Why Your Blood Sugar Levels Rise and 7 Tips to Balance Them

We often find ourselves obsessively thinking, worrying, planning, and eating large quantities of processed foods containing sugar, white flour, starches, and trans fats. These foods have an addictive effect on the brain. The addicted person consumes them as compensation for negative emotions such as sadness, anger, anxiety, boredom, loneliness, and frustration. Sometimes, quitting junk food leads to withdrawal symptoms like headaches, irritability, loss of concentration, etc.

Therefore, to avoid uncontrolled snacking on harmful foods, it's important to learn how to identify the causes of the desire for junk food and establish methods to overcome it.

It can be difficult to escape the vicious cycle of eating junk food. Feelings of frustration or fatigue can lead you on a trip to the fridge-freezer to grab something comforting. Hunger can turn the calmest person into being particularly irritable.

The truth is - junk food simply changes your mood. It's not just the sugar, salt, and fats - junk food is always loaded with chemicals that deceive the brain and affect the notorious "point of happiness." So it's no wonder we crave junk food when we're feeling "down."

The question is, can blood sugar levels affect mood or cause personality changes? And if so, why do high or low blood sugar levels make you irritable? Here's everything you need to know about what lies behind blood sugar levels and mood, and how you can break the cycle by making small changes that will create a 180-degree difference in your lifestyle.

Blood Sugar andImpact on Mood Changes

The brain is made up of 86 billion neurons, and it is the most energy-hungry organ in the body. Sugar in the form of glucose is the main source of energy for the brain and central nervous system. Low glucose levels in the brain can lead to irritability, fatigue, brain fog, impaired judgment, and change all aspects of mood and ability to communicate effectively. When blood glucose levels are low, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (the HPA axis or HTPA axis) is stimulated, which can exacerbate feelings of rage.

This cascade of "fight" or "flight" hormones can trigger a hunger for a quick sugar fix. This may be a soda drink, a huge serving of ice cream, or carbohydrates. In such a situation, you'll eat whatever will satisfy the urgent demand for sugar. Moreover, when you "grab" a donut, you'll immediately cause a rise in your blood sugar levels and add more fuel to the fire.

Stress Can Be a Problem

When we feel stressed, the body releases cortisol, which in turn stimulates the body to release glucose from all areas. Cortisol serves as nature's alarm system that alters motivation and mood. Therefore, chronic stress can lead to high blood sugar levels and a risk of developing diabetes. Stress also changes mood and energy levels, potentially increasing the desire and need to seek something to calm or energize yourself.

Another issue that can cause this perpetual cycle of ups and downs is anxiety and depression. This can lead to a desperate desire to eat junk food to temporarily stimulate the brain to release serotonin, the feel-good hormone. Unfortunately, this cycle is too familiar to many of us, leading to a risk of developing chronic illnesses like diabetes, depression, or obesity. Severe stress can cause, in some people, to develop type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Breaking the Cycle to Maintain Balanced Blood Sugar

The good news is that it is possible to break the cycle and keep blood sugar levels balanced. This may not be easy initially if you're addicted to sugar, but with a bit of grit and determination, you can maintain healthy sugar levels.

Here are 7 lifestyle tips you can use to balance your blood sugar levels permanently:

1. Avoid Sweets

Sugar is hidden in many foods like fruit juice, energy drinks, and yogurt. So a complete avoidance of sugar can be a big change. Be sure to check the labels of every item you buy to ensure sugar hasn't been added under another name. Sugar is often added to products and labeled as fructose, lactose, dextrose, or sucrose. Spend some time learning about the 59 different forms of sugar, so you can eliminate them from your diet.

2. Avoid Simple Carbohydrates

There are two types of carbohydrates - simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates break down quickly in the body and release glucose into the bloodstream. Immediately after eating them, an undesirable rise in blood sugar levels occurs. An easy way to eat more complex carbohydrates (which take longer to break down and therefore cause a more moderate blood sugar increase) and fewer simple carbohydrates is to swap white bread, pasta, and rice for brown versions. Avoiding white carbohydrates (which are simple carbohydrates) will help stabilize blood sugar levels. Complex carbohydrates are preferred as they are high in fiber, less processed, and take longer to break down in the body, thus extending the feeling of fullness.

3. Replace "Junk Food" with Healthy Snacks

Organize your pantry and fill it with healthy snacks for when you need a boost. By filling your pantry with healthy snacks, there will be less room for junk food. The best snacks to choose are rich in nutrients, fiber, protein, and healthy fats. A few snack ideas include yogurt and berries, nuts, almonds, healthy vegetables like carrots and cucumbers, sliced apples and almond butter, or homemade protein bars.

4. Monitor Blood Sugar Levels

Numerous studies have shown that the more frequently you measure your sugar throughout the day, especially when using a continuous glucose monitor without pricks, the better your sugar balance will be. This is because when a mirror is placed reflecting what's happening in our bodies, awareness increases, as do the actions we take simultaneously – whether related to eating, medication intake, and physical activity. A study conducted in Israel, published in the world's leading medical journal on diabetes, proved that using a continuous glucose monitor significantly aids and improves diabetes management in insulin-treated diabetic patients.

5. Adopt Good Sleep Habits

According to the National Sleep Foundation, good sleep lowers blood glucose levels. A lack of sleep alters your ability to metabolize glucose and affects certain hormones in the body that cause elevated blood sugar levels. In another study, participants were able to metabolize glucose 40% less effectively when sleep was restricted. Creating a healthy sleep routine and ensuring sufficient, high-quality sleep is key.

6. Exercise Regularly to Balance Blood Sugar Levels

The health benefits of exercising include significant bonuses both physically and mentally. Exercising requires using glucose stores in the muscles and liver. Glucose is like fuel in a car. The more you travel, the lower the fuel level. The more you exercise - the more your blood sugar level decreases accordingly. Strenuous physical activity has the strongest impact on blood sugar balance. The effect of exercise on blood sugar levels can last up to 24 hours. By monitoring your blood sugar levels before and after exercise, you can track your progress.

7. Reduce Stress

Reducing stress is a key factor in balancing blood sugar levels because the stress hormone cortisol produces excess blood sugar. The best ways to reduce stress are to understand the triggers in your life and avoid them as much as possible. This may mean taking five minutes for yourself at the end of the day or going for a walk when you feel your stress levels rising. Meditation and yoga are also excellent habits that help lower stress and relax. Mindfulness meditation has been clinically proven to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Bottom Line

Blood sugar levels (either low or high) can seriously affect your mood. Hence, it is important to build daily healthy habits that keep blood sugar levels balanced. It is advisable to focus on one or two tips above, and then gradually build on them to avoid being overwhelmed. Small changes in your daily routine add up and lead to a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle.

Prof. Julio Weinstein, Director of the Diabetes Research Unit at Wolfson Hospital and Senior Diabetes Physician at the DMC Diabetes Treatment Center