5 Tips to Balance Your Blood Sugar Right Now

“Thanks to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the abundance of sugars and carbohydrates on every supermarket shelf around the globe, high blood sugar is causing the premature deaths of 3.8 million people a year.”

-       David Sinclair, Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don’t Have To

When I tell people I test my blood sugar at home periodically, they often look puzzled and ask, “Why? Do you have diabetes?” I am equally puzzled by their reaction. We have scales in our bathrooms and know how much we weigh, but most of us have no idea what our blood glucose levels are, which is arguably more important.

While fasting blood glucose is included in a routine blood panel, having one data point annually (or even semi-annually) is simply not enough to understand the whole picture.

Prediabetes and diabetes are currently an epidemic. According to the CDC, 38% of adults aged 18 or older in the U.S. have prediabetes. This number rises to 48.8% for adults aged 65 years or older. The scariest part is 80% of people with prediabetes and 23% of people with diabetes don’t even know they have it! With the privilege and convenience of unlimited food options (at least in the U.S) and prevalent chronic stress, it is easier than we think to have consistently elevated blood glucose levels, which is the primary cause of Type II diabetes. 

The effects of blood sugar issues (insulin resistance) are not just isolated to prediabetes and diabetes. Everything in the body is connected. Blood sugar affects blood pressure, cholesterol levels, brain function, cardiovascular health, and really everything in the body at any given point in time.

I do recommend everyone take a more active role in testing their blood sugar, especially if you are the type who likes data and “knowing.” Continuous Glucose Monitors are superior because they offer much more data and you don’t have to prick your finger (not the most pleasant thing), but they are relatively pricey right now. Even if you aren’t interested in testing with a device or already know you are within optimal levels, it is still essential for long-term health and vitality to be taking steps towards blood sugar balance.

These are some helpful starter tips for balancing blood sugar. You can also download my FREE resource – The Ultimate Guide to Living Healthier Longer. I also work one-on-one with clients to reach and maintain optimal blood glucose levels.

1.     12- to 16-hour Overnight Fasts

Giving yourself a break from eating allows the body to keep blood sugar levels in check. When you’re not eating, there’s important stuff happening in the body that we are not even aware of. Regulating insulin levels, cellular repair, detox, and decreasing inflammation to name a few.

The term intermittent fasting is broad and can refer to multiple fasting and eating windows, often leading to a confusing conversation. For this purpose, let’s focus on the most basic kind of fast, which is the break between dinner and breakfast (most of which happens while we are asleep).

We should be aiming for a minimum of a 12-hour overnight fast, which gives you a 12-hour eating window. Even better, doing a 16-hour overnight fast a few days a week increases the benefits of time-restricted eating. A 16-hour fast gives you an 8-hour eating window.

Are you a night snacker and also tend to eat an earlier breakfast? This can be an obstacle to giving the body enough of a break to repair and renew. Sugary late-night snacks are especially harmful to insulin levels. If this is you, meet yourself where you are at and take baby steps. Increase your overnight fast by an hour or even 30 minutes and work up from there.

2.     Check for Added Sugar

While there is conflicting research on many aspects of nutrition and health, sugar is not one of them. We know that it is not good for us. When I talk about sugar here, it’s in reference to added sugar (as opposed to naturally-occurring). For example, sugar in an apple is naturally occurring as it is part of that whole food while cane sugar in apple sauce is added to that food during processing.

We are biologically wired for sugar to taste good. When we consume sugary foods and drinks, pleasure signals are sent to the brain. Our attraction to sugar dates back to a time when it was scarce, and when we did have it, it was mainly fruit. Now, we live in a sea of sugar, swimming with refined forms that are not found in nature. 

Added sugar is everywhere we look and in places we don’t look. We know it’s in foods like ice cream and cookies, but it’s also often hiding in seemingly healthy foods like whole grain bread and cereals, yogurt, dried fruit, and health drinks. That’s why it’s important to read labels so we know what we are buying. Added sugar goes by many unrecognizable names so it may not be easy to catch on the ingredient list. Check on the nutrition facts under Total Carbohydrate for Added Sugars.

The good news is, the less sugar you eat, the less you will crave it. When added sugar is reduced, our pleasure centers in the brain will again light up for healthier foods like fruit, yogurt with honey, or sweet potato. Eating less sugar also supports good gut bacteria that lead us to crave healthier foods and make better eating choices.

Cutting out sugar cold turkey can cause feelings of restriction and emotional eating. Have a strong sweet tooth? Try making your own desserts with natural sweeteners like maple syrup, coconut sugar, honey, or date sugar. You can also sweeten foods with fruit juices, like pomegranate or pineapple juice.

3.     Avoid Refined Grains

This is not about eating a low-carb diet. It’s not about ditching your beloved bread or pasta. It’s about being smart about the carbs you do shop for and eat.

Refined grains have been modified to remove the fiber-rich and nutrient-dense parts, called the bran and germ. The bran is the fibrous outside shell of the grain. The germ is the nutrient powerhouse inside. When these are mechanically removed, what is left is called the endosperm, which is mainly starch and lacks the fiber and nutrients of the bran and germ.

 If it’s less nutritious, why refine the grain at all? Refining, or stripping the grain of the bran and germ, creates a finer texture and extends the shelf life. All the better for using in processed foods.

Just like added sugar, refined grains have many names and are often hiding in plain sight. So how do you spot them? The easiest way is to mainly eat whole grains themselves, like brown rice, quinoa, and oats. Otherwise, look for foods that say 100% whole grain or 100% whole wheat. If something says enriched, run away. And don’t be fooled by marketing terms like multigrain, made with whole grains, or wheat. You are a smarter shopper!

The higher the intake of refined carbohydrates, the higher risk of diabetes. Higher carbohydrate intake alone does not necessarily lead to higher insulin levels. It’s the presence of refined carbohydrates that increase blood glucose spikes. The fact that these foods are not found in nature is also a red flag, as opposed to carbohydrates like whole grains and fruits that are.

 4.     High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Short bursts of high intensity exercise have shown to yield better results on blood sugar than longer bouts of moderate-intensity exercise. Also, it’s a time saver. You only need about 20 minutes, 2-3 times per week. HIIT can take many forms, as long as you are alternating between increased and decreased heart rates across short periods of time. For example. alternating 2 minutes near-full effort with 4 minutes low-to-medium effort for 3 cycles.

Some examples of high intensity exercise are alternating:

·      running fast and slow

·      speed walking and slow walking

·      incline walking and level-ground walking (think a hilly hiking trail or adjusting treadmill settings)

·      biking or spinning at your near maximum effort and then low resistance/low speed

·      Jump roping, jumping jacks, burpees, step-ups, and other cardio

The best types of high-intensity interval training are the ones you can be consistent with! Be realistic and engage in activities that you will enjoy. How could you make it a habit?

5.     MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION

A recent study on blood sugar control showed that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MSBR) improved fasting blood glucose levels and blood pressure in women. MSBR is a combination of mindfulness meditation, body awareness, yoga, and observing thought patterns.  The powerful effects of these practices lie in physiological pathways, such as with the stress hormone cortisol. Increased cortisol is associated with increased blood sugar. Having consistently high cortisol can result in, you guessed it, high blood sugar on a chronic basis, leading to insulin resistance.

If you would like personalized and dedicated support with blood sugar balance and optimizing your overall health, book a free intro call with me.