Tiny Habits that Lead to Big Changes

Blood sugar levels are very important.

Low blood sugar levels can show up as dizziness, trembling or sweating but high blood sugar can lead to thirstiness and, most importantly, fatigue.

So balance is the key.

When working with drivers, one of the first issues we tackle is balancing blood sugar.  

Symptoms associated with a Blood Sugar Imbalance are:

• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Mood swings
• Poor concentration
• Fat storage, especially around the midriff
• Brain fog
• Insomnia
• Cravings, especially for sweet foods
• Excessive thirst
• Addictions to drinks containing caffeine and/or alcohol and cigarettes
• Drowsiness during the day
• Excessive sweating
• Difficulty losing weight
• Poor Heart Rate Variability 

The obvious effects of these symptoms, on professional drivers, are potentially catastrophic.  

But, once the risks have been identified the driver can start to address their symptoms. 

When your blood sugar is balanced, you’ll likely feel more energetic, happy, productive, and sleep well.

The following steps can start to raise your own awareness of how simple lifestyle habit changes can produce massive sustainable health benefits.

1. Water.
   • Depending on your unique body size, the amount of water your body requires will vary greatly. A good rule of thumb to follow is to drink a third of your bodyweight in litres. For example, if your body weight is 66 kilograms, then you need to drink approximately 2.2 litres of water per day.
2. Protein
   • Protein helps balance blood sugar by slowing down digestion, which also slows the absorption of any carbohydrate-based food you consumed along with it. This lessens the intensity and frequency of the blood sugar roller coaster. Too little protein or too much protein can cause intense sugar cravings.
3. Healthy fats.
   • Add healthy fats to your meals.  Fats affect blood sugar, because fats have much more complex structures than simple carbohydrates.  This takes the digestive system longer to digest and you feel fuller for longer.
4. Swap foods
   • Swap out low quality food with high quality. This is a highly valuable process that is a big contributor to helping you build healthy habits that last.
5. Meal timing.
   • Focus on eating meals at consistent times. Eating sporadically or haphazardly can create extreme highs and lows for your blood sugar levels, which creates stress on the body.
6. Sleep.
   • A good night’s sleep. When you’re sleep-deprived, your cortisol levels rise, which mimics the stress of the blood sugar roller coaster and all of its harmful effects.
7. Move
   • The final step for balancing blood sugar, is movement.  Having a regular movement and exercise routine is important for health, mood and balancing blood sugar.  

The effects of implementing all or some of the 7 steps are usually quite astounding as they begin to reduce the symptoms and improve overall health and wellness.

Stay healthy!