Health Chatter: Keeping your blood sugar in check
- Alice Monk
- Sep 7, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 25
Blood sugar, or blood glucose, is your body’s main source of energy. It fuels your brain, muscles, and organs — and is a natural and essential part of the bloodstream.
Your blood sugar levels naturally rise and fall throughout the day depending on what you eat, how active you are, and even how stressed you feel. But if your levels go too high or too low too often, it can affect your health.
Why Blood Sugar Balance Matters
Keeping your blood sugar stable helps:
Maintain steady energy
Support brain function and concentration
Reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other health conditions
Long-term high blood sugar levels can damage your blood vessels and organs, often without noticeable symptoms until complications develop.
How to Keep Your Blood Sugar Steady
1. Eat a Balanced Diet
A healthy diet is about balance — not cutting out food groups, but choosing the right portions and types of food to fuel your body.
Choose complex carbs like:
Wholegrain bread, pasta, rice, and cereals
Starchy vegetables (e.g. sweet potatoes)
Pulses (lentils, chickpeas, beans)
Non-starchy veg (e.g. spinach, courgette, peppers)
Limit refined carbs like white bread, sugary drinks, and pastries, which cause spikes in blood sugar followed by crashes.
Choose "complex" carbohydrates over refined or processed food
2. Avoid Big Peaks and Dips
Eat regular meals and healthy snacks — eating little and often can help manage energy levels and reduce cravings.
Don’t skip meals, as this can leave you feeling tired, irritable, or unable to concentrate.
Certain foods and drinks can affect blood sugar differently:
Caffeine and sugar substitutes like sorbitol or xylitol can raise your levels
Probiotics in yoghurt may help lower levels
Alcohol causes an initial spike followed by a drop, which can lead to overeating or tiredness
3. Move More
Physical activity helps your muscles use glucose for energy, which lowers your blood sugar levels without needing insulin.
Aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity each week (brisk walking, cycling, swimming)
If exercising for long periods or at high intensity, a small snack before or after can help maintain energy and avoid low blood sugar
4. Manage Stress
When you’re stressed, your body releases more glucose and less insulin — part of the “fight or flight” response. Over time, this can keep your blood sugar higher than it should be.
Try mindfulness, gentle exercise, or making time for things you enjoy
If stress is ongoing, speak to someone you trust or seek support
Understanding Insulin Resistance
Insulin is a hormone that helps your body use glucose for energy. But when you carry excess weight, especially around the organs, your cells can become resistant to insulin. This means:
Glucose builds up in the bloodstream
The pancreas produces even more insulin
The excess glucose is stored as fat
This cycle can lead to type 2 diabetes. The longer blood sugar remains high, the more damage it can do — often without early symptoms.
Know the Signs of Diabetes
If you notice any of the following, it’s important to speak to your GP:
Needing to pee more often (especially at night)
Feeling very thirsty
Feeling tired or lacking energy
Losing weight without trying
Itching (especially around the genitals)
Slow healing of wounds or frequent infections
Blurred vision or changes in eyesight
These symptoms don’t always mean diabetes, but catching it early makes a big difference.
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