Ever wonder why sometimes you can walk by the coffee station filled with donuts and cookies and not even give them a glance, and other times someone just MENTIONS a donut and you jump in your car and drive to the nearest Krispy Kreme?
It’s probably your blood sugar
What you’re eating
I think we all know that eating a diet high in carbs/sugar increases blood sugar a lot. In the presence of insulin (the hormone that is activated when blood sugar rises) all fat loss stops. The other thing it does is increase our carb cravings and hunger... it’s the higher blood sugar that makes us wanting more, more, more! I think most of us realize this in the most ‘obvious way’, but there are some very subtle sneaky blood sugar rises that can occur if you’re not paying attention. Not tracking your macros is a big one... ‘Thinking’ your carbs are 20g or less (or that you’re eating ‘low carb’) but in reality, you could be much, much higher.
Tip:
If you’re insulin resistant or diabetic, sticking to 20g (or less) of net carbs a day is critical. When blood sugar rises for these people (I’m insulin resistant) it stays high for a lot longer than for people who are metabolically flexible. Dr. Berg says we don’t have to worry about counting leafy green and cruciferous veggies, but everything else should be counted, to be sure we stay 20g or less of net carbs and don’t get that spike. Even if you’re not insulin resistant or diabetic, just allowing the carbs to creep up will raise your blood sugar and the carb cravings/hunger may become hard to resist. Processed carbs seem to do this much worse (ie: bread vs sweet potato). Eating foods low on the glycemic index are our best bet.
Hormones
Different times in your life can change your blood sugar levels, but no time is this more obvious than when you’re heading into menopause. The ovaries are not supporting the adrenal glands as well, and this causes (among other things) a blood sugar swing that looks like something from the Tarzan movie! If you’re not in the menopause stage, estrogen dominance can cause huge fluctuations of blood sugar as well.
Tip:
If you’re in my Intentionally Bare Keto Support Group, Guide 7: Coffee with Leta has various interviews I have done with Debbie Brown, hormone specialist. Watch these videos to learn ways you can balance your hormones naturally.
Exercise
Or should I say ‘lack thereof.’ Exercise burns glucose and helps lower the concentration of sugar in the blood.
Tip:
Exercising anytime helps lower blood sugar, but it’s especially powerful if you exercise after eating. Many experts say even a 15-minute walk makes a huge difference in lowering the blood sugar after eating.
Stress
Feeling stress raises our cortisol levels, which taxes the adrenal glands. When this happens, blood sugar rises. I know it’s hard to ‘not be stressed’ but try to find some ways that will help you find the balance you need.
Tips:
Leave your desk and take a quick walk. Have a daily routine of yoga, meditation and/or writing in a gratitude journal. It’s ok to take a moment for yourself, just a few really deep breaths can lower your cortisol levels.
General Tips:
Don’t eat carbs alone:
If I ate 20g of carbs for breakfast (with no protein or fat) my blood sugar would spike like crazy. Make each meal you eat either just fat/protein, or include your carbs with the fat/protein, but don’t have carbs alone.
Fasting:
Nothing lowers blood sugar levels faster than fasting. Incorporating intermittent fasting/fasting into your keto lifestyle really helps keep our blood sugar on the down low. [Again, this is something we’ve covered in my Intentionally Bare Facebook group, in Guide 6: Fasting/Intermittent Fasting has a lot of helpful information].
We’ll be chatting about this on Monday, April 12 at 4:00 pm PST (Coffee with Leta) and I would love it if you joined us!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/IntentionallyBareKeto/permalink/2129180670555145/
(if you see this after this date/time, you can still watch the replay by clicking this link)
Want to get notified EVERY time I go live?
Click this link to receive a Messenger message when I go live in the group
https://m.me/intentionallybare?ref=w13485627
💗 Leta
~ Intentionally Bare
❗️ Health information given here is based on public research and is not meant to take the place of your doctor’s advice. Always do your own research before trying something new.
