Stress & Sugar: Which Comes First?

Which comes first?

When you’re stressed, your body produces cortisol and adrenaline. These increase glucose in the blood as a source of energy for your cells to respond to the perceived threat (fight or flight!) 😱

BUT…when you aren’t actually running from a saber-toothed tiger, that spike in blood sugar is kinda…EXTRA.

✖️ That’s how stress can be a driving force behind insulin resistance and blood sugar problems over time.

Now let’s look at the other way around 🔁

When you eat an excess of sugar or refined carbs, you get a sugar spike followed by a crash—which your body perceives as a stress and releases cortisol and adrenaline.

✖️ That’s how sugar causes stress.

So, which do you think comes first for you?

Is it the sugar or the stress?

My Holistic Approach to the Heart

My holistic approach to heart health ❤️

Here's a sneak peek into my whole-body approach to cardiovascular health (hint: it goes a bit beyond managing blood pressure & cholesterol!)

Here are some things I consider when it comes to heart health:

1️⃣ Functional Medicine Testing can identify risk factors that are overlooked by routine screenings (things like a more specific breakdown of cholesterol, markers of inflammation, and levels of omega-3 fatty acids).

2️⃣ Stress is a massive contributor to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. We have a toolbox full of strategies to help your body better manage stress for heart health.

3️⃣ Poor metabolic health and elevated blood sugar can lead to cardiovascular disease if they are not recognized and managed early. We take prevention seriously.

4️⃣ Nutrition & supplements can be used proactively to support heart health before any medications or interventions are needed.

5️⃣ We look at the whole person—from gut health to inflammation to sleep and mood. Body systems do not function separately but very much depend upon and influence each other. If we want to optimize heart health, we need to optimize the whole body, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

If you are concerned about heart health because of a family or personal history, we can help.

💻 Visit our website to schedule an appointment with Dr. Cantrell!

🔎https://www.elementsnatmed.com/naturopathic-visits