Post Time: 2025-07-26
Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is crucial for adults, and understanding what constitutes a normal range can be the first step towards achieving optimal health. In this article, we will delve into the world of blood sugar management, exploring what it means to have normal blood sugar levels and how to maintain them.
The Ideal Blood Sugar Range: A Healthy Foundation
For most adults without diabetes, the ideal fasting glucose level is between 70-99 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter), while post-meal levels should not exceed 140 mg/dL. However, these numbers can vary slightly depending on factors such as age and physical activity. The American Diabetes Association suggests that a blood sugar range of less than 180 mg/dL is considered normal after meals.
Fluctuations in Blood Sugar: Causes and Consequences
Blood sugar fluctuations are common among adults due to various lifestyle choices, medical conditions, or even stress levels. Consuming high-carbohydrate foods, skipping meals, or engaging in intense physical activity can all contribute to rapid blood sugar spikes followed by crashes. Regular monitoring is key to understanding how these factors affect your individual situation.
The Science Behind Blood Sugar Range: A Look at Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin sensitivity plays a significant role in determining an individual's normal blood sugar range. When you consume carbohydrates, they break down into glucose and stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas. If this process is impaired due to insulin resistance (common among obese individuals or those with type 2 diabetes), it can lead to elevated fasting blood sugars.
Diet for Blood Sugar Management: The Role of Fiber
A well-balanced diet rich in fiber, fruits, and vegetables plays a critical role in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Foods high on the glycemic index (GI) such as white bread and sugary drinks cause a rapid spike in blood glucose followed by an insulin surge. Conversely, consuming foods low on the GI like legumes, whole grains, and most vegetables helps regulate blood sugar.
Exercise for Blood Sugar Management: Timing Matters
Regular exercise is not only beneficial for overall health but also plays a significant role in managing normal blood sugar levels. The timing of your workouts can impact post-exercise glucose regulation; exercising after meals may reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and contribute to better long-term control.
Stress, Sleep, and Blood Sugar: A Complex Relationship
Chronic stress can negatively affect insulin sensitivity leading to higher fasting glucose levels. Conversely, adequate sleep is crucial for proper metabolic functioning, including hormone regulation involved in blood sugar management. Prioritizing both relaxation techniques (like meditation or yoga) and maintaining healthy sleep habits are essential steps towards achieving a normal range.
Why Maintaining a Stable Blood Sugar Range Is Crucial
Maintaining stable glucose levels not only prevents the immediate complications of fluctuating sugars such as dizziness, confusion, and tremors but also significantly reduces long-term health risks like cardiovascular disease, nerve damage (neuropathy), kidney issues (nephropathy) associated with diabetes.
Download my FREE Nutrition Guide HERE: VIVOBAREFOOT is sponsoring today's show. To get 20% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER visit: AG1 is sponsoring today's show. To get 1 year's FREE VITAMIN D and 5 FREE TRAVEL PACKS visit When I started medical school in 1995, we were taught that one in four people were likely to develop cancer in their lifetime. Today, that statistic has changed to one in two – a rapid rise that can’t be explained by genetics. But if our modern diet and lifestyles are the cause, we have more control than we might think. That’s the message my guest, Professor Thomas Seyfried, has worked tirelessly to prove and communicate over his four decades as a cancer researcher. Professor Seyfried is a professor of biology, genetics and biochemistry at Boston College, Massachusetts, and author of more than 150 peer-reviewed publications, as well as the 2012 book Cancer As A Metabolic Disease. Through his research, and in this conversation, he sets out to explain how it’s a malfunction in our mitochondria – the energy powerhouses in each of our cells – that’s at the root of every cancer he’s studied. Normal-functioning mitochondria, he explains, use oxygen to make energy. In cancer, this process is disrupted. Cancer cells cannot use oxygen, so they fall back on a primitive form of energy creation known as fermentation. It follows then, explains Professor Seyfried, that if we can somehow stop this fermentation process, then cancer cells will die. Cancer uses glucose and glutamine to fuel fermentation. While we don’t want to block glutamine, as it has other uses in the body, we can drastically lower our glucose levels to stop driving cancer growth. We discuss some of the ways in which we can start doing this – for example, using specific low-carb diets and nutritional ketosis. Professor Seyfried also talks us through his ground-breaking ‘metabolic therapy’ protocols for treating cancer – sometimes, alongside conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Professor Seyfried has spent decades researching and proving a metabolic cause for this devastating disease. This a compelling and optimistic conversation, packed with actions we can all take to reduce our risk not just of cancer, but all the chronic conditions driven by metabolic disruption. CAUTION: This podcast discusses ketogenic diets and water-only fasting. Always consult a qualified healthcare practitioner before making any drastic changes to your diet or before going low blood sugar and pancreas for prolonged periods without eating. #feelbetterlivemore ----- Connect with Prof Seyfried: Twitter Instagram Prof Seyfried’s book: Cancer as a metabolic disease: On the origin management and prevention of cancer #feelbetterlivemore #feelbetterlivemorepodcast ------- Sign up to my new newsletter - Friday Five Order Happy Mind Happy Life. US & Canada version UK version Feel Great Lose Weight is available to order in the US & Canada and in the UK Dr Chatterjee’s book Feel Better in 5 is out now in the US and Canada and in the UK Order Dr Chatterjee’s book The Stress Solution Find Dr Chatterjee’s 4 Pillars of Health in The 4 Pillar Plan available via The US version, How to Make Disease Disappear is available via ----- Listen to all previous podcast episodes on 133 blood sugar before eating or via these podcast platforms by searching for 'Feel Better, Live More'. Apple Podcasts Spotify ----- Follow Dr Chatterjee at: Website: Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: normal blood sugar levels by age chart Newsletter: DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.