GLUCOSE/ BLOOD SUGAR
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Do you break out on your chin? If so, have you ever noticed a relationship between these breakouts and your menstrual cycle, sugar intake, or stress? Share below! 👇
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We always hear about what foods can cause blood sugar spikes and high blood sugar... but we never hear about hydration.
Hydration is a foundational part of our health. It does NOT just involve drinking water. It involves absorption of the minerals and electrolytes from the water on a cellular level.
Less water in your body = more concentrated blood sugar.
If we are dehydrated when trying to detox, other factors that impact our blood sugar (ex. mold) may cause our body to respond even more negatively. Dehydration on a cellular level affects every signaling system in the body, so if you are struggling with chronic illness, dehydration adds fuel to the fire.
More research is needed to fully understand the relationship between dehydration and pre-diabetes and diabetes, but the good news is that you can begin to improve your hydration status right now. Make it a priority to drink filtered, mineralized water. Check past posts for more tips!
Share this post if you relate to any of these!! (Number 4️⃣ might surprise you!)
Did you know that these things are reversible?? 🎉
Not only have I fixed all these issues on MYSELF by optimizing my blood sugar, I have helped HUNDREDS of people do the same!!
Even if your blood work doesn’t show issues yet, even if your doctor tells you there’s nothing wrong, go with your gut.
If you have these symptoms, your blood sugar needs work my friend!!
My signature coaching course Blood Sugar Mastery is back for its 13th round and ENROLLMENT IS OPEN until this Friday!!
Seats are filling up quickly!!
Head to the link in my bio to learn more about the program and enroll!
PS- Everyone this round gets a complimentary prescription for a 2-month supply of Continuous Glucose Monitors courtesy of @tastermonial 🙌
Will you be the next Blood Sugar Mastery Success Story?! 🤩
The following photo & caption are from @the.bloodsugar.nutritionist.
Drop a 💜in the comments section if this post is helpful
Food is not the only thing that impacts your blood sugar levels. Here’s what does:
💧 Hydration status- the less water you have in your body means your blood sugar is more concentrated.
🤒 Illness- if you’re sick your blood sugar can be hard to manage. If you have an infection this may raise your levels.
😮 Stress- Constant stress can elevate your readings. This is because the stress hormones in your body affect your blood sugar levels.
💤 Sleep deprivation - Too little sleep can result in insulin resistance.
Instead of focusing on carbs focus on your lifestyle. This makes the world of difference when it comes to better blood sugar management.
Did you know that high levels of calcium is associated with insulin resistance and decreased beta-cell function? 🤓
In the case of high ferritin (iron), giving blood has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. 🩸
Swipe to view more info on each mineral… ➡️
Whilst magnesium and chromium are well known minerals for their role in blood sugar, several other minerals also play a part.
Do you regularly experience the following:
🔸Feeling shaky, nauseas, dizzy, irritable or hangry when going too long without eating
🔸Crashing or an urgency to eat
🔸Feeling sleepy after a meal
🔸Feeling hyper or buzzing after a meal
🔸Headache and poor concentration 1-2 hours after eating
🔸Intense thirst and frequent urination
Assessing how much of the following minerals you’re getting in your diet is a good place to start, as each one is involved in insulin regulation.
Key minerals:
🔸Boron
🔸Calcium
🔸Chromium
🔸Iron
🔸Magnesium
🔸Potassium
🔸Selenium
🔸Zinc
⚠️ Note: there can be too much of a good thing! For example, elevated levels of calcium and iron are associated with a greater risk of blood sugar dysregulation.
We’re looking for mineral balance, not excess. ⚖️
(More info for each on the slides)
⭐️ Boron modulates plasma insulin concentrations and improves beta-cell function.
⭐️ Calcium regulates insulin secretion. High levels decrease beta-cell function and impaired insulin sensitivity.
⭐️ Chromium increases beta cell sensitivity, insulin receptor sites, enzymes and insulin binding.
⭐️ Iron modulates beta-cells and insulin secretion (too much is harmful).
⭐️ Magnesium allows glucose into the cell.
⭐️ Potassium improves beta-cell sensitivity and insulin release.
⭐️ Selenium regulates genes involved in insulin signalling and glucose metabolism.
⭐️ Zinc can improve blood sugar control, through its role in insulin production, storage and release.
If you’re unsure, the easiest way to test is via a hair mineral analysis (HTMA). 👩🔬
Because sleep 💤 is a beautiful thing …TAG a friend and SAVE this post for later.
Insulin resistance is often accompanied by abdominal obesity, fatigue after meals, sugar cravings, high triglycerides, low HDL, high blood pressure, blood-clotting problems, and chronic inflammation. There’s one test that your doctor probably isn’t doing, however, that can detect high insulin levels before these warning signs appear and prevent type 2 diabetes decades before it's full blown.
What is it? A fasting insulin test.
Fasting insulin is a measure of your insulin levels unaffected by a recent meal. It detects insulin resistance long before a fasting blood glucose test does. I’ve personally witnessed the impact of testing fasting insulin in my clinical practice—it catches the early signs of metabolic dysfunction while they can still be reversed using personalized nutrition, diet, and lifestyle interventions. For some reason, fasting insulin isn’t included in routine lab work, and most doctors don’t order it because they aren’t trained on why it's significant.
When a patient’s blood sugar reaches 126mg/dL, which is inevitable if they continue eating carbs and sugar, their doctor diagnoses them with diabetes and puts them on medication. The critical thing to note here is that a fasting glucose test detects diabetes too late. Fasting insulin rises long before fasting blood glucose.
An example of this is when a patient has normal fasting blood glucose (say 80mg/dL) and high fasting insulin (say 20mg/dL). This means their pancreas is working extra hard to pump out enough insulin to keep their blood glucose stable and in the desirable range.
Insulin is what defines a patient’s glucose tolerance, and by not measuring it we are missing the most critical piece of what determines a person’s diabetes risk.
How rude, right? There are some things about the human body that are magical and make sense. This one, not so much.
Most people I talk to, including myself, crave sugar and processed carbohydrates (more than usual) after ovulation until the first few days of their period.
This makes sense! You may be crankier or more irritable, uncomfortable, and your metabolic rate has sped up.
But in this case, nature isn't kind to our cravings.
Insulin sensitivity is higher in the follicular phase (pre-ovulation) and decreased in the luteal phase (post-ovulation).
Meaning, you're craving that cookie more, but your body is less able to process the sugar.
Does this mean you can't have a cookie? Nope.
It just means you may benefit from making sure you're combining the carb with a source of protein/fat/fiber.
You can choose lower sugar swaps like dark chocolate with nut butter vs. a more carb-rich treat.
You can move your body in gentle ways like walking after indulgences to help improve insulin sensitivity.
Or maybe even try things like apple cider vinegar or cinnamon during this time of the month to calm the spike.
Even if you're doing well with insulin sensitivity during this time, being mindful of including protein + fat + fiber at meals can help with the emotional swings many of us experience during this phase of our cycle.
My mantra during this phase is:
BE KIND to myself and others by honoring the need for rest and choosing blood sugar balancing meals.
MOVE SLOW - don't make quick decisions as I'm more emotional vs logical.
LIMIT high-intensity cardio as my body is craving more rest and rejuvenation vs. max effort.
Did you know this? Do you find yourself craving carbs more and wanting to exercise less during the luteal phase?
Potassium is a mineral that plays a critical role in hydration, blood pressure, and maintaining lean muscle mass.
Potassium deficiencies have also been linked to challenges with elevated blood sugar, tolerating carbs, and fatigue as Elson M. Haas, M.D. states,
“Potassium also functions in carbohydrate metabolism; it is active in glycogen and glucose metabolism, converting glucose to glycogen that can be stored in the liver for future energy.”
Potassium has insulin-like properties, so if you're having trouble tolerating carbs without your blood sugar going crazy, it may be worth looking into your intake of micronutrients, like potassium.
The challenging aspect of meeting your potassium needs is two-fold:
1️⃣ The Adequate Intake for potassium is very high at 4,700 mg daily, which I would estimate 99% of people aren’t meeting.
2️⃣ If you’re experiencing blood sugar imbalances, major stressors, or a sluggish metabolism, potassium is eliminated at a much higher rate.
In essence, we’re trying to fill a big bucket, but the bucket has holes in the bottom.
Consuming potassium-rich foods and drinks, including fruits, root veggies, coconut water, and animal proteins is important, but so is living in a way that is supportive so we can actually hold onto the potassium.
If you would like to learn more about potassium, I’m hosting a Live this Friday on this exact topic.
Message me “Potassium” and I’ll send you the link to join!
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