Blood Sugar Dips: Why Some People Are Hungry All The Time With Dr. Ana Valdes & Dr. Will Bulsiewicz [2dbef2]

2025-09-13

What Good for Low Blood Sugar Levels

When it comes to managing low blood sugar levels, understanding what foods can help stabilize your glucose levels is crucial. However, knowing which nutrients and supplements can 15 blood sugar level aid in this process is equally important.

Maintaining a healthy diet that includes the right balance of proteins, complex carbohydrates, and fats is essential for regulating blood sugar levels. Foods such as leafy greens like spinach and kale are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals that support healthy glucose metabolism. Including what level should your blood sugar be protein-rich foods like lean meats, fish, eggs, tofu, lentils, low-fat dairy products in your diet can also help regulate blood sugar levels.

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), eating a balanced meal with carbohydrates that have a lower glycemic index (GI) and pairing them with healthy fats or proteins can help slow down carbohydrate digestion and absorption. This results in more stable blood glucose levels after meals. For instance, choosing whole grain bread over white bread for blood sugar meters reviews sandwiches can be beneficial.

When managing low blood sugar levels through diet, incorporating fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds is important because they are digested slowly by the body and release nutrients gradually into the bloodstream. According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, including more plant-based protein sources can improve glycemic control.

Additionally, some supplements may help support blood sugar regulation such as berberine. Berberine has been shown to have potential effects on improving insulin sensitivity by mimicking certain molecular pathways that increase glucose uptake into cells. It's always best to consult with a healthcare professional before adding new supplements or making significant changes in diet and lifestyle.

Other considerations for managing low blood sugar levels include maintaining proper hydration, getting regular physical activity, practicing stress-reducing techniques like yoga or meditation, and ensuring adequate sleep.

Understanding the Relationship Between Blood Sugar Levels and Exercise

Regular exercise is often recommended to manage high blood glucose levels; however, its impact on low blood sugar ranges requires a more nuanced understanding.

Exercise that's too intense can cause rapid spikes in adrenaline hormone release by the adrenal glands. This increase can have two contrasting effects: an initial decrease or drop followed by a subsequent rise. The key difference between how exercise affects normal and abnormal (high) vs abnormal (low) glucose levels lies in our insulin sensitivity, muscle contraction intensity, post-exercise metabolic responses.

Individuals with type 1 diabetes who need to maintain lower blood sugar targets may experience decreased peripheral circulation due to their increased sympathetic nervous system activity. This decrease can lead to reduced capillary flow which increases resistance of oxygen and nutrients delivery from the bloodstream into tissues requiring these supplies (like liver) for optimal functioning – a crucial mechanism that becomes inadequate.

To ensure an effective post-exercise recovery phase with adequate glucose replenishment after low-intensity exercise, focus on consuming carbohydrates during or within 30-60 minutes following your workout. Focus especially on whole foods and those higher in protein rather than just simple ones like sugary sports drinks alone will also be needed since muscles store some of these carbs.

In summary for how blood sugar responds differently to low intensity vs high-intensity exercises, when there's more body fat being mobilized (increasing fatty acid levels), this may increase hepatic glucose output. Conversely in hypoglycemia - our need is the rapid uptake and use by muscle rather than slow breakdown via increased enzyme activity etc so proper insulin administration or dose adjustment might help depending on your individual situation.

How Sleep Affects Your Blood Sugar Range

A good night's sleep not only improves energy levels, but it also plays a crucial role in regulating blood sugar levels. When we don't get enough restful sleep, our bodies struggle to maintain optimal glucose control.

Several studies have shown that poor quality or inadequate sleep duration increases insulin resistance and elevates fasting glucose levels – two key factors linked with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Conversely good quality/quantity sleep is correlated positively: improving glycemic regulation through mechanisms such as enhanced insulin sensitivity, greater suppression of glucagon secretion etc.

The impact on cortisol production also bears consideration here; lack thereof adequate rest results in higher cortisol circadian peaks (i.e., more nighttime spikes). Elevated stress hormones like these impair glucose uptake into muscle cells - while simultaneously boosting hepatic gluconeogenesis which adds up to decreased glucose disposal efficiency altogether.

If you’re feeling hungry all the time and struggling to lose weight, the answer may lie in how your body is responding to the foods you’re eating. Our latest research, published in Nature Metabolism today, shows that people who experience big blood sugar dips after eating feel hungrier sooner and eat more calories during the day. Jonathan Wolf, co-founder & CEO of ZOE, is joined by Dr. Ana Valdes and Dr. Will Bulsiewicz to discuss our newest paper in detail. They cover some pretty astonishing findings, including answers to questions like: • Are you eating food that actually makes you hungrier? • Do you have big blood sugar dips? • Could you lose weight without reducing calories, simply by swapping the food you eat? Learn more • Read the full paper: • Read our summary blog: • Join thousands of others on ZOE's waiting list: -- About the speakers Dr. Ana Valdes is a Professor of Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology at the University of Nottingham and is the lead author on the paper discussed. She also holds also an honorary post at the Department of Twins Research and Genetic Epidemiology at King's College, London. Ana's research focuses on how molecular mechanisms impact metabolic health. Dr. Will Bulsiewicz is a practicing gastroenterologist, internationally recognized gut health expert, and the New York Times bestselling author of the book Fiber Fueled. He is also the newest member of ZOE’s Scientific Advisory Board. You’ll find him on Instagram as @theguthealthmd ( and at his website The Plant Fed Gut (
Blood Sugar Dips: Why Some People Are Hungry All The Time with Dr. Ana Valdes & Dr. Will Bulsiewicz