What is blood sugar balance and how do I achieve it?
Most of us have likely heard by now the concept of eating smaller meals throughout the day. Almost everyone we ask here in the store how many times they’re eating daily, they will say something like, “well, I know you’re supposed to eat smaller meals throughout the day, but…” It raises the question: why? It’s a lot easier to stick to doing when you understand what you’re trying to accomplish by eating smaller, more frequent meals and how it will benefit you.
The overlying purpose is to stabilize your blood sugar levels. Protein helps do just that, which is why protein powders exist! It is difficult to eat the amount of protein your body requires to achieve your goals using only whole food protein sources. While many people look at protein powders and simply think that’s what you take before or after a workout, protein powders are especially beneficial to use between meals or even as meals replacements when you can’t get enough food in. Don’t hesitate to use protein shakes to help you consume the amount you need each day! And if you don’t know how many grams you need daily, come on in and visit with your Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and we can let you know exactly how many grams you should be eating each day to get the results you’re looking for.
By keeping your blood sugar levels stabilized you are developing a pattern that your body can begin to expect. We’ve all been there before when we’ve gone too long without eating anything and you know before you do anything else you need to eat something. But what, in these situations, do you typically crave? Chances are, because your blood sugar levels are low, your brain is telling you to get some sugars (carbohydrates). Carbohydrates cause your blood sugar levels to spike and provide immediate energy. A good way to look at it is that when you are tracking and following your macros (protein, carbohydrates and fats) you are far less likely to ever feel starving but you will also never eat so much in one sitting you feel sluggish afterwards. By pairing protein with carbohydrates your body will have sufficient and consistent energy levels. In this circumstance the sugars and bad foods don’t seem nearly as enticing! This may take an adjustment period so don’t give up on following your macros! Be willing to practice your macros!
If you’re not tracking your macros daily and with strategy, chances are high that your caloric intake is all over the place. If one day you eat 1400 calories with 92 grams of protein and 100 grams of carbohydrates but neglect fats, and the next day you ate 900 calories and 300 grams of carbohydrates with only 30 grams of protein, your body essentially gets confused! It doesn’t know what it will receive to work with to provide you with energy for today and tomorrow. If this is the case, your body will store fat like its gold!
Which brings us back to our original question. Why do you want to achieve stabilized blood sugar levels? Because it enables your body to burn fat! A phrase I’ve always liked is, “I’d rather miss the workout than the meal.” What does this mean? It means you can lose fat quicker by eating well than by exercising for hours but eating poorly.
So how important is eating smaller meals throughout the day? Once you being doing it you begin making nutrition work for you! This doesn’t necessarily mean, though, that you need to eat 6 meals per day. We are happy to work with you in planning and strategizing so that if you can’t eat 6 times per day you can hit your macros in 3 or 4 meals and in so doing we ensure you still get the adequate amount of nutrition in your body.
If you feel stuck in your weight loss, muscle gain goals we invite you to come in and visit with us. If your energy levels are not consistent and you’re requiring energy drinks to get through every day, a Macro Blueprint will be just what you need! We wish you the best in achieving your health and wellness goals and hope to see you soon!
