Did you know low blood sugar can actually increase your anxiety? It’s true. These two factors share an interesting but complicated relationship. In this article, we’ll clarify their connection, discuss their symptoms, and supply tricks to assist you prevent low blood sugar and anxiety. You’ll leave feeling informed, prepared, and motivated to make positive changes to your life, each bodily and mentally. Let’s dive in.
What Is The Relationship Between Blood Sugar and Anxiety?
The hyperlink between blood sugar and anxiety has an interesting connection. Those with diabetes or hypoglycemia expertise higher anxiety from managing glucose levels, diet, and well being long-term. Moreover, the signs share a physiological base. When we’re stressed, our physique releases cortisol that both raises or lowers our blood sugar. Additionally, when we expertise low blood sugar, our physique raises our blood glucose by releasing epinephrine (adrenaline) to normalize what’s happening. This, in turn, causes a “fight or flight” response, mirroring the signs of anxiety.
15 Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar
Without regularly checking your blood sugar, it will be difficult to identify what you’re experiencing. But here’s a list of common signs to start strengthening your awareness;
- Fast heartbeat
- Blurry vision
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Hunger
- Confusion
- Headaches
- Shaking
- Dizziness
- Mood changes
- Difficulty sleeping
- Pale skin
- Nausea
- Loss of consciousness
14 Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety is greater than a state of stress. It involves constant fear that may negatively interfere with your life, relationships, and work. And whereas anxiety may really feel different to every person, relying on the anxiety disorder, there are a number of common symptoms;
- Rapid coronary heart rate
- Shallow and quick breathing
- Increased sweating
- Difficulty sleeping
- Weakness
- Excessive worry
- Irritability
- Nausea
- Panic attacks
- Problems concentrating
- Shakiness or muscle twitching
- Digestive problems
- Cautious behavior
- Avoidance of triggers that trigger anxiety
What Causes Low Blood Sugar?
Most individuals who expertise low blood sugar have a subsequent well being situation like diabetes. But different causes may have an effect on your blood glucose. Here are the most common.
- Medications: While medications for diabetes handle your blood sugar levels, too excessive of a dose can trigger low blood sugar episodes. Make sure you observe your consumption and bodily state.
- Diet: Several factors in our diet can have an effect on our blood sugar. For example, intermittent fasting, a diet low in carbohydrates, skipping meals, etc.
- Exercise: Physical exercise can decrease your blood sugar levels and make you extra delicate to insulin.
8 Tips to Prevent Low Blood Sugar and Anxiety
1. Monitor your blood sugar
If you have diabetes, it’s important to monitor your blood sugar levels. Yet discuss with your healthcare supplier to find out how often you want to do so. For example, you may want to check yours earlier than and after meals, exercise, etc. With a glucometer or steady glucose monitor, you can uncover when your blood sugar ranges are falling and what motion you want to take to alleviate your health. Additionally, receiving this information will allow you to distinguish between what you’re experiencing, bodily and mentally.
2. Eat regularly
Without a doubt, the best way to prevent low blood sugar and anxiety is to eat common meals. While life and responsibilities may have an effect on your ability to maintain this rule, if you’re vulnerable to either, carry wholesome snacks to make sure you’re not skipping meals. And whereas intermittent fasting is certainly trending, speak with your healthcare supplier earlier than present process any intentional periods with out eating.
3. Maintain a wholesome diet
When you do eat, always prioritize wholesome meals. Indeed, a diet wealthy in protein and omega-3 fat will support your blood sugar and anxiety. And whereas it’s tempting to eat processed foods, particularly when life interferes, meal prep throughout the weekend earlier than the work week to make sure you’re avoiding refined carbohydrates. Yet if you’re struggling to curb these intense sugar cravings, follow these tricks to quit sugar and try these easy and wholesome diabetic recipes to transform your well being – belief us, these meals are equally delicious!
4. Reduce your stress
It shouldn’t be surprising that we gravitate towards exterior sources to alleviate our internal stress. For example, when we’re upset or sad, we often binge-watch Netflix, emotionally eat, spend money, or drink alcohol to obtain relief. But over time, we masks and suppress the issue and hurt our bodily and emotional health. To keep away from this, spend time figuring out what’s inflicting your stress by journaling and monitoring your emotional states, and prioritize positive coping mechanisms such as meditation, deep breathing, and mindfulness.
5. Make train a habit
We often consider train because the gateway to losing weight. And whereas that is true, train provides a number of extra advantages than merely achieving the “ideal” physique image. Indeed, it will increase our confidence, reduces stress, lowers anxiety, and helps regulating our blood sugar levels. Yet if you’re struggling to undertake train as a habit, start slow. You don’t want to run to the gym. Instead, prioritize half-hour of strolling every day, swimming, or something that lights up your soul. If you enjoy how you’re moving your body, you’re extra likely to stay with it.
6. Increase your mind-body connection
Our bodily and psychological well being are one – they’re not separate. When we’re sad, we really feel all of it over, and when we’re sick, we additionally expertise subsequent emotional changes like depression, stress, etc. And when you spend time increasing your mind-body connection, you can higher management anxiety and enhance the general excessive quality of your life. To start, engage in daily yoga and meditation. Both actions reduce your fight-flight-or-freeze stress response via the vagus nerve and activate your relaxation response. Over time, you’ll increase your awareness, react less, and uncover what your physique needs.
7. Monitor your self-talk
Everyone has an inner voice that relying on the situation, whispers phrases of confidence or yells phrases of criticism. Yet many people obtain the latter extra often and expertise subsequent intensified anxiety. Therefore, learn how to enhance your inner dialogue by pausing the dialog and asking your self if what you’re thinking holds any merit. At first, this will really feel very difficult because, over time, we have a tendency to think habitually with out noticing our thoughts. But every second you think objectively and investigate, you loosen the energy of your critic.
8. Receive therapy
Everyone experiences anxiety, however when yours is recurrent and negatively impacts your life, it’s worth talking to a therapist or psychological well being professional. Working with one consistently will assist you identify what’s inflicting your anxiety, how to decrease your stress levels, and, if you have a well being situation inflicting low blood sugar, how to handle your symptoms.
While low blood sugar and anxiety have a connection, it’s a bit complicated. For example, the signs of low blood sugar mirror anxiety, however due to a number of factors, together with psychological, emotional, and environmental changes. That’s why it’s so important to extend your awareness, uncover what factors have an effect on your health, and make the required lifestyle choices to enhance your wellbeing, bodily and emotionally.
