The ‘hidden engine’ of your ideal, daily energy lies in balanced blood sugar levels.
Picture the body to be a wood-burning fireplace. ‘Simple carbohydrates’ (highly refined and processed white starches, sugars/sweeteners/syrups, soda, candy, etc.) entering the body represent dry paper thrown onto the fire. Flames blaze up instantly, like the temporary energy surge we experience following consumption. But then, the flames burn out equally as fast, leaving behind ashes and smoke (otherwise known as the energy crash that inevitably follows)! Energy spikes and crashes just leave you craving more, given simple carbs don’t contribute to feeling satiated, calm, nor content!
In comparison, the three macronutrients (protein, anti-inflammatory fats and colourful fiber) are the slow-burning, hardwood logs. Burning slowly and steadily, they keep you warm and content for hours.
When our main meals lack adequate timing, volume of food, and balance of the three macros, our system starts to suffer. And, if we don’t set a strong tone for the day with our breakfast of choice, balanced blood sugar levels become harder to stabilize as the day unfolds. The natural consequences become barely-there energy, fatigue, hangriness and irritability that impacts everything we do!
Furthermore, glucose spikes from refined carbs, coupled with macronutrient deficits, feed and favour the poor/opportunistic bacteria in our gut microbiome over the beneficial, probiotic, anti-inflammatory species that support our ability to thrive!
Understanding the Glucose Curve
Every time we eat, our blood sugar level naturally rises. This is due to incoming food being digested, and its nutrients being absorbed into our bloodstream. Refined/processed carbs are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and produce a more sharp blood glucose spike, given they lack the fiber content that s-l-o-w-s down digestion!
Glucose spikes trigger insulin surges. A hormone released from the pancreas, insulin helps clear sugar from the blood by shuttling it into our cells so it may act as an energy source. If insulin overcompensates, blood sugar levels drop below a comfortable baseline, triggering the release of stress-related hormones like cortisol and adrenaline from the adrenals. As a result, we can feel irritable, anxious and desperate for a quick-fix source of energy!
The long-term impact of mismanaged blood sugar and cortisol spikes contribute to possible Insulin Resistance, metabolic fatigue, poor sleep quality and stress on our gut barrier (small intestinal wall), where nutrients are absorbed into our bloodstream to fuel our cells and tissues. Ongoing, rapid glucose swings can contribute to chronic, low-grade, systemic inflammation, weakening the integrity of our gut lining over time (aka Intestinal Permeability or Leaky Gut).
When blood sugar levels are balanced, we feel calm, content and energized! Digestion also becomes more regulated, reducing the experience of gas, bloating, acid reflux, constipation or diarrhea, brain fog and/or poor sleep!
On the flip side of simple carbs we find complex carbohydrates – non-starchy and starchy vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds. They’re nutrient-dense fiber sources requiring much more time and effort to digest! These ‘slow-burning’ carbs keep you fuller, for longer. They don’t have a rapid impact on blood sugar levels, especially when combined with some protein and fat at mealtime.
What about fruit? While fruit contains simple carbohydrates and natural sugars, its fiber content slows down digestion and absorption of its natural sugar content, reducing the glucose spike.
PRACTICAL NUTRITIONAL HABITS FOR DAILY BLOOD SUGAR REGULATION
Pair any simple carbs with protein, fiber and fat.
When quick-to-digest simple carbs are paired with some protein and fat their rate of digestion slows, including the rate of stomach emptying. A steep glucose spike becomes a more gentle, rolling curve. Extend how long fruit keeps you full by also pairing it with some protein and fat, like enjoying an apple slathered with some nut/seed butter!
Consider the order in which you consume the macros on your plate.
Remain well-hydrated.
Enjoy your main meals around the same time each day.
PRACTICAL LIFESTYLE HABITS FOR DAILY BLOOD SUGAR REGULATION
Post-Meal Walks
Your muscles sop up glucose, like a sponge! Muscular contraction following a meal (a walk, squats or otherwise), is highly beneficial! Your muscles will pull glucose out of your bloodstream, freeing up the pancreas from needing to produce additional insulin.
Circadian Rhythm Support
Your circadian rhythm is your internal, 24-hour clock, regulating the opposing actions of cortisol (stress hormone) and melatonin (sleep hormone). Support an ideal morning cortisol spike upon waking by gaining natural sunlight into your eyes ASAP. Throughout the day, enjoy regular screen and movement breaks – outdoors, if possible! In the evening, minimize exposure to blue light devices following sundown, enjoying relaxing and non-stimulating activities, instead. Maintain a regular bed time and wake time, so sleep is not delayed nor insufficient. Poor sleep habits and sleep quality keep cortisol elevated and blood sugar levels dysregulated, due to impaired insulin sensitivity.
Ongoing Stress Management (Nervous System) Support
When cortisol levels spike, blood sugar levels spike. When blood sugar levels drop too low, cortisol will surge in response. Reducing our overall daily stressors and managing stressors effectively is a crucial part of regulated blood sugar levels.
Psychological stress elevates blood sugar, even if you haven’t consumed a single gram of carbohydrates! Our liver releases stored energy (sugar, in the form of glycogen) to support your Fight-or-Flight response. The energy required to ‘survive’ stressful circumstances needs to come from somewhere! Counter stressors with intentional, relaxing actions sprinkled into your day, shifting your Nervous System back into Rest-and-Digest mode.
STRATEGIC NATURAL SUPPLEMENTATION FOR DAILY BLOOD SUGAR REGULATION
*Please do your due diligence in learning what would be beneficial for your unique health needs and circumstances, particularly with any possible contraindications with medication.
Magnesium
Zinc
*NOTE: ongoing supplementation of zinc (in consideration of dose, too), can contribute to copper deficiency, given these two minerals antagonize each other in the body. Please consult with your practitioner with use.
Vitamin D3
Chromium
Berberine
Probiotics
HOLIDAY SEASON SURVIVAL GUIDE: ‘BLOOD SUGAR’ EDITION!
The holiday season brings ALL the feelings! Excitement, joy and coziness, alongside possible overwhelm and stress. Excessive food and beverage can be flowing, our social battery and finances are impacted, and any hosting duties are energy demanding, too! Maintaining our daily habits, routines and choices can feel more daunting, including managing stress levels effectively.
We might find we’re ‘saving ourselves’ for a festive meal or gathering by choosing to skip or delay meals, in preparation for a festive dinner. Skipping/delaying meals and being underfuelled, with plummeting blood sugar levels during the day, leaves us in a vulnerable state. As a result, we can easily overdo it once it’s time to eat!
Establishing and maintaining strong, daily, nutritional and lifestyle habits serves us well, and makes these celebratory seasons more comfortable and manageable! The strategies that follow can start transforming your mindset and approach, minimizing discomfort and ‘food coma’ experiences!
The pre-party ‘primer’:
Avoid heading to a gathering with an empty stomach. Enjoy a nutrient-dense snack (rich in protein, with some fiber and fat) before leaving home. When we arrive at an event hungry, we’re bound to overeat and overdo the indulgent, sugary treats – catalysts for digestive distress and blood sugar chaos.
Digestive support(s) go with you:
Pack your stomach acid supplement, digestive enzyme, digestive bitters or a small container containing some raw/organic apple cider vinegar (that you can mix with a glass of water) with you. Apple cider vinegar activates the carbohydrate-digesting enzymes in your saliva and helps balance blood sugar levels during/following a meal.
Use a smaller dinner plate:
Fill a smaller plate, enjoying your meal in combination with thorough chewing and eating in a relaxed state. Then, assess how you feel. Are you already comfortably full?
Navigating the sweets:
I recommend enjoying dessert as part of a meal, rather than consuming dessert on its own. This avoids a glucose spike on an empty stomach. When we consume some sugar after protein and fiber, it absorbs more slowly, reducing the glucose spike. This also applies to any sugary/sweet coffee concoctions and alcohol, as both can spike blood sugar levels based on sugar content.
Strategic beverage swaps:
Liquid sugars (cocktails, sweet dessert wines, eggnog…) bypass normal digestion, as they don’t contain fiber and don’t require chewing. Therefore, they hit the bloodstream instantly. Seek out (or bring with you!) a low-sugar or no-sugar option, such as some festive sparkling water infused with fresh berries/cranberries and rosemary, or some dry wine that is paired with a full meal. Post meal, digestion-supportive, herbal teas are also soothing for the intestinal tract lining. Peppermint, ginger, chamomile and dandelion root are wonderful options to cozy up with!
Crafting dishes and desserts with intention:
If you’re hosting or taking a dish with you to another’s home, consider blood sugar-friendly spices as part of the mix, such as ‘Ceylon’ (true) cinnamon and turmeric. High-fiber additions like chia seed, flax seed or some psyllium husk in baking can amplify the fiber content. Adding protein to baking (e.g. eggs, a high-quality protein powder) goes a long way, too!
Cheers! Happy holidays!
About the Author
Jessica Ferguson (Pecush) is a Certified Functional Nutrition Practitioner based in Calgary, Alberta.
Her 2-decade journey with autoimmune disorder Ulcerative Colitis ultimately led her into the worlds of Culinary & Holistic Nutrition with a deep-dive focus on gut health and autoimmunity, given ALL symptoms and disorders in the body stem from the health and functioning of the gut!
Through her (online-based) private practice (Jessica Pecush Nutrition), Jessica supports others with redefining their future health trajectory. Her therapeutic, anti-inflammatory approach encompasses a personalized whole foods-based diet, high-impact natural supplementation, calming lifestyle/stress management practices, restorative sleep strategies and of course, a growth mindset!
Jessica deeply empowers you with a sustainable, root cause-supportive approach for long-term vitality, rather than band-aid solutions that just temporarily mask symptoms.
SOURCES
A comparative study to assess the use of chromium in type 2 diabetes mellitus
Does Vitamin D Have a Role in Diabetes?
Effect of Magnesium Supplements on Improving Glucose Control, Blood Pressure and Lipid Profile in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Glucose-lowering effect of berberine on type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Zinc and Diabetes: A Connection between Micronutrient and Metabolism
