Note: blood glucose values will vary from individual to individual. The above chart is not necessarily what you will experience and is only meant as a graphic to show a smooth and controlled blood sugar response versus a spike from high sugar foods.
What is Glucose?
Glucose is a simple sugar that serves as the primary energy source for our body’s cells. It’s crucial for our daily functioning, providing the necessary fuel for our muscles and brain. A healthy and optimal range for blood glucose levels is typically between 70-100 mg/dL when fasting. An optimal fasting glucose value for most individuals falls around 85 mg/dL. Note that this is for generally healthy non-diabetics.
The pillars below all impact your glucose regulation. It might be surprising that sleep and stress are here, but often they can have a bigger impact than you realize. This is yet another way that poor sleep and too much stress are detrimental to our overall health.
Pillars of Glucose Regulation
- Nutrition
- Movement
- Stress Management
- Sleep
Causes of Glucose Spikes and Insulin Sensitivity Loss
Several factors can cause glucose levels to spike, and over time, contribute to a loss of insulin sensitivity (or how well our body releases insulin in response to glucose):
Lifestyle: Sedentary habits, high stress, and poor sleep quality can all contribute to dysregulated blood sugar levels.
Diet: High carbohydrate intake, especially refined sugars and starches, can lead to rapid increases in blood sugar.
Age: As we age, particularly for women during perimenopause and menopause, hormonal changes can affect insulin sensitivity.
Tools for Maintaining Optimal Glucose Levels
Maintaining blood glucose within an optimal range and avoiding spikes over 40 mg/dL is essential for overall health. Here are some tips for each pillar of glucose regulation:
Nutrition
- Balanced Meals: Incorporate a mix of protein, healthy fats, and fiber with every meal to slow down glucose absorption. Refer the balanced plate graphic above for a visual on how to get a balanced mix of each food group.
- Low Glycemic Foods: Opt for foods with a low glycemic index to prevent rapid spikes in blood sugar.
- Monitor Blood Sugar: utilize a hand held or continuous glucose monitor for 2-4 weeks to better understand what types of foods spike your blood sugar the most. Even food sensitivities can impact your response to certain foods so this is the best way to determine the best combinations of foods for your body.
Movement
- Regular Exercise: Engage in regular physical activity, such as walking after meals, to help lower blood sugar levels. Eating more of those high carbohydrate meals around workouts or physical activity is the best way to prevent blood sugar spikes.
- Steady-State Workouts: Activities like walking, cycling, or yoga can help maintain stable glucose levels.
- High-Intensity Workouts: Understand that while high-intensity exercise may temporarily increase glucose, it’s a normal response and beneficial in the long term.
Stress Management
- Breathwork and Meditation: Practices such as deep breathing and mindfulness can reduce stress-induced glucose spikes.
- Yoga: Incorporating yoga can help manage stress and lower cortisol levels, which in turn helps regulate blood sugar.
Sleep
- Quality Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Poor sleep can negatively impact insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism.
- Sleep Hygiene: Maintain a consistent sleep schedule, create a restful environment, and limit screen time before bed.
Glucose Spikes and Their Impact
Postprandial (after meal) glucose levels should ideally increase by no more than 30-40 mg/dL, with an upper threshold of 140 mg/dL. Larger swings can create more inflammation and oxidative stress in the body compared to a more tightly controlled glucose range. Stress, which triggers cortisol and adrenaline release, can be a significant driver for glucose variability. Ideally you want to come back down to your postprandial glucose level within 2-3 hours of your meal.
Next week I will be sharing some data from a personal experiment. I am currently wearing a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and will show you some surprising lessons learned. Stay tuned!
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This is not medical advice and not intended to treat or cure any disease or affliction. Please consult your medical professional before utilizing the techniques and tools listed above.
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