Balancing Blood Sugar in Midlife
5 Practical Tips for Controlling Sugar to Maintain Healthy Life
Thankfully I never had a sweet tooth but the craving to have something sweet right after a meal is enormous.
My mother’s side of the family has a history of diabetes. My two uncles have been on insulin or tablets for a long time. My mother’s insulin journey started very late. She was in denial for most of her life. Only when she started have rapid weight loss and falling episodes in her mid-60s she agreed to get her sugar checked and it was alarming. She was lucky to have survived.
And since that day (which was three years ago), I have been scared of the word ‘sugar’. My ultimate goal is to bring my sugar consumption to zero, but it is going to be a slow (yet consistent) journey. I still don’t enjoy my coffee without some sugar. There are some dishes that you only like them if they are ‘sweet’. I may not like to have an ice-cream but what about that sweet chutney that I like to drizzle on my savoury dishes!
Sadly, aging can affect the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and there is an increased risk of insulin resistance. The risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular increases with the fluctuations in blood sugar. Managing and regulating blood sugar levels is important especially in midlife.
As I (and so should all of us) strive to be on a zero-sugar journey, here are five tips that you should be mindful of to keep your sugar level in check.
- Diet
Healthy food is always the top answer to most of our troubles.
Go for low Glycaemic Index Food. Now what is this you ask? It is a value assigned to foods based on how quickly and how high those foods cause increases in blood glucose levels. Foods low on the glycaemic index (GI) scale tend to release glucose slowly and steadily. Foods high on the glycaemic index release glucose rapidly. Low-GI foods tend to foster weight loss, while foods high on the GI scale help with energy recovery after exercise, or to offset hypo- (insufficient) glycemia. (source: Glycaemic index for 60+ foods — Harvard Health).
Importance of portion control to manage calorie intake: Unless you are an athlete (or someone genuinely requiring high calories), mind your calorie intake. High calorie food is a source of sugar spikes. There are many credible medical websites that provide with information on how many calories you need daily depending on your weight, age, gender and other parameters. It is a good idea visiting such sites and working on your daily calorie intake.
2. Regular Exercise
One way of surely cutting down your sugar spikes is by engaging in a physical activity — which is exercising. It helps in improving insulin sensitivity and maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
3. Stress Management
Ok, this is tough. Managing stress is not easy. I believe moving to a healthy diet and exercising regularly is easier. My nearly six-month yoga journey is an example of it. I just can’t practice mindfulness even for a minute. But like my teacher says, just pull yourself back to the real world whenever you see yourself being drifted away by bothering thoughts. I have been trying hard. And I am sure I will get there. And so can all of us. Just practice. Maybe meditation works for you or some other stress-reduction technique. These considerably help in reducing/eliminating blood sugar fluctuations. So, explore options and see what works for you the best.
4. Regular Monitoring
I have now started getting my glycated hemoglobin test (called HBA1C where I live; it is called by different name in different countries.) check up done every six months. This is a blood test that tells you how your sugar level has been for the past three months. We never know how well we are doing until we get ourselves checked. After all that good eating, practicing yoga, and cutting down on our sugar, we need to know if it is all working well or not. A small test goes a long way in preventing diseases. If like me you have a family history of diabetes or high-risk factors, consult your doctor regularly.
and finally…
5. Sleep Well
My antidote to everything! I know that not everyone can fall asleep easily especially those with anxiety issues but try getting your minimum hours of sleep daily is necesaary to ensure that your sugar levels remain under control.
A 2016 study found that people who have diets high in sugar tend to sleep less deeply and display greater restlessness at night (source: The alarming truth about how sugar ruins your sleep | Sleep | The Guardian and Fiber and Saturated Fat Are Associated with Sleep Arousals and Slow Wave Sleep | Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (aasm.org)
So let’s make mindful choices by 1) keeping our diet decent– not giving in to temptation — that box of sweets is dangerous, remember! 2) exercising daily — does not have to be vigorous; 3) managing stress — breathe in, breathe out!; 4) monitoring our sugar levels through regular check-ups; and 5) by sleeping well.
This way we can effectively manage and regulate our blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of health issues associated with blood sugar fluctuations.
