Easy Tips For Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

By Dr Christiane Northrup

Blood sugar imbalances are linked with many symptoms and health issues, including type II diabetes, fatigue, weight gain and unstable mood s.

Type-2 diabetes has risen dramatically in recent years and one of the reasons for this is because the range for normal blood sugar is too high. This would go some way to explain why so many people have symptoms, like weight gain, unexplained fatigue and excessive thirst for years before they are diagnosed. So whats the solution to this problem? How do we balance our bodies blood sugar levels?

Here Are Some Useful Tips For Promoting Healthy Blood Sugar Levels:

1. Focus On Including Protein At Breakfast

If you’re only going to do one thing, then make sure to eat some protein at breakfast every morning. Aim for at least 10 gms. If you’re in a rush, then a low-glycemic shake with protein (or even a high-protein nutrition bar) is a good start. When you get protein first thing in the morning, it sets you up for “normal” blood sugar for the rest of the day.

Some other ideas for a protein breakfast include: porridge with mixed seeds (flaxseed, pumpkin, linseed etc…) eggs (poached, scrambled, fried or in an omelette), a nut milk smoothie with berries and hemp seeds, fish, sprouted bread with nut butter, grilled tempeh, and leafy greens – sauteed or in a smoothie.

2. Know That Blood Sugar Response Is Quite Individual!

I learned that we all react so differently to the same foods. For example, some so-called “healthy” foods, like whole grains, actually spike blood sugar in some individuals, but not in others. Similarly, watch out for fructose (sugar fruit). In many individuals, fructose will spike blood sugar, whereas whole fruit will not—even though whole fruit contains fructose.

Hint: If there’s a dish that you like so much you could eat it all the time and in large quantities, chances are really good that it’s spiking your blood sugar.

3. Eliminate Wheat

The book, Wheat Belly, by William Davis, M.D. is a treatise on how the kind of gluten found in the mono-culture wheat we grow in the United States is often metabolized in the body just like sugar! So if you want to really get serious about your blood sugar, I suggest that you stay away from grains completely for atleast a month or two.

4. Check Your Stress Levels

If you’re eating well, but under a lot of emotional stress, it may cause high blood sugar. You might also notice that you’re putting on weight. Since stress releases cortisol, and cortisol spikes blood sugar, you will find that undue emotional stress will spike your blood sugar. This also explains why coffee on an empty stomach can spike blood sugar. The caffeine causes the body to release cortisol.

5. Consider Supplements

If your blood sugar is higher than the ideal numbers I mention above, there are supplements you can take that really help control blood sugar while you’re upgrading your diet. Green coffee extract and Gymnema sylvestreare are two good options.

6. Make Friends With Stevia

Stevia is an herb that is very sweet. I carry Nu-Naturals liquid stevia with me wherever I go. (With the exception of Truvia, the other brands don’t hold a candle to Nu-Naturals and are often bitter.) I use stevia in my iced tea, in my coffee, and to add a little extra sweetness to berries and fruit or to plain kefir.

7. Exercise To Burn Off Excess Cortisol

When you are stressed, the excess cortisol produced by the body is designed to help you run away from the threat! When there were tigers to run from, the body used the cortisol to flee. The problem is that, today, our stresses are not the kind you can run away from. So instead of running from the tiger, do ten minutes of exercise. In an office building, you can walk up and down stairs or up and down the halls. You will be amazed at how effectively this quells the urge to reach for a candy bar or a donut.

8. Stop Dieting!

If you’re going to eat sugar, just be sure to eat some protein and add lots of salad, green vegetables, beans, and other low glycemic foods to the mix. This will go a long way toward keeping blood sugar even. As an added bonus, over time, those with the stable blood sugar are the ones who lose their excess belly fat, too!

I know this topic isn’t particularly sexy. And I know these changes require commitment and discipline, which isn’t too appealing. But following this prescription is true preventive medicine. And incorporating even half of these tips will help you set the stage for better health on many levels.