Blood sugar spikes may be linked to these controllable everyday habits: expert

Everyday habits — from what you eat for breakfast to how much you sleep — can have a significant impact on blood sugar levels, according to a metabolic health expert.Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is essential for energy, organ function and overall metabolic health, while frequent or prolonged spikes and drops can contribute to health complications.Jim LaValle, a Texas-based clinical pharmacist and metabolic medicine expert, told Fox News Digital that understanding how food, exercise, sleep and stress affect blood sugar is key to keeping levels in check.LaValle recommends monitoring blood sugar after meals, known as postprandial glucose, to better understand how different foods, beverages and eating habits affect blood sugar levels.“Do I spike more from eating rice, or do I spike from eating quinoa? How much can I eat?” he said.“I think that’s a foundational issue.”The metabolic health expert noted that insulin resistance occurs when cells become less responsive to insulin, a process that can be influenced by inflammation in the body.Normally, insulin helps move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle cells, where it can be stored as glycogen for later use.LaValle said he’s a “big believer” in eating a higher-protein breakfast rather than one that’s heavy in carbs, pointing to naturally elevated cortisol levels in the morning and their potential impact on blood sugar.“You’ve got to watch how many sugars are in food, how many refined carbohydrates you’re [eating],” he added.

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One of the simplest lifestyle habits to help lower blood sugar, according to LaValle, is taking a 10-minute walk after eating.Regular exercise is an “obvious” healthy practice, he added, although he acknowledged that...