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Diabetes & Glycemia – 5 Factors that Influence Blood Sugar

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Diabetes & Glycemia – 5 Factors that Influence Blood Sugar

#1. Stress

In times of stress, the body releases blood sugar-raising hormones like cortisol. That’s not all. Living a pressured life may cause people to have trouble sleeping which could also take a toll on their glycemia.

If this sounds like you, check out the article written by my colleague here to help you unwind.

#2. Physical activity

Exercise helps to the muscles to better utilize glucose and to increase insulin sensitivity, an effect that can persist for more than 24-hour and up to 48-hour. Hence, there is a possibility of suffering from hypoglycemia if proper monitoring is not done. If you are experiencing any hypoglycemic symptoms, be sure to test your blood sugar and bring it back up by taking glucose tablets.

Note: Short burst exercise like a sprint toward the bus stop can cause the glycemia to spike up. However, on the long term, physical activity helps to manage blood sugar and keeping it in the normal rather than the upper range.




#3. Caffeine

Coffee and other high-caffeine based food products are a bit sneaky as the effect of caffeine can either be positive or negative on the glycemia. So, if you feel funky (hypo or hyperglycemic symptoms alert!), you might want to check your blood glucose.

#4. Alcohol

Excessive consumption of alcohol can cause a dip in blood sugar. Too low can land you a trip to the ER. Too much drinks can also elevate blood pressure and triglyceride levels, increase inflammation of the pancreas, cause dehydration, and contribute to weight gain.

Drink moderately, guys!

Note: Moderate drinking is considered as 2 standard drinks per day or less than 10 per week for women and 3 standard drinks per day or less than 15 drinks per week for men.

#5. Aunt Flo

This question is for the women with diabetes: Have you ever noticed that your blood glucose appears to be out of whack around the time of your period?

The effect of menstruation on blood sugar varies differently from one woman to another. Most of them tend to experience a higher level of glyemia before Aunt Flo start knocking, but a few are rather faced with a decrease.