Mid way into my stress series, so go back and catch up if you’re behind! 💥Remember, the goals are to KNOW your stressors, ADDRESS what you can, and become more RESILIENT to the rest.
Believe it or not, blood sugar(BS) dysregulation might be the sneakiest stressor of all. Most of us have a fairly poor understanding of BS...Would you believe that it’s my ‘healthiest’ eaters who struggle the most with BS dysregulation?! I would bet you didn't know that at times eating carbs can actually help lower stress hormones.
Your blood sugar changes often, but the frequency and intensity of fluctuations is what can be a stressor. One of the primary roles of your adrenal glands is to keep your BS within the narrowest range possible. When your BS is too high, your pancreas will pump out extra insulin in order to help move glucose into your cells. And, when your BS is too low, your adrenal glands release cortisol. Cortisol then breaks down your OWN organ tissue (primarily from muscle and thymus) and converts it into glucose in order to elevate BS levels. You see, cortisol is a survival hormone and low BS is dangerous.
In other words, there are times when eating glucose can actually LOWER CORTISOL, meaning sometimes sugar can help LOWER your STRESS hormones!
What’s more, there are SO many factors that can raise or lower your BS beyond dietary sugar. Any of the stressors in this series can affect BS levels along with these other common triggers:
⚡️Meal Frequency: too far apart OR too frequent
⚡️Meal Timing: mismatched carbs and diurnal insulin patterns
⚡️Energy Balance: inadequate OR excessive calories
⚡️Macronutrient Balance: in particular, carbs not paired with fat and protein
⚡️Micronutrient Deficiencies: vitamins, minerals
⚡️Circadian Rhythm Disruption
⚡️Perceived or Emotional Stress
⚡️Physical Activity: not enough or excessive in frequency or intensity
⚡️Caffeine, Alcohol, Medications
⚡️Inflammation, Infection
⚡️Metabolic dysfunction
⚡️Gut & Oral Microbiome Imbalances: bacteria, enzymes, parasitess...
⚡️Hormone Imbalances & Fluctuations: Ovarian, Adrenal, & Thyroid
Stay tuned tomorrow for how to better support balanced blood sugar!