Balance Your Blood Sugar
The main factor in maintaining a healthy weight is balancing energy in and energy out. However, balancing blood sugar is also really important. It affects your levels of hunger and energy and whether you burn fat or store it.
When you eat your blood sugar rises. The pancreas releases insulin which transports the sugar out of the bloodstream and into cells where it can be used for energy. The problem comes with overeating, particularly long term over-eating, particularly long-term overeating of processed sugary foods.
If your body doesn't use the glucose for energy then it will be stored as fat. That's bad news but it gets worse. The more glucose in your blood, the more insulin you produce. This causes an imbalance as too much blood sugar is transported out too quickly, resulting in a sudden drop in levels. This explains the miserable cycle of lurching between bagels, muffins, biscuits and coffees all day as blood sugar rises and crashes. Unfortunately it gets worse again. Over time your body becomes less sensitive to insulin and more insulin is needed to do the same job. Insulin resistant cells struggle to get needed energy from the blood stream. Blood sugar levels rise, and the body is forced to store the excess blood sugar as fat rather than mobilise it for energy. Finally, the insulin burn-out places you firmly in the red zone for diabetes and heart disease.
So you really don’t want to get desensitized to insulin. Insulin sensitivity can be improved in a variety of ways. Aim to eat more whole foods low on the Glycemic Index. These take longer to digest, which means the sugar takes longer to hit the bloodstream and insulin is released more gradually. Skipping meals causes large fluctuations in blood sugar levels (and poor choices when you do finally eat). Sleep deprivation is bad for insulin sensitivity, exercise is good.
The exact formula for keeping blood sugar stable will be different for everyone. But you can’t go too far wrong if you keep within a sensible calorie limit and spread your food intake across the day. This will keep blood sugar available for cells in need without taxing the rest of the body. You will be more alert and productive without the constant “bring-me-chocolate-urgently” moments. You’ll be leaner and healthier too.
When you eat your blood sugar rises. The pancreas releases insulin which transports the sugar out of the bloodstream and into cells where it can be used for energy. The problem comes with overeating, particularly long term over-eating, particularly long-term overeating of processed sugary foods.
If your body doesn't use the glucose for energy then it will be stored as fat. That's bad news but it gets worse. The more glucose in your blood, the more insulin you produce. This causes an imbalance as too much blood sugar is transported out too quickly, resulting in a sudden drop in levels. This explains the miserable cycle of lurching between bagels, muffins, biscuits and coffees all day as blood sugar rises and crashes. Unfortunately it gets worse again. Over time your body becomes less sensitive to insulin and more insulin is needed to do the same job. Insulin resistant cells struggle to get needed energy from the blood stream. Blood sugar levels rise, and the body is forced to store the excess blood sugar as fat rather than mobilise it for energy. Finally, the insulin burn-out places you firmly in the red zone for diabetes and heart disease.
So you really don’t want to get desensitized to insulin. Insulin sensitivity can be improved in a variety of ways. Aim to eat more whole foods low on the Glycemic Index. These take longer to digest, which means the sugar takes longer to hit the bloodstream and insulin is released more gradually. Skipping meals causes large fluctuations in blood sugar levels (and poor choices when you do finally eat). Sleep deprivation is bad for insulin sensitivity, exercise is good.
The exact formula for keeping blood sugar stable will be different for everyone. But you can’t go too far wrong if you keep within a sensible calorie limit and spread your food intake across the day. This will keep blood sugar available for cells in need without taxing the rest of the body. You will be more alert and productive without the constant “bring-me-chocolate-urgently” moments. You’ll be leaner and healthier too.