnight fast
Hemoglobin A1C
A measure of your average blood sugar levels over the past three months using a percentage point.
Fasting Insulin
Increased insulin levels in the blood is very common in people with insulin resistance so we also test for fasting insulin levels.
***It’s also important when analyzing your results to look at them through the lense functional ranges vs pathological ranges. For example: the biggest difference between both is the deviation level for a certain type of analysis, as an example glucose:
▶Pathological: 65-110 mg/dl
▶Functional: 85 – 100 mg/dl
So if you only look at the pathological range you might think “everything is normal” when in fact this might indicate a risk for developing diabetes.
Good news is that you can control your insulin levels through lifestyle changes!
The TOP 3 lifestyle changes to balance blood sugar levels
The foods we eat can be split into two main categories: foods with a high glycemic index and foods with a low glycemic index. Each category has very different impacts on our blood sugar levels
High glycemic index foods
Foods with a high glycemic index are very quickly digested within the body. Foods with a glycemic index above 55 are considered high glycemic index foods and include processed grains, sugar, starchy vegetables like potatoes, and sweet fruits like watermelon.
Eating foods with a high glycemic index will cause an almost instant spike in blood sugar levels and then a dramatic crash after half an hour. This is why even after eating the most pasta you could possibly eat, it’s most likely that you’ll be hungry again very soon after.
Low glycemic index foods
The fuel we receive from foods with a low glycemic index is released slowly throughout the day, helping to balance your blood sugar levels. Low GI foods create a much smaller blood sugar spike that declines relatively slowly.
Foods with a glycemic index of less than 55 are considered to have a low glycemic index. These include most non-starchy vegetables, meats, nuts, seeds, and some whole grains. Fruits with less fructose (“sour” fruits such as grapefruit, lemons, limes, and cranberries) also have a low glycemic index.
Focus on eating a diet rich in healthy fats, protein and if you do consume carbohydrates, I recommend focusing on complex carbs with a ratio of no larger than two servings of carbohydrates to one serving of protein.
Taking part in regular exercise comes with plenty of mental and physical benefits. Exercise has been shown to help the body’s cells become more sensitive to insulin, which in turn will help you to avoid insulin resistance and reduce thyroid symptoms.
Over time, exercise has been shown to lower your blood sugar levels.
Getting enough quality sleep is more important than many people think! Quality sleep comes with quality health benefits. Quality sleep encourages stress reduction, an improved mood, and of course a healthy blood sugar balance. Not getting enough sleep will affect your metabolic hormones, which can lead to a disruption in insulin levels.
Many people have insulin resistance, even if their body mass index is normal 👀, thus diet, lifestyle, and genetics can all affect blood sugar levels in your body and healthy habits will definitely help you balance them.
The sooner you start implementing these simple lifestyle changes, the sooner you’ll reap the benefits, from the inside out.