Avoid Blood Sugar Swings With These Tips
By Rachel Carver
Unless you are diabetic, you might not think much about your blood sugar. However, blood sugar can set your mood for the day, and fluctuation can leave you feeling sluggish and stall weight loss.
Blood sugar affects:
- Your stress response
- Your sleep quality
- Your desire to make good food choices
- Your metabolism
Keep your blood sugar levels even with these tips.
Skip Fad Diets
Many of these diets limit certain foods such as carbs. However, carbs, protein, and fat are essential macronutrients that keep your blood sugar steady. Carbs are also the body's primary energy source. Choose foods with complex carbs that digest more slowly and keep you full longer. Restricting certain foods can cause you to limit and then binge, playing havoc on your blood sugar numbers. You want these numbers to stay steady and not constantly drop and rise.
Don't Skip Breakfast
Eating a balanced breakfast within two hours of waking up will keep your blood sugar even. Incorporate all three macronutrients into breakfast with meal items such as toast, eggs, and avocados.
Set a Food Routine
Sticking to a food schedule will help prevent blood sugar dips. Between telework and finding more things to do at home, it is easy to skip meals and then grab an unhealthy snack later. Listen to your hunger signals, but try to plan your meals and snacks around three to four hours apart. Stocking your kitchen with healthy foods will also help with your overall nutrition.
Eat After a Workout
You don't have to rush to the kitchen the minute you finish exercising, but you should eat something within the hour. Muscles use stored glucose during each workout. This glucose needs to be replaced, and waiting too long to do this will drop your blood sugar. This can cause irritability and fatigue.
Manage Stress
Too much stress triggers the process of gluconeogenesis, causing your body to make its own blood sugar in case it needs to fight or flee. Especially right now, many of us are under high amounts of stress. Think about your stressors -- work, child care, etc. Come up with things you can do to alleviate stress, such as stretching, meditation, or regular exercise. Stepping away from your stressor will help you calm down and think clearly.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Farragut, Tenn.