10 Everyday Things That Spike Blood Sugar

If you are a patient with type II diabetes, you need to manage your blood sugar level and keep the blood spike under control. Sugar is the quickest source of energy that gets into your bloodstream but is not getting absorbed into cells. The more sugar left in your bloodstream, the higher your blood sugar.

Hence, you need to know why blood sugar spikes so you can control them. We have compiled a few reasons for the blood sugar spike. If you manage them well, you will live a healthy, stress-free, blissful, long life.

Blood Sugar Spike Causes

We have compiled 10 things that cause blood glucose spike.

Poor Diet –Carbohydrate

Blood sugar, also called blood glucose, increases with the high consumption of a carbohydrate diet (carbs), sugar, and starches. Too much carb will spike blood sugar quickly. Some examples are rice, pasta, highly processed, deep-fried, or junk food. For instance, potatoes can cause spikes while cauliflower does not.

Fruits are always good for health, but some are sugary, such as bananas. But it is okay to have fruits but in moderation. Some carbs are good carbohydrates, like whole grain bread and cereals, and unprocessed grains, such as barley and quinoa, beans, fruits, brown rice, yogurt, and vegetables.

Sleep Deprivation

If you feel sleepy throughout the day or at work, check if you sleep well for 7-8 hours. Less sleep can make you giddy. If your body does not get rest, it cannot break down blood sugar. Skimping sleep for a single night can make your body not use insulin effectively. Insulin is the hormone that acts as a carrier to carry blood sugar into cells.

Sedentary Life and no Exercise

If you are not active or have no or little exercise can make your body not break down sugar and make insulin resistant. It causes blood sugar spikes after meals. When you exercise, your body muscles absorb more sugar.

Too much exercise is not good too. It can cause a sugar spike. High-intensity, high-stress workouts, bench presses, weight lifting, and competitive racing can have the same effect on your blood sugar.

Even 15 minutes of exercise, a workout, walking, running, or strolling after dinner can improve insulin resistance, which will help bring down your blood sugar level.

Stress, Anxiety, Depression

These can increase hypertension (blood pressure) and blood glucose spike. If you have diabetes, type II, you need to manage stress well. When you are stressed, cortisol, and adrenaline hormones release from the body. Your body gets into fight-or-flight mode because it feels it is under attack.

As a result, to fight the threat body needs more energy. The body burns glucose and fat, which get stored in the body. If you have diabetes, the insulin cannot break down this glucose to pass it on to the cells. The extra glucose stays in your bloodstream, causing a spike.

Keep your mind and body calm, eat well, meditate, exercise, do yoga, and massage. 

Smoking & Alcohol

• If you drink, do moderate drinking, and minimize your alcohol intake. 

• If you smoke, stop immediately. 

• If you light up a cigarette, you increase the probability of getting diabetes. 

• If you already have, you will struggle to get the right amount of insulin released, and the glucose level in your bloodstream goes up, which causes a spike.

Reducing alcohol and quitting smoking can significantly improve your insulin production and help keep your blood sugar under control.

Dehydration

You need to drink 1 liter of water per 20kg of body weight a day. Hence, drink plenty as it helps bring your sugar level in your blood down. If you feel dehydrated, your blood glucose will be higher.

Poor Dental Health

If you are not brushing and flossing effectively and regularly and have diabetes, you are prone to gum disease (gingivitis). Severe gum disease can make it challenging to maintain blood sugar under control. Because of gum infection, it can cause blood glucose to rise.

An increase in glucose makes you more prone to further infections. Gums that are inflamed can alter the body’s defense mechanism. It will make it tough to keep insulin and blood sugar under check.

Consult a dentist if you have gum disease or infection and diabetes together. Brush and floss daily two times. Ensure you rinse your mouth with antiseptic, antibacterial mouthwash.

Medications

Taking medicines, supplements, and steroids without consulting a doctor can cause blood sugar to soar. Missing a dose or taking it higher can cause the same. If you are under diabetic medication, missing a dose can cause a sugar spike in the blood.

Steroids or steroids as supplements, such as corticosteroids, can cause a blood sugar spike. Other medicines can also do the same. Always consult a qualified doctor before taking any medications.

Always consume prescription drugs to be safe. Buying over-the-counter medicines or from grey/black/dark web online markets, where you may get counterfeits, can cause a blood sugar spike.

Avoid Diuretics, Anti-anxiety antidepressants, sleeping pills, and blood pressure drugs without a doctor’s advice.

Skipping Breakfast

It can cause high blood sugar all day long. If you have diabetes, a study shows, or if you skip breakfast, it will inhibit the pancreas’s beta cell function. Producing insulin is its responsibility. Hence, you will see blood sugar rise throughout the day.

Body Inflammation to Fight Infection

We know it as a fight-or-flight condition where your body releases hormones to fight infections or when sick. It is natural, but the problem arises when you have diabetes. Because of the release of hormones, your blood sugar may spike because of the body’s inflammatory response to fight illness.

If you are a diabetic and sick, you should immediately talk to your health specialist to plan for the day. Your primary goal is to not allow blood sugar spikes as your body’s response to illness. Your health specialist will prescribe medications that will not add to the blood glucose spike.

Conclusion

Many factors can cause a blood sugar spike. You can manage your blood sugar by following a good diet, a good night’s sleep, enough rest, exercising, meditation, yoga, and quitting smoking and drinking in moderation. Avoid no-prescription drugs and medications, and you will live a healthy life.

Remember, every time the blood sugar spikes, the extra sugar affects your organs and might damage them. It can damage your liver, kidney, pancreas, heart, and other vital organs. It is a silent killer.