Are you moody, irritable, hungry often, experience cravings, have poor concentration or excess weight? You may need to
balance your blood sugar!
When you master your blood sugar, you may feel full of energy, cravings may subside, your weight may be controlled, your mood may stabilize, your memory may be better and you may balance your hormones. Also, when you learn to balance your blood sugar you minimize your risk of blood sugar-related diseases, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease and many more. So…
- Eat foods low on the glycemic index. These foods release energy slowly into the bloodstream such as: vegetables, legumes, some fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
- Include a snack in between main meals. A protein-rich snack will allow blood sugar to stay nice and stable throughout the day. Think hard-boiled eggs or a handful of homemade trail mix.
- Eat protein with each meal. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, meaning it releases energy slowly, which helps signal to the brain that you are full! Be sure it’s quality protein (from happy, organic, healthy animals).
- Eat healthy fats from nature. Fat slows down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream and prevents sugar highs and sugar crashes. This keeps us full longer so we can reach or maintain a healthy weight. These include fats from pastured animals, like butter, ghee, egg yolks, lard and tallow. Coconut oil, MCT oil (as pictured), avocados and nuts are other excellent options.
- Spice things up. Add sweet spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, clove, all spice and/or ginger to oatmeal, smoothies or meals for natural sweetness and spice. Cinnamon especially controls sugar cravings and balanced blood sugar levels.
- Eat breakfast. Skipping breakfast is stressful to the body and wreaks havoc on blood sugar balance for the rest of the day. Breakfast should be consumed within 30-45 minutes of waking and it should include a balanced portion of protein, fat and carbohydrate.
- Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. They’re the main culprits of blood sugar spikes. Eat sweet veggies such as red bell peppers, beets and carrots. Keep them ready, washed and chopped in the fridge ready to eat.
- Avoid sodas and sweet drinks. They’re filled with sugars, artificial sweeteners and preservatives that will inevitably lead to hormonal imbalance and a blood sugar spike. Opt for naturally sweet herbal teas instead.
- Avoid artificial sweeteners. Even though artificial sweeteners contain no glucose, they can have the same effect on the blood sugar that sugar does – sometimes even worse!
- Reduce stimulants. Caffeine, nicotine, and even alcohol (though it’s not a stimulant) all cause our blood sugar to rise due to a spike in adrenaline. Work your way gradually off coffee by substituting with green tea or yerba mate. If you’re dependent on caffeine for energy, work on getting to bed earlier to get more sleep. A poor night’s rest will absolutely throw your blood sugar off the next day so be sure to make rest a priority.