Did you know that nearly 80% of non-diabetics have glucose spikes everyday, without even knowing it. Many of us go about our daily lives dealing with digestive complaints, mood swings, PMS, insomnia, accelerated aging, infertility, hormonal imbalance, weight gain, cravings and increased susceptibility to infections – without asking why.
Glucose spikes can actually be the root cause of these symptoms. In fact, glucose spikes are actually more harmful to our health and well-being than a higher, but steadier glucose level.
What are glucose spikes?
Glucose is a simple sugar that is an essential fuel source for the body and brain, and is a necessary molecule in our diets. However, with an overabundance of high-sugar, carbohydrate-rich foods in our modern day diets, our body’s have to respond to much higher levels of glucose than we are wired for.
When we eat a food rich in simple carbohydrates, like a bowl of cereal for example, our body breaks it down into simple sugars and transports these sugars to the bloodstream. Once there, the pancreas will pump out insulin which acts as a transporter, bringing glucose (sugars) into the cells. When this happens, our glucose spikes and then drops really low, usually causing us to feel an immediate satisfaction, followed by increased cravings, sleepiness, and more. Though this is a normal and healthy response to high amounts of sugar circulating the blood, if there is a chronic, excessive intake of glucose, and therefore a chronic release of insulin into the bloodstream – we often end up with something called Insulin resistance, where our bodies no longer respond as efficiently to insulin, and we end up with lots of free-floating sugars in the bloodstream that should not be there. Insulin resistance is a precursor to diabetes, and is often seen in women with PCOS as well.
How do glucose spikes impact your ability to combat HPV?
Okay, so what do glucose spikes have to do with your ability to clear HPV? Well, research finds that glucose spikes and insulin resistance both contribute to malfunctioning immunity and the inability to effectively fight off infections.
One study found that glucose spikes inhibited microbial killing and phagocytosis, as well as increased the production of inflammatory cytokines in otherwise healthy subjects. Trials continue to show that by managing glucose spikes, we can reduce susceptibility to infection and allow us to create healthy immune responses to infections when necessary.
Because HPV is a viral infection, supporting the immune system’s ability to fight infections is the most important effort you can make when healing with HPV.
What causes glucose spikes?
Many lifestyle and dietary habits can be contributing to glucose spikes. As mentioned above, simple carbohydrates on their own, like a bowl of cereal, coffee drinks on an empty stomach, dried or juiced fruits, and other high-sugar foods all contribute to glucose spikes and the susceptibility to insulin resistance seen in diabetics and patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
But it is not just diet that leaves us vulnerable to glucose spikes. PMS, lack of sleep, and genetics all play a role in our susceptibility to glucose spikes and insulin resistance as well. Aside from not being able to change or control your genetics, there are many dietary and lifestyle changes (surprisingly some pretty easy ones, too) that can lessen these spikes and thereby reduce your symptoms.
What can we do to lessen glucose spikes?
Below are 5 easy-to-try tips for managing glucose and helping your body fight HPV.
- Pair your carb-heavy foods with a healthy fat or protein source.
Research finds that glucose spikes are significantly reduced when we pair our carbs with fat or protein. For example, eating a slice of white bread with jam will create a much more drastic glucose spike than if you ate your bread with a nut butter (fat) and maybe some hemp hearts (protein).
With this amazing tip, you can eat your favorite goods, while being smart about glucose control. Combining these carb and starch heavy foods with fibre, fat and/or protein creates a much smaller glucose spike and prevents us from that post-glucose crash. This helps us achieve a steady mood, less cravings, more satiety and a better immune response.
- Save the best for last
The order in which you eat your food actually has a significant impact on your glucose spike. For example, if your plate has salad, french fries and chicken – it is actually best to start with your salad, then eat your protein, and save those yummy french fries for last.
The science behind this is that veggies contain a ton of fibre, which creates a sort of “fibre mesh” in the small intestine, delaying gastric emptying and lessening the glucose response to whatever else is on your plate. Studies have found that by simply eating your food in this order, you can reduce glucose spikes by up to 73%.
Additionally, if your salad has vinegar on it, even better. Research finds vinegar before meals reduces your glucose spikes by 30%. So, leave your carbohydrate-rich foods for last to reduce your glucose spike.
- Go for a walk after meals
This is a very simple and effective technique to reduce glucose spikes. After a carb-heavy meal, head outside and walk, or even just get active for 10 minutes. When we are active, our muscles need energy. A fast way for those muscles to get energy and help you power through your movement, is to take up glucose that is floating through the bloodstream. This is an awesome way to reduce glucose spikes while also releasing those happy chemicals we get when we move our bodies.
- Get adequate rest
Those that do not get much sleep are at an increased risk of glucose spikes throughout the day compared to those who get 7-8 hours of quality rest each night. Prioritize sleep for better glucose management.
- Try AHCC
Not only is AHCC wonderful for supporting your immune response with HPV (and other viral infections), but there’s actually research that finds AHCC can reduce glucose spikes and help us to better manage our blood sugars.
