Balancing blood sugar levels
Do you crave sweet foods, feel tired or need coffee to pick you up in the afternoons? These, amongst others, can be signs that your blood sugar levels are unbalanced and you are experiencing spikes and dips, a bit like a rollercoaster. Some common signs include:
Energy dips in the afternoon
Cravings for sweet foods
Feeling ‘hangry’ or shaky and weak when hungry
Waking in the middle of the night / early morning
Anxiety and palpitations
Blood glucose levels rise after meals and then level out as glucose is transported into the cells with the help of insulin in order to be used for energy production. Consistent high glucose intake can lead to lowered insulin sensitivity and eventually insulin resistance which is a risk factor for many diseases but this is a topic for another day.
Today I just want to give you some practical tips on how to avoid sharp spikes in blood glucose (which in children we call ‘sugar rush’) and the ensuing dips which can leave us feeling tired, unable to concentrate, irritable, anxious or shaky. The idea is to slow the digestion of carbohydrates and the release of glucose from our food intake for a more sustained level of energy.
Protein: include some in every meal, it slows the absorption of glucose and helps to prevent blood sugar spikes. Examples are lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, lentils, chickpeas, beans, quinoa, nuts, seeds, tofu
Fibre: increase the amount of fibre in your diet, it slows the digestion of carbohydrates and therefore prevents rapid rises in blood sugar. Good sources are nuts, legumes like lentils or beans, apples, pears, most vegetables
Onions and garlic have been found to improve blood sugar control
Cinnamon has been shown to improve blood sugar levels
Replace simple carbohydrates with complex carbs, i.e. whole grains such as brown rice, fruit, vegetables, beans. These are digested more slowly and the absorption of glucose is slowed down.
Eat regular meals. This may be 3 bigger meals for some people or up to 5 or 6 smaller meals for others