Most of us experience blood sugar spikes, which typically occur after meals. This might lead to a variety of bodily symptoms and ailments.
Sugar, commonly known as glucose, in the meals you eat provides energy to your body. Consider it as a source of energy that keeps your body active all day. Since glucose is essential to how our bodies work, having too much of it can have negative effects on almost every element of our physical and mental well-being.
COMMON CAUSES OF BLOOD SUGAR SPIKE
Diet: Consuming foods that are high in sugar or carbs increases the likelihood that blood sugar levels may rise. Remember to keep track of the carbs in your drinks because they all have an impact on your blood sugar levels, including juice, soda, electrolyte beverages, and sugary coffee drinks.
Skipping breakfast: There is a reason why breakfast is regarded as the most significant meal of the day. Blood sugar levels can rise if breakfast is skipped. It could be more difficult to control blood sugar levels as the day goes on.
Lack of exercise: If you don’t move around enough, your blood sugar levels could increase. Insulin functions more effectively when you exercise frequently.
Dehydration: When your body is lacking in fluid, it can cause blood sugar rises. As you lose fluid, the sugar in your body gets more concentrated, and the amount of glucose in your bloodstream rises.
Stress: When the body experiences a lot of stress, it generates chemicals that raise glucose and decrease insulin’s efficiency. More glucose remains in the circulation as a result.
Sleep issues: There are several benefits to prioritising proper sleep hygiene. Blood sugar levels can rise as a result of sleep deprivation; even one night of insufficient sleep might impair your body’s ability to utilise insulin.
Alcohol: Alcohol also instantly boosts blood sugar, especially when combined with juice or soda. Additionally, it may result in low blood sugar some hours later.
SIMPLE TIPS TO REDUCE BLOOD SUGAR SPIKE
- Complex carbs aid in blood sugar regulation.
Your body converts every food you consume into sugar, which serves as its primary source of energy. However, this process takes longer for some meals, giving your body more time to metabolise the sugar. Because of this, whole grain foods like brown rice, pasta, and bread are better for you.
The additional fibre slows down digestion, prevents a sugar surge, and prolongs your feeling of fullness. Your pancreas will be taxed by the refined white varieties, which will also probably make you want to consume more.
In order to balance blood sugar, your body releases insulin, which makes us hungry. As a result, following a surge in blood sugar, you’ll be looking for more food. Other simple switches involve substituting fruit juice with whole fruit.
- Always start your meal with vegetables
Starting each meal with vegetables, especially leafy greens, cucumbers, zucchini, or other non-starchy vegetables, is one of the greatest methods to reduce blood sugar increases. After that, consume your protein, good fats, and finally carbs (such as rice, roti, and breads). The fibre helps prevent any blood sugar spikes, followed by the fat and protein.
- Combine carbohydrates and fats.
Although consuming a serving of fat together with carbohydrates may seem odd, doing so can have a positive impact on your blood sugar levels. When taking a snack, always combine your carbohydrates with either fat or protein. If you’re going to eat an apple or some berries, for instance, serve them with some nuts, seeds, Greek yoghurt, or another form of protein or healthy fat. Because fat and protein digest more slowly than carbohydrates and rarely create blood sugar spikes on their own, eating a few bites of these protein- and fat-rich items before you eat the carbohydrate portion of your snack will reduce the blood sugar spike.
- Include bone broth in your meals.
Before the main course of your meal, in addition to vegetables, include a blood sugar-balancing beverage such as bone broth. Specific amino acids included in bone broth, such as glycine and glutamine, support blood sugar regulation and replenish the digestive system. It can make for a wonderful blood sugar-balancing supper because it is high in protein.
- Increase your intake of fibre.
Fibre, especially soluble fibre, can aid in blood sugar control by producing a gel-like substance with water that slows down the rate of digestion and absorption of carbs.
- Consume a balanced diet.
When carbs are eaten alongside fat, protein, and fibre, the body will take in a wider variety of nutrients and take longer to absorb and transfer those nutrients to the blood, which will slow the absorption of carbohydrates from the meal. A range of nutrients that are digested gradually over time will reduce the amount of glucose that enters the system, preventing a blood sugar spike.
- Add some spice to your diet
Since ancient times, fenugreek and cinnamon have been used in traditional medicine. Both of these have been connected to blood sugar regulation. If you take them together with a meal that contains carbohydrates or as an on-rising supplement with water, they can aid in lowering your blood sugar levels.
CONCLUSION
There are other factors to consider when strategically eating to maintain blood sugar level. Given that you can use it with any meal, eating your food in a specific order is a practical and easy strategy to prevent blood sugar spikes. Furthermore, the order is simple: Vegetables first, followed by protein and lipids, and then carbohydrates.
You can prevent blood sugar rises by making easy dietary modifications, such as adhering to a low-carb, high-fibre diet and avoiding added sugars and processed carbohydrates.
Beyond aiding in blood sugar regulation, frequent exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking plenty of water can all improve your health.
