We often associate “blood sugar” with diabetes, and chances are, even if we don’t know exactly what it is, we might be concerned with keeping our levels low. We should, instead of low-ness, strive for balance.
Simply put, blood sugar is the measure of how much glucose in your bloodstream. The American Diabetes Association projects that over 100 million Americans struggle with blood sugar imbalance, and 80% of this group may not even realize it. If your blood sugar is too high, you run the risk of a whole host of long-term health issues like loss of vision, heart attack or stroke, kidney disease, or nerve damage. If your blood sugar is too low, you run the risk of losing energy and brain function. After all, glucose (carbs) are the building blocks of much of our human movement and existence.
A normal fasting blood sugar should be around 99 mg/dL. Unfortunately, you can’t really project your own result unless you specifically test for it. Eating will spike your blood sugar significantly, especially depending on the foods you put down. Regular exercise can help lower your blood sugar, but there are moments where, post-workout, a spike in blood sugar is actually a good thing. The point being – blood sugar can fluctuate all over the place, but maintaining a “healthy range” is critical for both short term movement, and long-term wellness.