Take control of blood sugar levels
Most people have at some stage experienced what it’s like when your body doesn’t have enough fuel. You start to have food cravings, feel irritable, shaky, unable to concentrate, and may even feel dizzy...These sensations are caused by low blood sugar and are perfectly normal if you haven’t eaten for many hours, but if you notice these symptoms within four hours of eating a meal or crave something sweet within a couple of hours of eating a good meal, then your body may not be controlling it’s blood sugar effectively. As this can be responsible for many different health issues such as poor energy levels, mood swings, headaches or weight gain, it is advisable to look at your diet and lifestyle to see if you can improve the situation.
Your body is primarily fuelled by glucose, (a type of sugar, often referred to as blood sugar), which it makes from the food it consumes. The cells in your body need a steady, constant supply of glucose to carry out their functions and to provide you with the energy to carry out our daily activities. If this supply is inconsistent or poorly managed by your body you may start to experience the symptoms as described above.
From a nutritional perspective, problems with poor blood sugar control in otherwise healthy individuals, usually stem from two causes, the first of which relates to the foods you eat. If you eat too little food your body will not be able to produce enough glucose for its needs, so inevitably your blood sugar levels fall. Also eating foods with a high glycaemic index (GI) such as white bread or sugary foods, can cause an imbalance in your blood sugar levels. This is because structurally speaking these foods are fairly simple so they are broken down in the body very quickly. This causes a quick rush of glucose into the blood stream which will only sustain your body’s needs for a short period of time. This can lead to an energy slump or a desire to eat more food only a couple of hours after eating a meal. Diets based around the GI of foods have recently become very popular for improving energy levels and weight loss and there are many books and websites available with more information on read more
