Glucose levels, also known as blood sugar levels, are an important health marker that gives you an insight into your overall health and impacts your wellness.
Blood sugar spikes
A blood sugar spike generally occurs when your blood sugar rises and then your levels can fall sharply after you eat. Short term, blood sugar spikes can cause lethargy and hunger. But in the long term, it can be more serious, and your body may lose the ability to lower blood sugar effectively, which can lead to type 2 diabetes (Basiri et al. 2023). It can also cause your blood vessels to harden and narrow, leading to a heart attack or stroke.
What causes unbalanced blood sugar levels?
Big fluctuations in blood sugar levels are often related to dietary intake of carbohydrates. In particular, refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, rice, candy, sugary soft drinks, and sweets tend to cause sharp spikes in blood sugar and can also increase blood triglyceride levels.
A high intake of refined carbohydrates is also associated with cognitive impairment, emotional stress, and negatively affects brain function and overall health.
Balancing your blood sugar
There are few easy steps to help balancing your blood sugar level, most of which include making changes to your diet. These include:
Reduce sugar and refined carbs. Limit your intake of sugar and other refined carbs which have been shown to spike blood sugar (Rowles et al 2024).
Drink plenty of water. Dehydration can cause your kidneys to retain fluid, which stops the body from flushing out excess sugar in your urine, which is one of the ways the body naturally balances blood sugar levels (Rowles et al 2024).
Get regular exercise. High and moderate intensity exercise can help avoid glucose spikes, by increasing insulin sensitivity and by causing cells to absorb sugar from the blood (Rowles et al 2024).
A healthy diet centred on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (peas and beans), good sources of protein and low-fat dairy products, with limited carbohydrates, is highly recommended for controlling blood sugar levels.
How to eat carbs in a healthy way
Carbohydrates are important macronutrients for the body and brain. Cutting them out entirely or restricting too severely can also lead to health troubles. So how do you incorporate carbohydrates into your diet without causing a spike in blood sugar? There are three key things to consider:
The amount of carbohydrates you eat: The most important factor to consider when trying to consume carbohydrates in a healthy way for your blood sugar levels, is the amount of carbs you eat (Reynolds et al. 2004). The larger the portion of carbohydrates you eat in a meal, the greater the rise in your blood glucose levels will be. A good rule of thumb is to keep your serve of carbohydrate foods to 1/4 of your plate.
The type of carbohydrate you eat: The quicker your body can digest the carbohydrate and turn it into glucose, the faster your blood glucose levels will rise after the meal. For example, a biscuit is broken down into glucose quickly while a slice of multigrain bread is digested over a longer period of time, releasing glucose at a steadier rate. This is known as the Glycaemic Index (GI). Whenever you can, try to swap out high GI foods for lower GI foods.
The amount of fibre you eat with your carbohydrates. Dietary fibre is also a carbohydrate type that is not digested by the stomach or absorbed in the GI tract. Instead, it is either degraded in the colon by the gut microbiota or passes through the human body intact. Studies suggest that frequent intake of dietary fibre slows the absorption of carbohydrates and enhances insulin sensitivity (Nitzke 2024). By eating plenty of fibre, you can better control blood glucose and maybe boost the health of your gut microbiota (Reynolds et al. 2004).
How to get more fibre in your diet
Eating enough fibre can sometimes be easier said than done! Recommended sources of dietary fibre are minimally processed whole grains, vegetables, whole fruit and legumes (Harvard 2023). Here are some good examples of dietary fibre to control your blood sugar levels:
Chia seeds, oat fibre and linseeds (soluble fibre): These foods have the capacity to absorb water, forming a gel that extends the transit time of food through the intestine.
Okra: This is a rich source of blood sugar-lowering compounds such as polysaccharides and flavonoid antioxidants.
Berries: Studies have shown that strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries may benefit blood sugar management by enhancing insulin sensitivity and improving glucose clearance from the blood.
Apples: Apples contain soluble fibre and plant compounds, including quercetin, chlorogenic acid, and gallic acid, which may help reduce blood sugar and protect against diabetes.
Making dietary changes can be hard, with or without high blood sugar levels. But the good news is, you're not alone! Make an appointment with our Clinical Nutritionist Mayara to help with your glucose levels, design a tailored meal plan and work out where you can start today.
Sources:
Harvard Health Publishing, Healthy eating for blood sugar control, 2023
Diabetes Australia, Nutrition, Diabetes Guides, 2022
Basiri R, Seidu B, Cheskin LJ., Key Nutrients for Optimal Blood Glucose Control and Mental Health in Individuals with Diabetes: A Review of the Evidence, Nutrients, 2023
Reynolds A, Mitri J., Dietary Advice For Individuals with Diabetes, 2024
Nitzke D, Czermainski J, Rosa C, Coghetto C, Fernandes SA, Carteri RB., Increasing dietary fibre intake for type 2 diabetes mellitus management: A systematic review, World J Diabetes, 2024
Rowles A, Basina M., 12 Tips to Prevent Blood Sugar Spikes, Healthline, 2024
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