How To Identify Blood Sugar Imbalances

Woman's HealthHealthy EatingSupplements

Apr 21

Written By Renee Wellenstein

Is your blood sugar out of balance?

Do you have any of these signs or symptoms?

Extra weight around the middle
Cravings, especially for carbs and sugar
You feel like you need a nap after most meals
You feel hungry before you should be
You get hangry between meals
You feel tired all the time or struggle with consistent energy

If so, your blood sugar may be going on a daily rollercoaster.

What’s going on?

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that keeps blood sugar levels in check.

After eating, the pancreas releases insulin into your bloodstream, and the glucose (blood sugar) is used to fuel your cells with energy, then insulin lowers your blood sugar levels back to baseline after a meal.

Insulin resistance happens when insulin isn’t doing its job to direct sugar into the cell, remaining in the bloodstream, as a result, your blood sugar remains elevated and the pancreas secretes more insulin.

Testing for Insulin Resistance:

Fasting Blood Glucose

A measure of how much glucose is in your blood after an overnight fast

Hemoglobin A1C

A measure of your average blood sugar levels over the past three months using a percentage point.

Fasting Insulin

Increased insulin levels in the blood is very common in people with insulin resistance so we also test for fasting insulin levels.

***It’s also important when analyzing your results to look at them through the lens of functional ranges vs pathological ranges. For example: the biggest difference between both is the deviation level for a certain type of analysis, as an example glucose:

▶Pathological: 65-110 mg/dl

▶Functional: 85 – 100 mg/dl

So if you only look at the pathological range you might think “everything is normal” when in fact this might indicate a risk for developing diabetes.

Good news is that you can control your insulin levels through lifestyle changes!

Balance your lifestyle

Fill your plate with colorful and anti-inflammatory foods rich in protein, fat, and fiber
Establish good sleep habits since low quality/quantity sleep is tied to blood sugar dysregulation
Decrease stress levels
Maintain a consistent exercise practice

Many people have insulin resistance, even if their body mass index is normal 👀, thus diet, lifestyle, and genetics can all affect blood sugar levels in your body and healthy habits will definitely help you balance them.