Your eating habits impact your health both mentally and physically. A healthy diet is vital for whole-body wellness. Your nutrition isn't solely about your body weight, either—what you consume affects all of your body's processes.

In this blog, we're focusing on the connection between food and blood glucose, also called blood sugar. We'll discuss how the two are related, and what kinds of foods you should eat (and avoid) if you have high blood sugar.

The Different Types of Carbohydrates

Before we get into the details of the relationship between food and blood sugar levels, we need to talk about carbohydrates, specifically.

There are three macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. We can break these down even further. Simple carbohydrates are digested and broken down quickly by the body so that they can be used as energy. As a result, they spike your blood sugar levels faster and to a greater degree.

Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are digested more slowly. This means that they release glucose into the bloodstream at a slower pace. Whereas simple carbs might give you a short burst of energy (followed by a crash), complex carbs will provide more sustained, long-term energy.

There are even more types of carbohydrates—namely starches, sugar, and fiber.

What does all of this have to do with blood sugar levels?

Well, for starters, some carbohydrates are more nourishing than others. The carbs from brown rice will do more for you than the carbs from candy. You want to aim for carbohydrates that are nutrient-dense, packed with fiber, minerals, and vitamins, and less abundant in added sugar and sodium.

How Do Carbohydrates Affect Blood Sugar Levels?

When the digestive system breaks down carbs into sugar, that sugar enters the blood. This causes blood glucose levels to rise. As this happens, the pancreas produces insulin, which is a hormone that tells your cells to absorb that blood glucose and either immediately use it for energy or store it for later.

As this process is happening, blood glucose levels balance out once again.

However, what happens if your body can't make enough insulin, or if it can but doesn't really know what to do with it? This is often a sign of type 2 diabetes, and it's widely referred to as insulin resistance. Instead of blood glucose levels balancing out over time, blood sugar and insulin both stay high well after you've finished eating.

When this goes on for too long, the cells responsible for making the insulin become worn out, and they may eventually stop producing the crucial hormone.

This is why it's so important to discuss high blood sugar with a healthcare professional and come up with a healthy eating plan.Diabetes screening provides early detection of prediabetes and diabetes and is available at eNational Testing's 2,000+ locations.

Find a testing center near you.

It's Not Just About Diabetes

A healthy eating plan goes beyond diabetes care. Also consider diabetes complications, such as digestive and kidney diseases, heart disease, eye problems, and nerve issues.

Read our blog, What Are the Types of Diabetes?

What Foods Can Contribute to Lower Blood Sugar?

Earlier, we talked about the different types and forms of carbs. However, there's one more way to "measure" carbs, in relation to blood sugar: the glycemic index!

The index ranks carbs from 0 to 100 depending on how fast and how much they make blood sugar levels rise after you've eaten something. The higher on the index a food is, the faster your body digests it and the bigger spike you're going to see in your blood sugar levels.

On the other hand, foods on the lower end of the index will be digested at a more gradual pace, helping to better control blood sugar levels.

Here are some examples of each.

Low on the Glycemic Index

• Green vegetables

• Whole fruits

• Lentils

• Chickpeas

• Whole oats

• Beans

• Whole grains

• Nuts

High on the Index

• White rice

• White potatoes

• White bread

• Packaged cereal

• Donuts

• Bagels

• Crackers

Notice any patterns? Many foods on the high end are processed! If you're ever curious if the foods you're eating are heavily processed or not, ask yourself these two questions:

1. "Could I find this food in nature?"

2. "If not, how far removed from nature is it?"

Think of a donut. Obviously, you can't find that in nature. But also, imagine the ingredients (many of which are also not found in nature) and what they had to go through for you to finally have a donut. Delicious? Absolutely. Good for your blood sugar and overall health? We wish! But sadly, no.

It's About Consistency, Not Perfection

Whether you want to control blood sugar to address any chronic diseases, lose weight, or simply enjoy good health, we want to remind you that it's okay if you don't cut out 100% of foods high in added sugar, preservatives, or other undesirable ingredients (unless your provider told you to). You're human, and your eating plan should take this into consideration.

One high-carb meal on a Friday night isn't going to derail your weight loss. Making a sandwich on white instead of whole wheat bread won't destroy your blood sugar. Consistency reigns supreme. To maximize your health benefits, aim for the 80/20 rule: 80% of the time, opt for low-index, minimally processed, generally healthy foods.

The rest of the time, it's okay if you occasionally stray from your diet and indulge in less desirable foods, like ones a little higher in sugar or lower in fiber. Just make sure those are the exception to the rule and not the rule.

Lastly, remember that the idea is not to cut out all carbs. Your body needs all three macronutrients to function optimally: nourishing carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats. Cutting out entire groups of foods isn't the answer, unless your provider has recommended it due to your health conditions.