How to Eat for Balanced Blood Sugar Levels Throughout the Day

Although people often think blood sugar In the context of diabetes or pregnancy alone, it is important that everyone pays attention. Avoiding high and low blood sugar can help you feel your best and maintain a steady level of energy throughout the day.

“Balancing your blood sugar helps keep your energy levels steady, keeps you more focused, balances your hormones, prevents excessive hunger, aids in weight loss, and overall maintains optimal health and wellness,” says Amy Shapiro, a Registered Nutritionist and Founder of Real Nutrition New York.

Your blood sugar could fluctuate anywhere if you’re hungry all the time, even if you eat frequently. Ideally, when you eat, you feel constant energy for several hours and don’t get “hungry” that quickly. “When your blood sugar levels are balanced, you think less about food and more about all the things you can do,” says Shapiro.

The basics of blood sugar balancing

The goal with blood sugar is to keep blood sugar levels as constant as possible throughout the day. When you eat something made up of carbohydrates or sugar, your blood sugar rises.

“Our blood sugar rises when we eat Foods that contain sugar or foods that break down into sugar, basically anything that contains carbohydrates (breads, grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, etc.),” Shapiro says. Raising your blood sugar isn’t bad in and of itself, but you should avoid raising your sugar levels too high, as it can make you feel bad and cause you to “crash” later.

“As soon as our blood sugar rises, the hormone insulin is released to help our cells take the sugar from our blood into the cells themselves to use/store for energy,” explains Shapiro. Insulin is one way your body keeps sugar in check, but other activities also affect your blood sugar, including exercise and how much you exercise or walk around.

Important nutrients for blood sugar balance: protein, fat, fiber

Just because carbs and sugar spike your blood sugar doesn’t mean you have to avoid them all the time. The best way to balance your blood sugar is to combine your high-carb foods and sugars with protein, healthy fats, and ideally, fiber. When you combine carbs with protein or fat, the rate at which the sugar or carbs are absorbed is slowed, which Shapiro says relieves your blood sugar. When you’re looking at your plate, the goal is to balance carbs with healthy protein and fat so you know your blood sugar doesn’t spike too much, which could cause a crash or dramatic dip later on.

Signs that your blood sugar is not stable

Aside from feeling hungry, Shapiro says there are other signs that you’re feeling hungry Blood sugar is low, often as a result of a previous spike spike that was too high. “If you eat a large amount of sugar or carbs alone (soda, candy, bagels) you might feel energized for a while, but in about an hour you may be sweating, tired, shaky, or confused. These are signs of a low blood sugar, a rapid drop in energy that weakens the body,” Shapiro said.

People may joke about “hangers,” but the feeling is very real, according to Shapiro. When your blood sugar is low, “you may also feel excited and hungry, which also makes you angry or grumpy.”

At the end of the day, you shouldn’t feel any extremes either way. Eating a balanced diet should make you feel good most of the time, and when you do get hungry it should happen slowly rather than all at once, Shapiro said.

Continue reading: Low Blood Sugar: Warning Signs, Treatment Options, and When to Call the Doctor

Can Certain Foods Lower Blood Sugar?

When it comes to lowering already high blood sugar, eating more food won’t lower it, but here are a few tips to keep in mind. “Food can’t lower blood sugar once it’s high, but you can exercise to lower blood sugar,” says Shapiro. Because of this, you may have heard that taking a walk after meals is a good idea, as walking is one way to lower your blood sugar.

How to check blood sugar at home

If you are unsure whether your blood sugar is high or within the normal range, you can test your blood sugar. This is especially helpful if you’re concerned about diabetes or prediabetes, but everyone can benefit from monitoring their sugars.

“There are simple ways to do this and that will show you what your blood sugar is responding to and how much of certain foods you can eat without disturbing your blood sugar. It’s a great self-exploration experiment,” says Shapiro. Some types of blood glucose meters require a prescription, but many are OTC and anyone can purchase one.

If you’re not quite ready for monitoring, you can always check with yourself and take notes throughout the day about how certain foods and activities make you feel. “Otherwise, you can monitor how you’re feeling, your energy levels, how often you get hungry,” Shapiro says. “These are great measures of blood sugar levels.”

More for your health

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions about a medical condition or health goals.