In today’s world, more and more people find themselves feeling lethargic all day. Symptoms like brain fog and mood swings have become common, they are even sometimes brushed off as simple side effects of modern living. But the truth is: these are signs that your body is having trouble balancing your blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels fluctuate, they can cause a variety of health problems, both in the short and the long term.
Insulin roller coaster:
In order to understand how blood sugar is balanced, let’s take a look at the two main factors at play: carbohydrates and the hormone insulin.
Carbohydrates are the most used and available energy source. The western diet is rich in carbohydrates, and sadly the unhealthy kind like breakfast cereal, refined bread, ice cream, cookies, and pizza, which tend to have a high glycemic index. Carbohydrates are not bad inherently, but they can cause some damage if we don’t closely monitor our relationship with them. All carbohydrates eventually convert to simple sugar molecules (like glucose) in the bloodstream.
When blood sugar is low, the body’s response is to crave carbohydrates. Signs of low blood sugar levels include anxiety, shaking, sweating, the inability to think or concentrate and irritability.
When we have carbohydrates, the hormone insulin is then secreted to stabilize the sugar that we have eaten, that has just been absorbed into the bloodstream.
The higher the blood sugar level, the higher the insulin spike. The problem is that following the insulin spike, the body will experience a dip in blood sugar levels (referred to as sugar crash or reactive hypoglycemia). And so another cycle begins, blood sugar levels are low again, and we find ourselves in the same spot as the beginning, with low blood sugar, craving carbohydrates and the cycle continues.
Short term consequences:
Many people are unaware that they are caught in this insulin roller coaster, stuck between two extremes, with their blood level either being too high or too low. In the short term this causes weight gain, mood disorders, fatigue, anxiety, depression and a poor quality of life.
Since the hormones of the body are interconnected, erratic insulin levels can cause other hormones to become unbalanced too, and that’s especially the case for female reproductive hormones
Long term effects:
The more insulin is secreted (which means the more carbohydrates and sugars we eat), the more the body becomes accustomed to insulin and the cells resistant to its effects. This creates a state known as insulin resistance, which is a precursor for type 2 diabetes.
There is an intimate relationship between insulin resistance and inflammation [1]. Increased inflammation in the body is practically the root cause of most chronic diseases we see today, including cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, digestive conditions and even cancers.
What to do:
In order to ensure we feel good in the short and long terms, keeping our blood sugar levels balanced is absolutely detrimental to short term and long term health.
Keeping blood sugar levels steady is absolutely necessary to ensure good health. The good news is that it’s fairly easy to keep blood sugar balanced; you just have to follow simple steps:
1) Limit the consumption of refined carbohydrates and sugar which raise blood sugar levels. Skip the sweetened sodas and fruit juices.
2) Eat small healthy meals throughout the day to keep blood sugar levels stable.
3) Include fat, fiber and protein in each meal, they will digest slower, keeping you full for longer.
4) Calm down: stress can cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate.
5) Exercise: physical activity makes the cells more sensitive to nutrients and hormones like insulin, and can help balance blood sugar levels.
6) Cut back on the coffee: studies have shown that high caffeine consumption decreases insulin sensitivity [2], so be mindful of how much coffee you consume every day.