Why do blood glucose levels matter in terms of our long-term health – and what does it mean for us when we want to enjoy a tasty treat?
Sugars are infamously addictive – but it’s hard to worry about long-term benefits and consequences when chips and cookies are sitting right there in front of us looking so good.
Disclaimer: This article is not about telling you to stop eating sugars.
Rather, it’s an article about the long-term health benefits of maintaining average low blood glucose levels, including the reduced risk of developing dementia – which is associated with consistently elevated glucose.
- The role of blood glucose in long-term health
- How to manage blood glucose levels
- Why self-care goes beyond carb and sugar intake
- Keeping up to date on your health Essentials
The role of blood glucose in long-term health
We want to emphasize – this message isn’t about weight. What we eat isn’t just about how we look.
It’s about how we feel, and how healthy our bodies are as we age.
Maintaining healthy blood glucose levels is essential for everyone, not just those with prediabetes or diabetes. Over time, high blood glucose levels can cause damage to your blood vessels, nerves, and organs, leading to serious health problems.
Below, we break down exactly why being mindful of your blood glucose levels matters especially as you age.
Breaking down glucose as we age
Glucose (aka. blood sugars) is processed using the body’s natural insulin production.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas and it plays a vital role in controlling and maintaining blood sugar levels. Its job is to prevent our blood sugars from rising too high (hyperglycemia) or dropping too low (hypoglycemia).
As we get older, our bodies’ estrogen and progesterone levels decline. This affects how natural insulin works in our bodies, and impacts how we are able to process sugars or high glycemic foods.
This can lead to what we call glucose intolerance, and may even develop into diabetes.
This is why we need to increase our veggetable and protein consumption, and make an effort to reduce the number of processed carbohydrates and starchy foods we eat.
Extra odihealth benefits from a healthy diet
A low carb, low sugar diet has added health benefits, such as:
- Reducing damage caused to arteries
- Reducing risk of dementia
- Reducing risk of nerve damage
- Improving wound healing
- Reducing weight
- Reducing perimenopausal symptoms
Persistently elevated blood glucose levels can cause damage to the arteries that carry blood to our organs, including our eyes, kidneys, heart and brain.
Our arteries also carry blood to wounds. Damaged arteries can actually slow our healing processes, which increases the risk of infections or prolonged pain and discomfort.
Glucose as a risk factor of dementia
Consistently high glucose levels is a known risk factor of dementia.
There is a scientific link between diabetes and dementia that shows elevated glucose can affect brain health.
Revivele’s founder, Dr. Kavita Desai, speaks about this subject in this Instagram video. Please feel free to check it out, leave your comments, and follow for more tips!
How to manage blood glucose levels
Fortunately, there are some simple methods to keep ourselves healthy as we age.
- Reduce refined carbohydrates, sugars or foods that turn into sugar in our body (examples include: bread, pasta, potatoes, alcohol, desserts, and sugary beverages)
- Choose low glycemic fruits and vegetables such as berries, broccoli, and leafy greens.
- Exercise regularly
- Eat more fresh vegetables and lean proteins
- Eat whole foods (ie. foods that have not been processed)
- Keep track of nutrient deficiencies
Nutrient deficiencies can cause cravings that we misunderstand, which means we try to satisfy them with the wrong foods.
Speak with your healthcare practitioner if you feel that you have a nutrient deficiency, and ask about taking healthy supplements to help balance these deficiencies.
Our soon-to-launch supplement system, Essentials by Revivele, includes berberine and ceylon cinnamon to help manage blood sugar levels. Learn more about how these key ingredients work to help manage your glucose below.
What do berberine and ceylon cinnamon have to do with glucose?
Berberine is a compound found in many plants and is generally acknowledged to be a powerful supplement with various health benefits.
For instance, berberine improves the body’s stimulation of glucose by inducing secretions of insulin and reducing insulin resistance.
Ceylon cinnamon is a type of cinnamon taken from the bark of a type of evergreen tree primarily found in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Cinnamon has been shown to have a positive impact on blood sugar levels, containing bioactive compounds that improve the body’s ability to use glucose effectively. It works by increasing insulin sensitivity, efficiently moving sugar from the bloodstream into cells.
Other medical benefits of ceylon cinnamon include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial uses, in addition to boosting the immune system.
Healthy eating gets easier – and starts to feel more rewarding over time
When you consume a lot of sugar on a regular basis, your insulin is very unstable and will fluctuate a lot, which can lead to ongoing sugar cravings, and may even cause mood swings.
Although reducing sugars in your diet may feel like a deprivation at first, your body will adjust to your new healthy lifestyle over time.
Once your insulin production stabilizes, a lot of your sugar cravings will go away, and you will begin to feel the overall improvements to your health and comfort.
“Think of making healthy lifestyle changes not as a sacrifice, but as a step towards taking care of you – and improving the health and wellness of your future self!”
-Dr. Kavita Desai
Self-care goes beyond carbohydrate and sugar intake
The intake of sugars and added sugars like sucrose, dextrose, table sugar, syrups, honey, and concentrated fruit juice sugars, contribute to shorter, less healthy lives in most Americans.
According to the CDC, the average person should not consume more than 12 teaspoons of sugar each day in order to maintain optimal health.
However, we’ve also been conditioned to use high-calorie foods, alcohol consumption, and sweet treats like candy, soda and baked goods as go-to solutions to “treat ourselves” when we are seeking comfort or reward.
It’s common to think: “But, how can I enjoy life when I have to watch everything I eat?”
We hear you – and we get it! Sugar is addictive for a reason. Some studies even suggest that sugar is as addictive as cocaine.
Sugars release opioids and dopamine into our bodies to give us a quick fix of delicious pleasure.
By the time we reach our perimenopausal years, it is common to want to relax, treat ourselves, and seek comfort to manage the fluctuation of hormones and emotions that come with this time in our lives.
Just to reiterate: we’re not suggesting you have to eliminate sugars from your diet entirely.
But we are encouraging you to start consciously moderating your sugar intake, especially as you age.
Tip: It’s hard to un-train the brain from considering consumption as a reward. Read Revivele’s 5 Healthy Habits for the Year for inspiration and motivation!
Keep up to date on your health Essentials
At Revivele, we believe that every woman should be given the information they need to prioritize their health, advocate for their needs and take action to prevent the development of possible health concerns like dementia.
Not only do we keep up-to-date on the latest scientific research when it comes to women’s health, and brain health, but we are also gearing up to release our new supplement system: Essentials by Revivele.
This line will include the key ingredients that help balance glucose levels to make maintaining a healthy lifestyle easier.
Stay tuned for news about our Essentials line and follow Revivele on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.