Food & Drink For more than a year, I battled with an exhaustion so profound that it felt unnatural. After meals, a wave of fatigue would hit me so intensely that I couldn’t force myself to stay awake. I had to lie down and I immediately fell asleep. These weren’t normal naps – they were deep sleeps which felt almost coma-like. I dismissed these symptoms, focused on work and attributed them to the stress of caregiving and the grief which I was processing. Of course, I was tired. Caregiving and grief cause exhaustion. My husband, Shawn, saw what I couldn’t (or wouldn’t) acknowledge. His concern grew until he insisted that I see my doctor. The blood test results were alarming: I was just one point away from pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes, I thought. How was this possible? The diagnosis stunned me. How could this happen to someone who had prioritized whole foods and regular exercise for most of my adult life? My immediate reaction was to blame my genetics – a convenient explanation that absolved me of responsibility. Yes, genetics certainly play a role. But I discovered that blood sugar imbalances stem from numerous factors. Stress can make your blood sugar shoot up – something which I experienced firsthand. Compounding grief also causes stress. But there are other reasons. Some medications can mess with the way in which your body handles sugar, and so can hormone changes – especially during menopause. As we age, our bodies naturally process sugar differently. Even how well you sleep and how much water you drink affects your blood sugar. If you’re peeing a lot (especially at night), always thirsty, tired no matter how much you rest, having blurry vision, feeling hungry all the time, noticing cuts healing slowly, experiencing weight gain or weight loss, feeling tingling in your hands or feet, developing skin problems or having mood swings – your body might be telling you something about your blood sugar. Getting tested is the first step. Catching blood sugar problems early is much easier than dealing with the fallout. If left unchecked, high blood sugar can damage your blood vessels, kidneys, nerves (especially in your hands and feet), eyes, digestive system, heart or brain and even affect your weight. Research suggests a significant link between insulin resistance in the brain and Alzheimer’s disease, leading some scientists to informally refer to it as Type 3 diabetes (though this is not an official medical classification). Managing my blood sugar meant figuring out my specific issues. For me, it was family history, years of stress, not enough sleep, menopause and not drinking enough water. Having identified my unique causes, I could work on those specific areas of my life and lifestyle. While these natural approaches can be helpful, they are not substitutes for medical care or prescribed medications. Always check with your doctor before making significant changes to your diet and routine. 1. Take apple cider vinegar before meals: Mix 1 tablespoon in water and drink it 30 minutes before eating. This has been shown to slow down how quickly your body turns carbs into sugar. 2. Walk after big meals: When you walk, your muscles soak up sugar from your bloodstream to use as fuel, which means less sugar floating around in your blood. 3. Hydrate first thing in the morning: Have a glass of water before your morning coffee. After hours without water during sleep, your blood gets thicker and your kidneys sluggish. Water thins your blood and helps your body’s filtering system work better to manage sugar levels. 4. Watch what you eat (glycemic index): The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels. High-GI foods – such as white bread, pasta or sugary snacks – cause rapid spikes in blood sugar, while low-GI foods – such as green vegetables – release glucose more slowly. 5. Watch how much you eat (glycemic load): Glycemic load considers both the type of food and portion size, showing how much glucose will actually enter your bloodstream. Even if a food is low in carbohydrates, eating too much can still cause a significant blood sugar increase. 6. Eat more protein, fewer carbs: Protein foods are like steady, reliable workers that keep your energy levels stable. More protein helps you feel full longer and keeps blood sugar more level. 7. Team up your foods: When eating bread, pasta or potatoes, partner these with protein (such as meat or cheese) and healthy fats (such as avocado or olive oil). These food partners slow down sugar absorption. 8. Add fibre to meals: Fibre is like a traffic controller for sugar entering your bloodstream. High-fibre foods such as vegetables, beans and whole grains help release energy gradually, instead of all at once. 9. Tame your stress: When you’re stressed, your body releases hormones that tell your liver to pump more sugar into your blood – like a panicked person hitting an emergency button. Regular deep breathing helps keep your body’s alarm system from triggering blood sugar spikes. 10. Prioritize good sleep: Sleep is your best friend. Aim for seven to nine hours of quality sleep, so that your body can properly regulate blood sugar the next day. Traditional biscuits are made with white flour (high glycemic), butter (high saturated fat), baking powder, sugar (high glycemic) and buttermilk (medium glycemic). Here’s a substitute biscuit recipe that prioritizes protein and fibre over carbohydrates, all the while giving you delicious and healthy biscuits to savour. by Shari McIntyre For more information on wine and food, go to Ketopaleosharimac.com Balancing Your BLOOD SUGAR 46 | www.snowbirds.org
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzMzNzMx