Balancing Blood Sugar
Oh balance, that elusive state where everything is just as it needs to be to maintain some ideal goal or idea. Instantly I think of tightrope walkers and Cirque Du Soleil performers, perfectly executing mind-blowing feats of human ability.
But wait, is that the only definition of balance?
What about a baby that is learning to stand, all wobbly and big-eyed, hands outstretched for the nearest support? Or a child learning to ride a bike, figuring out how to not overcorrect and steer straight? These are all different examples of balance, are they not? As we talk today about balancing blood sugar, keep these illustrations in mind. As always, we are focusing on progress, not perfection.
On last week’s blog post, we discussed the impact of blood sugar on your hormones. Specifically, we discussed what happens when your blood sugar is not well-regulated, or out of balance. The takeaway message: it’s not good. Lucky for us, the basics of balancing blood sugar look nothing like walking a tightrope. Instead, they look a lot like breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Our blood sugar levels are most directly impacted by what (and how) we eat. We are going to keep things very basic today. Like food 101.
It is important to know that all of our food is made up of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. That’s it. These are the 3 macronutrients.
First, we are going to break down what types of foods are in each of these macronutrients. Then, we will talk about how to use them all together in order to gain basic blood sugar balance.
Let’s start with that first macronutrient: protein.
Protein is found in almost every single food on the planet to some extent, but there are definitely some foods that are considered a primary source of protein. These include meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products (from animals), soy, beans and legumes, and nuts and seeds. Protein is used for a number of things in your body, including building and maintaining muscle, supporting your organs and your immune system, and helping to build hormones. Proteins take a while for your body to break down and digest due to their complex structure and the need to utilize all the individually broken down parts of a protein for different functions within the body.
Next up is fat. Make no mistake, fat is necessary for us to consume. Primary sources of fat can include: cooking fat (such as butter, ghee, and oils such as avocado and olive), nuts and seeds, avocado, and fatty dairy such as full-fat cheese. Many dressings and spreads are made up of primary fat sources. Fat can provide energy, but it is also necessary to absorb and utilize certain nutrients, protect our organs, grow our cells, and manage blood pressure and cholesterol. Fat does slow down gastric emptying in the stomach, thereby slowing down overall digestion to allow for the appropriate enzymes to be produced.
Finally, we’ve made it to the big kahuna: carbohydrates. Sources of carbohydrates include: grains (oats, rice, wheat, etc), potatoes of all varieties, fruits and vegetables, and beans and legumes. Carbohydrates, more than proteins or fats, have the biggest impact on blood sugar. Unlike protein and fats, carbohydrates can usually be digested rather quickly. They are also primarily used for energy in the body. This happens as they are digested, when they are converted to glucose (basically sugar). This is great to quickly regain energy during a sporting event. However, sometimes when we eat a lot of simple carbohydrates and they are digested quickly, this produces a rush of sugar into the bloodstream. Unless we are burning a lot of energy at that moment, this rush can be more than what we need. This causes a blood sugar spike that messes up our hormones and leads to a subsequent blood sugar crash. Think of the child on the bike that we talked about earlier, overcorrecting and ending up in the ditch. So how can we prevent this crash from happening?
The answer to that question involves a relatively simple concept: combining the macronutrients to slow down digestion, which will keep you from experiencing a big blood sugar spike like you might if you ate carbohydrates on their own. In the bike analogy, carbohydrates are the fuel that keeps the bike moving, and protein and fat are like training wheels that help us avoid the big swings that contribute to a crash. What this means is that each snack or meal you eat should contain a source of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
A simple strategy to make this easier is to take a sheet of paper and make three columns at the top, one for each macronutrient. Write down foods you like and place them in the appropriate column (protein, fat, or carbohydrate). Then you can use that list, choosing one food from each column, to create a delicious snack or meal that you will actually ENJOY eating! For example, I enjoy greek yogurt (protein), cashew butter (fat), and banana (carbohydrate). Putting these together gives me a delicious breakfast or substantial snack!
Now, today is really the first step when it comes to balancing blood sugar. But just like the wobbly baby from the beginning of this post, isn’t taking that first step the most important? Don’t you need to learn to walk before you can run? That’s what today’s concept will allow you to do as we continue to develop our skills with additional strategies that we will cover in subsequent blog posts.
I hope today gave you a practical tool to start taking control over your blood sugar and your hormones! Choosing foods you like will help you make this strategy successful. This is how you can honor your body while also taking care of it.
