The Sugar Crash
By Brooke Sanchez
Do you ever feel like by mid-mornings, afternoons, or even late in the evening you’re extremely hungry, tired, have no energy, feeling light headed, or just can’t concentrate? This could be caused by the foods you’re eating. For example, maybe you ate a healthy breakfast with all the food groups, but your foods could also be high in sugar, with that bowl of sugary cereal & milk, a piece of fruit on the higher scale of glycemic index, & a glass of juice. To much sugars in the foods you’re eating tend to digest faster & can also cause your blood sugar to plummet, so in turn can cause the above symptoms from a “sugar crash”.
Feeling like this can then cause you to grab an unhealthy snack with more sugar. You may feel satisfied for the moment, but wait….it’s not even lunch yet and you’re having another sugar crash! This can tend to repeat all day & everyday and leave you feeling drained by the end of the week! I know, because I’ve been there!
How to avoid a sugar crash
You can avoid a sugar crash by eating a variety of healthy proteins, fiber, carbs, fats & avoiding simple sugar foods. Some examples of these foods are:
Healthy Proteins: Beans, chicken breasts, fish, eggs, 95% lean ground beef,, turkey, sirloin steak, & raw nuts.
Fiber Rich Foods: Most fruits & vegetables, like beans, apples, pears, raspberries, banana’s, mango’s broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, & collard greens to name a few. Also whole wheat bread & pasta, almonds, & brown rice too!
Healthy Carbs: Fiber rich fruits & vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy products, legumes (beans, peas, lentils), limit added sugar foods (processed foods).
Healthy Fats: Avocado, nuts, olive oil, eggs, seeds.
Simple Sugar Foods to Avoid or Eat in Moderation: Candy, Soda, Fruit Juices, Desserts, sugary processed foods, White Rice, Pasta (that is not whole wheat), & breads (that is not whole wheat), to name a few.
Lower Glycemic Fruits: ( I thought I’d add some low sugar fruits in as well) Cherries, Apricots, Lemons & Limes, Plumbs, Grapefruit, Peaches, Prunes, & Nectarine’s.
Tips on Eating Healthier
Plan Ahead: Plan & make your meals & snacks ahead of time to avoid that rush of throwing something together at the last minute. This can be a week in advance, a few days in advance each week, or even the night before. You could also start a food log for a week or two and see when you’re getting any sugar crashes and tweak your food choices from there!
Sample Meals & Snacks:
This is my go to breakfast: Homemade Oatmeal, Low Fat Cottage Cheese, Green Apples or Berries Mixed in or on the side. Also if I do one of my Arbonne Protein Shakes with sugar free Almond Milk, I’ll add Kale or spinach & berries into it as well. (Greens for breakfast? Yes…It’s actually really good & healthy!)
Snacks: Raw nuts & Fruit, Carrots & Hummus, or a Brown Rice Cake with Almond Butter.
Lunch: Chicken Breast Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread & loaded with Avocado, Cucumber, Tomatoes, & Spinach, paired with a piece of fruit. (Instead of mayo, I smash up the avocado instead for the spread)
Dinner: Pasta Bolognese: Ingredients- Ground Turkey, 2 TBSP Olive Oil, 1 Lg Onion Chopped, 2 Stalks of Celery Diced, 1 Carrot Chopped, 3-4 Whole Canned Tomatoes (no salt), 2 Cloves of Garlic minced, 1 TSP salt & dash of pepper, 1 TSP Dried Thyme, 1 1/3 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth, 10-12 OZ of Brown Rice Pasta or Whole Grain Pasta.
*Saute onion , celery, & carrot in 1 tbsp of olive oil, until onion is translucent. Brown the ground turkey (drain) & add to onion mixture. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, & thyme. Cover & simmer for about 20 min, stirring occasionally. In the meantime cook the pasta according to package directions.
Serve with a side salad with lots of colorful veggies & low fat dressing! Enjoy!
I know this was long, but I hope the bit of information I gave out was helpful and to understand why we feel the way we do from a sugar crash and how to fix it long term.
