Your blood sugar, you've probably heard of it before. But why is stability in blood sugar so important for the brain? And what are the disadvantages if it is not? How are fluctuations in your blood sugar caused? You can read all about it in this article!

Why is stability in our blood sugar so important for the brain?

When we eat, the body causes us to convert carbohydrates into glucose. Your body needs glucose to generate energy to run, dance, think and much more.

Glucose causes blood sugar levels to rise. The hormone insulin causes the glucose to be absorbed and signals the brain to allow our blood sugar to slowly drop again. This is a normal process. But when we eat too many sugars or experience too much/long-term stress, this system works a little differently....

As "common" as sugar is now, it used to be rare. In prehistoric times, sugars were truly a luxury for the body and brain; it was scarce. Today, however, we have sugar in abundance and consume it daily. We find sugars not only in cookies, candy, cake and other sweets, but also in other processed foods such as bread, canned soup, instant noodles and that tasty egg salad for your bread. And before you realize it, you're eating more sugars than are good for you.

Did you know that an average Dutch person eats 57 grams of added sugars per day. This is as much as 14 sugar cubes per day, 99 sugar cubes per week and 20 kilos of sugar per year!

What happens when you eat sugar?

When you ingest even a small amount of sugar, it means more energy for the body and brain. In addition, when you eat sugar, the reward hormone dopamine is produced, which creates a euphoric feeling. This hormone is responsible for the fact that the very first bite of sugar makes you crave for more; after all, it creates a nice feeling. However, this feeling is short-lived ... the result? Your brain wants to experience this euphoric feeling again and demands or more and more sugars which can eventually even lead to sugar addiction!

But that's not all. Sugar also causes a huge and rapid spike in your blood sugar levels. This gives the brain the signal of energy. But even this feeling is short-lived and will be followed by a dip in energy levels - the blood sugar level drops again. Perhaps you recognize it, that right after eating a sugary meal or snack you would prefer to take a nap. You suffer from the so-called "after dinner dip.

And then what do you do to get out of this energy dip? You reach for the next sugary snack, feel energized for a short period, tired again and before you know it you find yourself in a vicious circle. Cutting down on sugar can therefore be quite challenging, but it really is possible!

Kick off a sugar addiction

How do you get rid of your sugar addiction? This is because society does everything it can to maintain it, and we are constantly confronted with sugary foods in supermarkets, gas stations and even hospitals.

Besides, your brain loves comfort, and when you want to change, your brain can make this quite difficult for you. Creating a new habit - a daily life without many sugars - is the solution. But this takes attention, patience and discipline. You can reprogram your brain in this, saying goodbye to old habits as well as being open to new ones!

But how do I start creating such a habit?

1. Make sure you have 3 full meals a day to keep your blood sugar stable. These are meals consisting of: slow carbohydrates (lots of fruits and vegetables), healthy fats (avocado, fatty fish, olive oil, nuts kernels and seeds) and sufficient protein. When doing this, also choose unprocessed products, preferably organic and as fresh as possible.
2. Intermittent fasting: this involves eating only a few hours of the day, for example, between noon and 6 p.m. This means you don't eat anything for 18 hours, which also gives your body rest. Many people love sweet breakfasts, from a sandwich with sprinkles to cottage cheese with granola and oatmeal with fruit. The advantage of intermittent fasting is that your blood sugar doesn't skyrocket right away when you eat your breakfast. Intermittent fasting is not suitable for everyone and when you want to start it, we always advise to do it under supervision. We are happy to help!
3. Sober exercise: in this, the body learns better to burn fat and not just sugars from food.
4. Vary your diet: our brain becomes very happy with variety, this keeps our brain alert and we get enough nutrients throughout the day.
5. Support the body daily with sufficient nutrients and supplement with supplements where necessary: it is important to get enough nutrients daily so that all internal processes can be carried out properly. The'Blood Sugar Support' supplement was specially developed on the basis of chromium which helps to (maintain) normal/natural blood sugar levels and vitamin B1 (thiamine) which contributes to normal energy-generating metabolism.
6. Eliminate all added sugars.