This Week’s Thrive In Five Is About Blood Sugar Regulation
It’s part three of our Zombie Awareness Month series, sharing tips for how to stop wandering around like a zombie! We’ve already talked about sleep with a seven and blood testing, and this week it’s all about blood sugar regulation. Blood sugar levels are used to measure the amount of glucose (the sugar that we get from food and drink) in our bloodstream. Having abnormally high or low levels can negatively affect both our physical and mental health.
Blood Sugar Regulation: The Science
Having stable blood glucose levels helps to improve energy and minimise risk of health problems such as diabetes or heart disease. When we consume a food, our blood sugar rises and beta cells in the pancreas release insulin. Insulin binds the glucose to muscle and fat cells which absorb and store it, taking it out of the blood. The net result is you get a hit of energy before the insulin does its job and brings your blood sugar level back to baseline.
Eat For Energy
Eating the right foods helps to prevent a large spike and subsequent drop, though this process will vary for each of us. For example, I know that my blood sugar reacts rapidly to white rice, but this may not be the same for you. Slow-release energy foods provide a gradual source of glucose, which helps to regulate your blood sugar levels. Therefore, a great breakfast would be eggs on toast with some avocado. Eggs are protein-rich, wholegrain bread contains complex carbohydrates, and avocados are high in good fat. Cereals that are very high in sugar, followed by caffeine, will increase your blood glucose rapidly. This causes a huge surge of energy before the insulin does its job to dump you back down again.
Slow-Release
If you don’t want to wander around like a zombie: tired and lacking in motivation because you’ve had a huge sugar dump in the morning, then have a slow-release energy breakfast. Google “low glycemic index foods” and it will tell you what they are. Then, you just need to play around and find what works for you.
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