THE PERFECT
BALANCE
By Kelly LeVeque of Be Well By Kelly
how to maintain stable blood sugar during the holidays
The holidays are here, and a sweet new year is just around the corner! Delicious food is a way to celebrate wonderful times, and as important it is to take time to indulge and celebrate, it’s equally important to arm yourself with information to a healthy holiday season (I’ll explain). I’m thrilled to share some of my favorite holiday recipes with you, ones that are nutritious, and delicious; let’s get started. One of the biggest culprits during this time of year can be sugar — so, let’s define some of the terminology to gain a better understanding of what happens in the body when we consume sugar — because let’s face it, we can’t make educated choices if we simply don’t understand.
BLOOD SUGAR: Blood sugar, or glucose, is our main source of energy. It
dictates how hungry and energetic we feel. Blood sugar is produced when we breakdown any carbohydrate — from quinoa to cake. The key idea with respect to blood sugar is balance. We feel best and lose fat when our blood sugar is balanced: not too high, and not too low.
INSULIN:
Our pancreas creates a hormone called insulin that is released into the bloodstream to regulate blood sugar. Insulin picks up blood sugar and transfers it to our cells to maintain a normal range. When we eat sugar (or other carbohydrate-rich foods that are quickly processed into blood sugar) the pancreas goes into overdrive to produce the insulin necessary for all the new blood sugar to be stored. This insulin surge tells our body that plenty of energy is available, and that it should stop burning fat and start storing it. Our body is then in a fatstoring state.
Lo Glycemic Meal
Fat Storage
Fat Storage High Blood Sugar
Normal Blood Sugar
Meal Consumed
Stress hormones, cortistol, adrenalin triggers cravings
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our benefit by making decisions that align with this process. It’s all about keeping our blood sugar in balance!
HIGH & LOW BLOOD SUGAR:
THE BLOOD SUGAR FAT STORAGE CYCLE Hi Glycemic Meal
We can use this information for
Low Blood Sugar
Low blood sugar (reactive hypoglycemia) or a crash occurs when the insulin surge causes too much blood sugar to be transported out of our blood. This can leave us feeling tired, hungry, weak, shaky, lightheaded and anxious. As a result, we crave sugar and carbohydrates thinking they will pick us back up. In reality, they start the cycle all over again. And, in the process, our body stores more fat. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) occurs when the insulin is unable to transport enough blood sugar out of our blood.
The chart to the left helps paint the picture
