5 Easy Ways to Balance Your Blood Sugar
By Dr. Kelcie Rosendahl
Balanced blood sugar is a key foundation for health. Balanced blood sugar encourages healthy energy levels and a stable mood.
Long term blood sugar balance helps to prevent the development of certain conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and vision loss.
Hormone Health & Blood Sugar
Stable blood sugar levels are also vital for optimal hormone health.
Insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar is interconnected with sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone. High insulin levels can tell the ovaries to make more testosterone. This can cause facial hair and acne.
High insulin levels also lower sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which can lead to increased estrogen levels and symptoms of estrogen excess like sore breasts, fibroids and heavy menses.
Insulin imbalance can cause conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Signs of Hormone Imbalance & Blood Sugar Disregulation
Even if PCOS is not an issue, signs of hormonal imbalance can present as physical and emotional symptoms in women in other ways, such as:
Fatigue
Difficulty concentrating
Sleep disorders
Mood fluctuation.
The body works to keep blood sugar (glucose) values within a tight range.
If blood sugar levels go too low, it is called hypoglycemia. When blood sugar levels go too high it is called hyperglycemia. Both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia can be problematic.
Common symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) include:
Fatigue
Irritability
Dizziness and in extreme cases, fainting or loss of consciousness.
On the contrary, hyperglycemia can go unnoticed for days, weeks, months or years and can lead to conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
We recommend screening blood tests, such as a Hemoglobin A1c, fasting insulin and fasting glucose, be performed at regular intervals to monitor blood sugar levels and prevent chronic conditions from developing.
Lifestyle Changes for Blood Sugar Balance
Lifestyle changes to lower insulin levels and correct insulin resistance are powerful tools to restore hormone balance.
We frequently recommend focusing on stress management, removing food intolerances and hidden sugars from the diet and engaging in enjoyable movement for optimal blood sugar regulation.
Processed foods, or foods that come in a box, bag or other packaging, and sweet beverages are often full of excess sugar. As you likely already know, most Americans consume excess amounts of sugar daily.
Sugar is often times hidden in foods and it is important to know the different names it might be listed as on a label. Sugar can be listed as corn syrup, crystalline fructose, dextrose, evaporated cane juice, fructose, honey, lactose, maltose, molasses, sucrose, syrup, fruit juice concentrates and invert sugar. All of these should be consumed with caution.
5 Easy Ways to Balance Your Blood Sugar
You may be wondering where the best place to start is for improving your blood sugar balance. Without knowing you and your body’s unique needs, we feel confident sharing these five recommendations to encourage balanced blood sugar:
Fiber first! When possible start meals with fiber first. When I am talking fiber, I would prefer it come from a vegetable
Move your body: Even a 5-10 minute walk after meals can help to regulate blood sugar
Start your meal with 1-1/2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar before meals
Include a healthy fat and protein at every meal
Slow down: Chew your food, appreciate the food in front of you & eat without any screens present
Learn about the Foundations of Health in our Course
If you would like to learn more about blood sugar balance and other foundational health information, our course would be a great place to start!
If you are looking for more tailored recommendations for your body and specific health goals, you would benefit from working with one of our doctors. We offer free consultations to see if we would be a good fit!
Resources:
Resources: The Solution: A Parent’s Guide to Educating Your Child’s Immune System by Kate Birch and Cilla Whatcott
The Complete Practitioner’s Manual of Homeoprophylaxis by Dr. Isaac Golden