Whole Health Partners’ Blog
Surprising Factors That Impact Blood Glucose Levels
Maintaining stable blood glucose levels is crucial for overall health and well-being. Yet various factors can influence blood glucose regulation, and these extend well beyond just diet and exercise. Sleep, stress, macronutrients, microbiome, and environmental toxins all play a role.
That’s why we often work with our patients to help them understand these influences, so that they can make informed choices to take control of their health and support optimal blood glucose control.
Your Secret Weapon in the Fight Against Stress
We all know that stress can impact our sleep. But did you also know that a lack of sleep can make your stress worse?
That’s right. It’s a vicious cycle. When we’re stressed, elevated cortisol levels— a hormone that stimulates alertness and vigilance—lead to elevated heart rate and blood pressure. That, in turn, can disrupt our natural sleep and relaxation patterns.
The Secret of Sleep and Weight Loss
Squeezing in a run before work? Staying up late to hit the gym?
When you’re working toward a health or fitness goal—like losing weight for example—it can be tempting to sacrifice your sleep in favor of physical exercise.
But doing so may be shooting yourself in the foot.
Symptoms are a signal, but what’s the root cause?
Having practiced nutrition counseling and lifestyle medicine for more than a decade, one simple insight has become increasingly and abundantly clear: Many — if not most — patients I’ve worked with have one to three underlying factors or influences that are both driving the specific health issues they are facing, and also getting in the way of implementing solutions.
10 Ways to Improve How You Feel Today
Who among us doesn’t need more energy from time-to-time? Yet many of the go-to strategies for getting a quick ‘hit’ of energy— sugary foods, energy drinks, a tall caramel latte—can often end up being counterproductive.