Breakdown of Food
Your body doesn't use the food you eat exactly the way you eat it--it has to be broken down first. The digestive system breaks down the carbohydrates you eat into simple molecules of sugar, including glucose. Glucose, says the Mayo Clinic, is your body's primary source of energy and is fed to the cells via the bloodstream to keep them functioning properly.
Release of Insulin
To help your cells absorb and use glucose, it needs a hormone called "insulin," which is released by the pancreas. When you eat and your blood glucose level increases, the beta cells inside the pancreas are automatically stimulated to begin releasing insulin into the blood, says the Mayo Clinic. The insulin helps encourage the cells to accept glucose so it can be used for energy. Once the cells are full, excess glucose in the blood travels to the liver and your muscles, where it is stored as glycogen. The pancreas then stops releasing insulin so blood glucose levels don't drop dangerously low.
Release of Glucagon
Regular meals and snacks are important for stable blood glucose levels. But if you skip your meal, your body has a way to respond and regulate glucose again. When blood glucose levels drop from lack of food, the pancreas releases another hormone, glucagon, according to the Mayo Clinic. Glucagon stimulates the liver to convert glycogen back into glucose and push it back to the bloodstream to fuel your body's cells with energy--at least until your next meal.
