Preventing Summer Blood Sugar Sabotage

Blood Sugar Regulation

You don’t have to be diabetic to benefit from paying attention to your blood sugar.

Healthy blood sugar regulation is essential for energy, mood, brain function, heart health, immunity, and whole-body wellness, and improving blood sugar regulation can translate into:

· Sustained Energy

· Mental Clarity

· Fewer Cravings

· Better Sleep

· Stress Resilience

· Clear Skin

· Stable Mood

And those are just the effects you’ll notice.

Because over time, healthy blood sugar regulation supports your hormones, brain, heart, and healthy aging.

Signs of Blood Sugar Imbalance

There are many signs of imbalanced blood sugar that you may not be aware of.

These signs give us clues that you may have insulin resistance, which means your cells have become less responsive to insulin and less effective at using glucose from your blood as energy.

Some of the more common signs include:

· Belly fat

· Sugar Cravings

· Energy Crashes

· Brain Fog

· Mood Swings

· Skin Tags

· Darkened Skin Creases

Do any of these sound familiar?

Note: It’s important to be clear that you cannot know if you have blood sugar problems strictly by the way you feel. The only way to know is to test. I test blood sugar and insulin levels in ALL of my patients and frequently use Continuous Glucose Monitors for added insight.

Avoiding Summer Blood Sugar Sabotage

In addition to eating a healthy balance of macronutrients and getting regular exercise, there are several other factors you should be aware of to keep your blood sugar balanced and feel your best this summer:

1️⃣ Eating Carbs Alone

Without protein, fiber, or fat, carbs are quickly digested and cause a sudden spike in blood sugar.

Studies show that the blood sugar response to carbohydrate-rich foods can be lowered by combining them with protein, fat, fiber, or vinegar. For example, carrots with hummus or apples with almond butter.

2️⃣ Eating While Stressed

Stress hormones signal cells in the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream as an energy source to face the perceived threat. That’s not helpful if real sugar is also coming in the form of food.

My patients utilizing a Continuous Glucose Monitor can witness this in real time. When experiencing high stress they can watch their blood sugar rise even without eating!

3️⃣ Coffee on Empty Stomach

Even though black coffee has no sugar, coffee triggers the release of adrenaline (a stress signal), which signals cells to release sugar into the bloodstream. This can set the stage for poor blood sugar regulation for the day.

This effect will be even more pronounced if you are dehydrated.

4️⃣ Dinner Late at Night

Food is meant to be digested and then utilized for energy. If you eat a large meal right before bed, the excess energy will be stored as fat or disrupt blood sugar levels in the night.

I frequently talk with patients about what we call “stacking the deck” - getting more of your calories in earlier in the day, with a lighter dinner, for improved metabolic health.

5️⃣ Sleep Deprivation

Studies show that even one night of sleep deprivation can worsen insulin resistance the next day. Enjoy those summer nights but try to balance them with a few earlier bedtimes…

Are you ready for a fresh approach to your health and wellness? As a board-certified Integrative & Functional Medicine physician, I can help you “think outside of the box and dig deeper with a variety of laboratory testing to help uncover the underlying root causes of your symptoms and create a plan personalized for you that goes beyond the prescription pad to incorporate diet/lifestyle change, nutritional supplements, holistic therapies, health coaching and more! Contact us to get started!