Blood sugar is a common topic when it comes to health and wellness, and one I frequently bring up myself. Be it constant cravings, low energy, or mood swings, blood sugar plays a role in many common day-to-day issues we all deal with. Although many of them are considered “normal” occurrences they are in fact not normal at all and are often triggered by disrupted blood sugar. So here are 8 signs your blood sugar is out of whack and some simple tips to help get it back to balanced.

What is blood sugar anyway?

First things first, let’s get the boring stuff out of the way; what is blood sugar anyway? The term “sugar” in blood sugar doesn’t refer to actual sugar. Rather, biologically our bodies function on sugar, also known as glucose. If you think of the body like a car, glucose acts like gas for our gas tanks, giving us the energy for our day. Blood sugar is the sugar the bloodstream carries to all cells in the body to supply us with energy, and this comes from the food we eat. Different types of foods, specifically carbohydrates, contain natural sugars that will break down into glucose in the human body once digested which will then enter our bloodstream (becoming blood sugar) to serve as a source of energy. So, “blood sugar” simply refers to the amount of sugar (or glucose) in your blood at a given time.

Why does blood sugar matter?

Every time you eat a meal, the sugars in each of the foods you eat raise the level of sugar in your blood. Since you only need a certain amount of sugar in the bloodstream at one given time (i.e. – you only need so much energy at one given time) your body will regulate your level of blood sugar by storing excess in the cells for a later time.

In a balanced state, blood sugar is automatically regulated; you eat some carbs, and insulin (the hormone that manages blood sugar) lowers blood sugar levels by increasing the rate at which glucose is taken up by cells throughout the body. Insulin is essentially the traffic controller of our bloodstream, determining how much sugar is needed in the bloodstream at one given time. When blood sugar is well balanced, you’ll have stable energy, feel happy, be productive and experience good sleep.

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Some of the signs your blood sugar is out of whack have become so common they are considered “normal” when, in reality, they are not normal at all.

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However, if you are not eating the right balance of foods, or indulging a little too frequently in sweets or starchy carbohydrates, you can easily throw your blood sugar out of whack. A constant influx of carbohydrates or sugar to the bloodstream means insulin is constantly at work to manage the constant supply of sugar to the bloodstream. Over time, insulin will get “tired” or become resistant to this influx of sugar. It is at this point where problems begin to arise; craving increases and fatigue sets in. Although you might be constantly ingesting carbohydrates or sugars for energy, that energy is not actually making its way to the cells (where the energy is actually needed) since insulin is no longer well managing the balance of sugar in your bloodstream. Over time it means your body will ask for more and more energy (i.e. – sugar and carb cravings) to fuel the cells given it is not all making its way into them properly.

Signs Your Blood Sugar is Disrupted

Problems with blood sugar regulation have become incredibly widespread. In fact, some issues have almost become so common they are considered “normal” when in reality they are not normal at all. So here are some of the most common signs your blood sugar is out of whack and some simple tips to help bring it back to balanced.

1. You constantly crave sweets.

Think about it. If your body is constantly craving sweets it is constantly craving sugar because it is in constant need of energy.  Sugary treats are made of simple carbohydrates and therefore the quickest source of energy for the brain and body. Therefore every time your blood sugar levels begin to drop, and your body cannot easily access stored glucose, your cravings for sweets will increase. However, continuously consuming these sweet treats will only perpetuate the roller coaster cycle of high and low blood sugar.

2. You feel irritable if a meal is missed.

If you can’t go without a meal, or can’t go too long without eating, this is a good sign your blood sugar is out of whack. I often tell clients they should be able to (easily) go 4 or more hours without eating. Although glucose is our primary source of fuel, fat is our backup fuel and your body should be able to go back and forth between glucose and fat for energy. However, if your body is too dependent on carbohydrates for the energy you will likely get ‘hangry‘ or irritable when a meal is missed, as fat cannot easily be accessed for energy.

3. You experience frequent brain fog.

Similar to the cells in your body, the cells in your brain need glucose for energy. Therefore, if the brain is not getting fuel, it cannot function efficiently. If your blood sugar is low it will be difficult for your brain, and you, to function optimally. If you often have trouble concentrating, feel spacy or disconnected it is one of the good signs your blood sugar is out of whack.

4. You wake up during the night.

Poor sleep or waking up frequently during the night has become a common occurrence for people, however, it is not a normal or good thing. Although there can be many reasons for interrupted sleep, disrupted blood sugar is one of them. Humans are designed to burn fat for energy through the night because it burns long and slow, in contrast to sugar and carbs, which burn quickly. However because today so many people deal with blood sugar imbalance, they have trouble using fat for fuel while they sleep and therefore their sleep becomes interrupted as their body tries to burn carbohydrates for energy as it did during the day. Moreover, when your blood sugar is really high, your kidneys will try to get rid of it by removing it from the body via urine, which may cause people to wake up during the night to pee.

5. You have difficulty losing weight.

Insulin resistance is a common cause of weight gain, especially in the stomach area. An increase in insulin levels due to the inability to process carbohydrates can lead to the creation of excess fat. If you’ve tried all of the diets and tactics out there without any success, and you are dealing with some of the other signs your blood sugar is out of whack, it is something to consider.

6. You constantly feel hungry.

Constantly feeling like you can eat and are hungry is one of the common signs your blood sugar is out of whack. If you are constantly ingesting energy (i.e. food), but never feel satisfied, it is a good indication the fuel you are ingesting is not actually making it to your cells, and therefore they are leading you to eat more food. It is the resistance of insulin, and a frequent over-intake of carbohydrates, that can lead to this feeling of always being hungry.

7. You feel sleepy in the afternoon.

Fatigue is another signal that your blood sugar isn’t under control. When sugar is staying in your bloodstream instead of being diverted to your body’s cells, your muscles don’t get enough fuel to use for energy. Additionally, if you kick your morning off with an overly sweet or sugary breakfast (cereal, muffins, granola bar, etc..) the overproduction of insulin in the morning can lead to extreme periods of fatigue in the afternoon.

8. You get anxious for no apparent reason.

In the constant rollercoaster of low and high blood sugar, the lows can be a trigger for symptoms of anxiety. As blood sugar declines, the adrenal glands secrete epinephrine (also called adrenaline), causing the liver to convert stored glycogen to glucose and release it, raising blood glucose. This also speeds up the brain when released often enough. Therefore if there is a constant release of adrenaline to the brain you can end up feeling anxious, and when happening in conjunction with these other symptoms it can be one of the signs your blood sugar is out of whack.

So, what can you do about it?

Albeit there are many signs your blood sugar is out of whack, there are also many ways you can help balance your blood sugar. So here are some simple tips and additional information on how you can balance your blood sugar.

1. Focus on eating whole foods in their whole format.
2. Add protein and fat to every meal.
3. Limit simple refined carbohydrates.
4. Include a source of fibrous vegetables in all your meals.
5. Learn to sweeten food without added sugar.
6. Avoid skipping meals.
7. Keep snacking to a minimum.
8. Eat regularly, not all of the time.

The yogurt aisle is probably one of the most confusing sections in the grocery store. From low-fat to high-fat, Greek to Balkan, and probiotic to protein, there are often about 100 different options to choose from so it’s no wonder things can get confusing. However, when you break it all down, I promise the yogurt section is not as complicated as it seems. So here is a guide to buying healthy yogurt so you know exactly what to look for and why.

What is Real Yogurt?

First things first, we need to understand what yogurt actually is, specifically real yogurt.  Yogurt is made by fermenting milk with bacterial culture. Traditionally, this was done to help extend the lifetime of the milk, improve digestibility and ensure it was not prone to bacterial contamination. The ingredients required to make yogurt are milk, bacterial culture, and nothing else. The label on a real yogurt container should list only two or three ingredients: milk or cream, or a combination of milk and cream and live cultures.

The Benefits of Real Yogurt

Yogurt has been a part of cuisines around the world for generations, and when you focus on real yogurt it does have health benefits. Real yogurt, especially from grass-fed animals, is a naturally occurring source of protein, fats, carbohydrates, and probiotics. Additionally, when good quality full-fat dairy is used to make yogurt it contains vital nutrients like fat-soluble vitamins A and D, calcium, vitamin B6, B12, and CLA.

Types of Healthy Yogurt

In addition to traditional yogurt, there are many other varieties or ways to make yogurt:

Greek Yogurt: The traditional process of making natural Greek yogurt is done by straining regular yogurt extensively to remove excess liquid whey and lactose, leaving behind a thicker-textured yogurt, and a tangy, creamy product. This produces a yogurt lower in carbohydrates (or natural sugars) and higher in protein content per serving.

Balkan-Style: Balkan-style yogurt differs from regular yogurt as it is made in small individual batches rather than in large vats. The warm cultured milk mixture is poured into containers and then incubated without any further stirring, giving it its thick texture.

Probiotic Yogurt: All real yogurt contains probiotics, however, given the production process of many commercial yogurts, not all store-bought yogurts contain probiotics. Naturally cultured and fermented yogurt will contain probiotic bacteria, however, because many commercial brands no longer use traditional methods to make yogurt, although they contain bacterial cultures, not all bacterial cultures have a probiotic effect. In Canada, all yogurts must contain Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, however, some brands will add additional bacteria cultures to increase the probiotic content to make “probiotic yogurt”. Only real yogurt contains naturally occurring probiotic bacteria, so if the label states “active bacterial cultures” the yogurt has probiotics.

Icelandic Yogurt: Traditionally known as skyr, Icelandic yogurt is a style of yogurt that dates back thousands of years. Although yogurt and skyr are both cultured dairy products, it is the original skyr cultures used to make skyr that make it different. Skyr is a strained non-fat yogurt that is made by incubating skim milk with active bacterial cultures.

Commercial Yogurts

Unfortunately, the majority of common store-bought yogurts, especially the popular brands, do not use traditional methods to make yogurt, and therefore do not have the same nutritional benefits. In fact, nowadays commercial producers often manufacture yogurt with milk ingredients (i.e. milk protein, skim milk powder, stabilizers, and gelatin). This is done mostly for convenience in production, but also because they can produce a cheaper product. Simply look at some of the most common brands and you will see a laundry list of ingredients outside of the necessary whole milk and active bacterial cultures required. Here is a sample of a very popular grocery store brand strawberry-flavored yogurt.

skim milk, strawberries, milk and whey proteins, modified corn starch, active bacterial culture, gelatin, locust bean gum, natural and artificial flavor, pectin, sucralose, color, vitamin a palmitate, vitamin d3, potassium sorbate.

As you can see from the ingredients listed above, not only do many flavored commercial yogurts contain added sugars (or code words for sugar), but they also contain additives, preservatives, thickeners, stabilizers, and artificial coloring. Everything from corn starch to artificial flavor and salt is added to yogurts making them a mini chemical sh$t storm and far removed from what real yogurt actually is.

The Benefits of Fat in Yogurt

Milk is the primary ingredient in yogurt and is one of the only whole foods that contain carbohydrates, protein, and fat naturally occurring in it. In fact, fat is one of the most beneficial macronutrients in milk given it is the source of fat-soluble vitamins. When full-fat milk is used to make yogurt it is a source of vitamin D and calcium, as calcium is more readily absorbed in the presence of fat. However, when non-fat or skim milk is used to make yogurt, the benefits of these fat-soluble nutrients are lost given the fat is no longer present.

Additionally, fat is what gives food flavor and mouthfeel, the absence of fat in yogurt (i.e. – 0%, non-fat, or fat-free yogurts) leaves a tart unappealing flavor to many yogurts and therefore manufacturers add sugar to help make it more palatable. In fact, some common flavored yogurt brands contain up to 20 grams of sugar per 3/4 cup which is almost as much as a Kit Kat chocolate bar. Although many people often think that vanilla yogurt is a lighter option, it often has more added sugar than the fruit-sweetened versions.

How to Buy Healthy Yogurt

When it comes to buying healthy yogurt, there are many options to consider. However, once you start reading labels you’ll begin to realize that what seemed overwhelming at first is not so confusing after all. So, here is a simple guide to buying healthy yogurt:

• Look for Minimal Ingredients: The only way to truly know what type of yogurt you are buying is to read the ingredients list. Remember, real yogurt should only contain milk and active bacterial cultures. The best options will state “whole milk and active bacterial cultures”, however depending on the brand you may also see “skim milk, cream, and active bacterial cultures” which would be the next best option.
• Avoid Added Sugars: It comes as no surprise that added sugar is not an ideal ingredient, however, keep in mind that yogurt is a natural source of sugar (lactose), so all yogurt (even plain) will contain some sugars on the nutrition label. In order to ensure it does not contain added sugar, read the ingredients list. Natural plain yogurt should contain 7 grams of sugar per serving.
• Look for Active Cultures: Real yogurt should contain whole milk and live or active bacterial cultures on the ingredients list, this will ensure that you are getting truly fermented yogurt and the probiotic benefit.
• Opt for Full-Fat: I recommend opting for full-fat yogurt, this means anything from 3.25% to 4% yogurt, this will contain more nutritional benefits due to the presence of the fat.
• Opt for Plain: After eating flavored yogurt transitioning to plain yogurt can be a little rough on the palate, but at the end of the day it will be better for you. If you find it too tart, to begin with, simply add a drizzle of natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup to help make it more palatable. This way you are able to control the level of added sweetener, and over time your taste buds will transition to enjoy the natural flavor of yogurt and less sweetener will be needed.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to buying yogurt the important things to consider are the added sugars and the list of ingredients; the goal is to keep them both to a minimum. If you have the option to buy grass-fed plain full-fat yogurt this would be the best, second to organic plain full-fat yogurt, followed by regular full-fat plain yogurt.

At the end of the day whatever yogurt you chose to buy is totally up to you, but knowledge is power so hopefully, this guide to buying healthy yogurt will give you some of the tools and information you need to get started.

When you are trying to make healthy diet changes, there are plenty of different ways you can approach it, however, I think most experts would agree that removing added sugar is one of the best changes you can make. Although it might seem simple to remove all added sugar, manufacturers have become very sneaky with the ways they add sugar into our food and all of the secret code words for sugar that they use

 

Most people are smart enough to know that added sugar is found and cookies, cakes, and pastries, but it is often all of the other sneaky places where food manufacturers include sugar that tends to fool us. Nowadays, everything from salad dressing to breakfast sausages to protein powder and cans of tuna contains added sugar, so if you aren’t reading closely this added sugar can easily slip by.

Although there are many ways to read a nutrition label, the only way to decipher if the sugar in that particular product is naturally occurring or added is to read the ingredients list. Although the nutrition panel will always list the number of sugars included in a product, if you don’t read the ingredients list (at this time) you will not be able to determine if they are natural or added. For instance, plain yogurt might contain 7 grams of sugar, while flavored yogurts may contain up to 20 grams of sugar, so without reading the ingredients list and looking for those code words for sugar, it will be difficult to determine where those sugars are actually coming from.

Names for Sugar

So here is a list of some of the most common types of added sugar and a list of the common code words for sugar so you know exactly what to look for on the ingredients list.

1. Words ending in -OSE

Essentially any word ending in –ose is a code word for sugar. Glucose is the most basic form of sugar, and the one our body utilizes for energy. Glucose, along with fructose and lactose, found in fruit and dairy, are naturally occurring sugars that are found in whole foods but can also be isolated and used as added sugars in products. Fructose, when found in fruit, is paired with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, which is processed very differently by the body than when it is found in its isolated form. It not only provides added nutrition but the addition of fiber help to slow digestion and limit spikes in blood sugar.

In addition to these basic forms of sugars, –ose ending sweeteners will also include sucrose, dextrose, and maltose which are all also code words for sugar.

2. Sugar

Often called “table sugar”, sugar is a form of sucrose is found in some plants and usually extracted from sugar cane or sugar beets.  Sucrose is made of 50% glucose and 50% fructose and is mostly found in processed foods and sweet treats. In addition to sugar cane and sugar beets, you can also create sugar from items such as coconut, dates, maple, etc… Here is a list of the most common forms of crystallized sugar.

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• Beet Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Cane Sugar
• Castor Sugar
• Coconut Sugar
• Date Sugar
• Demerara Sugar

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• Granulated Sugar
• Grape Sugar
• Icing Sugar
• Invert Sugar
• Maple Sugar
• Muscovado Sugar
• Palm Sugar

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• Panela Sugar
• Powdered Sugar
• Raw Sugar
• Refiner’s Sugar
• Table Sugar
• Turbinado Sugar
• Yellow Sugar

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3. Syrup

In addition to crystallized sugar, sugar is often processed into syrup for easy inclusion in liquids and is a cheap ingredient to add to processed food. High-fructose corn syrup is made from processed cornstarch and is probably the most popular form of syrup-based sugar, however, there are many other forms of syrup sweeteners as well.

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• Brown Rice Syrup
• Buttered Syrup
• Carob Syrup

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• Corn Syrup
• Golden Syrup
• Malt Syrup

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• Refiner’s Syrup
• Rice Syrup
• Sorghum Syrup

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4. Other Code Words for Sugar

Further to crystallized sugar and syrup-based sugars, there are many other forms of sweeteners, including alcohol-based sugars (any word ending in –ol) and various nectars and juices from plants. Here are some of the more common code words for sugar from these sources.

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• Agave
• Caramel
• Cane Juice
• Coconut Nectar
• Corn Syrup Solids
• Dextrin

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• Evaporated Cane Juice
• Ethyl Maltol
• Florida Crystals
• Fruit Juice Concentrate
• Maltodextrin
• Malitol

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• Mannitol
• Sorbitol
• Sucanat
• Treacle
• Xylitol

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5. Natural Sweeteners

In addition to these refined forms of sugar, you can find added sugars in the form of more natural sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey, molasses, and dried fruit. Albeit these can still be forms of added sugars in processed food, when chosen properly these forms of sweetener can, in fact, provide some nutritional value. Just be sure to look for the best natural sweeteners available on the market.

The Bottom Line

Regardless of what you are buying just be sure to read the label and list of ingredients. The more you can bring awareness to the food you are choosing and what they contain, the easier it will be to identify added sugar and make an informed decision about the sweeteners you do choose to include in your diet and how often.

Self-care has become a very important topic of conversation. Our lives are hectic and busy, people are stressed out and burning out, and mental health issues are on the rise in the form of anxiety and depression. A quick Google online and you will find endless lists with tips, ideas, and suggestions about how to manage stress and practice self-care; everything from taking a spa day, to getting outside, to meditation and journaling. Although I think these can are all great ideas, I also think a very important case needs to be made about why cooking is self-care.

 

I think we can all agree that self-care is important. Taking the time to care for one’s self is not only important, it’s crucial. Practising self-care is about making yourself a priority so that you can better serve yourself and the ones around you. When you are stressed out from work or have a busy schedule, it’s so important to take time for yourself and do things that make you feel good, and put yourself first. These days it’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, so we put ourselves on the back burner.  Your calendar eventually gets so jammed packed you start missing the gym, eating out more, and then eventually you just can’t take it anymore and indulge in some form of treat, be it those new shoes, a bottle of wine, or a day at the spa.

Self-Care is Not a Luxury

Everyone has a different approach to their own self-care. For some, it’s spending time reading or journaling, while for others it can be spending time with friends and leaving more time for hobbies.  However, I find more and more often self-care is presented as taking time for a special treat; go for a massage, get a pedicure or buy yourself something fancy and new. In 2018, self-care is often presented as this #treatyoself culture where we justify indulgence as a form of self-care; buying that thing, eating that thing, or going to that place. Don’t get me wrong, all of these things are lovely and I do think they can be forms of self-care, but I don’t think self-care needs to be a luxury. On the contrary, I think it is way more simple than that.

To me, self-care is about showing up for yourself even when the going gets tough. Self-care is about prioritizing your needs over your wants so that you can care for yourself on all levels; physically, mentally and emotionally. The dictionary definition of self-care is “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health”, which is exactly why I believe cooking is self-care.

Why Cooking is Self-Care

Let’s be honest, cooking has got a bit of a bad rap. It’s often positioned as a chore and therefore people tend to think of it as hard, stressful and time-consuming. Watch any cooking infomercial on TV and you will see a woman in a kitchen wiping the sweat off her brow, chopping that appears to take all day long, or an appliance breaking as you prepare dinner. It is presented to us like it is a laborious task that we should avoid and dread, but the truth of the matter is that cooking for yourself is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your health.

I didn’t always love cooking. Like many people, I used to think of it as a chore, I’d try to take as many shortcuts as I possibly could to get around it. Cutting vegetables? Are you crazy, that will take me hours. Cooking from scratch? Only if it involves a box of pasta and sauce. Meal prepping? You’ve lost your darn mind. I truly thought of cooking as an annoying task and an added stress to my already busy day. I mean, why on earth do I want to cook for myself when my schedule is already so busy? I would much prefer to forgo taking the time to cook a proper meal and maximize my time laying on the couch eating a treat – that was my form of self-care, and it too often other people’s form of self-care too. But the truth of the matter is that watching TV or going for a pedicure are often bandaid solutions to self-care.

The actual goal of self-care is to maximize your own health and do it in a way that helps make things seem easier or less stressful. That can include anything from movement to good sleep, but to me, cooking is one of the most neglected. I am not suggesting that cooking is the only form of self-care nor the most important, but I certainly do think that it is up there. Do I think there are benefits to a massage as a form of self-care? Absolutely. Do I think adding more to your already busy schedule and pushing cooking down your priority list is good self-care practice? No. When you are stressed and busy, adding things like a massage, a weekend away, or a pedicure are incredible – they are relaxing and they bring joy, but they become less of a form of self-care in they impede on some of the basic forms of self-care. Although these things might feel incredible in the moment, you can risk the chance of making your stress level (and therefore need for self-care) worse than it already is.

Cooking Cares for you on all Levels

People often ask me if food affects our energy levels, and I truly have trouble answering this question because it seems to obvious. The answer is yes. If the food you eat literally creates the cells in your body and serves as your only source of fuel, why on earth would it not affect your energy? So if you are busy, stressed out and tired, why would you not prioritize the simplest tool you have in your toolkit?

In my opinion, cooking is the single most fundamental way that you can impact your physical being, it nourishes you on all levels. By no means am I suggesting that you need to be an expert cook in order to practice self-care, on quite the contrary, I think even the most basic cooking tools are forms of self-care. For me, cooking has become my simplest and most basic form of self-care. It is the way that I show my body I care. It is the way I give my body the energy to do the tasks I ask of it. It is one of the moments in my day when I am doing something for me. It is the way that I take control of my health. Cooking is not my “hobby” it is a fundamental self-care need.

Self-Care is a Daily Task

Self-care is not something that you do once in a while because you are overly stressed or burned out, true self-care are things that you do all of the time. It is those moments in your day, every day, when you do something for you; it is that quiet moment in a warm shower, it is that depth breath you take before you walk into your big meeting, it is eating your lunch with people instead of at your desk, it is cooking a nourishing meal after a long day, and getting a restful night’s sleep. In order to make cooking part of your daily self-care routine, you need to make it enjoyable. You need to cook the things you like to eat, not what you think you should eat. It is listening to music while you prepare lunches for the week. It is taking a minute to plan your meals so it doesn’t feel disorganized. It planning for your future self so you can take that extra serving of soup out of the freezer on the nights you just want to relax.

At first, it might still feel like a chore, at least I know it was for me. But over time I truly started to enjoy it and look forward to it. Chopping those vegetables I once hated became meditative, and that hour of meal prep on the weekend became a mindful experience that reminded me to put myself first and set myself up for success. The more I focused on making cooking a self-care priority, the more I saw it’s benefits and the more I enjoyed it. I no longer had that afternoon crash, I was no longer spending all my hard-earned money on eating out, and I learned a new skill I felt proud of. Did I hit it out of the ballpark on my first try? No. But the reality is that you only learn by doing. The same way you aren’t going to win the Tour de France the first time you ride a bike, you probably aren’t going to with Masterchef the first time you learn to cook. It might take time, but that’s why it’s called a practice, and every time to you practice cooking you are practising one of the most fundamental forms of self-care.