Blood Sugar - Part 1
Blood Sugar Explained
Blood sugar imbalances can feel like your body is running the show—and not in a good way.
One minute, you’re cruising along just fine. The next? Boom. Mood swings, energy crashes, and cravings that hijack your brain.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone, and there’s good news: understanding how your body handles glucose and insulin is the first step to breaking free from this rollercoaster.
Blood Sugar Rollercoaster
So many of us are stuck on the blood sugar rollercoaster that it feels normal. Of course, you get testy when you’re hungry. Of course, you crash in the afternoon and crave something sweet to survive the day… doesn’t everyone?
Well, no. But everyone riding this rollercoaster sure does.
Here’s how it works:
The chaos usually starts at breakfast. Say you grab a coffee loaded with sugar or a quick fix like pancakes, sweetened yogurt, or white toast. These foods cause your blood sugar to spike—and then your body overcorrects, sending it crashing down. By mid-morning, you’re hangry and desperate for another hit (hello, muffin or sugary latte).
The pattern repeats itself all day:
Lunch might spike your blood sugar again, leaving you totally depleted by 4 p.m.
By late afternoon, you’re grumpy, exhausted, and ravenous, hunting for whatever sugar fix will get you through the rest of the day.
And the highs and lows aren’t just in your head. A small spike = a small crash. A big spike? You guessed it—a big crash.
Signs you’re on the blood sugar rollercoaster
If this sounds like your life, you’re not alone. These are some of the classic symptoms of imbalanced blood sugar:
Tired and craving sugar around 4 p.m.
Hungry within 3 hours of eating.
Hunger that turns you into a different person: impatient, low-energy, and just done.
Waking up hungry in the middle of the night.
Feeling amazing after a sweet treat—followed by frustration, exhaustion, and irritability an hour later.
Sore joints, inflamed skin, high cholesterol, and other inflammation symptoms.
The good news? This doesn’t have to be your normal.
What your blood sugar blood tests mean
Let’s break down two key tests for understanding blood sugar:
1. HgbA1c (Hemoglobin A1c)
This is the gold standard for understanding long-term blood sugar control. It measures the percentage of sugar-coated red blood cells and gives you a 3–4 month average.
5.4 or below: Fantastic! Your blood sugar is golden, and you’re not at risk for blood sugar-related issues.
5.5–6.0: Your doctor might not be concerned, but research shows anything above 5.5 can raise your risk of conditions like heart disease, dementia, and certain cancers. Let’s aim lower.
6.0–6.5: Pre-diabetes territory. Time to take action!
Above 6.5: Type II Diabetes. Don’t panic—it’s not too late to turn this around. The sooner you start, the easier it is.
2. Fasting Glucose
This measures your blood sugar after fasting for at least eight hours. Think of it as your daily snapshot:
Normal (Canada: 3.9–5.5 mmol/L; US: 70–99 mg/dL): All clear.
Prediabetes (Canada: 5.6–6.9 mmol/L; US: 100–125 mg/dL): Time to pay attention.
Diabetes (Canada: 7.0+ mmol/L; US: 126+ mg/dL): Diagnosis confirmed after two readings.
WHEN YOUR NUMBERS DON’T MATCH
Here’s where things can get tricky: sometimes, your A1c and fasting glucose tell different stories.
A1c is normal, but fasting glucose is high:
Your overall blood sugar looks fine, but your body struggles with long gaps between meals. This often means cortisol (your stress hormone) is stepping in to raise your blood sugar, which can lead to weight gain (especially around your belly) and burnout.
Pro Tip: Eat every 4–5 hours, and a small bedtime snack might work wonders.
A1c is high, but fasting glucose is normal:
Your blood sugar hangs out at higher levels most of the time, but your body is great at fasting. Moderate fasting (12–14 hours overnight) and cutting down on snacks might help bring your levels back in line.
FIVE THINGS THAT SPIKE BLOOD SUGAR
Think sugar is the only culprit? Think again. Here are five surprising ways your blood sugar can rise—even if you’re eating a whole food diet:
White sugar, refined carbs, and artificial sweeteners: The obvious offenders.
Caffeine: Your latte habit might be working against you.
Cigarettes: They’re a stimulant and will raise your blood sugar.
Stress (hello, cortisol): Your body can’t tell the difference between a stressful email and a bear chasing you—it’ll raise your blood sugar for both.
Food sensitivities: Triggers like gluten or dairy can set off a stress response, spiking blood sugar indirectly.
If you’re doing “all the right things” and still struggling, it might be time to dig into these sneaky factors.
The perils of high blood sugar
Here’s the short version: too much sugar in your bloodstream is bad news. It overwhelms your system, leading to:
Weight gain (especially around your waist).
Inflammation that shows up as joint pain, skin issues, or high cholesterol.
Damaged arteries.
Vision problems.
Cognitive decline (Type III Diabetes, anyone?).
Keep this in mind: Your body hasn’t evolved to handle today’s refined sugars. Historically, sweet foods like honey were rare treats. Now? We’re drowning in sugar, and our bodies are struggling to keep up.
GLUCOSE VS. FRUCTOSE: THE SWEET TRUTH
Not all sugars are created equal. Here’s the breakdown:
Glucose: Your body’s main energy source. It’s found in foods like bread, pasta, and fruit. When you eat glucose, your pancreas releases insulin to help your cells absorb and use it.
Fructose: Found in fruit but also in processed foods and high-fructose corn syrup. Unlike glucose, fructose is processed by the liver, and overloading it with refined fructose can lead to fat storage, insulin resistance, and metabolic chaos.
Pro Tip: Fruit is fine—its fiber slows digestion. But agave syrup? Not so much. It’s 90% fructose with zero fiber to buffer it.
Now that you’ve got the lowdown on blood sugar, let’s dive into Part 2 and uncover the real villain of the story: insulin resistance.
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