Energy slumps after eating? Support your blood balance

Are you often ill, picking up infections easily and/or finding it hard to shake them off?

You might need support for your immune system.

Your immune system is your body’s defence mechanism, but it needs to be trained and supported to work well. A lack of immune supporting nutrients, stress, robust skin, lung and gut barriers or an imbalance of bacteria can all inhibit immunity, resulting in more frequent or more serious infections.

We are not alone! Because we are surrounded by a vast array of organisms and non-human molecules, some helpful, some harmful, we need a sophisticated system to protect us. Immunity is our body’s ‘defence system’, intelligently monitoring incoming molecules, deciding if they are hostile, destroying harmful ones, and also repairing any subsequent damage. We have a strong inborn immune system called innate immunity, which can mount powerful responses, raising inflammation to drive immune cells to the right area to work. This works alongside our adaptive immune system, which enables us to learn about new threats and create a tailored response.

How can we optimise our energy and balance blood glucose levels so we can be naturally healthy and productive, yet rested and recuperated? How can vitamins, plant extracts and other nutrients in supplements help?

The key to balancing blood glucose levels is to avoid a rollercoaster of peaks and troughs by managing your diet and lifestyle and increasing your intake of the key nutrients. Excess blood glucose is a huge problem as it damages the body, while not enough ‘fuel’ may make you feel tired.

Here are some useful tips to help you balance your blood sugar and energy levels.

• Eat within a 9-12 hour window each day. Keeping to a regular timing/frequency of eating can be helpful to reduce glucose peaks and troughs (e.g. ‘time-restricted feeding’ or ‘intermittent fasting’).

• Avoid caffeine, or drink one cup of good quality green tea/coffee before 12 p.m. Caffeine elevates cortisol, which in turn elevates our blood sugar.

• Exercise or move at least once a day for 30 minutes. Also include some muscle building exercise. Strong & efficient muscles burn more fuel.

• Keep to a regular sleep-wake routine (e.g. 10pm-7am per night). A healthy sleep-wake cycle has a significant effect on daytime energy, blood glucose and appetite regulation.

• Address the stressors in your life and increase daily calming activities. Cortisol counteracts insulin, so elevated levels can lead to increased blood glucose and fatty acids.

• Monitor your blood glucose regularly. This can help to see how your diet and lifestyle affect your levels and enable you to choose the right strategies to regain stability and control. For guidance, seek professional advice from a qualified health professional.

• Eat a healthy, low processed food diet, consisting of mostly non-starchy vegetables, and include good quality essential fats and protein at each meal.

• Eat anti-inflammatory foods – For example, a Mediterranean diet high in oily fish, wholegrains, fruit and vegetables, beans and pulses, nuts and seeds and good quality oils such as olive oil can support weight loss and reduce inflammation. Visceral (abdominal) obesity can lead to insulin resistance and a perpetuating cycle of inflammation.

• Reduce or eliminate added sugars, sugary drinks, snacks, and processed foods. Try to eat regularly and before 6pm in the evening.

• Enjoy a low GI/GL diet, rich in a wide variety of wholefoods to ensure a diverse daily intake of energy-supportive vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fibre.

• Chromium: broccoli, raw onions, green beans, mushrooms, cinnamon.

• B Vitamins: avocado, whole grains, liver, berries, green leafy veg, nuts, eggs, broccoli, cauliflower, daikon radish, mushrooms, salmon, meat, dairy.

• Magnesium: leafy greens, squash, pumpkin seeds, spinach, Swiss chard, sesame seeds, quinoa, black beans, cashews, sunflower seeds, daikon radish, cacao.

• Fibre: minimum 30g per day (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes).

• Improve the pancreatic function by limiting fats and sugary foods and by creating a meal routine and avoiding erratic and frequent eating.

Prefer a liquid? Try our Nutrisorb® Chromium which is provided in a simple purified water base for blood glucose and energy support.

Changing habits that have developed over years is never easy, but hopefully these few smart tips will help you on a road to better blood glucose regulation and health.