How To Balance Blood Glucose and Improve Stress Resiliency
The feeling of being stressed leaves the body and brain in a state of arousal. This state of arousal is a result of facing a situation we perceive as threatening our wellbeing, whether that’s from a tiger or from the present global state of uncertainty and its domino effect.
A number of body and brain systems jump into action when we face a threat because we may need to ‘fight or flee’ and need energy to do either. The adrenaline that is produced when the threat first appears causes a surge in blood glucose which provides energy.
Unfortunately, when the threat remains, so does adrenalin synthesis and unstable blood glucose levels become the norm.
This ongoing stress response creates a vicious cycle of adrenalin release and high blood glucose levels.
Common symptoms of unstable blood glucose levels
Naturally, high blood sugar is the first sign of unstable blood glucose levels. However, there are other symptoms, which become apparent too, such as:
mental and physical fatigue
weight gain
sleepiness
increased blood pressure
increased blood triglyceride levels
craving for sweet foods
tremors and shakiness
mood swings
anxiety or panic attacks
headaches
depression
poor decision making
It’s challenging to keep blood glucose levels stable today
Apart from ongoing stress leading to unstable blood glucose levels, a number of other reasons may contribute too, including a lack of specific nutrients that are required to keep blood glucose levels stable:
Our fruit and vegetables are depleted of nutrients, due to our soils being depleted of nutrients. Plant cells require the same nutrients for their functioning as we do, so if the soil is deficient in them, the knock-on effect is that we’ll be deficient in them too.
Growing foods with pesticides and herbicides, as well as genetically modifying them, means that produce is often filled with chemicals, not nutrients.
The distances that food travels today, before it lands on your plate means that it is depleted of even more nutrients, as produce is best eaten fresh.
Junk food and stress
Many people reach for emotionally satisfying foods like processed sweet, salty and fatty foods when stressed.
The reason these foods reduce feelings of stress is because they stimulate the release of opioid-like compounds in our central nervous system.
So, for a short period of time our stress-response is calmed.
It is possible to prepare foods that also taste delicious and have a similar mouth-feel to junk food. They will also produce feelings of satiation and keep blood glucose levels stable. [Check my IG feed for how to make healthy treats quickly.]
Also, turning to junk food crowds out healthier foods, leaving stressed people even more deficient in the nutrients requited to maintain stable blood glucose levels.
Stress uses up nutrients too
Nutrients are required to synthesize adrenaline, many off which are the same as those required for the synthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and then, melatonin, which support a calm mood and sleep.
The synthesis of these neural messengers is not critical compared to adrenaline, which supports physical survival so their synthesis isn’t a priority. This is one of the reasons it’s challenging to sleep well when very stressed.
So, if you’re very stressed, eating junk food and skimping on the foods that support health, you will not only increase your stress levels and have unstable blood glucose levels, you’ll also become deficient in the very neurotransmitters you need to help you manage stress effectively.
How to balance blood glucose levels
Although it’s impossible to remove all the stress in our lives, by focusing on what we can control we increase the chances of reducing stress and maintain stable blood glucose levels.
So, the first thing to do is eliminate stress-inducing news and conversations. If you do not have control over the outcome, move your focus to what you can control. This may take some practice, but like any new habit it gets easier over time to shift your focus from what you are anxious about to what you can control.
Secondly, have breakfast. If you can’t eat a meal early in the morning, prepare a healthy one, with good fats, clean protein and nutrient dense carbohydrates to eat later in the day.
My favorite breakfasts include coconut soaked chia seeds, berries, quinoa granola and nuts and seeds, along with the right essential fatty acids (EFAs). A savory breakfast is also an option, as long as it’s also nutrient dense and contains the right EFAs.
Thirdly, include prebiotics in your midday and evening meals to ensure the good bacteria in your gut remain healthy and can proliferate.
As stress and unbalanced blood glucose levels reduce good bacteria, it’s very important that your diet includes foods such as sauerkraut, artichokes, asparagus, onions, garlic, leeks, beetroot, banana, chicory root, dandelion greens and peas.
The fiber in these foods also supports satiation, and keeps blood glucose stable and speeds waste elimination.
Conclusion
It’s impossible to remove the stress we’re all being exposed to at present. It’s also impossible to stop the variety of systems that become activated when we feel stressed and thus threatened.
However, we can support and maintain stable blood glucose through these simple shifts in behavior and diet, which also supports improved decision-making, which helps us manage our stress more effectively. A positive domino effect.
References
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Feldman (Bischoff) J, Barshi I. The Effects of Blood Glucose Levels on Cognitive Performance: A Review of the Literature. 2007 [Internet].
McCabe D. Feed Your Brain. 7 Steps to a Lighter, Brighter You! Exisle; 2016:286.
McCabe D. Feed Your Brain: The Cookbook. Recipes to Support a Lighter, Brighter You! . Exisle; 2018:232.
McNay EC, McCarty RC, Gold PE. Fluctuations in brain glucose concentration during behavioral testing: dissociations between brain areas and between brain and blood. Neurobiol Learn Mem. May 2001;75(3):325-37.
Orquin JL, Kurzban R. A meta-analysis of blood glucose effects on human decision-making. Psychol Bull. May 2016;142(5):546-67.