There are many reasons that you feel constantly fatigued. But a commonly overlooked one? How your body regulates blood sugar levels.
The food that you eat, the rate that you absorb energy and your body’s ability to move the energy into your cells via insulin can all alter your sense of energy. So let’s take a closer look at how your blood sugar level could be exhausting you.
The links between blood sugar and fatigue
EATING HIGH-CARB, LOW-FIBRE FOODS
Hands up who has eaten a carb-heavy meal like a massive bowl of pasta and needed a nap right afterwards? Welcome to the effect of your blood sugar level!
When you eat these types of food, the energy suddenly floods into the bloodstream. But too much glucose in the system can be damaging, so your body kicks into overdrive to store it away safely.
You produce a large dose of insulin, which will store it away in the cells and into fat stores. As a result, you’ll have a burst of energy, followed by a crash as your blood sugar level drops rapidly.
If that isn’t enough reason for a ‘food coma’, there’s a secondary action as well. The increased insulin level increases tryptophan uptake into the brain, causing you to feel tired.
INSULIN & BLOOD SUGAR BALANCE
Over time, consistently elevated insulin levels can lead to the development of insulin resistance (IR).
In IR, your body is producing plenty of insulin, but your cells don’t get the ‘message’. To try and fix the problem, your body will produce more insulin. Unfortunately, this just perpetuates the cycle by increasing the cells’ resistance to insulin.
How does this affect your energy? The primary cause is that the cells won’t accept the glucose they need to fuel them. Without fuel, the cells can’t work efficiently, and therefore cannot produce sufficient energy for your daily needs.
There are some indirect mechanisms that cause fatigue as well. For example, when there is too much insulin in the bloodstream, it can cause inflammation. Then there’s also more sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream because cells aren’t ‘listening’ to insulin, which is a double-whammy for inflammation!
Chronic low-grade inflammation can further reduce the energy available to your cells. Plus it also reduces your insulin sensitivity, causing a vicious cycle!
IS FATIGUE CAUSED BY BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS ONLY EXPERIENCED BY DIABETICS?
Not at all! While it’s more common for those diagnosed with diabetes to experience these effects, it’s not exclusive to them.
Fatigue is a well-recognised symptom of insulin resistance, which is considered a pre-diabetic state. But anyone can experience the effects of a rapidly changing blood sugar level, including lower energy or a sudden crash in energy.
If you’ve noticed a pattern of fatigue around your meals, it’s worth investigating if insulin resistance is to blame. Here are some simple management tips if IR is an issue for you.
CAN SUPPLEMENTS HELP TO BALANCE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR?
Supplements can‘t replace a balanced diet and exercise regime, but they can support pathways involved with insulin resistance and sensitivity. However, not all supplements are created equal!
That’s why I’ve formulated my own innovative supplement designed to support healthy ageing! Plus it helps to support healthy blood glucose & metabolism of carbohydrates, both of which play a critical role in insulin resistance. Learn more about Energy Glow NR here.
Susie Garden
I help women feeling stressed, flat and older than they’d like regain their youthful energy and glow using a proven method so their natural beauty and confidence shines through.