Why Everyone Should Care About Their Glucose (And How To Prevent Spikes)

Even if you do not have diabetes, taking care to regulate your glucose levels is still beneficial for maintaining consistent energy, clear thinking and reduced chronic disease risks.

Good news is, glucose levels are highly modifiable. To reduce glucose spikes and prevent seizures, focus on carb consumption, exercising regularly and eating foods in their proper order (unless on an all-smoothie diet ).

Soon, we will go over these and other glucose management strategies; first though, let’s discuss why glucose matters.

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Glucose
People living with type 2 diabetes cannot properly regulate their blood glucose (blood sugar). Therefore, their glucose levels remain elevated for long periods of time, increasing the risk of blood vessel damage, heart disease, kidney disease and eventually even death.

Unfortunately, many people with type 2 diabetes remain unaware that they have it; one estimate indicates that 45.8% of cases (174.8 million globally) remain undiagnosed.

Prediabetes rates are three times higher, yet most individuals don’t realize they have a glucose issue – many will progress into full-blown diabetes later.

Therefore, hundreds of millions (if not billions) of people worldwide are living with poor metabolic health, increasing their risks for heart disease, cancer, neurodegenerative conditions and other degenerative conditions–many without even realizing it.

That is certainly an effective argument for managing glucose, but there are other reasons too.

Why Are Glucose Spikes Dangerous? Even without having diabetes or prediabetes, why should anyone care about glucose spikes? Because even transient spikes have negative repercussions that you don’t want.

Did you know that an increased blood glucose can damage DNA and hinder DNA repair processes? Additionally, high blood sugar increases skin aging, cataract formation, cognition impairment, fat burning impairing and leads to higher risks of COVID-19?

Subtle, yet subjective effects also exist, such as those seen on hunger, cravings, and energy levels.

Imagine giving a child their Halloween candy without limits (don’t try this at home, folks!). Imagine them eating 100 grams in 10 minutes, glucose skyrockets and they experience an extreme high; their mood soars until the sugar wears off, cravings set in, they reach for more candy, and the cycle continues.

Not just candy is to blame; any carbohydrate (particularly refined ones) can trigger blood sugar spikes.

Soon, we will explore this subject further after offering a few words about glucose levels.

What Should Your Glucose Levels Be? Here is how the American Diabetes Association categorizes diabetes risk:

Normal: Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) of less than 100 mg/dl and HbA1c (average blood glucose levels) below 5.7% Prediabetes: FBG between 100-125 mg/dl with HbA1c between 5.7%-6.4% inclusiveDiabetes: FBG over 125 mg/dl and HbA1c greater than 6.4%
“Normal”, however, may not always be optimal. According to one large study, fasting glucose levels below 85 mg/dl correlated with 2.33X lower risk of developing diabetes than “normal” levels between 95-99 mg/dl. Additionally, data suggests that HbA1c levels below 5% may provide superior cardiovascular benefits than “normal” levels between 5.4-5.6%.

What about post-meal glucose excursions? Research suggests that such spikes are an even better predictor of heart issues than fasting glucose, making their management an effective longevity strategy.

According to published guidelines, people with diabetes should aim to keep postmeal glucose below 180 mg/dl while those without should aim to keep it below 140 mg/dl – lower is usually better! Keep this in mind when setting limits.

Diet and Glucose Levels
Diet can be the cornerstone of glucose management. To avoid blood sugar spikes, avoid foods that spike your blood sugar.

A simple strategy for controlling blood glucose is balancing macros – your carb, protein and fat intakes. Carbs tend to raise blood glucose the most; protein moderately; fat minimal.

Why are low-carb and Keto diets effective at managing glucose? By restricting carbs, both glucose and insulin (the hormone responsible for managing it) stay lower.

Carbs don’t all impact blood glucose equally. Whole-food carbs (fruits and vegetables) contain fiber to aid in slow digestion and thus prevent sudden spikes in blood glucose. On the other hand, refined carbs tend to act like an explosion of glucose into your small intestine, producing spikes of blood glucose quickly.

At its core, a healthful whole foods diet should usually suffice for glucose management; however, certain individuals may benefit from carb restriction to increase metabolic efficiency and aid in their treatment plans.

Let’s change gears briefly and go over some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about preventing glucose spikes.

How does exercise impact glucose levels?
Regular physical activity enhances the function of insulin, your glucose regulating hormone. With effective functioning insulin at work, blood sugar spikes don’t last nearly as long and blood sugar fluctuations don’t happen as frequently.

All types of exercise can help promote metabolic health, but high-intensity interval training (HIIT) deserves special recognition. In one study, three 15-minute weekly HIIT sessions improved insulin sensitivity among older adults.

What foods won’t spike my glucose?
Any Keto-approved food such as meat, fish, nuts, avocados, healthy fats and non-starchy vegetables won’t cause spikes in glucose. While carb-rich whole foods (apples, berries and sweet potatoes) cause bigger spikes than processed ones like processed chips and soda pop, fiber-rich whole food such as apples will likely have smaller spikes than their processed counterparts.

What food order will help to lower my glucose and insulin levels?

Simply consume protein, fat and fiber before carbs are eaten. One study found that people who consumed proteins and vegetables ten minutes before their carbs (instead of having carbs first) experienced significantly smaller glucose spikes.

Does Stevia Raisin Blood Glucose Levels? Actually, several studies suggest stevia can actually lower blood glucose when eaten with carbohydrates, and one paper revealed that eight weeks of using Stevia for sweetening did not affect either glucose or insulin levels in people living with Type 2 Diabetes.

Can Apple Cider Vinegar help me reduce blood glucose? A meta-analysis of 11 clinical trials demonstrated that apple cider vinegar doses between 2-50 grams had significant results for postmeal blood sugar reductions. One potential mechanism could be its acetic acid content slowing digestion and thus limiting sudden spikes of glucose into bloodstream.

An Holistic Approach to Your Glucose
Diet alone won’t guarantee optimal glucose levels; lifestyle factors need to be addressed as well. Stress, sleep deprivation and sedentary living all pose threats that prevent you from reaching healthy glucose levels.

Stress increases levels of cortisol and adrenaline, which raise glucose levels. Sleep deprivation reduces insulin sensitivity so glucose remains higher for longer. Sedentary living has been linked to a 112% higher risk of type 2 diabetes according to meta-analyses of 10 studies.
Do your best to focus on these key areas; doing so will make achieving optimal glucose levels (and overall health) much simpler.