Yep, it’s a confusing. Glucose is essential to keep our bodies up and running, but if we have too much of it or our blood sugar levels run too high, we can run into some serious health issues.
While we know it’s not healthy to consistently consume sugary drinks and ultra processed food, why is it still so tough to resist? To help tame our sugar tooth (or chip weakness), here are some specific ways our blood stream is affected…
High glucose levels help contribute to cancer development and progression through…
- Insulin resistance: This is a condition where the body’s cells become less responsive to insulin, which can stimulate and promote the growth of cancer cells
- Chronic inflammation: High glucose levels can cause chronic inflammation, which can damage cells and DNA, leading to cancer development.
- Increased oxidative stress: High glucose levels also increases oxidative stress, a process where there is an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the body’s ability to neutralize them.
- Alteration of cellular metabolism: Cancer cells have altered metabolism compared to normal cells, and they require high levels of glucose to support their rapid growth and proliferation. High glucose levels can provide cancer cells with the energy they need to grow and divide.
How much sugar it too much?
The Mayo Clinic’s advice, “Keep your sugar intake in moderation for a healthy lifestyle.” For those of us – myself included – “moderation” is a very relative term. How much is too much?
Here is a list foods which may seem healthy, but are some of the highest in glucose levels, some of these may surprise you from BeWell.com
KETCHUP
WHITE PASTA.
BAGELS
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
FRUIT JUICE
ENERGY BARS
LOW-FAT SWEETENED YOGURT
COFFEE FLAVORED DRINKS
SPORTS DRINKS AND ENERGY DRINKS.
Energy drinks and sports drinks carry all the woes of fruit juice with the added no-no of more sugars.
Foods that can help avoid high glucose levels
10 Foods to Lower blood sugar…Healthline.com
BROCOLLI
SEAFOOD
NUTS AND BUTTER
BEAN & LENTILS
BERRIES
AVOCADOES
OAT & OAT BRAN
CITRUS FRUITS
EGGS
APPLES
Unless you’re getting blood levels checked, how are we to know if we have high blood sugar? Here’s a variety of symptoms to keep an eye on…
• Frequent urination: When blood sugar levels are high, the kidneys work harder to filter and remove the excess sugar from the blood, leading to more frequent urination.
• Increased thirst: The frequent urination associated with high blood sugar levels can also cause dehydration, leading to increased thirst.
• Fatigue: When glucose cannot enter the body’s cells due to insulin resistance or insufficient insulin production, the body cannot produce energy efficiently, leading to fatigue and weakness.
• Blurred vision: High glucose levels can cause fluid to be pulled from the body’s tissues, including the eyes, leading to blurry vision.
• Headaches: Hyperglycemia can cause headaches and difficulty concentrating.
• Slow wound healing: High blood sugar levels can interfere with the body’s ability to heal wounds and fight infections, leading to slow healing times and increased risk of infections.
And you’ll never guess what exercise has been deemed #1 in lowering glucose levels…
The fitness and medical communities have been buzzing about some very exciting (and definitive) new research about HIIT style workouts that I am pumped to share. I like how simply this blogger/nutritionist explained a very complicated concept…
One more reason to get MOVING
Fight for your best life – and healthier blood sugar levels –
with some HIIT infused Mojo this week!
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