Blood Sugar Normal Level

Do you regularly wake up with a rumbling stomach? Are you tired during the day and is the candy machine at work not safe? Can't possibly go without eating for a few hours without getting cranky, shaky, or dizzy? Chances are that your blood sugar level fluctuates. Did you know that a stable blood sugar level makes you fit and energetic and helps to keep your weight stable?

In this blog, you can read how the rise and fall of your blood sugar level work. And above all, the 11 best tips to support blood sugar levels, so that you can start the autumn energetic and with a healthy weight.

How does blood sugar work?

When we eat, the carbohydrates in our diet are broken down into glucose. This glucose enters the blood from the intestines and is then sent to the cells by the hormone insulin. To create energy, the cells burn glucose. When the body receives more glucose than it can burn, the excess is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver.

The liver and muscles are relatively small storehouses; there is room there to store energy for about one day. Excess glucose is turned into fat when the muscles and liver are full. When blood sugar levels are low, the pancreas produces the hormone glucagon, which converts the glycogen from the liver and muscles back into glucose. And when no or few carbohydrates are received, for example in the case of fasting or with a low-carbohydrate diet, the body can switch to burning fat. Also, in extreme cases, the body can convert proteins into glucose (gluconeogenesis).

When is the blood sugar level too high?

The concentration of glucose in your blood is expressed in millimoles per liter (mmol/l). A normal fasting reading ranges from 4.0 to 6.0 mmol/l. Your blood glucose should be less than 9.0 mmol/l two days of eating. Blood sugar values of 6-8 mmol/l are too high and if the fasting values are above 7.0 mmol/l, there is diabetes. Thirst, drinking, and urinating a lot, infections, itching, tiredness, listlessness, and irritability can indicate too high a blood sugar level.

The link between diet and your blood sugar level

As previously stated, carbohydrates in our food are broken down and turned into glucose. This happens very quickly with certain foods; sugar and white flour products, for example, are converted into glucose in no time and raise blood sugar levels rapidly. As a result, an immediate boost of insulin is also produced to lower blood sugar.

Due to the excess of insulin, the blood sugar level falls below the normal values, with the result that your body asks for fast sugars again. If you often feel hungry soon after eating, this may indicate that blood sugar levels are rising and falling too quickly. Carbohydrates with a lot of fiber, such as vegetables, fruit, legumes, and whole grains, are broken down more slowly and therefore increase the blood sugar level more gradually. Fats and proteins have a stabilizing effect on blood sugar levels. For example, they slow down the breakdown of carbohydrates, so that the blood sugar level rises less quickly.

Keep your blood sugar stable with these 11 tips

1. Eat a protein-rich breakfast in the morning

Proteins are very satiating and keep the blood sugar level stable. They can have an effect all day, especially if eaten in the morning. Try it out, if you eat enough protein in the morning you will have much less appetite in the late afternoon.

For example, instead of bread, breakfast with eggs in the form of an omelet. Or how about a banana pancake made from 2 eggs and 1 banana? Avocado, nuts/seeds, and full fat (goat/sheep) yogurt also contain a lot of protein.

2. Eat enough fiber

Carbohydrates that contain a lot of fiber are broken down less quickly and therefore gradually increase the blood sugar level. Consider legumes and whole grains such as buckwheat and oats. Vegetables are also high in fiber, which delays the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. Try to get your portion of vegetables at lunch and dinner.

Furthermore, if you drink enough water, you can take extra fiber, for example from Psyllium.

3. Use apple cider vinegar and/or lemon

Organic apple cider vinegar and lemon make your body more sensitive to insulin. This helps the cells to effectively use the glucose from the blood. You can drink apple cider vinegar (preferably through a straw to protect your tooth enamel) by mixing 2 tablespoons in a glass of water. You can also put squeezed lemon juice in water, or make a dressing with it.

4. Cinnamon

Add cinnamon to your food tastes great in a smoothie or porridge prepared with healthy grains, like oats. Cinnamon keeps the blood sugar level stable and can therefore make you less hungry for sweet things. It tastes great in a smoothie or porridge prepared with healthy grains, like oats. Cinnamon also works well on the banana pancake.

5. Eat coconut oil regularly

Coconut oil contains fatty acids (MediumChainTriglycerides) that may be quickly turned into a valuable source of energy for the body, known as ketones. The brain in particular functions very well on ketones in addition to glucose. Coconut oil saturates and provides immediate energy without raising blood sugar levels. You don't have to bother about becoming fat from coconut oil because it helps your thyroid and hence your metabolism.

You may include coconut oil into your smoothies, bake with it, and consume 1 to 2 tablespoons between meals.

6. Avoid fast sugars

All cookies, candy, soft drinks, but also white bread, white pasta, and white rice and potatoes are converted into glucose in no time. As a result, they raise your blood sugar level at lightning speed, with all the associated consequences. Stay away from sweets and drink water instead of soda, which you can flavor with herbs like mint and ginger or some fruit like lemon.

Make sure that your lunch and dinner preferably consist of half vegetables, supplemented with proteins, good fats, and some whole grains.

7. Avoid Too Much Fruit, Juices, and Diet Sodas

Fruit is delicious and healthy, but it contains a lot of fruit sugars that can make your blood sugar level skyrocket. Don't overdo it and stick to 1 to 2 pieces of fruit per day. Dried fruits, such as dates, contain a lot of sugar, so eat them in moderation.

Fruit juices contain sugar from a number of fruits, so you quickly get a lot of sugar with one glass. Preferably make fruit juices yourself and drink them in moderation, certainly not every day.

Diet soft drinks are not an option, they may not contain sugar, but your brain does register the sweet taste so that insulin is still released. This then lowers your blood sugar level, making you hungry for ... you guessed it: sugar.

8. Reduce Stress

In periods of stress, there is an increased energy requirement, the body is then in fight or flight mode. In times of stress, under the influence of adrenaline and cortisol, extra glucose is released from the liver and muscles, so that the blood sugar level is increased. You can also get more sugar cravings during periods of stress due to the increased energy requirement.

Do not let stress in your life get the better of you and relax in time. Stressful feelings? Learn how to deal with feelings of stress better.

9. Use the right fats

Omega 3 fatty acids in fatty fish such as herring, salmon, mackerel, and sardines ensure that the cell membranes remain flexible enough and can respond well to insulin. This enables your body to burn carbohydrates and lipids for energy more effectively. Put fatty fish on the menu at least twice a week or supplement with good quality purified fish oil or krill oil.

10. Exercise on an empty stomach and after eating

By exercising you burn the carbohydrates you consume. They sometimes say: 'you have to earn your carbohydrates' and that's how it really is. When you exercise daily, you burn the carbohydrates you consume and lower blood sugar levels.

Exercise also makes you respond better to insulin. Exercising on an empty stomach and taking a walk after a meal is especially beneficial.

11. Sleep 7-8 hours a night

Sufficient sleep is very important for hormone balance. If you sleep too little, it affects almost all functions in your body, including your blood sugar level. If you are very tired, you have an energy deficit and you eat more easily. Your appetite for fast sugars will then be greater. So make sure you go to bed on time and get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night.

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