BLOOD SUGAR BASICS

Isabella Pratt
7 days ago
3 min read

Each time you eat food, your blood sugar levels rise in varying amounts. All foods are not made the same. Some foods will increase blood sugar more than others and when foods are combined with other foods, blood sugar levels can vary.

Improving blood sugar management does not mean cutting out foods or restricting your diet. It is all about food combinations and balancing the appropriate nutrients.

Diabetes is one of the most common diseases in the United States, affecting about 37.3 million Americans. While diabetes may be an upsetting diagnosis to receive, it is completely manageable. There is a lot that can be done to help you live healthy and feel at your best, even with your diabetes. Even if you do not have Diabetes maintaining regular blood sugar levels can help you feel better overall and can reduce your risk.

Let's start with some basics.

Calories refer to the volume of food that we eat and are a key determining factor of our weight. If we eat too many calories we may see weight gain. If we eat the appropriate amount of calories we will maintain our weight. If we eat slightly below our needs we will lose weight.

Calories are made up of the 3 macronutrients- Carbs, Protein, and Fat. Eating these 3 nutrients in balanced amounts will help us to maintain an appropriate body composition (body fat to muscle mass) as well as consistent energy, and blood sugar management.

Calories

Volume of food
Determine your weight
Made up of the 3 Macronutrients:
- Carbohydrates (only nutrient that will affect your blood sugar)
- Fat
- Protein

What foods will raise my blood sugar?

All carbohydrate rich foods will raise blood sugars more than your protein and fat containing foods. Specifically processed carbohydrate foods or "Simple Carbs" will lead to the highest blood sugar spike.

Simple Carbohydrates:

Refined grains (White Bread, White Rice, White Pasta, Baked Goods made with white flour)
Candy OR Sugar containing products
Fruit Juice, Soda, Sugar Sweetened Beverages

Should I just cut out all carbohydrates?

NO! Our bodies need carbohydrates for fuel. With Diabetes you just need to be more cautious about what types of carbohydrates to use. Carbohydrates with fiber, “complex carbohydrates” will provide your body with the nutrients/ energy it needs without such a high blood sugar spike!

Complex Carbohydrates:

Whole Grains (whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta)
Whole fruit
Beans
Nuts & Seeds
Starchy Veggies (Sweet Potato, White Potato, Winter Squash)

Foods with protein and fat do not spike your blood sugar and when paired with a carbohydrate food can actually slow down the increase in blood sugar!

For example, if you had a serving of white rice (refined carbohydrate) your blood sugar would spike pretty quickly. If you had brown rice (complex carbohydrate- with fiber) it would spike less. Then if you had a piece of chicken with the brown rice (complex carbohydrate- with fiber + protein) it would spike even less!

Managing diabetes with food is all about pairing the right types of foods together and having moderate portions.

To optimize blood sugar: