How Glucose Levels Affect Your Health

Lifestyle

| LAST UPDATE 02/21/2022

By Lia Thomson
sugar glucose levels tips
David Paul Morris / Stringer via Getty Images

Our blood sugar or glucose levels impact many aspects of health that you may not even be aware of. From acne and weight gain to wrinkles, here's why you should care about your blood sugar.

When we hear the word glucose, we typically think of diabetes, but the truth is that when blood sugar levels spike for anyone, there's a chain of reactions that occur. So what exactly is a spike? It's when there's a large influx of our blood sugar concentration that usually happens after eating a large meal - especially foods that are very starchy or full of sugar. When happens after the initial spike is a "sugar crash" when the levels begin to drop. As we continuously go up and down, it can severely affect many parts of our life. For example, the drop after the spike can lead to major food cravings - typically unhealthy ones.

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@glucosegoddess via Instagram
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An increase in glucose can even lead to wrinkles. It may sound unrelated, but the more that our sugar levels spike, the faster we age! The spike speeds up the process known as glycation that happens in our bodies. Glycation is the thing that accelerates the aging process both inside the body and outside. It harms the collagen in the body, and as we know, collagen is what makes our skin elastic and looking young. So a lack of it can lead to wrinkles.

Unfortunately, that's not all, because it can even cause weight gain. Our body reacts to a glucose spike is to store that glucose in our fat cells. This causes the fat cells to expand in size, and in turn, our size also goes up. So how can we avoid these negative effects from happening? Well, first off, we need to avoid our sugar levels from spiking. Diets or calorie counting is not the only way to go here; instead, opt to eat more balanced meals. Jessie Inchauspé, also known as the Glucose Goddess, shared her tips on keeping sugar glucose levels stable. She recommended eating a savory breakfast rather than a sweet one. And of course, always try to add at least one vegetable to your meals, along with a healthy carb, fat, and protein. And make sure there is something in your stomach before indulging in a chocolate cake. Check out the Glucose Goddess for more life-changing health hacks.

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