How Does Balancing Blood Sugar Lead to Weight Loss?
What does it mean to balance blood sugar?
This is a topic that has appeared frequently in the media - balancing blood sugar, balancing hormones, etc. What does it all mean?
Blood Sugar Regulation
Blood sugar is tightly regulated in the body by the hormones insulin and glucagon. Insulin helps sequester glucose into cells to use for energy, while glucagon releases glucose from the liver during periods of starvation. When we eat a meal, the body releases insulin to help give cells glucose from the meal. When we go long periods without eating a meal, glucagon gets released to give the body stored glucose while it waits for glucose from our next meal.
It is normal for blood sugar to rise and fall throughout the day. Generally, blood sugar rises after a meal, and falls after periods of activity or after we have digested our meal. Eating balanced meals allow blood sugar to rise and fall steadily, making you feel energized and satisfied.
Blood Sugar Dysregulation
Have you heard of the concept of a “sugar crash”? This happens when blood sugar spikes too high after a meal - instead of rising steadily, blood sugar will spike to abnormally high levels. Blood sugar spikes lead to crashes, where blood sugar quickly falls to abnormally low levels. During a spike, you may feel a short period of intense energy and satiety, but soon after, during a crash, you will feel extremely low energy, and you may feel very hungry.
Frequently putting your body through spikes and crashes dysregulates the hormones that control blood sugar balance. This happens because sugar crashes often leave individuals feeling overly hungry, or not satisfied from their previous meal. This leads to overeating at the next eating opportunity, or eating more frequently throughout the day to try and feel satisfied.
Recall that insulin gets release after eating. When you eat too much or too frequently, insulin remains in your system longer than it should. When there is too much insulin around, the body may start to become resistant to it. This means that cells stop receiving glucose, because the body does not receive signals from insulin. This therefore signals to the brain that there is not enough energy being taken up into cells, which makes you feel more hungry and fuels the cycle. It is through this process that individuals develop type 2 diabetes.
Dysregulation of blood sugar balancing hormones like insulin causes you to eat more, which leads to weight gain. When there’s excess energy in the body after digestion, it gets stored as fat.
What Causes Blood Sugar Imbalances?
Blood sugar balance is influenced by many factors, but the most important include diet patterns, physical activity, sleep, and stress.
Frequent consumption of processed foods and sugary beverages, and infrequent consumption of whole fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean proteins leads to cravings, blood sugar spikes, and weight gain. Additionally, consuming any food or beverage high in sugar on its own can lead to spikes. For example, eating whole fruit alone can cause spikes, even though fruit is healthy. Having a more balanced diet that focuses on fiber, protein, and healthy fat promotes steady blood sugar control.
Physical activity can also help balance blood sugar. Exercise promotes insulin action, which reduces the likelihood that the body will become resistant to it in the long term. It also means that your body receives glucose when it needs to, and the excess can be used for energy while you exercise instead of being stored as fat.
Sleep is important for glucose control because sleep helps regulate hormone levels. Inadequate sleep dysregulates insulin, glucagon, and also the hormones that control hunger, which can make you feel more hungry and lead further to weight gain. Stress also influences hormone levels, as it changes hormone levels in the body and elevates a hormone known as cortisol, which releases extra glucose into your body. Extra glucose can contribute to spikes and insulin resistance, while cortisol also contributes to increased hunger and cravings.
How to Balance Blood Sugar
Focus on having a balanced diet full of fiber, protein, and healthy fat. These elements help steady blood sugar while helping you feel full and satisfied.
Consume more whole fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean proteins. These types of foods promote a healthy diet overall.
Eat fruit with a handful of nuts, a tablespoon of nut butter, a Babybel cheese, or a few turkey slices. Pairing fruit with protein/healthy fat will help you feel more full and reduce blood sugar spikes!
Make water your main beverage and avoid sugar-sweetened beverages.
Get adequate physical activity (at least 30 minutes of aerobic physical activity per day). Even a 10-15 minute walk after a meal is great for balancing blood sugar!
Get adequate sleep. Aim for 6-8 hours each night of uninterrupted sleep. Focus on sleep habits that will help you achieve this, like putting phones away before bed and setting alarms if needed.
Manage stress. Stress management is not only helpful for overall health and wellness, but it can aid in maintaining healthy blood sugar balance!
For more information and tips on how to balance blood sugar, check out The Fiber Method!
By Jessica Kaplan