Ever Notice Food Affecting Your Stress Levels?

Stress is tricky.

It feels like it comes from the mind, but imbalances in your body can make you feel even more stressed. For example:

💥 Blood sugar swings.

Blood sugar crashes can spike cortisol, drain your energy, and disrupt your mood and sleep.

Some things you can do to keep your blood sugar stable for more stress resilience:

✔️ Start the day with protein & healthy fat (not just sugar!)

✔️ Avoid skipping meals (low blood sugar = cortisol trigger)

✔️ Pair carbs with protein or fiber to slow the glucose spike

✔️ Reduce ultra-processed foods that lead to energy crashes

You can’t control every stressor in life—but you can strengthen your body’s ability to handle stress better 💛

Have you ever noticed food affecting your stress levels?

Let me know in the comments ⤵️

#drelizabethcantrell #bloodsugar #bloodsugarbalance #protein #naturalmedicine #functionalmedicine #functionalmedicinetesting #columbusga #colga #naturopath #naturopathic #wholebodyhealth #rootcausemedicine #opelikaal #auburnal

Why To Care About Blood Sugar...

Why should you care about your blood sugar?

Because healthy blood sugar regulation can translate into…

✅ Sustained Energy

✅ Mental Clarity

✅ Fewer Cravings

✅ Better Sleep

✅ Stress Resilience

✅ Clear Skin

✅ Stable Mood

And those are just the effects you’ll notice.

Because over time, healthy blood sugar regulation supports your hormones, brain, heart, and healthy aging 🙌

If you have any questions about blood sugar or want personalized support...

🥾 Take the first step through the link in our bio!

Food Pairing vs. Glycemic Index

💥 How to use food pairing for blood sugar balance ⬇️⬇️

Food pairing is a way to combine 2 or more foods in a single meal or snack to support a healthy blood sugar response—rather than a quick sugar spike.

If you’ve heard of the glycemic index, the idea is similar but more practical.

Whereas the glycemic index gives an idea of how much a specific food will raise blood glucose levels, some perfectly healthy foods (like grapes and pineapple) have a high glycemic index.

With food pairing, it’s possible to still eat foods with a high glycemic index as long as they are paired with foods that slow their digestion and absorption.

Cool?

Studies show that the blood sugar response to carbohydrate-rich foods can be lowered by combining them with…

⭐ Protein, fat, fiber, or vinegar ⭐

Like this:

🍇 Grapes & Cheese

🥕 Carrots & Hummus

🍏 Apples & Almond Butter

🍅 Tomatoes & Olive Oil & Vinegar

Just remember: when it comes to blood sugar regulation, each person is unique. It’s always best to test and to work with a practitioner on a diet and plan that is specific to you!

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

Reference

Murillo S, Mallol A, Adot A, et al. Culinary strategies to manage glycemic response in people with type 2 diabetes: A narrative review. Front Nutr. 2022;9:1025993. [link]

Tired of Talking About Food? Try These Things.

For anyone wanting better blood sugar regulation ➡️

While foods have a big effect on blood sugar, so do other lifestyle choices! Here are 5 non-food-related ways to support healthy blood sugar balance:

✅ Daily Movement 🤸‍♀️

✅ Walks After Meals 🚶‍♀️

✅ 7+ Hours of Sleep 😴

✅ Plenty of Water 💧

✅ Stress Management 🧘‍♀️

Nothing happens in isolation.

That’s why we always take a whole-body, whole-person, and whole-life approach to healing.

📲Tag a friend in the comments who might want to hear this!

Breakfast: The Triple Threat?

3 things that impact blood sugar in the morning ⬇️⬇️

If you’re being proactive to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, here’s what you need to know about that morning meal:

1️⃣ Cortisol

The natural circadian rhythm will cause an elevation of cortisol first thing in the morning to help you feel awake and alert. Cortisol is a stress hormone that also increases blood sugar levels. That means your morning meal may result in a higher blood sugar response than meals later in the day.

2️⃣ Carbs

When your stomach is empty, there is nothing to slow the digestion and absorption of carbs. That’s why it’s even more important at this time of day to not eat carbs alone.

3️⃣ Caffeine

Even though black coffee has no sugar, the caffeine triggers the release of the stress chemical, adrenaline. One effect of adrenaline is to trigger the release of glucose from liver cells into the bloodstream, effectively elevating blood sugar levels.

Did any of these surprise you?

Comment with your biggest takeaway ⤵️

Reference

Reis CEG, Dórea JG, da Costa THM. Effects of coffee consumption on glucose metabolism: A systematic review of clinical trials. J Tradit Complement Med. 2018;9(3):184-191. [link]