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Blood sugar is something we all hear about, but how many of us truly understand it? Whether you're aiming for fat loss, muscle growth, or just overall better health, managing your blood sugar levels is an essential piece of the puzzle.
But what exactly is blood sugar, and why does it matter for your goals? Let’s break it down.
What is Blood Sugar?
Blood sugar, or blood glucose, is the sugar (carbohydrates) that’s found in your blood and used by your cells for energy. It comes from the foods you eat, especially carbs like grains, fruits, vegetables, and sugars. Your body keeps blood sugar levels in a tight range to ensure that you have enough energy without experiencing major highs and lows.
In a perfect world, your body would keep blood sugar steady, but let’s face it—this isn’t always reality. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 3 Americans are prediabetic, which means their blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes.
How Blood Sugar Affects Your Body
When your blood sugar is too high or too low, it can make it harder to lose body fat and build muscle, as well as affect your energy levels and productivity, cause sleep issues, acne, anxiety, and more. So let’s look at what happens in both cases of high and low blood sugar.
High Blood Sugar: When you eat more carbs than your body can handle (especially simple sugars like candy, white bread, or soda), or carbs without protein, fiber, or protein, your blood sugar spikes. This triggers a release of insulin, the hormone responsible for bringing blood sugar levels back down. If this happens frequently, your body can become insulin resistant, leading to weight gain, weight loss resistance, poor muscle recovery, and even higher cravings for sugary foods
Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia): On the flip side, if you don’t eat enough or skip meals (especially carbs), your blood sugar levels can drop too low. Symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, irritability, and shaky hands are common. For athletes or anyone who wants to perform their best, low blood sugar can leave you feeling weak, sluggish, and unmotivated (which is the last thing you want in the gym).
So, managing blood sugar is about finding balance—not too high, not too low.
How to Manage Blood Sugar Like a Pro
So, how do you keep your blood sugar in check? It starts with understanding the habits that affect it. Here are some simple yet powerful tips for steady blood sugar levels:
1. Focus on Fats, Fiber, and Protein
Eating a combination of fiber, healthy fats, and protein with your carbs slows down the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream. So, instead of grabbing a granola bar (which is often high in sugar), opt for a whole grain wrap with lean protein like turkey or chicken. This keeps blood sugar levels steady and prevents energy crashes later on.
It is important to note that something like a granola bar, applesauce packet, or even candy can be an optimal choice before a strength training session because it provides a quick source of energy for your muscles, giving you that boost to crush your workout. Just be mindful of the timing and portion size to avoid energy crashes.
2. Choose Whole Carbs
Refined carbs—think white bread, pastries, and sugary snacks—are a surefire way to spike your blood sugar. Choose whole grains, fruits, and vegetables instead. These foods are packed with fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar.
3. Eat Balanced Meals
Each meal you eat should contain a mix of carbs, proteins, and healthy fats. Think of your meals as a mini blueprint for blood sugar stability. For example, a meal of grilled chicken, quinoa, and veggies will give you a slow-burning fuel that keeps blood sugar levels stable.
4. Don’t Skip Meals
If you're on the go and skip a meal, your blood sugar is likely to dip too low, leaving you sluggish and hangry. To avoid this, aim for balanced meals every 3–4 hours. Keep a well-balanced granola bar in your purse at all times for emergencies.
5. Get Active, but Don’t Overdo It
Exercise can help stabilize blood sugar by improving insulin sensitivity. Strength training, in particular, is great for building muscle and improving metabolism. But remember, intense exercise without proper fuel can cause blood sugar to crash. So be sure to stay mindful of your nutrition before and after your workouts.
6. Stay Hydrated
Dehydration can cause your blood sugar levels to rise. Make sure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day, and consider adding electrolytes if you're training hard.
7. Get Enough Sleep
Poor sleep has been linked to insulin resistance, which can mess with your blood sugar control. Make sleep a priority, and aim for 7–9 hours each night to keep everything running smoothly.
Why It’s Worth It
Managing your blood sugar isn't just about avoiding crashes or preventing weight gain; it’s about fueling your body the right way to perform better, feel better, and see better results from your workouts and diet. This is where many people get stuck: they focus strictly on tracking macros but miss the deeper layer.
Tracking macros is great, but it's not everything! The real game-changer happens when you start paying attention to not just the numbers but also the quality of the foods you’re eating and the macronutrient ratios at each meal.
If you've been in a plateau, simply hitting your calorie and macro targets might not be enough. We’ve seen it time and time again with our clients when they first join: balancing blood sugar with the right ratios of fiber, protein, and fats can help you break through plateaus and start seeing the progress you’ve been working for. Your body doesn’t just need macros—it needs the right macros at the right time to fuel your workouts, optimize recovery, and get you closer to your goals.
In our coaching program, we focus heavily on creating habits that stabilize blood sugar and optimize your overall health and well-being. By working on this from the start, we set you up for future success with your body recomposition or performance goals because stable blood sugar gives you the foundation you need to make real progress.
If you’re tired of feeling like your progress is stalled, or if you’re unsure if blood sugar management is something you need to focus on, we’d love to help you get a clear plan.
Click here to schedule a free 30-minute Nutrition Assessment with Coach Emma, and in it, she’ll break down what’s working and what’s holding you back, and help you find the right habits to keep your blood sugar steady, boost your energy, and get you closer to the results you want!
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