Blood Sugar Dysregulation
Blood sugar dysregulation refers to the inability of the body to maintain stable blood sugar levels. In this day and age, I think many of us experience the symptoms of blood sugar dysregulation. Common symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, frequent urination, constant hunger and sugar cravings. Why do many of us experience an imbalance with our blood sugar levels?
Foods consumed by the majority of the population includes refined carbohydrates and sugars such as white bread, cereals, white rice, pastries, sweet treats etc. Refined carbohydrates strip the bran and germ from the wheat, which sustains shelf life of the grain but removes the fibre and nutrients. The fibre in these foods were intended by nature to slow down the metabolism of glucose and lowering our glucose spikes. Unfortunately nowadays, refined carbohydrates are accessible and most times cheaper in the supermarkets which comes with health consequences such as causing a spike in blood sugar levels.
Do you experience that 3pm slump or just constantly feel fatigued? The higher the glucose spike, the worse it is for your health. So what foods cause these high glucose spikes? Sweet breakfasts such as cereals (e.g., nutrigrain and cornflakes), pancakes, oats and granola with no added protein, juice, white bread with just jam and butter or vegemite etc. These are foods a lot of people consume daily to start their day which is going to cause a massive spike.
We can add things to these breakfasts to reduce our spike. Consume our carbohydrates with protein and fat to slow down the metabolism of glucose!
Swap white bread to sourdough or rye, consume with avocado and eggs.
If having oats, add protein powder or greek yoghurt for protein, add some nut butter and hemp seeds for fat and berries for your fibre and antioxidants.
If you’re having fruit juices, this is just sugar with no fibre as the juicing process strips the nutrient rich fibres. Alternatively have a smoothie with fresh or frozen fruits, add protein powder and some fats such as nut butters, seeds or avocado.
Don’t be afraid to have dinner for breakfast! Salmon, beef, or chicken for breakfast is a great way to start your day as this contains complete proteins but also vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B6, B12, vitamin D, iron, selenium, zinc, and potassium.
If you’re eating eggs, consume 3 eggs for breakfast as this is equivalent to roughly 21g of protein! Aiming for 30g of protein per meal is going to help keep you satiated and reduce snacking.
Add vinegar to your salad or consume with water before your meal! this will help reduce the spike of glucose but also stimulate your digestive enzymes to properly digest your food.
