Blood Sugar’s Tremendous Effects On Our Mental Health
The importance of eating a healthy breakfast
I have heard from so many people that they don't like breakfast. However, did you know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? When you don’t eat breakfast, you reduce your brain functions. This is because you make it work without energy.
If you’re prone to suffering from depression or anxiety or both, your brain needs all the energy possible to keep you up. If you skip breakfast for a long time, your body gets used to not eating. That’s why you don’t feel hungry at this time of the day. This is one of the eating habits that could decline mental health and trigger anxiety and depression.
Breakfast should be consumed within 1 hour of waking, or else blood sugar starts to destabilize and launches an unstable blood sugar curve for the day from which it is difficult to recover. While what you eat makes a huge difference with anxiety, when you eat can also be critical. Skipping breakfast and not eating frequently enough during the day can result in low blood sugar, with symptoms including anxiety, nervousness, and irritability.
Because of this, it’s always better for you to eat breakfast. Your body and mind will thank you!
Coffee’s Impact On Our Mood
I need not emphasize the importance of coffee in some of our lives. Our hectic schedules are often powered by this caffeine-rich beverage. Sometimes, coffee is the only thing that keeps you moving through the day. In the morning, you probably drink a cup of coffee before work. Then, you drink another at noon to keep you going, and still have not eaten a healthy meal. Unfortunately, caffeine can have toxic effects on your brain and may cause anxiety and depression.
When you use it constantly, it becomes a daily necessity. Your body starts to make it fundamental to functioning. Because of this, when there is an absence of caffeine, your serotonin levels fall. This causes anxiety, irritability, and a lack of concentration.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE MY COFFEE! I have a cup each morning; I look forward to my warm cup of yum. However, it’s critical that we eat a healthy meal to fuel our brain with the proper nutrients, as opposed to trying to live and function from a caffeine high, as this is actually no way to live, and can cause more harm than good.
Some of The effects that can exacerbate mood and anxiety
Coffee has a tendency of blocking a neurotransmitter, named adenosine, in your brain which eventually gives you long sleepless nights. Having trouble in sleep can affect your mood adversely, resulting in a cranky mood, headache, tiredness, fatigue, or even difficulty in concentration and alertness. A night of inadequate sleep could often result in poor mental health since our brain also needs rest.
Individuals with anxiety disorders can further aggravate their symptoms. Coffee can also lead to depression since depression is highly associated with adverse mood effects and mental disorders. Excessive coffee consumption can lead to nervousness, hypertension, restlessness, and insomnia.
Keep in mind, though, that these effects of caffeine intake vary from person to person, and also depending on the level of intake. Having everything up to a balanced level is always favorable, and excessive consumption of anything can result in negative consequences. Don’t Try To Live off of caffeine alone; It won’t work in the long-term.
Blood Sugar Stabilization For Mood/Anxiety
Blood sugar is the fuel for our brain. Without a steady supply of fuel, the brain will function poorly. If our blood sugar is too high, too low, or rapidly swinging in one direction or the other, it can impair mood and cognitive function. These impairments can mirror symptoms of anxiety, irritability, anxiety, anger, ADHD, and bipolar.
Think about your car engine. If there is too little or too much fuel, the engine sputters or stops working until repaired. For our brain to function optimally, the supply of our blood sugar needs to be balanced.
Even if blood sugar is not the root cause of the problem, it often becomes an exacerbating cause. Balancing will reduce the overall severity of symptoms and allow other therapies to work more effectively.
Symptoms of Blood Sugar Imbalance
Fatigue
Headaches
Cravings (especially sugar and caffeine)
Low energy
Mood swings
Increased appetite
Weight gain
Ways To Regulate Blood Sugar Balance With Lifestyle and Nutrition
Consistent bedtime by10pm with at least 8 hours of sleep
Manage stress and stressors (external and internal); watch for stress eating
Moderate exercise, not too strenuous
Find support for diet, lifestyle, and habit change.
Combine protein, fat, complex & high nutrient carbs, and fiber at every meal. Protein and fiber-containing foods stabilize blood sugar.
Food containing sugar or starch push blood sugar higher and then lower, increasing the severity of blood sugar swings and causing you to feel irritable, anxious, and shaky.
Avoid meals/snacks that are mostly refined sugar, flour, or starches.
Eat regularly - 3 meals and 2-3 snacks (Or six small meals).
Eat protein with every meal. Avoid eating carbohydrates alone; always add protein.
Have small snacks to avoid blood sugar dips.
Whole foods elimination protocol to identify food sensitivities.
Eat a little before exercise and after.
Drink plenty of water. Stay hydrated.
Do not allow yourself to get hungry.
Incorporate anti-inflammatory techniques.
Diet rich in natural sources of key nutrients (vitamin E, C, magnesium, zinc).
Testing To Consider For Blood Sugar Imbalance
Serum glucose, insulin, HA1C, lipid panel, liver enzymes, CRP
Post-prandial and/or continuous glucose monitoring
IgG food sensitivity testing
Salivary hormone panel
