Why Glucose Levels Are Important and How to Maintain Them

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Sudden spikes in glucose can cause:

• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Headaches
• Unhealthy food cravings

You might know that habitual glucose imbalances can put you risk for diabetes, but the have also been linked to:

• Tissue breakdown
• Heart disease
• Metabolic syndrome

What is Glucose?

Glucose is a simple sugar

When we eat food, our bodies convert glucose into energy by producing a hormone called insulin that pushes these sugars into our cells to be used as fuel.

Many times of food contain glucose

Chances are you consume many of them regularly: dried fruits, honey, vegetables, bread, pasta. This extensive list also includes all foods containing refined sugar. As you can imagine, not all of these foods are created equal when it comes to meeting your nutritional needs.

When you eat, glucose levels rise sharply

If these levels are manageable and your body’s ability to produce functioning insulin is not compromised, your body will convert these sugars into fuel without incident. If, however, you flood your body with more glucose than it can process, overtime this can cause issues.

Measuring Glucose

Glucose levels point to the amount of sugar remaining in your blood after you’ve eaten. It’s straightforward measurement. Higher than average glucose levels indicate that your body is not processing all the glucose it is receiving. There are a few possible reasons. Your body is not producing insulin, your insulin isn’t working properly, or you’re simply overloading your body with glucose.
For this last example, imagine a cup of hot tea filled with too much sugar. It doesn’t dissolve and creates a sludge at the bottom of your cup. That’s basically what you’re doing to your body when you flood it with glucose.

Managing Glucose

In most cases, if your body’s ability to produce insulin hasn’t been compromised, there are a number of relatively simple ways you can manage glucose levels on your own. These changes are likely to yield both long term and short term results, including:

• Increased energy
• Reduced stress
• Weight less
• Disease prevention
• Improved sleep
• Alleviation of allergies
• Fewer headaches

Five Ways to Lower Glucose Levels

Investigating all aspects of a person’s lifestyle from dietary habits to stress levels. If you have been diagnosed with CFS, we suggest working with a holistic medicine practitioner.
The good news is there are steps you can start taking right away to heal your body, strengthen your immune system, and start feeling better now.

1. Regular Movement

Moving your body not only burns off glucose, but it improves insulin sensitivity. In other words, regular exercise increases your insulin’s ability to convert sugar into energy over the long term.
Thirty minutes a day of movement is all you need to see results. This includes activities like brisk walking, yoga, or dancing to your favorite music. The paths are endless, but the key is consistency.

2. Low Glycemic Diet

The glycemic index is a scale that assigns foods a rating from 0-100, with one hundred representing glucose.
While many fruits and vegetables naturally rate high, the easiest way to start eating low on the scale is to eliminate all highly processed foods and refined sugars from your diet. This includes limiting simple carbs like bread and pasta.

3. Mindful Eating

Eating past the point of being full is a quick way to overwhelm your body. Next time you sit down to eat, ask yourself, “Am I hungry?”. Consciously chewing your food is another way to get in touch with your stomach.

4. Hydration

Staying hydrated with filtered water - and electrolytes - decreases hunger and flushes out toxins, including excess glucose. How much water you should drink is going to depend on your weight and life stage, but 64oz a day is a great place to start.

5. Stress Management

When you’re stressed, your ody flooded with the “fight or flight” chemical, cortisol, causing blood sugar levels to rise. Incorporating mindfulness practices into your daily routine such as yoga and deep breathing have been shown to help manage glucose levels.