The First Step to Stabilizing Your Hormones: Blood Sugar Balance

Blood sugar is a complex topic in nutrition, but here is a simplified explanation: once we eat food (specifically carbohydrates), our bodies turn that food into a type of sugar called glucose. This blood glucose (sugar), is what our bodies use for energy. Blood glucose levels fluctuate during the day, based on what and when we eat. Blood glucose spikes, also known as hyperglycemia, cause a multitude of symptoms to present themselves, including:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Thirst
• Frequent urination
• Blurred vision

On the other hand, hypoglycemia occurs when there is blood glucose levels are too low. This can cause the following symptoms:

• Shaking/trembling
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Irregular heart rate
• Becoming pale

With that being said, it is clear that blood sugar can deeply affect our day to day living. Improving blood sugar stability can decrease cravings, decrease inflammation, improve the health of your skin, heart and brain, and lead to slower biological aging.

However, what some people don’t realize, is that it blood sugar is directly tied to your hormone health and fertility!

The Link Between Hormones and Blood Sugar

Insulin is a hormone that we have all heard of: it controls our blood sugar. Let’s take a quick look: when our bodies are exposed to high blood sugar levels, insulin steps in to convert that glucose into a different form (glycogen) that can be stored in the cells. An increase in insulin levels over an extended period of time can lead to insulin resistance; when your body no longer responds to insulin as it should.

There is a simple truth when it comes to hormones: every single hormone in your body affects every other hormone. That being said, insulin levels affects estrogen, testosterone, and all of our other sex hormones, and visa versa. When insulin increases drastically, the levels of a protein called the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) decreases. This protein is responsible for binding both excess estrogen and testosterone (our sex hormones). Furthermore, some testosterone is later converted to estrogen. Therefore, when insulin increases, our estrogen levels also increase drastically.

This results in the ratio of estrogen to progesterone (our other sex hormone) being disrupted, tipping heavily towards estrogen.

This can lead to the following symptoms:

• PMS
• Headaches
• Heavy and painful periods
• Decreased sex drive
• Mood swings
• Fatigue
• Bloating
• Anxiety and depression
• Weight gain

Factors That Affect Blood Sugar Levels

The biggest thing that affects your blood sugar levels, and your sensitivity towards blood sugar spikes, is the food you eat. Carbs, especially refined carbs and sugars, lead to a spike in blood sugar when consumed by itself. Liquid carbs (juices and sodas), are digested faster and can increase the speed and severity of the spike.

However, there are other, lesser known factors that can lead to elevated blood sugar:

• Illness
• Stress
• Lack of sleep
• Caffeine

Tips For Stabilizing Your Blood Sugar

Balance Your Meals

This is the simplest way to balance your blood sugar: make sure every meal includes fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. This is called “putting clothes on your carbs”, because, by adding fats and proteins, it stabilizes the spike effect that carbohydrates have on your blood sugar. This will lead to sustained energy throughout the day.

Eat Breakfast Within 90 Minutes of Waking Up

This starts your day of right; stabilizing your blood sugar from the get go. Make sure it is a savory breakfast, not a sweet one; eating sweet things first thing in the morning triggers a spike, which will leave your blood sugar all over the place throughout the day.

Avoid Drinking Coffee on an Empty Stomach

Coffee not only elevates your blood sugar, but increases the release of cortisol, which further increases blood sugar. Have coffee with, or after a meal instead.

Eat Those Veggies First

Changing the order of our meals, not even changing what they consist of, already has a big impact on our blood sugar! By eating vegetables first, then your fats and proteins, and only then your carbohydrates, you are stabilizing your blood sugar. Try to keep dessert got after a meal.

Move Your Body After Meals

Take a 10 minute walk after you eat to flatten that glucose curve.

Eat Three Meals a Day

By consistently feeding your body and providing it with the energy it needs, your blood sugar levels won’t sky rocket. Don’t be afraid of snacking in between!

The fantastic thing about these tips is that any one of them will already have a stabilizing affect on your blood sugar curve; it is not necessary to try to do them all, all of the time. Pick a few that you think are achievable and start with them. You should start feeling a change in your energy levels and mood almost immediately!

As always, this blog does not replace medical advice, and if you are struggling with serious hormone or blood sugar problems, please see a professional. However, if you need someone to guide you through optimizing your lifestyle for hormone health, leave your contact details below so we can figure out how I can help you!