Health Hotline Magazine | May 2025

4 EASY HACKS KEEP

BLOOD SUGAR CHECK By Lindsay Wilson TO IN

We talk a lot about the harmful e ects of high blood sugar—and it’s true that chronically elevated blood sugar and acute blood sugar spikes are bad for health, a ecting everything from brain health to immune and cardiovascular health. It’s also true that simple carbohydrates are often the culprits behind unhealthy blood sugar levels. But this is also true: We like simple carbs. They taste good. They are often the centerpiece of celebrations. Some, like corn and rice, are culturally important. The truth is that most of us are not likely to completely cut them out. That’s where these (very easy, very doable) hacks come in.

What is blood sugar? Why is it so important to health?

Before we get to the hacks, a little science. Glucose is a type of sugar and is one of the main sources of fuel for our cells. While our bodies can make glucose via the liver, most glucose comes from the food we eat. Glucose is an important fuel for the body, but becomes problematic in excess. Excessive glucose (the standard American diet is high in carbohydrates and tends to supply an excessive amount of glucose for most people) damages proteins and fats in the body, causing inflammation and oxidative damage. Overtime, this can lead to poor skin health, wrinkles, and accelerated aging, and the development of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, dementia, including Alzheimer’s, arthritis, type-2 diabetes, cancer, and even all-cause mortality. Keeping blood sugar balanced is so important to health that our bodies have a tightly regulated system of hormones to ensure levels stay within a very narrow range. When we eat foods that contain carbohydrates, blood glucose levels rise and the

pancreas responds by releasing insulin, the hormone that directs glucose into cells to be burned for energy or stored as glycogen or fat for future use, and blood sugar levels are restored to a normal range. The system works great when you follow a generally low-carb diet and only occasionally indulge in refined and starchy carbs; but when every meal is built around simple carbs like bread, pasta, bagels, white rice, tortillas, etc.—foods that are rapidly digested and converted into glucose, leading to sharp spikes in blood sugar—the system can become overwhelmed trying to keep up and over time, becomes dysregulated. And a LOT of Americans are living with dysregulated blood sugar. The most recent numbers from the American Diabetes Association show that nearly 40 million Americans have type-2 diabetes, while close to 100 million have prediabetes, blood sugar levels that are higher than normal, and without intervention, can progress to type-2 diabetes. Research using continuous glucose

monitoring (just what it sounds like— continuously measuring a person’s blood sugar throughout the day) has revealed that many people who are considered to have normal blood sugar by standard measures actually experience “frequent elevations in blood glucose levels into the impaired … or diabetic range.” What’s becoming increasingly clear is that sharp spikes in blood sugar after eating are bad for health, and they are extremely common, even among healthy people. The best way to maintain optimal blood sugar balance is to limit your intake of refined and high-starch carbs and focus on eating fiber-rich vegetables, quality proteins, and healthy fats at each meal—foods that are digested slowly, helping to prevent glucose spikes. But here’s where we revisit that truth from earlier: refined carbs taste good, we enjoy eating them, and most of us are not going to completely give them up. Enter, blood sugar hacks! These super easy hacks go a long way to support a healthy blood sugar response after eating.

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