Crushing the Sugar Roller Coaster: Regain Control of Your Energy and Gut Health

Many people struggle with the effects of sugar on their gut health and energy levels. This is one of the top categories that come from nearly every single client. Did you know that sugar handling plays a lead role in your overall well-being?

First of all, let’s talk about sugar handling — what is it? 

Sugar handling, or the body's ability to regulate and process sugar, is responsible for maintaining stable blood sugar levels and providing a consistent source of energy. When sugar handling goes awry, it can lead to a range of symptoms and imbalances that affect your daily life. Understanding these symptoms will help you identify if poor sugar handling is at the root of your concerns.

How Sugar Handling Affects The Body And How To Find Relief

These everyday symptoms might feel all too familiar for you too if you're dealing with poor sugar handling:

• Ever find yourself tossing and turning in bed, unable to stay asleep for long? 
• Cravings... oh, the cravings! It's like sugar has cast a spell on you, and you can't resist its sweet temptations. Donuts, chocolate bars, you name it!
• Have you experienced those moments of losing control around food? Binges and uncontrolled eating episodes that leave you feeling guilty and powerless.
• Afternoons can be tough. The energy crashes hit hard, and suddenly you're daydreaming about that extra shot of espresso or a sugary pick-me-up just to make it through.
• Let's not forget the shakiness, irritability, and those nasty headaches that come knocking if you skip a meal or even delay it for a little while.
• And then there's the infamous "hangry" state –– always hungry and easily triggered by the tiniest things.

Relatable??? These symptoms used to dominate my life too, creating a constant battle with food and my cravings. It felt like sugar had cast a spell on me, and I couldn't resist its allure. I tried various strategies, even resorting to eating with chopsticks as a form of portion control, but it felt like an endless cycle of restriction and guilt. Afternoons were the toughest, as the energy crashes hit hard, leaving me daydreaming about sugary pick-me-ups or an extra shot of espresso just to keep me going

If any of these symptoms resonate with you, trust me, you're not alone. Poor sugar handling can wreak havoc on your daily life, affecting your mood, energy levels, gut health and overall well-being. 

The Ripple Effect: How Poor Sugar Handling Influences Your Body

The effects of poor sugar handling extend beyond the realm of cravings and energy crashes. It can have a profound impact on various systems in your body leading to a range of symptoms. Let's take a closer look at how this connection plays out:

• Kidneys: Your kidneys work tirelessly to filter waste and maintain proper electrolyte balance. When sugar handling is compromised, it can put extra stress on these vital organs, affecting their optimal functioning. I almost always see kidney stress in my diabetic and insulin resistance clients. 
• Adrenals: Your adrenal glands play a crucial role in managing stress and regulating blood sugar levels. When sugar handling is impaired, it can place excessive stress on your adrenals, leading to fatigue, crashes and imbalances in cortisol, your stress hormone.
• Thyroid: Basically when sugar handling is out of control the rest of your body will feel it, and often this can manifest as sluggishness or weight gain, as your hormones strive to to self correct.
• Female Hormones: Hormonal imbalances can be linked to poor sugar handling. Fluctuations in blood sugar levels can disrupt the delicate balance of estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones, leading to irregular menstrual cycles, PMS symptoms, and more.
• Immune System: Sugar imbalances can compromise your immune system, making you more susceptible to infections, slower wound healing, and overall reduced immune function.

Understanding the connection between poor sugar handling and these bodily systems helps us see the bigger picture of how addressing sugar handling issues can have far-reaching benefits for your overall health and well-being. That's why this is one of the very first things I address with my clients. See the most common culprits in our blog here.

This is the Best Way to Improve Sugar Handling

Hands-down one of the most effective tools for balancing blood sugar is mastering your protein intake. Once you master this aspect, everything else seamlessly falls into place. Everything changes and the transformation is swift –– within days. Adequate protein will 100% change your life!

Check out our Protein Masterclass to learn how to build a nourishing, delicious and sustainable nutrition foundation.