Blood Sugar 101 (& Your Hormones)
Balancing blood sugar is the #1 step to almost any health concern. It's IMPOSSIBLE to have balanced health and hormone levels without first having balanced blood sugar.
No matter what's going on in your body (PCOS, thyroid disorders, adrenal fatigue, anxiety, hormonal imbalances, digestive issues, low energy, etc), blood sugar imbalances are often one of the main root causes.
Basically.. If you don't have well regulated blood sugar and insulin levels, good luck regulating ANYTHING else!
Let me explain..
What is blood sugar & how does it work?
Blood sugar is the concentration of glucose (sugar) in our bloodstream. When we eat, carbohydrates break down into glucose which our body uses for energy. When this sugar/ glucose gets released into our bloodstream, our pancreas responds by releasing a hormone called insulin. Insulin's job is to move the sugar out of the bloodstream and into the cells where it can either be used for energy or stored for later. (I like to think of insulin like a taxi-cab driver, transporting everyone where they need to go).
This process works great if we keep everything nicely balanced and stable. But the problems come when the sugar in your blood spikes up too high or drops too low.
When blood sugar spikes up higher and faster than the body can handle, it forces the pancreas to send out an immense amount of insulin to manage it. (High amounts of insulin can lead to many things -weight gain, diabetes, hormonal imbalances, etc.- something we can explore another time.)
But the problem doesn't stop here.. what goes up must also come down. Since an excess amount of insulin was sent out, it was able to rapidly remove the sugar out of the bloodstream and now your body is left with LOW blood sugar. ( Low levels of blood sugar cause just as many issues as high blood sugar and insulin levels. )
When blood sugar levels are low, your body is literally in NEED of sugar. This causes us to reach for the processed, packaged, quick, hangry-soothing meals. These types of meals often cause the blood sugar spike and the process starts all over again.
This up and down rollercoaster places a large amount of stress on the body. When blood sugar spikes our body goes into storage mode (hello weight gain and fat loss resistance). Then, when blood sugar drops too low, our body goes into survival mode. The adrenals kick in and pump out cortisol, our stress hormone, and the production of anything else gets put on hold.
Are you starting to see why stable blood sugar is CRUCIAL for the foundation of your health?
What are the symptoms of Blood Sugar Dysregulation?
When your blood sugar is too high or too low, you may experience the following:
low energy / fatigue
brain fog
carb, sugar, or alcohol cravings
shaky/ dizzy
headaches throughout the day
energy dips throughout the day
irritability , mood swings
easily hangry
anxious, nervous, jittery
trouble sleeping / night sweats
thyroid/ hormonal imbalances
PCOS
What causes blood sugar imbalances?
Of course the food we eat has a large impact on the stabilization of blood sugar levels.
But there's more it than JUST the food. Here are a few things that can contribute to high or low blood sugar levels:
highly processed diets
‘fast’ carbs
unbalanced eating (lack of the proper nutrients)
skipping meals / under eating
lack of sleep
too much or too little exercise
inflammation
stress
toxins we are exposed to
How does blood sugar affect hormones?
When we think of 'balanced hormones' we often think of the sex hormones- estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone. I get it.. it's way sexier to talk about balancing estrogen than talking about blood sugar and insulin.
BUT those sex hormones can't do anything if the base level hormones -cortisol and insulin- aren't in a happy balance first.
Here's a brief explanation of how this works:
When blood sugar is HIGH, we get excess insulin. When insulin is continuously high, our body stops responding to it (hello insulin resistance). Excess insulin is a stressor on the body. When the body is stressed, cortisol (stress hormone) becomes elevated. All of these events cause inflammation, impairs ovulation, can cause excess androgen production, and will eventually affect the thyroid. There is also a very common link between insulin resistance and PCOS.
When blood sugar is LOW, our body also becomes stressed. In this case, the adrenals are greatly affected. Low blood sugar means the body has to rely on cortisol (stress hormone) to keep our blood sugar at a healthy level. This low blood sugar and high cortisol affects inflammation, ovulation, muscle mass, progesterone production, and so much more. Here you can think irregular cycles, PMS, mood swings, adrenal fatigue, etc.
Basically, when our body is constantly in a stressed state (physically, mentally, or emotionally), cortisol becomes activated to 'keep us safe'.
When the body is focused on staying safe, it can't focus on anything else (including regular balance and production of sex hormones).
Where to begin?
Now that you have an idea of WHAT the term 'balance your blood sugar' means and WHY it's so important for your overall health, let's take a look at WHERE to begin supporting yourself.
My number 1 tip and the first place I start with almost all my clients is looking at the nutritional aspect of blood sugar. What you eat has an enormous impact on the tone of your blood sugar and insulin levels.
To keep the curve stable and avoid the rollercoaster swings, the body needs a combination of protein, healthy fat, and fiber at EVERY meal (this is my definition of a 'balanced' meal).
This means each time you build your plate, it should consist of the following:
A source of healthy protein
Healthy fats
Non-starchy veggies
Whole-food carb/grain
When you get into the habit of creating balanced meals, you will start to identify exactly what it is your body needs and be able to throw together quick real-food meals to support your health (and hormones!).
If you are looking to dive deeper into supporting your blood sugar, reducing your symptoms, and bringing balance back to your hormones again, my 3-Month Hormone Healing package is for YOU. With a root-cause approach we will support your body with the exact tools it needs!