Blood sugar 101: A Natural Medicine Perspective
One of the most common conversations I have is about blood sugar balance. Whether someone is experiencing hormonal imbalances, gut issues, skin breakouts, or their GP just told them they have pre-diabetes, I always discuss the basics of blood sugar with my patients because it's so intertwined with many symptoms people commonly experience. Plus, with the upcoming holiday, we'll all benefit from a quick reminder on how blood sugar works in our bodies and what we can do to stabilize while we enjoy pumpkin pie and other goodies.
🩸Blood Sugar Basics🩸
Blood sugar isn't just about diabetes. It's something we all need to be aware of. Here's how it affects various parts of the body:
Cardiovascular system: High blood sugar can damage blood vessels, leading to poor blood flow, heart attack, and other cardiovascular problems.
Nervous system: High blood sugar can damage nerves throughout the body, causing a condition called neuropathy. The autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions like heart rate and digestion, can also be affected. **Over time damaged blood vessels and nerves can lead to sexual dysfunction like erectile dysfunction and vaginal dryness.
Renal system: The kidneys filter waste from the blood and high blood sugar can damage the small blood vessels in the kidneys.
Digestive system: High blood sugar can damage the nerves in the stomach, slowing down digestion and causing issues like bloating, constipation, and a feeling of fullness.
Brain: The brain relies on sugar for energy. Both high and low blood sugar levels can cause problems. High blood sugar can damage blood vessels in the brain, increasing the risk of stroke and memory loss.
Eyes: Blood vessels in the eyes can be damaged by high blood sugar, leading to vision loss.
Skin: High blood sugar can impair blood flow to the skin, making it harder for the body to heal wounds. It can lead to skin issues like dark patches or blisters.
Reproductive system: Decreased blood flow can affect both male and female reproductive health.
Hearing: Damage to the small blood vessels and nerves in the inner ear can lead to hearing loss.
What Your Body Wants You to Know: When you eat your body breaks carbohydrates down into glucose, which then is absorbed through your bloodstream. As blood sugar levels rise insulin is released from your pancreas. Insulin allows glucose to enter muscle, fat and liver cells. Once the glucose is inside of our cells it is used for immediate energy or stored for later use in the liver and muscles (in the form of glycogen).
When we’re not eating between meals, blood sugar levels start to fall because we’re using the immediate fuel from previous meals. When levels drops this tells the liver to break down the stored glycogen into glucose and release it back into the bloodstream to be used as fuel/energy.
The cool thing about it is, we don’t have to think about or know any of this for it to be happening all day every day in our body. And sometimes, this process goes awry when blood sugar stays too high for too long, ead ingto pre-diabetes and diabetes. So what can we do, regardless of where your blood sugar levels are right now, to stabilize and balance blood sugar throughout the day?
The bad guys that make it harder to stabilize blood sugar
Regular and excessive consumption of:
foods with added sugars (dextrose, cane sugar, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, corn syrup, molasses, honey, rice syrup, maple syrup)
soft drinks, juices, sweetened coffee beverages, and energy drinks
white flour and white flour products
breakfast cereals with less than 5g of fiber and more than 5-7g of sugar per serving
snack bars with less than 5g of fiber and more than 5-7g of sugar
alcohol and caffeine
Things you might be doing that are working against you:
skipping meals
inconsistent meal patterns
smoking
chronic dehydration
ignoring hunger cues and/or not listening to your body
The good guys for blood sugar stabilization
When you look at your plate always choose to eat your protein first.
Eat at regular intervals throughout the day (avoid skipping meals)
Balance meals and snacks with a combination of protein, complex carbohydrates, & healthy fats. Complex carbohydrates in their whole, minimally processed, and unrefined state often have a lower glycemic index and provide fiber which slows digestion and keeps blood sugar levels stable. Healthy fats, fiber, and protein help slow digestion and aid in the regulation of blood sugar levels.
Eat breakfast - skipping breakfast can increase your post prandial blood glucose for the rest of the day
Herbal bitters or apple cider vinegar before meals to help stimulate digestion
Physical activity – regular physical activity helps reduce high blood sugar and supports optimal blood sugar levels; Specifically going for a short walk or doing air squats after meals which helps improve glucose control
Stress management – high-stress levels can make blood sugar increase and contributes to an imbalance of blood sugar.
Optimal sleep – lack of sleep or poor quality sleep can disrupt hormones that regulate blood sugar and can lead to an increase or unstable blood sugar.
Morning light sun exposure - morning sunlight improves how your body handles sugar and turns it into fuel. This supports overall metabolic health and how effectively you burn calories. Go outside and stare at the horizon (not directly at the sun) for 5-10 minutes every day. This will also help regulate your sleep - so it’s a win-win!
How well is your body regulating blood sugar?
Here's a quick check-in to see how well your body is managing glucose + metabolic stress.
1. How do you typically feel 1–2 hours after eating?
A. Steady energy, clear mind
B. A little tired or craving something sweet
C. Very tired, foggy, irritable, or needing caffeine
2. How often do you experience intense sugar or carb cravings?
A. Rarely
B. A few times per week
C. Daily (or multiple times per day)
3. How consistent are your meals?
A. I eat at regular intervals and rarely skip meals
B. My meal timing varies somewhat
C. I often skip meals, eat on the go, or go long stretches without food
4. How frequently do you feel shaky, lightheaded, or irritable (“hangry”) when hungry?
A. Almost never
B. Occasionally
C. Often
5. How would you describe your typical breakfast?
A. Protein-rich (eggs, Greek yogurt, leftovers, protein smoothie, etc.)
B. Mixed (toast with something, cereal + fruit, oatmeal)
C. I skip breakfast or eat something sugary/simple-carb based (pastries, coffee only, granola bar, etc.)
Scoring - For each answer give yourself:
A = 0 points
B = 1 point
C = 2 points
0–2 points → Balanced Blood Sugar
Your body is doing a great job keeping your glucose steady. Keep prioritizing protein, steady meals, and daily movement. This is the foundation of metabolic resilience.
3–6 points → Early Signs of Imbalance
You might be experiencing mild dysregulation. This shows up as cravings, energy dips, mood swings, or bloating after meals. A few small shifts (like protein-first eating + walking after meals) will make a big difference.
7–10 points → Blood Sugar Rollercoaster 🚨
Your answers suggest your body is struggling to maintain stable glucose. This can impact: hormones, fertility, energy, digestion, mood, sleep, long-term metabolic health. Now is the perfect time to get support before it progresses. Book an appointment with me and I’ll help you create a personalized stabilization plan.
Regardless of how you scored, if you haven't had your fasting blood glucose and insulin levels tested before now is the perfect time. Let me know or talk to your current doctor to get your levels tested and get a baseline for where you stand.
Here are the ranges you want to see on your lab results:
Fasting blood glucose goal 80-100 mg/dL
Postprandial blood glucose goal below 140 mg/dL (without diabetes), or below 180 mg/dL (if you currently have diabetes) Post-prandial = 1-2 hours after first bite of food
HgA1c (this is a look at your blood sugar over the last 3 months)
Normal: Less than 5.7%
Prediabetes: 5.7% to 6.4%
Diabetes: 6.5% or higher
