Your body uses glucose for energy -- and when you don't have enough energy you may feel tired, anxious or hungry, or have a headache. Known as low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, a diet high in the wrong type of carbohydrates, simple carbohydrates such as sugar, can leave you feeling exhausted. Simple dietary changes can help you regulate glucose and feel more energetic throughout the day.
The Glucose and Insulin Cycle
Your body uses glucose as its primary energy source, and its made from the foods you eat -- most easily from carbohydrates. When you eat a lot of carbs, your body can produce a lot of glucose very quickly. All that sugar hits your bloodstream, raising blood sugar levels. Your pancreas responds by releasing a hormone, insulin, that helps move glucose from your bloodstream into your cells. But when glucose levels rise too quickly, your pancreas often releases too much insulin. Once this happens, you'll have more insulin than glucose in your blood. Low blood sugar, called hypoglycemia, can make you feel tired or fatigued. Your body often craves more sugar and you eat again, continuing the cycle.
Breaking the Cycle
You don't need to limit carbs to control glucose and insulin levels, but you do need to limit your intake of refined sugars and other foods that your body can quickly convert to glucose. You need to restrict starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn and refined white flour products such as pasta. Instead choose carbs that are high in fiber -- which slows digestion and can help stabilize glucose levels. Vegetables, legumes, fruits and whole grains -- not refined flours -- will help stop both high and low blood sugar levels.
The Glycemic Index
One tool that you can use to help choose carbohydrates is the glycemic index, or GI. The GI measures the potential effect of a food to raise your blood sugar. Foods are scored 1 to 100, in comparison to pure glucose. The higher a food scores on the GI, the greater impact it has on your blood sugar. The majority of your carbs should be low-GI, scoring a 55 or less. The GI isn't a perfect tool -- because fat slows digestion, it can lower the GI score of a high-sugar food. Chocolate bars are often ranked as low-GI foods because of the fat content of cocoa.
The Dangers of a High-Carb Diet
A diet high in the wrong type of carbohydrates -- especially sugar -- can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. When you have chronic low blood sugar you are often hungry and may overeat. Glucose not used right away for energy is stored for later use as fat. But if you're constantly eating, your body has a ready supply of glucose and will never break down fat to use as energy. As your body is flooded with insulin, cells may become resistant and your body stops using insulin effectively. Insulin resistance, often called prediabetes, is a precursor to Type 2 diabetes.
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