Core Basics: Balancing Blood Sugar
A few years ago one of my clients was given a prediabetes diagnosis by their doctor. Although I had discussed with them the risk factors for blood sugar imbalance and the risk of Type 2 diabetes, prediabetes as a diagnosis was new to me. According to the Diabetes Care Community website about 30% of people with prediabetes will have diabetes in 5 years if they make no lifestyle or medication change. My client’s fasting blood sugar was at the very high end of the range and I fully expected that without changes their diagnosis to Type 2 diabetes was imminent. Fast forward three years and my client has had a wake up call of bypass surgery, and a new lease on life. Since the surgery, he has changed his diet and his lifestyle significantly. He is no longer prediabetic and is focusing on many of the recommendations below to ensure he stays as healthy as possible.
If you are one of the millions of people like my client who has a blood sugar imbalance, (fluctuating blood glucose levels, prediabetes, diabetes, metabolic syndrome) maintaining normal blood sugar levels can be challenging. A drop or spike in your levels can result in serious health problems as well as common complications, including fatigue, weight gain and sugar cravings.
Fortunately, as with my client, adopting healthy lifestyle behaviours, such as healthy eating, has the potential to prevent 80% of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, 40% of cancers, and other chronic diseases. Implementing the basic strategies below can start the process.
TERMS TO KNOW
Let’s get you ready for change by understanding some basic terms:
Blood sugar/blood glucose – Glucose is the form of sugar that is in our bloodstream. Glucose is the body’s preferred source of fuel.
Cortisol - Cortisol is often referred to as the primary “stress hormone” because it’s one of the main hormones we release when we’re under pressure and our “fight or flight response” kicks into gear. Cortisol is often talked about in negative terms but we need it to live, to help control blood sugar levels, regulate metabolism, help reduce inflammation, and assist memory formulation.
Glycogen – Excess glucose that doesn’t enter body cells is taken to the liver where it is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver, muscles, and fat cells. Glycogen can stabilize low blood sugar levels between meals and during the night, and glycogen stored in the liver is primarily used in the brain and spinal cord. Over the course of an average day, your brain’s demand for glucose is about 20% of your body’s energy needs. Your body needs to store glycogen, but stress and hormone dysfunction can deplete your ability to store it, possibly contributing to blood sugar imbalance.
Hyperglycemia – Hyperglycemia is another term for high blood sugar. It is normal to have a spike in blood sugar after a meal, but chronically high blood sugar can cause severe health issues like diabetes.
Hypoglycemia – Hypoglycemia is another term for low blood sugar. Glycogen stored in the liver, raises blood sugar between meals helping to prevent hypoglycemia. However stress and hormonal imbalances can reduce the body’s ability to store glycogen.
Insulin – Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas, which regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. This hormone is the messenger that lets cells know glucose needs to be removed from the bloodstream into cells for energy generation.
SIMPLE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPLEMENT
Normal blood sugar levels are sustained through a combination of eating a balanced, low-processed diet, getting regular exercise and managing the body’s most important hormones in other ways (such as getting enough sleep and reducing stress). Many issues triggered by poorly managed blood sugar are avoidable and can be managed naturally and successfully by practicing certain healthy habits.
Focus on whole, unprocessed foods
A healthy whole foods diet is key to managing blood sugar levels, reducing inflammation, and improving your liver health. When planning your meals, strive to balance carbohydrates with protein/fats and fibre (all from real, whole foods) to help slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. Skipping meals causes blood sugar levels to spike so strive to eat at least three meals per day.
When considering which foods to eat, choose:
Whole vegetables & fruit in all the colours of the rainbow. Try to consume at least 6–8 servings of colourful vegetables daily. They provide vitamins, minerals and fibre. Fibre slows down the digestive process and is essential for a healthy digestive system.
High fibre foods such as legumes, oat bran, nuts, seeds, pears, apples, and most vegetables.
Healthy Fats such as virgin coconut oil, avocado oil, ghee, or grass-fed butter for cooking at high temperatures as they are more resistant to damage from heat. Extra virgin olive oil, MCT oil, or nut and seed oils are best used in cold dishes as they are less stable with heat. No matter what oils you choose, ensure they are in an opaque container and are as fresh as possible. Eating rancid oil can cause damage to cells resulting in an increased risk of developing disease.
Adequate complete protein (0.8 g / Kg/ day) such as legumes, nuts and seeds, wild-caught fish, grass-fed organic meat, chicken, eggs.
Omega 3 fatty acids from dark green leafy vegetables, flax & chia seeds, walnuts & seeds, algae oil, wild caught salmon, krill oil.
Consider reducing or avoiding:
Refined grains such as wheat flour or white rice, e.g. cereal, noodles, white bread, and pizza dough.
Desserts: Flavoured yogurts, granola, snack bars, cakes, candy, cookies, ice cream, etc.
Processed snack foods including corn chips, potato chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, pre-packaged trail mix.
Damaged fats: Fats used in deep-frying, oils derived by heat processing, and hydrogenated or trans fats are damaging to your health. All proteins (meat, poultry, eggs, and fish) should be cooked at low, even temperatures to avoid damaging the fats they contain. When purchasing oils, look for cold-pressed oils sold in opaque containers that lessen oxidation caused by exposure to light.
Decrease sugar consumption
Alternative names for sugar.
Reducing added sugars in all your chosen foods is one of the most important steps for balancing blood sugar. Some sources of sugar/carbs affect blood glucose levels more so than others so use amounts sparingly, choosing natural/unrefined, ideally organic sources (such as those from fruit or raw honey) which are less likely to contribute to poor blood sugar management than refined sugars. Visit my blog post about using dates in baking.
Consider:
Choosing fresh or frozen fruits without added sugar.
Avoiding condiments with added sugar including barbeque sauces, fish sauces, hoisin sauce, ketchup, relishes, sweet pickles, and Worcestershire sauce.
Checking labels for added sugars. There are over 50 different names for sugars, allowing manufacturers to hide how much sugar is truly in a product.
Consider additional nutrients
Supplements can help blood sugar imbalances and metabolization of sugar and fat. When purchasing supplements choose the one with the highest quality ingredients with no additives, preservatives, or fillers.
An ideal supplement protocol depends upon an individual’s medications, current supplements, and overall health issues. Before beginning a supplement regime, visit your health practitioner, or contact us for a proper assessment and recommendations for high quality products.
Consider asking your health practitioner about adding the following in your daily regime:
Omega 3 Fatty Acids (preferably plant based)
Vitamin D3
Chromium
ALA (alpha lipoic acid)
Exercise often
Vigorous exercise helps balance blood sugar and lower the level of hormone that affect blood glucose levels. According to the National Diabetes Association, exercise manages blood sugar in more than one way. Short-term exercise helps cells in your muscles to take up more glucose in order to use it for energy and tissue repair, thereby lowering blood sugar levels in the process. Long-term exercise also makes cells more responsive to hormones that affect blood glucose levels and helps prevent resistance.
Talk to a health care professional to find the right type of exercise for your current health journey.
Consider incorporating:
A daily brisk walk outside
Light cardiovascular exercise like cycling, elliptical, or stairs
Resistance exercise such as lifting weights
Interval training like squats and lunges
Get adequate sleep
Lack of sleep or poor sleep damages your metabolism, spikes sugar and carb cravings, makes you eat more, and increases your risk for disease.
In one study, sleep deprived participants experienced a decrease of cortisol concentrations that was 6 times slower than usual. Higher evening cortisol levels are linked to hormone resistance. Inadequate sleep can drastically reduce glucose tolerance, making it more difficult for cells to uptake glucose, thereby creating higher blood sugar.
Consider:
Creating a sleep ritual that includes energy medicine, yoga, or meditation
Identifying your chronotype. Our bodies have biologically driven preferences for living and knowing your chronotype can help you make decisions about your sleep wake cycle.
Drinking caffeine or alcohol in accordance with your chronotype and stopping all caffeine by 2pm.
Setting a specific wake up bedtime everyday. Your body loves a cycle
Adding physical activity and sunlight when you wake up to stimulate cortisol in the morning which will help regulate your sleep rhythm
Incorporating device free bedtime routines. Watching TV or using phones right before bed reduces melatonin levels that would otherwise make us feel sleepy
Designing a bedroom environment that has a temperature between 15.5 - 20C, thick curtains to block out morning sun or street lights, and the right bedding for right time of year
Manage stress
Chronic stress increases our levels of insulin, cortisol, and inflammation.
Excessive stress can actually cause blood sugar levels to rise due to an increased release of the “stress hormone” cortisol. It may contribute to high blood sugar by raising cortisol, may increase cravings for “comfort foods” (often refined and filled with sugar or other inflammatory ingredients), and can interfere with getting good sleep.
You may not be able to eliminate stress, but you can practice controlling it. Energy medicine exercises, meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, massage, laughing, and dancing are among the best ways to manage stress. You can also read Britte’s post Signs and Symptoms of too much stress, and 5 Things to do about it for more information.
Balancing blood sugar can change your life now and can also have a significant impact on your future health with respect to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dementia. Create lasting change for your health by implementing the above recommendations. Start today and start with manageable changes. Eat a low-processed, anti-inflammatory diet that includes whole protein foods, healthy fats and high-fibre foods; reduce sugar consumption; consider high quality supplements; get regular exercise; manage stress; and get enough sleep.
Contact me for more information on how I can support you as you create these important changes to your life.
This is for information purposes and is not intended for diagnosis, to treat, prevent or cure any condition. Please consult with your health care professional before making any changes to your current lifestyle.