Design your day for better energy + mood
Do you wake up in the middle of the night and find it difficult to fall asleep again?
Do you press snooze five times before dragging yourself out of bed in the morning?
Do you rely on coffee to wake up in the morning & to give you a re-boot in the afternoon?
Do you need a snack by 10 or 11am?
Do you experience a 2 to 3pm dip in energy?
Do you skip meals intentionally or unintentionally?
Do you wait until you’re ‘starving’ to eat?
Do you get headaches or feel “hangry” or shaky between meals?
Do you feel lethargic after eating?
Do you have strong sugar cravings?
Do you experience unexplained anxiety during the day?
Have you notice weight gain around your midsection?
If you resonate with any of the statements above (or perhaps all of them!), you’re in the right place.
A foundational starting point when optimizing health is intentionally structuring your day for balanced blood sugar.
Let’s start with the BLOOD SUGAR basics:
- After we consume carbohydrates (ie “carbs”), they are broken down into simple sugars: glucose, fructose & galactose.
- Glucose is absorbed from our intestines into our blood stream, where it signals the release of insulin from our pancreas.
- Insulin’s role is to deliver sugar to our tissues where it is used as energy. Sugar is our cells main source of energy.
- When there is more sugar (energy) than what is needed, insulin helps to store sugar for a later use, first as glycogen (a storage form of glucose) in the muscles and liver, then as triglycerides in fat tissue.
- When we consume pure sugar, like candy, soda beverages and cane sugar, we get an immediate source of energy/ spike in blood sugar. It goes through our digestive tract, right into the blood stream, where it signals a quick spike in insulin.
- When we consume complex carbs in the form of fruits, vegetables, legumes & whole grains, the body needs to work harder & longer to break down the food into simple sugars for absorption. Thus, there is a slower release of sugar and insulin into our blood.
Important side note:
You may have heard that ‘“all carbs break down into sugar, and are therefore equal.”
When thinking about GLUCOSE alone, there is truth to this statement.
I also believe that this statement is very valid in the context of breaking free from diet culture and practicing food neutrality.
One carb is not inherently better than another. No food is inherently good or bad.
Different foods, however, do impact human physiology in different ways. This is how I like to think about food. Here’s an example:
- Whole food sources of carbohydrates (fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc.) provide:
- Co-factors (vitamins & minerals) that are involved in the metabolism of these foods,
- Fiber, which dampens the spike in blood sugar and provides food for healthy bacteria within the digestive tract, &
- Polyphenols, which also feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut and are powerful antioxidants (1).
- Processed sources of carbohydrates (candy, pop, cane sugar, etc.), are:
- Nutritionally deplete – Instead, vitamins & minerals are used up in the process of breaking down these carbohydrates (2).
- Fiber poor, which leads to a larger and faster spikes in blood sugar and insulin, &
- they may reduce microbial diversity within the gut & contribute to intestinal permeability ie. “leaky gut” (3)
What does BLOOD SUAGAR have to do with MOOD & ENERGY?
When we consume “quick carbs” ie. processed, simple sugars OR “slow carbs” ie. complex carbohydrates on their own, the spike of sugar in our blood is followed by a spike in insulin. This spike in insulin will lead to a rapid decrease in sugar within the blood, as insulin’s job is to move sugar from the blood into our cells.
This quick rise and fall of glucose, is reflected in our energy & mood:
- At first we feel great – on top of the world, re-fueled, good to go!
- Not long afterwards though, we feel tired again, hungry, irritable, perhaps shaky & unable to focus on the task at hand.
- The quick solution? Another quick hit of energy – hence, sugar cravings.
PS. When we consume “slow carbs” ie. complex carbohydrates, the rise of sugar in our bloodstream is slower & more steady than with “quick carbs.” It is still important to pair these carbohydrate sources with a fat and/or protein, to avoid the pattern above.
What’s the SOLUTION?
The most effective blood sugar balancing hack is to pair your CARBS with a source of FAT + PROTEIN!
Both fat + protein take longer to digest than carbs, and therefore slow the release of sugar into your bloodstream.
This health hack will minimize blood sugar spikes & crashes that contribute to the signs and symptoms I listed at the beginning of this article.
Fat + protein + complex carbs combined also contribute to a greater sense of satiety (feeling full) and satisfaction (feeling fulfilled) so that we are able to feel our best between meals.
Vitamins & minerals also play an important role in insulin signaling, so focusing on vitamin & mineral-rich carbohydrates like root vegetables, fruits and whole grains can also help support blood sugar regulation.
So how do I structure my day for blood sugar balance?
1) Prepare.
- Choose one day a week where you prepare 1-3 foods within each of the following categories:
- COMPLEX, MINERAL-RICH CARBS (like yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, millet, wild rice, oats + buckwheat)
- PROTEIN (like eggs, legumes, tofu, tempeh, poultry or fish)
- HEALTHY FATS (like extra-virgin olive oil, avocado, avocado oil, olives, coconut oil, ghee, grass-fed butter + cheese, nuts + seeds)
This takes practice, but your future-self will THANK-YOU for committing 1-2 hours on Sunday (or whatever day works for you) to do this. Creating a weekly ritual out of my food prep is such a meaningful & impactful form of self-care.
- Have emergency snacks prepared. Here are a few ideas:
- Banana + nut butter
- Apple + Parmigiano Reggiano
- Orange + goat cheese
- Hummus + veggies
- Olives + nuts
- Rice cracker + avocado + hemp hearts
- Seed crackers + hummus
- Hot cocao + collagen powder + coconut milk
- Protein smoothie
- Mid-Day Bar
- Organic cottage cheese + berries
Have these at hand in your car, your purse or at work.
2) Carve out time for breakfast, lunch & dinner (~ 3-5 hours apart).
Yes, this means committing to a lunch break at work. Put it on your daily calendar or include it on your ‘to-do list.’ Make it a priority. Nourishing yourself is productive & important, and it will impact your ability to perform throughout the day.
- Don’t skip breakfast, or any other meal of the day. If you notice you are very hungry at a particular time of day – check in:
- Skipping meals is a form of stress that leads to the release of cortisol. If you’re working to reduce the overall burden of stress on your body, you’ve got to provide your body with the nourishment it needs to function and thrive.
- Eat within an hour of waking
- Aim for 20-30g of protein in EACH MEAL
- Create quick meals with your prepared food, or use your understanding of a balanced meal to prepare your meals at home (fat + fiber + protein!)
3) Move more.
Exercise is amazing (and I will talk about it next), but if you’re sitting all day long then getting your daily steps in may be your next best step (!!!) in supporting your blood sugar, mood + energy.
- Sedentary living (ie. sitting all day long), can impair insulin sensitivity, which can contribute to blood sugar imbalance (4)
- Walking after your meals helps to balance post-meal blood sugar, amongst many other feel-good benefits! (5)
- You don’t necessarily have to ‘go for a walk’ to get your steps in! Walk to work, take the stairs rather than the elevator, park further from the grocery store than you normally would, go on ‘walk dates’ with a friend, clean around the house, stand instead of sit at your desk, and chase your kid around the house! These are all activities that count towards your daily movement! Do not underestimate the power of daily, unstructured movement.
TIP: I like to use the Health App on my Iphone to get an idea of my daily steps – I aim to get 5,000 – 10,000 steps per day. Take a look at your steps from last week, and set a realistic goal for this week. Don’t worry if you don’t always reach your personal goal, but use it as a motivation to take some standing breaks or go for a lunch-time or post-dinner walk!
4) Build muscle.
If you’re reaching your daily step goal, consider adding in 2-4 days of resistance training each week.
- Muscles are very sensitive to insulin. By increasing your muscle mass, you will improve your capacity to maintain balanced blood sugar (6)
- Insulin sensitivity can remain elevated for up to 3 days after exercise, depending on the intensity of exercise & other individual factors (7)
- Hire a trainer, join a gym, sign up for a class, or buy some weight for home!
- Here are some resources that I personally LOVE:
- Flourish Glow Up – $20 USD/ month – 4-5 weekly workouts (for the gym or at-home if you have weights), 1 live full body workout each week + tons of educational resources on nutrition, exercise + lifestyle.
- Sweat Nation Fitness – $20 USD/ month – a mix of resistance training, HIIT + mobility, all follow-along videos with the incredible Beverley Cheng!
- Give Me Strength App – $25.00/month – includes follow along workouts for home or DIY workouts for the gym, with a focus on form, mobility and muscle development.
- Barre Room on Demand – $24.00/month – if you only have small weights at home but are still looking to feel the burn, barre is an incredibly fun and energizing option.
5) Prioritize R&R.
If you eat 3 meals a day, focus on your protein intake and exercise regularly but you chronically stressed, then you are working upstream.
- Stress leads to elevated cortisol (our stress hormone), which increases blood sugar levels and and impairs insulin sensitivity when elevated chronically.
- Low blood sugar or skipping meals can also cause physiological stress and the release of cortisol
- In order to create the internal environment for balanced blood sugar (& more!), you must prioritize rest & relaxation. This includes 7-8 hours of high quality sleep & relaxation throughout the day.
- Here are 5 evidence-based relaxation strategies to incorporate into your day:
- Spend time in nature (8) – go for a walk along the sea wall or in your local park, find a forest to rest in, go for a hike, rest on the grass.
- Deep belly breathing (9) – inhale deeply through your nose and into your belly… hold here. Then, exhale slowly out of your nose… feel your body relax and let go of tension. Repeat.
- Laughter (10) – watch a funny TV show or Youtube video, go to a comedy show, seek relationships that involve genuine laughter, & allow yourself to enjoy these moments.
- Epson salt baths (11) – fill your bath with warm-hot water, light a candle and add 1-2 scoops of Epson salts. The warm water will help your body absorb the minerals within the salts, which help to calm the nervous system and replete mineral loss after chronic physical and psychological stress.
- Lavender (12) – light a lavender candle, use a lavender oil in your infuser, roll the essential oil on your skin, or buy a lavender lotion. Incorporate lavender into your day and let it be a reminder to return to the present moment and ground yourself.
- Sleep deprivation can lead to a 30% reduction in insulin sensitivity (13) & contributes to increased appetite + cravings (14) – Are you prioritizing sleep?
6) Give yourself permission to be IMPERFECT.
Some days you will check all of these things off your to-do list. Celebrate this! Notice how it feels when you prioritize nourishment, movement & rest.
Most days, it will be a challenge – especially if this is new for you. Give yourself grace.
Perfection is not the goal (in fact, perfectionism is often a major barrier!).
The goal is to consistently show up for yourself, honor your word, & learn what serves your body, mind & spirit.
If you’d like to learn more about how to further support your energy & mood so you can life a VIBRANT life, let’s chat!
References
1) Cardona, F., Andrés-Lacueva, C., Tulipani, S., Tinahones, F. J., & Queipo-Ortuño, M. I. (2013). Benefits of polyphenols on gut microbiota and implications in human health. The Journal of nutritional biochemistry, 24(8), 1415-1422.
2) DiNicolantonio, J. J., & Berger, A. (2016). Added sugars drive nutrient and energy deficit in obesity: a new paradigm. Open Heart, 3 (2), e000469.
3) Do, M. H., Lee, E., Oh, M. J., Kim, Y., & Park, H. Y. (2018). High-glucose or-fructose diet cause changes of the gut microbiota and metabolic disorders in mice without body weight change. Nutrients, 10(6), 761.
4) Hamburg, N. M., McMackin, C. J., Huang, A. L., Shenouda, S. M., Widlansky, M. E., Schulz, E., Gokce, N., Ruderman, N. B., Keaney, J. F., Jr, & Vita, J. A. (2007). Physical inactivity rapidly induces insulin resistance and microvascular dysfunction in healthy volunteers. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology, 27(12), 2650–2656. https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.107.153288
5) Colberg SR, Zarrabi L, Bennington L, Nakave A, Thomas Somma C, Swain DP, Sechrist SR. Postprandial walking is better for lowering the glycemic effect of dinner than pre-dinner exercise in type 2 diabetic individuals. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2009 Jul;10(6):394-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2009.03.015. Epub 2009 May 21. PMID: 19560716.
6) Yki-Järvinen, H., & Koivisto, V. A. (1983). Effects of body composition on insulin sensitivity. Diabetes, 32(10), 965-969.
7) Way, K. L., Hackett, D. A., Baker, M. K., & Johnson, N. A. (2016). The effect of regular exercise on insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetes & metabolism journal, 40(4), 253-271.
8) Antonelli M, Barbieri G, Donelli D. Effects of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) on levels of cortisol as a stress biomarker: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Biometeorol. 2019 Aug;63(8):1117-1134. doi: 10.1007/s00484-019-01717-x. Epub 2019 Apr 18. PMID: 31001682.
9) Hopper SI, Murray SL, Ferrara LR, Singleton JK. Effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing for reducing physiological and psychological stress in adults: a quantitative systematic review. JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep. 2019 Sep;17(9):1855-1876. doi: 10.11124/JBISRIR-2017-003848. PMID: 31436595.
10) Demir Doğan, Melike PhD, MSc, BSc The Effect of Laughter Therapy on Anxiety, Holistic Nursing Practice: January/February 2020 – Volume 34 – Issue 1 – p 35-39 doi: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000363
11) Pickering, G., Mazur, A., Trousselard, M., Bienkowski, P., Yaltsewa, N., Amessou, M., Noah, L., & Pouteau, E. (2020). Magnesium Status and Stress: The Vicious Circle Concept Revisited. Nutrients, 12(12), 3672. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123672
12) Kim, M., Nam, E. S., Lee, Y., & Kang, H. J. (2021). Effects of Lavender on Anxiety, Depression, and Physiological Parameters: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Asian Nursing Research.
13) Esther Donga, Marieke van Dijk, J. Gert van Dijk, Nienke R. Biermasz, Gert-Jan Lammers, Klaas W. van Kralingen, Eleonara P. M. Corssmit, Johannes A. Romijn, A Single Night of Partial Sleep Deprivation Induces Insulin Resistance in Multiple Metabolic Pathways in Healthy Subjects, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 95, Issue 6, 1 June 2010, Pages 2963–2968
14) Greer, S. M., Goldstein, A. N., & Walker, M. P. (2013). The impact of sleep deprivation on food desire in the human brain. Nature communications, 4, 2259. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms3259
