Sugar Crash—Explained 😮

👀 Pause the scroll and spend a minute with me…

Ready for a crash course in exactly what happens at the cellular level when you eat too much sugar at once?

(let’s say—a big gulp slushie 🥤)

When the sugar hits your digestive tract, it’s absorbed into your bloodstream as glucose (aka blood sugar)...

…which signals beta cells in your pancreas to release insulin (a hormone) into the blood as well.

⚠️ Remember this: because we’re dealing with a slushie here, a large spike in blood sugar triggers a large spike in insulin.

Insulin facilitates the movement of glucose into cells so it can be used as energy 👏👏

Sounds great EXCEPT…

Because of the sudden nature and magnitude of the sugar spike and insulin spike, glucose is quickly moved into cells and blood sugar drops dramatically (the CRASH 🫨)

Cue hunger, cravings, shakiness, brain fog, anxiety, you-name-it.

👉 The point is that our bodies were not made to deal with excessive sugar intake.

If repeated day in and day out, eating high amounts of sugar or refined carbs without healthy fats, fiber, and protein…

…is the main cause of insulin resistance.

If you’re still with me, like ❤️this post and follow 🚶‍♀️for my upcoming posts on how to keep a healthy blood sugar balance.

Subtle Signs of Insulin Resistance

Signs of Blood Sugar Imbalance You May Not Know 👇👇

But first it’s important to be clear that you cannot know if you have blood sugar problems strictly by the way you feel.

💥 The only way to know is to test.

That being said, here are some of the outward signs:

▪️ Belly fat

▪️ Sugar Cravings

▪️ Energy Crashes

▪️ Brain Fog

▪️ Mood Swings

▪️ Skin Tags

▪️ Darkened Skin Creases

These signs give us clues that you may have insulin resistance, which means your cells have become less responsive to insulin and less effective at using glucose from your blood as energy.

Left unchecked, insulin resistance can also fuel inflammation, weight struggles, and heart disease 😬

Be sure to like ❤️ this post and follow🚶‍♀️for more posts coming soon on how to understand and optimize your blood sugar.

A Surprising Risk of Mouth Breathing!

Do you tend to breathe more through your mouth or your nose? 👄👃

Your mouth has a microbiome of its own, but did you know that the oral microbiome depends on how you breathe?

A study of children found that mouth breathing had an adverse effect on the oral microbiome by increasing the number of pathogenic (bad) bacteria in the mouth 😬

Here are 5 ways to support a healthy oral microbiome:

1️⃣Nasal (rather than mouth) Breathing 👃

2️⃣Tongue Scraping 👅

3️⃣Flossing 🦷

4️⃣Replacing Toothbrush Heads Regularly 🪥

5️⃣Avoiding Antiseptic Mouthwash 🚫

Optimizing the oral microbiome can support the health of your teeth, gums, & digestion.

❤️Like this post if you learned something and follow for more tips on improving your health naturally!

Reference

Fan C, Guo L, Gu H, Huo Y, Lin H. Alterations in Oral-Nasal-Pharyngeal Microbiota and Salivary Proteins in Mouth-Breathing Children. Front Microbiol. 2020;11:575550. Published 2020 Oct 9. [link]

Tribble GD, Angelov N, Weltman R, et al. Frequency of Tongue Cleaning Impacts the Human Tongue Microbiome Composition and Enterosalivary Circulation of Nitrate. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2019;9:39. Published 2019 Mar 1. [link]

Fermented Foods Aren’t for Everyone (Here’s Why)

This could be why👇

Just because fermented foods and probiotics are promoted far and wide for gut health does not mean they are for everyone!

➡️ Some people already have an overgrowth of beneficial bacteria.

➡️ Some people have inflammation, sensitivities, and compromised digestion. 

➡️ Some people need to do some healing before being able to handle these foods. . 

What’s best for you depends upon the composition of your unique microbiome at this moment. 

That’s why, if you’re struggling with gut health, it’s so important to work with a qualified practitioner on a personalized plan. 

Does any of this surprise you? 

Let me know in the comments ⤵️

Microbiome Diversity: Top Tips!

📍Save this post!

You’ll want to come back to it whenever your microbiome needs a reset—especially when you want to rebuild microbial diversity.

My top tips:

1️⃣ Consume probiotic-rich foods or drinks, like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut.

2️⃣ Increase prebiotic-rich foods, like artichokes, asparagus, onions, and bananas.

3️⃣ Focus on diversity in your diet, emphasizing colorful whole foods rather than processed ones.

4️⃣ Stay hydrated with water and tea, keeping alcohol to a minimum.

5️⃣ Exercise at least 30 minutes a day at least 3 days a week.

6️⃣ Follow a regular sleep schedule for a healthy circadian rhythm.

And remember: You are unique!

If you feel like you are doing everything “right” but still struggle with gut health, I can help.

🌱 Get started at our practice through the link in our bio!