The level of sugar we have in our blood can affect our lives much more than you imagine. This varies according to the food consumed, with cookies, chocolates, jams, cakes and ultra-processed foods, among others, responsible for producing the famous "glucose spikes" throughout the day, which are negative for health both in the present and in the long term.
To understand it more clearly, the peaks occur when glucose levels -or sugar- rise very quickly in a short period of time, explains Alba Coll, nutritionist at the Alicia Foundation. And, although it is thought that only people with diabetes should be careful not to produce these increases, experts warn that the general population should also pay attention to this, since it can affect mood swings, sleep and hunger. In addition, controlling them can help prevent diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases.
However, before beginning to explain how to eat correctly to avoid peaks, it is very important to bear in mind that glucose is a fundamental part of our lives, "it is the basic fuel for our cells, especially those of the brain," explains Magda Carlas. , expert doctor in nutrition. Therefore, to feel good "both at the energy level and at the intellectual level, it is important that our glucose levels are always within normality," she clarifies. In other words, glucose should not be eliminated from our lives, if not, have a good management of it through diet and lifestyle.
The human body is already trained to lower blood sugar levels. That's what the pancreas is for, it releases insulin. However, if foods with a high glycemic index are ingested -a parameter that measures the speed with which sugars pass through the blood- what happens is that "'we force an insulin discharge, perhaps higher than what would be desirable", he explains Carlos. This can damage the organ and, therefore, the correct release of this hormone "because we eat much more sugar than our body is capable of metabolizing," adds Coll.
This predisposes people to health problems, such as developing insulin resistance or the pancreas losing its ability to lower blood sugar, and "this is when prediabetes, being overweight or other problems", explains the nutritionist. According to Carlas, people over the age of 45 must pay special attention to their diet, because at this age the risk of suffering from diabetes is greater.
But not everything is preparing for the future, the effects of glucose spikes in daily life are also very important. The most notorious is hunger. "What our body does is constantly lower them, so we are hungry again in no time, because we do not have that stability, glucose," explains Coll. In other words, there is such a strong drop in sugar that it is necessary to eat again quickly, instead of keeping the levels stable, which would mean maintaining satiety for a longer time. To know when we should eat, Dr. Carlas recommends that you look at your stomach: "You never have to feel it very full or very empty." that produce a very high glucose peak.
Although in healthy people the spikes do not produce symptoms as specific as in diabetic people, according to Coll, "it has been seen that these do influence our inflammation, sleep and bad mood". This usually happens when "we follow a diet of low nutritional quality, with many simple sugars and ultra-processed products." A piece of advice from the nutrition expert in the event that a high glycemic index food has been consumed is that “the next time we eat again, it is not the same sugary food. Better to eat a whole grain cereal, something rich in fiber, opt for better food choices so as not to have another peak again.
However, both experts agree that leading an orderly life is key to not having to worry about these peaks. “The important thing is to balance diet, exercise and sleep. It is the best we can do for our glucose levels”, explains Carlas. The nutrition expert also agrees that the Mediterranean diet would form part of this healthy lifestyle. "It is based on vegetables, it is rich in fiber and healthy fats: olive oil, nuts, seeds, dairy products. If we do physical activity, we already have optimally regulated sugar levels."
Now, you're probably wondering: How do I put this into practice? What foods should I eat? How should I have breakfast? "The more fresh products and the less processed, the better, that is the basis," says Coll. But let's go by parts:
Breakfast
"These 3 basics are going to help us control blood sugar levels in the next few hours, increasing our feeling of satiety as well," says Coll.
food
Snacks
Many feel like snacking during the day so as not to reach the next meal with an empty stomach. However, classic snacks such as juices, pastries, chocolate creams, chocolates, sweetened coffee, drinks, among others, can cause glucose spikes throughout the day. Therefore, some recommendations so that you can eat snacks at work in a healthy way are the following:
“There is a bit of the idea that we can live without worrying and then at 40 we start behaving well. It is a mistake to think like this”, explains Dr. Magda Carlas, who advises taking into consideration that “we have only one building that is the body, which has memory. Many things accumulate, both good and bad, and as you have lived when you were young you will feel when you are older”.
