The body regulates what goes on in the blood very very tightly. 

Oftentimes, a blood test will show you that something is normal, when in reality, behind the scenes, there may be havoc.

Blood glucose is one such marker. In a person with insulin resistance (a state where the cells are pretty full with stored energy and close the door to more coming in) blood glucose will appear normal for many years. Behind the scenes, however, the pancreas is moving mountains to make more and more insulin in order to get the glucose out of the blood and force it into the already full, insulin resistant cells.

The body will do its utmost, for as long as possible, to keep blood glucose within a very narrow tight range at all times. Why?

Because too much glucose in the blood = damage.

Damage to the small blood vessels, damage to the organs, bad things. (Just google "complications of type 2 diabetes" and you have enough material for a week of nightmares).

At the same time, too little glucose in the blood is also pretty bad. 

Hypoglycemia (a Greek word literally translated as low sugar in blood), triggers loud alarm bells in the brain.

Glucose is necessary for the brain to function.

Unlike other organs, the brain has no reserves of glucose. It relies on what it can get from the blood and if it can't get any, it will literally shut down and die - within minutes. (A person with type 1 diabetes who overshoots their insulin and does not quickly compensate by eating sugar can die from their blood sugar dropping too low).

So if your blood sugar drops below the level the body likes to see in the blood, this will trigger your stress hormones and you will feel jittery, anxious, agitated, hungry and feel the unstoppable urge to go find glucose rich food right there and then. Hello cravings! (sounds familiar?)

What is this magic sweet spot of glucose that the body likes to see in the blood?

In science jargon, it is 80-90 mg/dl. This is what a healthy person will see on their blood test report as their "fasting glucose" value. In plain english, this translates to the equivalent of -

One Teaspoon of Sugar. (Flat, not heaped).

(For the geeks out there it goes like this: An average adult of 70kg has about 5L (i.e. 50dl) of blood. 50 x 90 mg = 4500 mg = 4.5gr = a level (not heaped) teaspoon of sugar)

So now you know this, here is a little eye opener:

This is just a small list of things that will make any pancreas cry. But you get the idea... (and btw, the pizza slice is there because I could not fit all the teaspoons of sugar for a full regular pizza in the slide!)

The amount of insulin needed to get the amount of glucose from a typical "western diet" breakfast/dinner out of our blood and into our cells is just phenomenal. Our "hardware" has just not been designed to deal with this much sugar in the blood at any one time. 

Can you imagine what happens if the pancreas has to deal with this several times a day, every day of the week, every month of the year, for years and years on end? Its not ideal. So,

Be smart about your breakfast

• Start your day with an emphasis on protein and healthy fats - your carbs should be a small portion rather than the main part;
• Make it savoury rather than sweet;
• Don't be afraid of veggies with breakfast - raw or cooked - dip them in some hummus or tahini sauce;
• Go against the flow - have your dinner for breakfast! (Leftover soup, beans, lentils, potatoes with eggs ... whatever you have left, can all be part of a filling breakfast);

Be smart about your dinner 

• Have it early - ideally 2-3 hrs before you go to bed. When you sleep, your body wants to be doing clean up and regeneration. If it has to deal with digesting food, the clean up operation cannot happen properly.
• Avoid things like pizza and pasta late at night, they will be dumping glucose into your bloodstream for hours and hours on end. This is not what your body is supposed be dealing with when you sleep.
• Choose things like beans and lentils rather than steak for your dinner. Plant proteins will keep you feeling full due their protein and fibre content - which will help you avoid late night trips to the fridge and they are also not as demanding on your digestive system as meats, so you when you go to sleep, your body do what it has to do and not worry about digestion.

These are just some quick tips on how you can eat in way which is more suited to your biology. There is much more you can do. 

If you want to be proactive in your health and blood sugar management and not wait to take action until the fire is already ranging, you can find more information on how to do so here .