Sugar Turned On Me

I had a checkup last week and my doctor was happy with my numbers. After three months of lifestyle changes, I got the official nod that my numbers were looking much better and that I was controlling my blood sugar. It was a good thing to hear, a validation for the efforts I’d been making. My blood sugar appeared to be getting under control.

Then came yesterday. My blood sugar was 120. As in twenty points higher than it needed to be for a fasting result.

I went over what I’d eaten the night before and double checked in my head that I’d not gulped something down for breakfast and forgotten about it. Nothing obvious culprit appeared. I went over other factors and then did a web search to confirm what I thought was giving me the unwelcome boost. It took but a few moments to confirm.

Stress.

That morning I’d been thinking about monthly bills, a vacation my wife and I are taking, events we wanted to do next year and the anemic state of my bank account and all were adding up to a bit of panic. Apparently, your body deals with such freakouts the same as if you were in the woods, facing down a dozen hungry wolves. Your fight or flight response kicks in. Your body demands fuel so you can run screaming. As a result, your blood sugar goes up.

Now most of us don’t have to face down hungry wolves, but we do have enough to concern us that it’s not hard to get stressed out on a regular basis. Knowing that stress is demonstrably effecting your health may even give you more to stress about. But worry is concern without action. It’s a waste of effort. While that may be difficult to remember in the midst of one’s gloom, it’s the truth.

Today I’m in a better mood and despite having a much more sugary menu last night than the one previous, my blood sugar was at normal levels. While I’m not 100% stress free, I am doing better.

Here’s some things I can recommend to help banish the stress when it hits you:

1. Don’t keep it to yourself - Talk to someone about what’s going on with you. The outside perspective can lead to solutions you might have missed because you’re a bit to clouded. Also, once you’ve spoken your problems, the sometimes seem smaller out in the open than they did trapped in your head.
2. Remember to Breathe - Worry shows in your body. Sometimes making a conscious effort to relax the body helps the freak out dissipate. Ten deep breaths is usually all it takes to aid a new perspective.
3. Escape - Go walk around the mall. Watch a movie. Take ten minutes to sit outside and stare at the sky. Do something to hit the reset button in your head. While too much escapism is a bad thing, a little when your hands are shaking can mean the difference from feeling trapped to feeling okay.
4. Make a Plan - I know my biggest source of stress comes from not knowing where I stand, not knowing what I’m going to do. Even if it’s just a skeleton of an idea, write down what’s hurting you and then write down what you can do about it. Get creative. Take back your life.
5. Count Your Blessings - The irritants in our lives are more often than not more noticeable than the comforts. By taking the emphasis off what’s troubling you and focusing on the good things in your life, I find that things soon get put in perspective.

I can’t guarantee that what works for me will also work for you. But I do believe that when all goes to hell, there are are always ways get back out.

Listen to your body. Clear your mind as needed. Remember that no matter what’s going on the sun will rise tomorrow, someone is likely to have been in the place you’re in now and in the end… it’s really going to be okay.

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