by Julia Guppy

For many, blood sugar is only a concern if they’re diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes. However, understanding how blood sugar works and why maintaining healthy levels is crucial goes beyond just a diabetes diagnosis.

How healthy blood sugar works:

1. Food Intake

- Carbohydrates in Food: When you eat foods containing carbohydrates (like bread, pasta, vegetables, fruits, or sweets), your body breaks them down into glucose, which enters your bloodstream.

2. Insulin Production

- Insulin Release: In response to rising blood glucose levels, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that helps cells absorb glucose from the blood.

3. Glucose Absorption

- Cellular Uptake: Insulin acts like a key, allowing glucose to enter your body’s cells, where it’s used for energy.

- Energy Use: Cells use glucose for energy to power all bodily functions, from thinking to moving.

4. Blood Sugar Regulation

- Maintaining Balance: Insulin lowers blood glucose levels by helping cells absorb it. If blood sugar levels drop too low, the pancreas releases another hormone called glucagon, which signals the liver to release stored glucose back into the blood.

- Steady Levels: This balance ensures your blood sugar levels stay within a healthy range, avoiding spikes (hyperglycemia) or dips (hypoglycemia).

5. Storage for Later

- Glucose Storage: Excess glucose is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen. If there’s still more glucose, it can be converted to fat for long-term storage.

- Energy Reserve: During fasting or between meals, the body taps into glycogen stores to maintain stable blood sugar levels.

  For optimal metabolic health – meaning better than “normal” – a healthy blood sugar response should not rise any greater than 30mg/dl after your meal and should stay below 110mg/dL. Consistently experiencing glucose spikes above 30 mg/dL over time can contribute to metabolic dysfunction and increase the risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity. These imbalances may manifest through symptoms like fatigue, intense food cravings, and brain fog. Not to mention, of the top 10 leading causes of death, eight of them have been linked with high blood sugar. In other words, poor metabolic health significantly raises the risk of heart disease, cancer, pneumonia, diabetes, chronic lower respiratory disease, and kidney disease.

How to Balance Your Blood Sugar

1. Eat a Balanced Meal

Aim for a balanced plate with fiber, healthy fats, protein, and greens at every meal. This combination will help support balanced blood sugar levels and promote satiety. In addition, try to avoid eating carbohydrates on their own. Adding a fiber, fat, and/or a protein can lead to smaller glucose spikes. Lastly, try eating vegetables (fiber) before your main meal to slow down the absorption of sugars from the rest of your meal.

2. Move Around

None of us are perfect, and we will occasionally want to indulge in a donut or carb-heavy meal. One of the easiest ways to blunt the glucose spike after a carb-heavy meal is to move around! Go for a walk, dance in the kitchen, or grab some light weights and exercise. Moving your body allows glucose from your meal to be used for energy, reducing your glucose spike. Even if you eat a balanced meal, moving around afterward is still a great healthy habit to adopt!

3. Try Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar with Water Before a Meal

Studies have shown that apple cider vinegar (ACV) can significantly impact blood sugar when taken before a meal, reducing the glucose spike up to 30% and insulin spike up to 20%. You can dilute it in water or add it to a salad dressing to consume before your main meal!

Take control of your health today—don’t wait for a doctor’s visit to motivate you. By focusing on your blood sugar levels through balanced meals, staying active, and making mindful choices, you can set yourself up for a healthier future. Remember, it’s the little changes you make now that can lead to big improvements down the road. So why not start today? Your future self will thank you!