All About Balancing Blood Sugar

Blood sugar is also called blood glucose and is the main form of sugar found in your blood. Blood sugar is a form of carbohydrates and comes from eating foods containing carbohydrates. During the digestion process, carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars, such as glucose that then enter your bloodstream to be carried to various parts of the body to be used as fuel. Carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy in the body and are the only form of energy that your brain can use for fuel. You truly cannot live without glucose! So how do you go about balancing your blood sugar?

Why is balancing blood sugar necessary?

Our blood sugar levels are constantly changing throughout the day. After you eat a meal, that food will be digested and converted to glucose which will then enter the bloodstream and raise your glucose levels. Your body then releases hormones and uses that glucose as fuel which lowers your blood sugar levels.

These waves of higher and lower levels of blood sugar are completely normal but if you start to have big spikes and crashes in your blood sugar levels and these waves become too extreme, then you can be at risk of having health complications, such as type 2 diabetes (1). The goal is to keep the waves of blood sugar within a fairly steady range throughout the day. Our bodies have lots of mechanisms they use to keep our blood sugar levels stable and under control but there are some things we can do to make it easier on your body!

Here are four tips to help you keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day:

Pair carbohydrates with other macronutrients

When we consume carbohydrates by themselves they get quickly absorbed into the bloodstream causing a bigger spike in blood sugars. Protein and fat are digested and absorbed at a slower rate than carbohydrates. When we pair protein or fat with carbohydrate sources, then it slows the rate of carbohydrate absorption as well. This slower rate of absorption means your body has more time to utilize the blood sugars and prevent a huge spike. This also makes for a more balanced and satisfying meal to help you get more of the essential nutrients throughout the day!

In the habit of eating toast for breakfast? Try pairing that with a couple of hard-boiled eggs to add some protein and fat to the meal!

Love eating a crisp apple in the middle of the day? Try dipping it in peanut butter for a more satisfying snack!

Opt for whole grains

There are two main categories of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Complex carbohydrates are bigger and take more time for our body to break down and absorb. Complex carbohydrates are found in foods like oatmeal, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and whole wheat crackers.

Simple carbohydrates are broken down and absorbed easily which means they cause a bigger blood sugar spike. Simple carbohydrates are found in foods like white bread, candy, fruit juice, and white rice.

The general recommendation is to make half of the grains in your diet whole grains (2). By eating more whole grains, you’ll be able to stabilize your blood sugars a little more and boost the overall nutrition content of your food.

Don’t like the texture of wheat bread? Eat white bread for your sandwich at lunchtime and choose a whole grain like oatmeal for breakfast!

Eat consistently throughout the day

If you skip meals or wait too long to eat, you might find yourself entering your next meal feeling ravenous and out of control around food. Being ravenous usually leads to consuming large amounts of food during that meal.

Even more, when we go long periods of time without eating, our bodies naturally crave foods higher in carbohydrates. This is normal– it is your body’s way of telling you that you need fuel! However, eating a large meal full of carbohydrates can lead to a big spike in blood sugar.

Eating a meal or snack every 3-5 hours will keep you from feeling overly hungry and will allow you to eat smaller amounts of carbs regularly throughout the day. This means smaller blood sugar spikes and crashes.

Get in some movement after a meal

One final tip for balancing blood sugars is to get in some light movement after a meal! For many people, their biggest spike in blood sugar happens after dinner when they have had a large meal and then are spending the rest of the evening relaxing and unwinding from their busy day.

There is nothing wrong with this as well all know rest is important! But if you’d like to reduce that post-dinner spike a little bit, then getting in some light movement can help.

Light physical activity after a meal allows your muscles to use up some of the glucose in your blood, resulting in a smaller blood sugar spike. Studies show that even just 5 minutes of physical activity can make a difference (3).

Take a couple of laps around the block with your family, turn up the music for a quick dance party in the kitchen, or set a timer and see how much house cleaning you can do in 15 minutes!

Need more help balancing your blood sugars? Schedule an appointment with a dietitian to get personalized advice!

References:

1. CDC. The Insulin Resistance–Diabetes Connection. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published August 12, 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/insulin- resistance.html
2. Make half your grains whole grains. MyPlate. https://www.myplate.gov/tip-sheet/make-half-your-grains-whole-grains. Accessed November 14, 2022. 
3. Buffey AJ, Herring MP, Langley CK, Donnelly AE, Carson BP. The Acute Effects of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting Time in Adults with Standing and Light-Intensity Walking on Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Health in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2022 Aug;52(8):1765-1787.