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Balancing Your Blood Sugar Like a Babe
66 Plays5 days ago
This week, we’re diving into practical strategies to support your blood sugar without tracking every bite or stressing over food. If you’ve ever wondered how to naturally feel more stable, energized, and less hangry throughout the day, your blood sugar might be the missing piece of the puzzle.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- The physiology behind your blood sugar and metabolism
- Why when you eat breakfast matters
- The best order to eat your meals
- How a quick walk after eating can help balance blood sugar
- Why stress and sleep are just as important as food when it comes to blood sugar
- The role of sodium and potassium in keeping blood sugar stable
- How hydration fits into the picture
This episode is packed with simple shifts that add up to big results. These practices will make blood sugar balance feel effortless as it becomes a way of life!
Ready to learn more? I’ve got a ton of free resources for you!
🎉 FOLLOW me on IG @cassidy.woelfel 🎉
SIGN UP for my webinar on assessing your thyroid and metabolism at home for free
Check out my course Metabolism by Intelligent Design
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And don’t forget to shout me out online 😍
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Eat Like a Mother' Podcast
00:00:14
Speaker
Welcome to the eat like a mother podcast where we take complicated topics surrounding hormones and metabolism and make them simple and applicable to your daily life as a woman. I'm your host castie. Well fell.
00:00:25
Speaker
My hope is that you walk away feeling empowered to start taking radical responsibility for your health and lean into this body. God created for you. Are you ready to eat like a mother? This podcast is meant for educational purposes only and is not meant to be taken as medical advice.
00:00:43
Speaker
Please consult your physician before making any dietary or lifestyle changes.
Revisiting Blood Sugar Balance
00:00:47
Speaker
Well, I don't know about y'all, but I know for me, I truly believed that blood sugar balance only was important for people who are diabetic, pre-diabetic type one or type two.
00:01:00
Speaker
When people would talk about balancing blood sugar, it would just go completely over my head because I would think, oh, well, I'm not in any of those categories. So this really isn't important for me.
00:01:11
Speaker
But as I have been in this field, as I've spent time working with women, as I've spent time researching, as I have spent time in the health and fitness industry, I have come to the conclusion that blood sugar balance is one of the most important skills that anyone can learn if you want to be well.
00:01:33
Speaker
for a long period of time. If you're going for longevity, if you're going for resiliency for the majority of your life. So today we're going to talk about balancing blood sugar.
00:01:46
Speaker
Newsflash, it is not just for people with diabetes or who are pre-diabetic. It is absolutely essential for everyone, especially if you're someone that's dealing with fertility issues or metabolic syndrome or adrenal fatigue.
Essentials of Blood Sugar
00:02:01
Speaker
So today we're going to talk a little bit about the basics of blood sugar and then I'm going to give you five really simple ways that you can begin improving your blood sugar balance. These are so no brainers. They are so simple. i do them every day without even thinking about it.
00:02:17
Speaker
And something that I tell all of my clients is these little habits, they feel so freaking easy And that's the whole point. We want habits to feel so easy so that they become habitual. And when things become habitual, then we don't have to think about it anymore.
00:02:33
Speaker
So I do these things that we're going to talk about in a little bit on the daily without even having to think about it. So if you're looking at it and you're like, oh, that's that's a lot. That seems overwhelming. I just want you to cool your butt down, okay? and take it a little bit at a time and slowly start to implement these practices into your life.
00:02:53
Speaker
Now, before I go down talking about habits anymore, let's talk a little bit about blood sugar and then we'll go into those five ways that you can start improving your blood sugar today.
Carbohydrates and Energy
00:03:03
Speaker
So very basically, blood sugar balance and why it is so important is because glucose, as you probably know,
00:03:12
Speaker
is your cells preferred source of energy. It is the main source of energy that your body utilizes to produce ATP. This comes from the foods that you eat, primarily carbohydrates. And I'm going to pause right here for a second and put a little asterisk because there are always going to be people in the keto and primal and carnivore and all of those different spheres of thought or philosophies of thought, they're going to say your body doesn't need carbohydrates because it can turn proteins and fats into energy, which that is true. Your body is so smart and in the absence of glucose, it will break down proteins and fats to produce
00:03:52
Speaker
energy. The biggest problem with this is these processes to turn fat and protein into energy are highly inefficient. They create so many different waste products in the body.
00:04:03
Speaker
They spike your adrenaline and cortisol and lower your metabolic function. And what a lot of people don't realize is it is possible to have unbalanced blood sugar, which When you are not eating carbohydrates and that's something that people that are promoting these really extreme diets will not talk about they'll tell you just cut carbohydrates because it's going to spike your blood sugar or blah blah blah.
00:04:26
Speaker
While it is true that yes a naked carb will spike your blood sugar. It is also true that a naked protein will also spike your blood sugar. And so if you don't have a balance of protein, carbs, and fats, your blood sugar will be wonky. So it's really a myth that your body does not need carbohydrates. Number one, because like I've already said, the processes by which your body breaks down proteins and fats into energy is highly ineffective.
00:04:55
Speaker
Number two, what's it breaking these proteins and fats down into? Glucose. which is why it's so taxing on the body because your body is trying to create glucose from non-glucose
Metabolism Challenges and Solutions
00:05:07
Speaker
source. So if you're someone who is looking for metabolic health, metabolic wellness, longevity, vitality, restrictive diets where you cut carbohydrates is one of the stupidest things that you can do.
00:05:19
Speaker
Do not cut carbs. Your body needs carbs. And if your body is not handling carbohydrates well, then that's something that we need to talk about. We need to talk about one of your most important hormones and that's insulin.
00:05:32
Speaker
so Very simply, when you eat carbohydrates, your body will break them down into glucose, which then enters a bloodstream. Insulin is the hormone that helps to move glucose out of your blood and put it where it goes, which is within the cell.
00:05:48
Speaker
And this is where I want you to pause and think about it. So a lot of people will say, I can't eat carbohydrates because it spikes my blood sugar. Well, you can't stop right there because if there's too much sugar in your blood, then something is going on that is stopping moving the sugar from your blood into the cell where it belongs.
00:06:09
Speaker
So you can't just reason this away and say, oh, well, I just can't eat carbohydrates. You need to figure out what is happening in the physiological chain of events that is stopping your body from properly moving sugar into your cells to produce energy. And this is a metabolic function. This is why I spend so much time talking about healing your metabolism, because your metabolism is the method by which your body moves glucose and oxygen into the cell to produce energy.
00:06:41
Speaker
So if you are not effectively moving glucose into the cell to produce energy, that is a metabolism issue. So the answer is not as simple as cutting carbs. The answer is looking upstream and fixing what's causing the sugar movement issue to begin with. And that's going to be your metabolism.
00:07:02
Speaker
Now, healing your metabolism is a lifestyle. There is not one single diet that will help you to improve your metabolism, help you to improve your thyroid function.
00:07:12
Speaker
There are a lot of different things that have to be happening that have to occur in order for you to have proper metabolic health. So this isn't just a one quick fix and this is why I created an entire course that goes over all of the nuance of healing your metabolism It's linked in the show notes. You can actually start with my free webinar on assessing your metabolism from home. it, I talk about one of your most important metabolic markers, which is your temperature and how to utilize that to see really the state of your metabolism. It is the best tool that you could utilize when you are on a health and wellness journey.
00:07:49
Speaker
But I digress. Anyways, all I'm trying to say is there's a lot of nuance when it comes to healing your metabolism, but it really isn't as hard as a lot of people make it out to be. That's why I tried to make it so super simple in my course.
00:08:03
Speaker
So just know that there is a lot of nuance when it comes to metabolic healing. But today, for your sake, I'm going to give you a few practical ways that you can begin to improve your blood sugar balance, which will in turn improve your metabolism And it will be like a positive feedback loop over and over again.
00:08:21
Speaker
As you improve blood sugar balance, you improve your metabolism. And as you improve your metabolism, you improve blood sugar balance. So they work hand in hand. You have to look at them in continuity with each other.
00:08:33
Speaker
And so the simple tricks that I'm going to give you today are going to help in both arenas.
Breakfast and Blood Sugar Strategy
00:08:39
Speaker
So the first thing that I want you to remember for proper blood sugar balance is how you eat.
00:08:44
Speaker
And one of the simplest things that you can do to help improve your metabolism, help improve your blood sugar is to when you wake up, eat a protein rich breakfast within 30 minutes of waking.
00:08:55
Speaker
Waiting after that 30 minute mark is going to cause your stress hormones to continue to rise. Your stress hormones are naturally higher in the morning. That's good. We want them to be higher.
00:09:06
Speaker
But we need a meal that is rich in protein and also carbs and fats to help bring that stress response down and allow your body to utilize that glucose to produce ATP or energy.
00:09:20
Speaker
So eating breakfast within 30 minutes of waking with a nice balance of protein, carbs, and fats is going to be so super important. Skipping breakfast or eating a high carb, low protein breakfast, like cereal or toast or fruit or oatmeal, these can spike your blood sugar and lead to a crash mid-morning and just a cycle of feeling like crap.
00:09:44
Speaker
So protein helps to stabilize your blood sugar. and helps to move blood sugar a little bit more slowly into the cell so you don't have as big of insulin spikes. And it helps you to feel fuller longer. So some easy ways that you can add more protein to your breakfast are things like scrambled eggs with some cottage cheese or some Greek yogurt or skir, skir, skir, whatever the the thick yogurt is.
00:10:10
Speaker
I'm going to like so embarrass myself because I don't actually know how to pronounce it. You can also always do like meat. milk. it It really doesn't have to be complicated.
00:10:22
Speaker
Just try to aim for around 30 grams of protein with breakfast to help bring your stress response down and set up your blood sugar for the whole day. If you don't do this, then you will be what I consider chasing your blood sugar all day. Like you're always trying to play catch up. So breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Don't skip it.
Post-Meal Practices for Glucose Control
00:10:46
Speaker
Now, next simple way to help improve your blood sugar, and this was actually what inspired this episode, is because I actually did this habit after dinner today and was like, oh my gosh, I need to talk about this because this would be super helpful.
00:10:58
Speaker
And that is taking a walk after meals. So moving your body for five to 10 minutes after you eat a meal actually helps your muscles to absorb glucose from your bloodstream, reducing post-meal spikes in blood sugar.
00:11:15
Speaker
Even as simple as 10 minute walk after a meal can significantly improve how your body handles the glucose from your meal. So if you're someone that tends to feel a little bit more sluggish after you eat, especially after you eat something with carbohydrates in it, try going for a five to 10 minute walk. Get outside in the sunshine. If you're working, if you're in the office, you know, a nine to five, this would be a really great time to go and get some sunshine during the day because We also know how important that is. You can go back to my sunshine episode from a few weeks ago or it'll be linked in the show notes.
00:11:52
Speaker
Sunshine is so important. But take that time to move your body. If you can't get a 10-minute walk in and I've had some clients that have had this predicament where they really can't leave their office or they really can't go and do a 10 minute walk for whatever reason do 10 squats literally just something to get the blood flowing this will help move the glucose into your muscles and help maintain a level blood sugar balance throughout the day Okay, next tip is when you're eating a meal, eat your fiber and your protein first.
00:12:29
Speaker
The order in which you eat your food actually affects how your body will absorb and respond to food. So eating fiber and protein before your carbohydrates actually slows the digestion and absorption of glucose.
00:12:45
Speaker
This reduces the blood sugar spike that can happen when you eat really fast digesting carbs like fruit or fruit juices. This is something that I have been teaching my children since they start eating solids. My five-year-old now knows the whole protein, glucose, insulin cycle because anytime we're out and about, and this is especially if we're at like special occasions and there's something that she wouldn't normally eat that's maybe more sugary, I'll be like, yes, you can have cake, for example, you just need to have protein first.
00:13:19
Speaker
And that's with anything. If she wants a sweet treat, or if any of my kids want something that's a little bit more carby, they have to eat protein first. And how I communicate that to my children is simply, you're going to feel better.
00:13:31
Speaker
My five-year-old knows, oh, well, if you don't eat protein when you eat carbs, then you're going to have an insulin spike, and you're going to have a blood sugar crash, and you're not going to feel good. My children can recite this to me at five and Two and a half. I mean, he's he's not really talking in full sentences yet, but he understands it, believe me.
00:13:51
Speaker
So just remember how you eat is just as important as what you eat and when you eat. So protein and fiber first. Next is staying
Hydration and Blood Sugar
00:14:02
Speaker
hydrated. This is one really important thing when it comes to maintaining proper blood sugar balance. Water actually helps your kidneys to flush out excess glucose through the urine and prevents glucose from becoming too concentrated in your blood.
00:14:16
Speaker
Even mild dehydration can actually increase blood sugar levels. So it's important to aim for consistent hydration throughout the day, not just chugging water all at once like my husband does. And it drives me crazy. He'll get home from a whole like work day and I'm like, how are you doing? oh I feel like crap. Oh, have you had any water today?
00:14:39
Speaker
i chugged it all on my way home. Well, my brother in Christ, that is why you feel like crap. So aim for consistent hydration all throughout the day. This isn't just water. Plain water will flush you of minerals and further dehydrate you, further unbalance your blood sugar. So when you drink water, add salt to your water or trace minerals.
00:15:01
Speaker
Drink other hydrating things like adrenal cocktails or milk, broths, things like that. But stay hydrated because this will be so effective in helping maintain blood sugar balance and in turn improving metabolic function.
Stress, Sleep, and Sugar Levels
00:15:18
Speaker
And then the last point that we're going to talk about that's going to help improve your blood sugar balance is managing stress and prioritizing sleep. Stress hormones like cortisol increase blood sugar levels by triggering your liver to release glucose.
00:15:37
Speaker
Poor sleep can impair insulin sensitivity making it harder for your body to manage blood sugar. And this affects you for multiple days after a night of poor sleep.
00:15:48
Speaker
So if you're someone who consistently has poor sleep hygiene, it will take a while to get you to a place where your body and your blood sugar is more consistent because even one bad night of sleep can dysregulate your blood sugar for days after. This is also really important to note if you are someone who consumes alcohol Alcohol disrupts your sleep. It will disrupt your circadian rhythm. So if you're drinking alcohol before you go to bed, that alone will screw with your sleep and thus impair your blood sugar regulation for days after the alcohol consumption.
00:16:27
Speaker
So just keep that in mind and make informed decisions if you are someone who chooses to do something like drink an alcoholic beverage. But suffice it to say, prioritizing sleep is so important when it comes to blood sugar balance because when you are not getting good sleep, it will spike your stress hormones and cause your liver to release more stored glucose.
00:16:49
Speaker
This also is super taxing on the thyroid. It's super taxing on your metabolism because your body is running off of stress hormones instead of running off of thyroid hormone, which is what we want it to be running off of.
00:17:02
Speaker
So sleep, prioritize it, shut your phone off at night, get in bed, get a good routine in This is one of the most important things that you can do to help improve and manage proper blood sugar balance.
00:17:16
Speaker
Now, before we wrap up this episode, I want to give a little cameo to two things that I talk about relentlessly online.
Minerals and Metabolic Health
00:17:25
Speaker
and that is sodium and potassium.
00:17:28
Speaker
These are the most often overlooked blood sugar allies, and these minerals are hella important when it comes to managing and maintaining a proper blood sugar balance. So sodium and potassium work hand in hand. We need them together.
00:17:45
Speaker
If you have too much of one and not enough of the other, it's going to cause cell dehydration. It's going cause swelling. There's going to be issues So we really want to create and maintain sodium and potassium homeostasis.
00:17:58
Speaker
Sodium supports adrenal function, which is tied to cortisol balance. Balance cortisol, like we've talked about already, helps to regulate blood sugar. Sodium also helps with cell hydration and glucose transport, especially during times of exercise.
00:18:14
Speaker
If you're eating clean, and this is a really common mistake that I see in women and in people just that I've worked with over the years, if you're eating clean and you're cutting out processed foods, you actually might not be getting enough sodium. And that's something that you really need to look for.
00:18:29
Speaker
I talk about increasing potassium all the time because So many people are deficient in potassium as well. But if you're increasing potassium, you need to also be increasing sodium as well.
00:18:41
Speaker
So you might not be getting enough salt. You might not be getting enough sodium if you are eating super clean. So just watch that. Be mindful of that. Potassium, my boo, my boo thing, love her.
00:18:55
Speaker
Potassium is essential for insulin signaling, the process that allows glucose to move from your blood into your cells. You cannot heal if you are not getting enough potassium.
00:19:07
Speaker
I could, and I probably will create a whole podcast episode just on potassium because it is so freaking important. And if everybody could just be getting enough potassium, I feel like all of the world's problems would be solved. We would have world peace if everyone was getting enough potassium.
00:19:24
Speaker
But getting enough potassium and balancing it with sodium. So having that two to one ratio. So for every two grams of potassium, you get one gram of sodium.
00:19:35
Speaker
You need about four to 5,000 milligrams of potassium. So half of that is what you would need in sodium. In theory, this is not medical advice as my disclaimer at the beginning of this podcast says.
00:19:47
Speaker
So do your own research, use common sense, blah, blah, blah. But in general, that is what is recommended. Don't take my word for it. Go do your own research. But that's usually what I recommend to the people that i work with. So this isn't about mega dosing either mineral. It's just about getting the right balance.
00:20:06
Speaker
Too little potassium or too much sodium in relation to potassium can lead to imbalances that affect insulin sensitivity and hydration. So you want to pay attention to this because sodium and potassium are what modulate insulin and regulate insulin sensitivity.
00:20:22
Speaker
So if you are, let's say doing all the right things, doing the five things that I mentioned before, a couple minutes ago to help improve blood sugar balance. If you are already like nailing those things, then it's time to take a step back and look at your minerals because odds are if you are doing those things and you're still having issues handling carbs, if you're still having issues with proper blood sugar balance, I can almost guarantee you that your sodium and potassium are not in the right place and you need more of likely both.
Habitual Blood Sugar Management
00:20:52
Speaker
So That is it for today. That is what I wanted to talk about mainly when it comes to blood sugar balance, because this is one of those practices that, like i said in the beginning, if you can make this a habit, if you can establish these habits of eating protein with your meals, eating protein, carbs, and fats, eating fiber and protein before you eat a carb, walking after meals, prioritizing sleep, all of these things that we've chatted about today, if you can make those habitual in your life,
00:21:21
Speaker
then blood sugar balance will be something that you don't even have to think about because it just happens because your lifestyle is geared towards a thriving body.
00:21:33
Speaker
So I hope you found today's episode helpful. I would love to hear from you. If you want to leave a comment or a rating and review below, that helps me to know what people are and are not liking on this podcast.
Community Engagement and Feedback
00:21:46
Speaker
If there's something specific that you want to learn more about, please feel free to reach out to me. My email is castie at castiewellwell.com. I always respond to emails. That is the best way to reach me.
00:21:57
Speaker
So there's something particular that you're like, yeah, this would make for a great episode, give me a shout. I'll respond to you and that could be really fun. So thank you so much for listening today and we will see you again next week.
00:22:15
Speaker
If you found this podcast helpful or encouraging, would you mind leaving us a rating or review? I love hearing from you. So be sure to shout us out on Instagram and tag me at Cassidy dot wealth bell.
00:22:25
Speaker
And we'll be sure to shout you right back out. Let's get this message to as many women as possible until next time, friend.