BLOOD SUGAR STABILITY
Weight, Aging, and Health Optimization
Chronically elevated blood glucose (sugar) increases resistance to insulin in your body. This is associated with many negative health outcomes and a shorter overall lifespan. It is well known that elevated blood sugar over time causes type 2 diabetes. Additionally, added sugar increases the rate of biological aging. Elevated sugar triggers systemic inflammation, this leads to DNA damage which then causes altered genetic expression. With altered genetic expression, risk for diseases such as alzheimers and cancer also increase.
Balancing your blood sugar on a consistent basis is an excellent strategy for aging well and lowering your long term risk factors. In 2015, the CDC reported that over 30 million Americans have diabetes and 84 million Americans have pre-diabetes. While the typical education from one’s doctor sounds like “you need to eat better and exercise”, this advice is full of little context or actionable tools.
If you’re looking to take your health into your own hands and decrease your long term risk factors, there are a variety of lifestyle habits and strategies to help you do so. First and foremost, focus on a diet high in high-quality protein. Animal products that are well sourced offer a rich abundance of nutrients and the high protein content helps to stabilize internal blood sugar levels. Stress is another thing that can elevate blood sugar levels on a consistent basis. Implementing a daily meditation practice will help to keep stress hormones lower which will help support healthy blood sugar levels. Lastly, moving your body regularly is an excellent approach to teaching your body how to properly utilize and burn up glucose as fuel. This does not need to mean strenuous activity, but meeting your daily 10,000 steps can make a world of difference to your longevity and wellness.
The most important takeaway here is understanding that you have control over your ability to regulate your blood sugar levels, which means you have an element of control over your long-term health and wellness.
Watch for Katie's feature column in Glancer Magazine throughout 2022 and 2023.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Katie McManigal is a board-certified nurse practitioner who specializes in functional and regenerative medicine. Her mission and passion are in bringing optimal health to each individual she serves. Katie completed her nurse practitioner degree at Purdue University and went on to open Peak Health Institute in Warrenville, IL. Peak Health Institute is a functional medicine and lifestyle clinic devoted to providing residents with the tools needed to optimize their health. Learn more at www.peakhealthinstitute.com
