The Hidden Dangers of Sugar Spikes
Did you know that when our bodies get flooded with sugar too quickly, it can lead to serious health problems? 🍬 This overload happens when our cells receive too much glucose at once, overwhelming our mitochondria—the powerhouses of our cells. This excess glucose causes the release of harmful substances called free radicals, which can damage our cells and even alter our DNA, potentially leading to cancer. Did you know since cancer thrives in a sugar-rich environment, limiting or cutting out sugar from your diet can inhibit its growth and survival. By reducing sugar intake, you deprive cancer cells of the fuel they need to flourish, making it harder for them to thrive. Additionally, maintaining a balanced, nutrient-rich diet helps create conditions in your body that are less favourable for cancer to grow.
Normally, our bodies can handle a certain amount of free radicals, but when sugar spikes occur, the levels can become unmanageable. This situation leads to something called oxidative stress, which is linked to many chronic health issues, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even cognitive decline as we age 🧠. Fructose, a type of sugar found in many processed foods, is particularly bad because it increases oxidative stress even more than regular glucose.
Over time, our cells can become so overwhelmed that they can’t convert glucose into energy efficiently. This can lead to a state where our cells are essentially starving, resulting in problems with our organs.
The Glycation Issue
Every time we consume too much sugar, it can lead to a process called glycation. This is where sugar molecules attach to proteins in our bodies, permanently damaging them. The effects of glycation can be severe, contributing to wrinkles, cataracts, heart disease, and even Alzheimer’s 🧓. What’s worse is that fructose can glycate proteins ten times faster than glucose, meaning it causes more damage.
This combination of free radicals, oxidative stress, and glycation leads to inflammation in our bodies. Chronic inflammation is a major contributor to many diseases, including strokes, respiratory diseases, and diabetes. In fact, three out of five people will die from a disease related to inflammation! 🚨 So, reducing those sugar spikes is crucial for our health.
How Our Bodies Manage Sugar
When we eat sugary foods, our blood sugar levels rise, and our pancreas releases insulin to help manage this excess sugar. Insulin’s job is to store this sugar, preventing it from causing damage. The liver stores some of this sugar as glycogen, which is a form of energy. Our muscles can store even more glycogen. However, once these storage spaces are full, any leftover sugar gets turned into fat.
Unlike glucose, fructose can’t be stored in the liver or muscles. Instead, it’s converted directly into fat, which can lead to weight gain and increase the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and heart problems ❤️. Cutting out fructose from our diets can significantly reduce the amount of sugar that turns into fat.
About an hour after eating, our blood sugar levels peak and then start to drop as insulin does its job. If we frequently eat sugary foods, we keep our insulin levels high, which can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and conditions like PCOS.
The Cycle of Sugar Spikes
When our blood sugar levels spike and then crash, we can feel tired and lethargic 😴. Over time, these cycles can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and various chronic conditions, including diabetes and depression. Eating smaller amounts of sugar can help keep our energy levels stable and reduce constant feelings of hunger.
Many people think that eating sweets gives them a quick energy boost, but it often just creates a temporary high, followed by a crash. This crash can even disrupt our sleep, leading to waking up at night. Additionally, reducing insulin levels can help lessen the frequency of migraines and improve memory and cognitive function 🧠.
Excess sugar can also worsen skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis by promoting inflammation. Free radicals can damage collagen, leading to wrinkles and sagging skin. Some researchers even refer to Alzheimer’s as “type 3 diabetes” because of the similarities in how they affect the brain.
The Bigger Picture
Worryingly, children born today have about a 50% chance of developing cancer in their lifetime 😮. Research suggests that cancer may start with DNA damage caused by free radicals, and inflammation can help cancer cells grow. Higher insulin levels also make it easier for cancer to spread.
In women, high insulin levels can lead to worse symptoms of PCOS by encouraging the ovaries to produce more testosterone. For men, elevated blood sugar levels can reduce sperm quality and contribute to erectile dysfunction.
Finally, frequent sugar spikes can make people feel more anxious or depressed, affecting relationships and overall well-being.
What Can I Do? Flattening the Curves: How to Manage Sugar Spikes in Your Diet
One of the most effective ways to keep your blood sugar levels stable is to eat foods in the right order. Research suggests that doing this can reduce glucose spikes by as much as 73%! 🥗 The best order to eat is: fibre, protein, and fat first, followed by starches, and finally sugars.
Why Food Order Matters
When starches or sugars are the first foods you eat, they can quickly enter your small intestine and convert into glucose, causing a rapid spike in your blood sugar. The more carbohydrates you consume and the faster you eat them, the bigger the spike.
Start with a veggie starter! 🥦 Eating vegetables first is beneficial because fibre doesn’t break down into glucose immediately. Instead, it takes time to move through your digestive system, slowing down the absorption of sugar and flattening your glucose curve.
Timing is Key
Make sure not to wait too long after having your veggie starter before consuming the rest of your meal. Ideally, you should eat the rest of your meal within a couple of hours. It takes about two hours for fibre to pass through your stomach and upper intestine.
The Benefits of Fibre
Fibre plays a crucial role in managing blood sugar levels:
Slows down glucose absorption: It reduces the action of the enzyme that breaks down starch into glucose.
Slows gastric emptying: Food leaves your stomach more slowly, preventing rapid glucose spikes.
Creates a viscous mesh in the intestines: This mesh makes it harder for glucose to enter the bloodstream.
By slowing down and reducing glucose absorption, you end up absorbing fewer calories overall, which is beneficial for weight management.
Choosing the Right Foods
Opt for dense, dark breads made from rye or sourdough—often referred to as seed bread or pumpernickel 🍞. Most of your fibre should come from beans, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, with green veggies being an excellent source. This is why starting with a veggie starter is so important!
Protein sources include:
Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, beans, and legumes.
Good fats include:
Whole food fats like avocados 🥑, olive oil, nuts, and seeds, while avoiding seed oils.
Understanding Sugar and Breakfast Choices
It's important to remember that sugar behaves the same way in our bodies, whether it comes from fruit or refined sources like white sugar. Whole fruits are a better choice because they contain less sugar overall and are packed with fibre, which helps mitigate sugar spikes. For instance, 300ml of orange juice has about 25 grams of sugar, similar to a can of Coke 🥤. This is why fruit juices and processed fruit products should be treated like desserts.
For breakfast, aim for savoury options that include protein, healthy fats, and fibre. Good choices include avocado toast, egg muffins, or ham and cheese sandwiches—avoid sweet pastries like croissants 🥐.
Many breakfast cereals are high in starch and low in fibre, often loaded with added sugars. Consuming sugary cereals can push your glucose, fructose, and insulin levels to unhealthy ranges.
Common Misconception:
Many believe sugar provides energy. This is incorrect! Sugar offers pleasure, not lasting energy ⚡. When we consume sugar, insulin is released to take glucose out of circulation, often leading to weight gain and energy dips.
The Importance of a Savoury Breakfast
The morning is when our bodies are most sensitive to glucose, making sugary breakfasts particularly damaging. Opt for savoury meals to stabilise your blood sugar levels. Good options include:
Avocado toast with eggs 🍳
Greek yogurt with nuts
Scrambled eggs with vegetables
A breakfast sandwich with protein
What to Look for in Cereals
If you do choose cereal, look for ones high in fibre and low in sugar. Pair it with Greek yogurt instead of milk, and top it with nuts or seeds 🥣. If you want something sweet, eat it last.
Harnessing the Power of Vinegar for Better Blood Sugar Control
Drinking a tall glass of water mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar—especially apple cider vinegar (ACV)—just before indulging in something sweet can help flatten glucose and insulin spikes. It’s best to consume this mixture with a straw to protect your teeth from the acidity 🍋.
Just one tablespoon a day can significantly decrease glucose levels, particularly when consumed less than 20 minutes before, during, or shortly after eating foods that may spike blood sugar. For added benefits, try incorporating vinegar into dressings—opt for vinaigrette instead of creamy mayo-based options.
It's advisable not to exceed 2 or 3 tablespoons of vinegar per day. If you’re new to the taste, starting with a smaller amount or trying white vinegar may be more palatable.
Always dilute the ACV in water. Drinking vinegar straight can be bad for your teeth enamel!
And for goodness sake don’t buy apple cider vinegar gummies! They contain sugar which is defining the entire purpose! Don’t fall into the marketing traps out there.
I tend to take 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a big glass of water first thing in the morning (along with lemon, Celtic salt, and cayenne) to get the day started off correctly!
It’s essential to listen to your body, so begin with a small amount! Instead of diving straight in with a full tablespoon or more, gradually increase your intake to avoid overwhelming your system and potentially feeling unwell. Starting with one or two teaspoons is an excellent way to ease into this practice, ensuring you feel your best as you incorporate it into your daily routine.
The Importance of Movement After Eating
After you eat, moving your body can significantly impact how your body processes glucose. 🏃♀️ The energy produced from burning glucose is known as ATP (adenosine triphosphate). The amount of glucose your body burns depends on the intensity of your physical activity; the harder your muscles contract, the more ATP they need.
When you remain sedentary after a meal, glucose levels can peak and overwhelm your cells, leading to the production of free radicals and increased inflammation. Excess glucose is then stored in your liver, muscles, and fat. In contrast, engaging your muscles after eating allows glucose to move from your intestines into your bloodstream more.
So why is maintaining your blood glucose levels stead important? 🤔
When our body has to deal with lots of sugar spikes it can lead to:
DNA Damage
Increased risk of cancer
Oxidative stress
Heart disease
Type 2 diabetes
Cognitive decline
Leaky gut
Aging
Tooth Decay
Weight Gain
Alzheimer's (aka Type 3 Diabetes)
Heart Disease
Fatty Liver Disease
Inflammation
Depression
Autism
Asthma
Arthritis
Autoimmune Dieases
Parkinson's
And the list continues...
"Blood sugar directly reflects dietary choices"
Take account of the sugar and refined carbohydrates you are eating, and try and limit them as much as possible.
Do these hacks:
Eat Veggies, Protein, Fat, Starches and then Sugars in this order
Have a veggie starter
Eat a savoury breakfast
Have a tablespoon of vinegar in a glass of water
Move after eating
Have savoury snacks
Put clothing on your carbs
You don't have to do all of these every day, but just keep them in mind as they benefit your body more than you'll know.
And if you want to test your blood sugar levels, companies like ZOE and Levels offer continuous glucose monitors so you can see how foods effect your own personal biology.
Now remember
Small changes can lead to big improvements in your health. You have the power to take control of your blood sugar and, in turn, your overall well-being. Every step you take counts, and your body will thank you for it. So, start with one hack today and see the difference it can make 😊.
References:
Inchauspe, J. (2021) Glucose Goddess. S.l.: Short Books.
Perlmutter, D., Loberg, K. and Ganim, P. (2015) Brain maker: The power of gut microbes to heal and protect your brain for life. New York, NY: Hachette Audio.
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