How Nutrient Deficiencies Can Impact Your Blood Sugar
Blood sugar rises after glucose, which is broken down from the carbohydrates we eat, enters the bloodstream. Glucose is the most preferred source of energy for the brain and body.
When the body is alerted to this rise in blood sugar, the pancreas releases insulin which is a key hormone involved in blood sugar management. Insulin's role is to transport glucose out of the bloodstream and into the cells where it will be used as energy, or stored for later use.
Any excess glucose is taken to the liver (predominantly) and the muscles and is stored as glycogen, and it is this glycogen that regulates our blood sugars and fuels our cells whilst we sleep.
This process works on an internal ‘feedback loop’ and is intricately designed to stop blood sugar levels from getting too high or too low, and it relies on key macro nutrients and minerals which I am going to discuss below.
Insulin resistance occurs when the cells in your muscle, fat, and liver don’t respond to insulin which leaves glucose circulating in the bloodstream. The pancreas continues to recognise high blood sugar levels, and therefore continues to pump more insulin into the bloodstream.
Insulin resistance is impacted by the food we eat, nutrient deficiencies, gut dysbiosis, thyroid issues, and chronic stress.
The Foundations of Nutrition Mini Course outlines the key principles that everyone needs to be practicing to create a healthy blood sugar diet, and it is build on the following foundations:
Hit your protein goals each day
The general guidance of 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight offers inadequate protein intake, especially if you are dealing with hormonal related issues such as painful periods, acne, blood sugar imbalance, thyroid disorders, PCOS, endometriosis, PMS and much more!
I recommend starting with 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of ideal body weight, and I explain how to implement this dietary change in this article.
Eat a balance of protein, carbs and fats at each meal
The combination of protein, carbs, and fat in meals helps to slow down the release of glucose into the bloodstream. Everyone is unique in how much protein and carb they do best on, so this does take experimentation.
This is why I recommend having a protein goal to reach for each day in which you can start pairing fruit, starches, and vegetables as your carb, and some olive oil, butter, dairy, or avocado for your healthy fats.
Whilst you’re implementing these changes keep a food and symptom journal so that you can reflect on your energy, hunger, mood, digestion, and sleep to see what balance of nutrients and sources of carbs and proteins are working fro you.
Eat regularly to avoid blood sugar highs and lows
I’m not a nutritionist who recommends fasting or restriction. I advocate breakfast on waking and a bedtime snack if it is needed. When we start fasting, skipping meals, or under-eating, our blood sugar will swing from high to low no matter what we eat.
I dive into each of the above principles in my Foundations of Nutrition Mini Course which you can get for just £12.99 as a Hormone Club Member. Just use the code HRB70 at checkout.
Minerals role in blood sugar regulation is not widely acknowledged, we often spend too much time on low carb diets without actually addressing some of the contributing factors such as overall macro balance and lifestyle habits as explained above, and mineral balance.
Magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium are all crucial to our blood sugar regulation. In fact, the calcium:magnesium ratio on a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis is known as the blood sugar ratio!
One of Magnesium's many roles is a cofactor for enzymes involved in glucose metabolism, and alongside calcium it controls the action of insulin and insulin-release from the pancreas. Whilst our foods are quite depleted in magnesium, you can get some from avocados, cocoa, soaked oats, and well cooked spinach.
Insulin release is dependent on calcium, and as I said above, magnesium and calcium work together to manage glucose metabolism. Food sources of calcium include grass fed dairy such as A2 milks (jersey, goats, sheep), Greek yogurt, and cheese, sardines, and egg shell powder.
Potassium has an insulin-like action as it helps get glucose inside the cells. It also helps to convert glucose into glycogen and store it in the liver for future energy. When our bodies aren’t able to store or use glycogen effectively this can lead to regular blood sugar dips. Symptoms such as cravings, brain fog, waking in the night, peeing a lot, afternoon slumps, nausea, shaking, and even headaches are a sign that your blood sugar is dipping too too low, and too often.
Potassium rich foods include baked potatoes, coconut water, aloe vera juice, dried apricots, root vegetables and tropical fruits.
As you increase your potassium intake it is important to consume adequate sodium. This is because minerals work in balance, they are synergistic to one another action and have a role in the function of all minerals and vitamins. Sea salt, pickled veggies, sauerkraut, eggs, and dairy all contain adequate sodium. Furthermore, research shows that a low sodium diet increases the risk of insulin resistance - so make sure you’re salting your food to taste!
If you would like to explore your blood sugar, thyroid function, sex hormone, digestion, stress response, and nervous system health further, then please book a call so that we can discuss how a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis can help you!