Post Time: 2025-07-26
Balancing blood sugar levels is crucial for maintaining overall health, and it's essential to understand what constitutes a healthy range. The ideal blood sugar level varies depending on the individual, but generally, fasting glucose should be between 70-99 mg/dL, while postprandial (after meal) glucose should not exceed 140 mg/dL.
Monitoring Techniques: Accurately Measuring Blood Sugar Levels at Home
To manage blood sugar levels effectively, it's crucial to monitor them regularly. There are several techniques used for measuring blood sugar, including glucometers and continuous glucose monitors (CGM). A glucometer is a portable device that measures blood glucose levels using a small drop of blood from the fingertip. CGMs, on the other hand, involve inserting a sensor under the skin to track glucose levels continuously throughout the day.
Diet and Lifestyle Choices: The Impact on Blood Sugar Levels
A well-balanced diet plays a significant role in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Certain foods can help stabilize blood sugar by providing fiber, protein, and healthy fats that slow down carbohydrate absorption. Examples of such foods include leafy greens like spinach and broccoli, whole grains like brown rice and quinoa, lean proteins like chicken and fish, and healthy fats found in nuts and avocados.
Understanding Blood Sugar Fluctuations: Causes and Consequences
Blood sugar fluctuations can occur due to various factors including hormonal changes, physical activity levels, stress levels, sleep quality, medications (if any), medical conditions such as diabetes or hypoglycemia. Understanding the causes of these fluctuations is crucial for developing effective management strategies.
Stabilizing Blood Sugar with Exercise and Diet
Regular exercise and a balanced diet can significantly contribute to maintaining stable blood sugar levels. Aerobic exercises like walking, jogging, cycling, swimming are beneficial in lowering fasting glucose levels whereas resistance training improves insulin sensitivity thereby decreasing the risk of diabetes. Furthermore incorporating dietary changes such as limiting intake on refined carbohydrates increasing protein fiber and healthy fats.
Maintaining a Stable Blood Sugar Range: The Role of Sleep
Sleep quality plays an essential role in maintaining stable blood sugar levels. Poor sleep has been linked with increased blood glucose spikes, while good sleep has shown to help the body better regulate its insulin sensitivity leading to more balanced sugars level throughout day. It's recommended that individuals aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night and maintain a consistent sleeping schedule.
The Importance of Tracking Blood Sugar Levels
Monitoring your progress is key in successfully managing blood sugar levels, making regular tracking essential regardless whether individual has diabetes or not as this helps to identify any fluctuations early so appropriate action can be taken thereby reducing risks associated with elevated or low level glucose
With the rise in diet fads such as fasting and ketogenic diets, it is crucial to understand the role that glucose plays in our bodies and how nourishing our cells at a metabolic level is the key to moving away from stress and burnout. Balancing your blood sugar appropriately on a cellular level is different from how social media trends tell you to manage your blood sugar. They almost want you to think of blood sugar and insulin as bad. But there are no bad hormones! Insulin is responsible for helping our cells use glucose for metabolic function - which is necessary for survival. When our cells are starved of glucose, we are depriving some of the most important bodily systems of the energy that they need to do their jobs appropriately. Without the appropriate intake of glucose, our bodies will begin to create glucose by breaking down stored glycogen for fuel. This is the kicker for so many fad diets - “your body makes its own glucose!” And, yes, this is true, but you have to consider the costs. Glycogen is stored for emergencies so that you have energy when you’re actually starving or when you’re running on adrenaline and in a state of fight or flight. Your cells are not meant to deplete your glycogen stores and then continue to operate after you run out pcos and low blood sugar of glycogen. This comes at a very metabolically damaging price. While managing your blood sugar is a huge component in managing your stress levels - it is not the only reading for blood sugar factor that you need to focus on healing. Blood sugar management alone will not help you heal your energy and nervous system to manage your stress completely. Our physiology and our spiritual energies are intertwined, and we must always address the needs of both. Listen in today to hear more about the key to managing your low blood sugar and how it can help you manage your stress, step away from burnout, and get back to a place of healing! In this episode: [00:41] Welcome back to the Fully Nourished Podcast! [05:16] We are diving into blood sugar in this episode and how managing your blood sugar can help you manage your stress. [10:26] While low blood sugar is a large component to stress, it’s not the only factor. [15:15] The physiology behind balancing your blood sugar and the actions that take place in your liver. [21:32] Glycogen storage in your muscles is not used for blood sugar metabolism. [22:37] The impact of fasting and exercise on glycogen stores. [24:51] Our Central Nervous System uses more glucose than any other system in our bodies, and the impact of low blood sugar on the brain. [28:18] This is what happens in good reading for blood sugar your body when it has to make its own glucose in response to low blood sugar and why it’s metabolically destructive. [35:13] How the keto diet actually impacts your physiology. [36:49] Insulin and glucose in your cells. [38:26] Our state of being impacts our utilization of food. [39:59] These are the factors that impact our carbohydrate tolerance. [41:23] Healing must occur both physically and spiritually because our structure and energy are intertwined. [44:42] Thanks for listening today! Join us in part 2, where we talk more about nourishment as we begin to balance our blood sugar. Links and Resources: Checkout Jigsaw Health and use code Jess10 for $10.00 of your order: Episode 2: My Health Hourney & having a Meaningful Nutrition Philosophy: Episode 3: Energy is Everything: An Introduction to Bioenergetics: Connect with Jessica: Have Sunday tea with me! Sign-up for my Sunday newsletter where I share what’s on my brain from the nutritional to spiritual: Ready to go deeper? Learn how to nourish yourself in a way that respects your unique female physiology in my signature Fully Nourished course: Join the Fully Nourished community! Follow me @jessicaashwellness on Instagram: #alternativehealth #functionalnutrition