10 Snacks to Balance Blood Sugar

Hi friends,

I’m a huge proponent for keeping your blood sugar balanced! I know it might not sound like a big deal but did you know that the below symptoms can be related to a dip in your blood sugar?

• • crabby
  • angry
  • tired
  • sleepy
  • dizzy
  • confused
  • sweaty
  • shaky

(Note: I am not talking about Hypoglycemia here, which is a very serious condition and can be potentially fatal. So please consult your doctor)

Not only is low blood sugar not a good thing for your body internally but it makes you feel terrible too.  A common example is the afternoon energy crash. Although lower energy as the day goes on is normal thanks to our body’s natural cortisol curve, an afternoon crash is not. I’m sure many of us have been there…we’re working away until all of a sudden we start feeling an energy crash come on so we load up on candy, coffee or anything else we can get our hands on to feel awake again.  Unfortunately, this just further exacerbates the issue by grabbing something processed that will hike your blood sugar right back up again. Sometimes you definitely need to get your blood sugar back up, AND FAST… I’ve been there! That’s why I try to keep a snack in my purse and at the office because sometimes it just hits me without warning but the goal is to try to keep our blood sugar balanced BEFORE this point so we don’t ever get there.

The first thing that has made a huge difference for me has been thinking of my food in terms of their macro-nutrient make up.  For all my main meals, I make sure I have a primary complex carbohydrate (not refined), protein and fat. I always try to add fibre to this mix too to try and slow down the release of glucose into my blood stream even further.

The second thing that has made a huge difference for me has been SNACKS. Eating healthy, blood sugar balancing snacks throughout the day can really keep you going from one meal to the next, which is why I’m doing a round up of 10 of my favourite blood sugar balancing snacks! Instead of combining ALL the macro-nutrients for snacks like I do for meals, I just aim to combine my carbohydrates with protein or fat  but protein/fat don’t have to be combined with anything else and can be eaten on their own.  I do this because carbohydrates are absorbed by the body the fastest and metabolized into glucose (sugar), which is the body’s preferred fuel source.  By combining your carbohydrates with a fat or protein, which take longer to be broken down by the body, you are slowing the rise in your blood sugar!

So recap:

• Fat – OK alone
• Protein – OK alone
• Carbohydrate combine + Fat OR/AND Protein

If I can fit all 3 macro-nutrients + fibre then that’s just an extra pat on the back for you!

The list is really endless but some examples you can incorporate into your life are below (recipes linked):

1. Fruit (banana/apple) + natural nut butter (no added sugar)
2. Energy balls (mix of nuts & oats + other add ins) (Try these recipes: Lemon, Carrot or Peppermint Mocha)
3. Hard boiled eggs
4. Egg muffin cups
5. Smoothie (if low in sugar with fats & protein)
6. Rice cracker + natural nut butter + cacao nibs
7. Trail mix (nuts & seeds, chocolate chips, dried fruit)
8. Hummus + celery
9. Avocado on Toast
10. Yogurt, granola (low sugar) with 1/2 banana

I hope this gives you some ideas on how you can snack better and keep your blood sugar balanced all at the same time too! If you need one-on-one coaching help, I’d love to discuss how we can work together to improve any health goals you may have.