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7 Expert-Backed Tips for Keeping Your Blood Sugar Stable:
A Comprehensive Guide to Preventing Spikes and Maintaining Control
Discover expert-backed tips for managing your glucose levels and maintaining metabolic health. Learn how to prevent blood sugar spikes and feel your best!
- Reviewed by Jordan Thomson, CPT
Blood sugar stability is essential for maintaining good health and preventing chronic diseases like diabetes. With so many factors affecting blood sugar levels, it can be challenging to keep them under control.
That’s why we've compiled 7 expert-backed tips to help you maintain stable blood sugar levels. Whether you have diabetes or are looking to prevent spikes, this comprehensive guide will provide you with practical and effective strategies to keep your blood sugar in check.
Let's dive in…
Jump to Topic:
What is Glucose?
Why Should I Manage My Glucose?
Indicators of Blood Sugar Spikes
7 Ways Prevent Blood Sugar Spikes
Summary
What Is Glucose?
Glucose, or blood sugar, is our body’s primary source of energy. We get glucose from carbohydrates, which we commonly refer to as starchy foods (potatoes, rice, pasta, bread) and sugary foods (fruits, cakes, cookies).
Eating the right carbohydrates can allow for a steady flow of energy, while others can lead to energy spikes and subsequent drops.
Why Should I Manage My Glucose?
You might be wondering why anyone would need to “manage” their blood sugar. When glucose levels are consistently too high or too low, it can lead to a range of health issues.
If glucose levels are consistently high, it can damage blood vessels, nerves, and organs over time. This can lead to a variety of health complications such as heart disease, kidney damage, nerve damage, and blindness. In addition, high glucose levels can weaken the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight off infections.
On the other hand, if glucose levels are consistently too low, it can cause symptoms such as shakiness, confusion, and even seizures. In severe cases, low glucose levels can lead to coma or even death.
In a pre-Covid study from NIH, results showed that only 12% of Americans are metabolically healthy. Factors contributing to metabolic health are:
- blood sugar (70mg/dL-100mg/dL)
- waist circumference (>40” for men, >34.6 for women)
- blood pressure (≤120/80)
- cholesterol (low as possible LDL, HDL ≥40md/dL men and ≥50md/dL women)
- triglycerides (<150 mg/dL)
We often think of glucose management as something only diabetics need to worry about, but as we can see, managing blood sugar levels is a prime indicator of health, so it is imperative for non diabetics as well. New studies are even referring to Alzheimers as Type 3 diabetes.
Indicators of Blood Sugar Spikes
There are some common indicators that will let you know you are suffering from blood sugar spikes and drops. Knowing these can help us make better diet and lifestyle choices to help manage our glucose levels.
- Do you find yourself constantly hungry?
- Do you suffer from lots of cravings?
- Do you find yourself chronically tired or suffer from low energy?
- Do you wake up in the middle of the night with a pounding heart?
- Do you suffer from colds and infections frequently?
- Have you been diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease?
If you answer yes to any of these, you may be experiencing blood sugar spikes. Keep reading for tips you can incorporate to self-manage your glucose levels!
How to Prevent Blood Sugar Spikes and keep blood sugar stable:
1. Eating foods in the right order
Eating foods in the right order can reduce your glucose spike by 73%, regardless of whether you have diabetes or not. A Study was performed on a group of diabetics where one group ate as normal, and the other followed the directed order.
Veggies/Fiber →Protein →Fat→Starches →Sweets
Both groups ate the same exact food and number of calories. The group who followed the order saw a significant reduction in their A1c levels, where the other group saw no improvement.
2. Start your day with a savory breakfast
Avoid eating cereal, muffins and pancakes to start your day. These starchy and sugary foods can spike your glucose quickly up to >140mg/dL, which is the cutoff for diabetes. Starting your day protein eggs, greek yogurt, smoked salmon or a protein shake can help give you a much more steady flow of energy that will even reduce cravings through the day.
3. Choose dessert vs. a sweet snack
This goes hand in hand with Tip #1. Enjoying your dessert “attached” to a meal will produce a much lower glucose spike than a separate sugary snack alone.
4. Vinegar before you eat
Mix 1 tbsp of vinegar into a tall glass of water and drink before you eat your meal. You may want to experiment and work your way up to 1 tbsp. Apple cider vinegar is the most popular for this hack, but all vinegars work well. This can help reduce the post meal glucose spike by 8-30%.
5. Incorporate a 10 minute post-meal walk
Each body movement requires energy. More energy expenditure, means more glucose needs. Taking a post-meal walk, directs the glucose to our muscles leading to flatten the glucose spike.
6. If you want to snack, opt for savory
This speaks to Tip 3 and the upcoming Tip 7. Lots of blood sugar spikes throughout the day can affect our mood and mental health. Opting for a savory snack over a sweet snack reduces the glucose impact
7. Dress your carbs
Pairing a carb with a fat, protein, or fiber will significantly reduce the glucose spike. Think whole wheat toast with avocado, apple with peanut butter, grapes with cheese.
Summary
Glucose, also known as blood sugar, is the primary source of energy for our bodies, and managing our glucose levels is crucial for overall health. While many people associate glucose management with diabetes, it is a vital indicator of metabolic health for everyone.
Symptoms of blood sugar spikes include hunger, cravings, fatigue, and frequent colds or infections. However, there are several expert-backed tips for preventing spikes and maintaining stable blood sugar levels. These include eating foods in the right order, starting the day with a savory breakfast, choosing dessert over a sweet snack, taking a post-meal walk, and dressing your carbs.
By following these tips, you can keep your glucose levels under control and enjoy improved overall health.
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- Araújo J, Cai J, Stevens J. Prevalence of Optimal Metabolic Health in American Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2016. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2019 Feb;17(1):46-52. doi: 10.1089/met.2018.0105. Epub 2018 Nov 27. PMID: 30484738.
- de la Monte SM, Wands JR. Alzheimer's disease is type 3 diabetes-evidence reviewed. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2008 Nov;2(6):1101-13. doi: 10.1177/193229680800200619. PMID: 19885299; PMCID: PMC2769828.
- Franz, M. J., Bantle, J. P., Wylie-Rosett, J., & Inchauspé, J. (2003). Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar. Marlowe & Company.
- https://www.january.ai/blog/12-percent-of-americans-are-metabolically-healthy#:~:text=Medical%20costs%20for%20obesity%20alone,of%20people%20are%20metabolically%20healthy.
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