Nutrition Tips for Stable Blood Sugars

Eating well balanced meals not only helps to provide your body with the nutrients you need to thrive, it also helps to support blood sugar regulation - a foundational pillar of optimal health. Read on for my top five nutrition tips for better blood sugars.

When we eat in a way that promotes stable blood sugars, we feel more satiated, have more sustained energy, reduced hunger and fewer cravings. The way our blood sugars are regulated has a significant impact on the way the body functions on a day to day and long term basis. Well-regulated blood sugars can help with: 

• Energy

• Hunger and satiety

• Mood and concentration

• Healthy hormones (especially helpful for PCOS)

• Healthy ageing

• Weight management

• Diabetes & insulin resistance

• Skin health

• Heart health

• (Just about everything!)

Understanding blood sugar regulation

When we eat carbohydrates, our digestive system breaks these down into sugars, causing a rise in blood glucose (sugar) levels.

In response to this, the pancreas releases insulin. Think of insulin like the key which allows glucose into the cells where it can then be stored away in our liver glycogen stores, muscles and fat tissue. In other words, insulin helps lower blood sugar levels by facilitating the uptake of glucose into your cells.

Blood sugar dysregulation & insulin resistance 

If we eat a meal which is predominantly carbs (with minimal protein or dietary fat), there is little to buffer the release of the sugars into our bloodstream, resulting in a large and rapid 'glucose spike.'

The occasional glucose spike is perfectly manageable for those with healthy insulin function. The problem is when we eat in a way which is repeatedly spiking glucose again and again and again. Over time, this insulin lock-and-key mechanism can get exhausted and the body becomes less responsive to insulin. The pancreas then has to produce more and more insulin to have the same effect on lowering blood glucose - otherwise known as insulin resistance. Over time if this continues, type 2 diabetes can develop.

Insulin resistance is problematic for a number of reasons. Not only does the pancreas have to work overtime, but high levels of insulin are not healthy for the body either. Prolonged high blood glucose levels increases inflammation in the body and puts you at a higher risk of developing inflammatory-based conditions such as PCOS, acne, type-2 diabetes, kidney damage, heart disease and more.

Insulin resistance also often results in an over-compensation of blood sugars - resulting in dips (see diagram). This can cause intense sugar cravings, because the body is trying to restore normal blood sugars. Expecting yourself to rely on willpower to avoid sugars in this case is a big ask. We need to support the body by eating in a way that supports healthy insulin function.

Differences in blood sugar regulation after a high carb breakfast (top) vs high protein breakfast (bottom)

Signs that your blood sugars may need some love include:

• Energy crashes

• Sugar and carb cravings

• Mood swings and difficulty concentrating

• High HbA1c, blood glucose and/or insulin levels

• Hormonal conditions such as PCOS 

• Difficulty managing weight

Strategies to support effective blood sugar regulation 

The good news is that keeping your blood sugars regulated is not as challenging and restrictive as one may think (hint: no you don’t have to avoid carbs).

Here are my top five nutrition tips to help keep blood sugars well regulated: 

• Always pair your carbs with protein and/or fats - this will help buffer the release of the sugars into the bloodstream. A helpful way to remember this which my clients love is: “no naked carbs” - always put ‘clothes’ on them in the form of protein or fats.
  Example: rather than crackers on their own, add cheese or hummus. 

• Move your body after eating a carb-containing meal. Engaging your muscles in any way will help move the glucose from the bloodstream and into the muscles, therefore lowering the glucose spike. This could be a brisk walk after dinner, 30 squats or even doing housework like vacuuming. Engaging in regular muscle-building exercise is also a very effective strategy for blood sugar control as it helps to sensitise your muscles to insulin and more efficiently uptake glucose. 

• Eat your veggies first. Some recent studies suggest that starting your meal with fibre helps to lower the glucose spike by slowing the absorption of sugars. Where it is practical, follow this tip - for example if your meals are served with a side salad, grilled broccoli, etc. 

• Sugar as a dessert not a snack. When you consume sugar on an empty stomach, it’s rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, creating a large glucose spike. When you eat sugar after a (well-balanced) main meal - the body is busy breaking down the protein, fats and fibre from that meal meaning that the sugars are drip fed into your bloodstream causing less of a spike. 

• Eat a balanced breakfast. The first meal you consume really sets the tone of how your blood sugars are going to be regulated throughout the day. If you start the day with a high carb breakfast, this often leads to fluctuating energy and hunger levels, leaving you more likely to reach for sugar and caffeine. Starting the day with a high protein breakfast can really help to stabilise blood sugars. If you want some nutritionist-approved recipes - check out my book: Deliciously Balanced Breakfasts. 

I hope these tips are helpful and practical to implement in your day to day life. If you need further guidance with this, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. 

Nic x