Let's Talk Managing Blood Sugar

So now we know: Blood sugar spikes → crashes → cravings → chaos.

But what are we actually supposed to do about it? If your first thought was: “Guess I can never eat bread again”… Yeah, no, that’s not the move!

Managing blood sugar isn’t about restriction, it’s about strategy. Just a heads up before we dive in: these strategies are in the context for someone who has the ability to produce insulin. If you have an insulin production or distribution disorder, please seek medical advice before making significant changes to your diet or management routine.

First Up: What Are We Actually Aiming For?

It's not flatlines, it's not perfection, it's not “no carbs ever" (should we do a blog post all about carbs next?)

We’re aiming for:

👉 Fewer big spikes

👉 Fewer hard crashes

👉 More stable, predictable energy

You can get there with a handful of simple shifts and strategies. Let's get into it.

No Naked Carbs

In the words of the great and influential Glucose Goddess, "NO NAKED

CARBS". A plain, simple carbohydrate rich food on its own often leads to a fast spike. Think foods like plain toast, crackers, fruit, or granola bars (oats and chocolate bound together with sugar syrup, it blows my mind when people consider these "healthy".)

These digest quickly, leading to a fast rise in glucose, then insulin spikes and a crash follows.

So we put "clothes" on our carbs in the form of fat, protein, and fibre. These will digest slower, therefore slowing down glucose absorption, leading to a smaller, steadier rise in blood sugar levels. This is one of the most consistently supported strategies in nutrition research: mixed meals or snacks blunt post-meal glucose response.

Some easy examples of mixed meals:

• Apple + peanut butter

• Rice + chicken + vegetables + olive oil

• Yogurt + berries + nuts

Let's get into a bit more detail:

Protein Is Doing More Work Than You Think

Protein does so much more than just build muscle.

It helps to slows gastric emptying, and therefore reduces the speed of glucose absorption. Slower emptying also means that you stay fuller for longer, decreasing cravings and the risk of overeating. Have you tried Jacqueline's High Protein Brocolli Soup?

Starting your day with a higher-protein meal has been shown to reduce glucose spikes and cravings later in the day. Consider how you feel if you eat a chocolate croissant for breakfast compared to eggs and avocado toast. How long does it take for you to get hungry again? How are your mood and energy levels through the day? Breakfast can make a big difference in setting you up for success or for a crash.

Fibre is Your Built-In Glucose Buffer

Fibre slows how quickly glucose enters your bloodstream, especially soluble fibre, e.g. oats, legumes, chia, and insoluble fibre that is found in many vegetables (yes, the boring advice still works, eat your veggies). This creates a more gradual glucose curve instead of a sharp spike.

Like protein, fibre can help you feel more satiated and for longer, decreasing the risk for cravings, overeating, and blood sugar spikes later in the day when you feel you won't be able to keep your eyes open without eating a chocolate bar.

It also feeds your gut microbiome—which, interestingly, plays a role in glucose regulation too. But that's for another blog post. We love this recipe for high fibre bread to add a little extra to a meal.

Order Matters More Than You Think

For once, the internet hype is mostly aligned with physiology. The order in which we eat the different foods making up a meal or snack can also influence the rate of glucose absorption. Having your fibre/veg first, then proteins and/or fat, and then your carbs can reduce the size of the glucose spike from the same meal compared to eating the carbs first.

Why? Because you’re essentially slowing the entry of glucose into the bloodstream. Is it magic? No. Is it helpful? Often, yes.

Move After You Eat (Even a Little)

Muscle is one of your biggest glucose “sinks.” After eating, your body is trying to clear glucose from the bloodstream. Movement helps muscles take it up more efficiently.

Even light activity can significantly reduce post-meal glucose levels. Try things like a 10 min walk outside (is spring here yet?), standing and tidying up, a 5min kitchen dance party, or even just walking up and down the stairs. This is one of the simplest, most underused tools for blood sugar management.

Liquid Sugar Hits Different

Juice, soda, sweetened coffee, even smoothies (depending on what’s in them), skip a lot of the digestion “slow-down” steps, leading to glucose hitting your bloodstream quickly. This results in a bigger spike, and faster crash.

This doesn’t mean “never have them these kinds of treats, it just means, be aware of the trade-off and the strategies you can employ to decrease their effect.

Sleep and Stress Matter (A Lot)

You can eat perfectly and still have poor glucose control if:

• You’re sleep-deprived, and/or

• You’re chronically stressed

Why? Because cortisol raises blood sugar and reduces insulin sensitivity. Even one night of poor sleep can impair glucose regulation the next day. It's not about never being stressed or never having a bad nights sleep; we are human, we're not perfect. Understanding how these things can affect your metabolism is the first step in management.

Consistency Beats Extremes

You don’t need a Keto diet, or carb elimination, or perfect food at every meal. Aim for balanced meals with reasonable portions, regular movement, and decent sleep.

Boring? Yes. Effective? Also yes.

You Don’t Need to Fear Carbs. Let’s be clear: Carbs are not the problem; context is the problem. Carbs fuel your brain, support performance, and are part of almost every traditional diet on earth. There becomes and issue when isolated, refined carbs in large amounts are eaten quickly, in low-fibre contexts

So instead of removing carbs, try:

• Pairing them

• Slowing them

• Building meals around them

Pay Attention to Your Patterns

Two people can eat the same meal and respond differently. Things that influence your response include:

• Sleep

• Stress

• Muscle mass

• Meal timing

• Hormones

So while general principles help, your lived experience matters too. This is where a continuous glucose monitor can be helpful. Talk to your primary care physician or naturopath about blood sugar testing to see where you're at.

Managing blood sugar isn’t about control—it’s about stability. Because when your blood sugar is more stable:

• Energy improves

• Hunger regulates

• Mood evens out

• Long-term risk decreases

If you're struggling to incorporate these blood sugar management strategies into your routine, or are unsure if your symptoms are being caused by unmanaged blood sugar, book a free consultation with us, and we talk about the right path for you to take control of your health.