Ashley Smalley Nutrition - Part 6: Gut & Blood Sugar

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Microbiome and Your Whole Health (Part 6):

Your Gut & Blood Sugar - What's the Connection?

Welcome back! We've been on a journey exploring the amazing world inside you – your gut microbiome – and how it affects everything from your mood to your heart. Today, we're talking about something super important for everyone's daily energy and long-term health: blood sugar.

You probably know that your body needs to keep blood sugar levels steady. Too high or too low can leave you feeling tired, cranky, and can even lead to bigger health problems down the road (like prediabetes and diabetes). High blood sugar can also make it difficult to lose weight. We usually think of the pancreas and a hormone called insulin as the main players in keeping blood sugar in check. But guess what? Your gut bacteria are also in on the action! (1,6)

Think of your gut as a bustling city filled with trillions of tiny residents – your microbes. It turns out these little guys can actually talk to your pancreas and influence how your body handles sugar.

So, How Does This "Gut Talk" Happen?

It's a bit like a team effort with a few key players:

Tiny Powerhouses from Fiber & Resistant Starch: When you eat foods with fiber (like fruits, veggies, green bananas and whole grains), your gut bacteria munch on them and create these little things called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These SCFAs are like little messengers that can travel to your pancreas and help it work better, even making your body more sensitive to insulin. Think of insulin as the key that unlocks your cells to let sugar in for energy. (2, 3)
Gut Hormones That Help: Your gut isn't just for digestion; it also makes hormones (like GLP-1 and PYY) that send signals throughout your body. Some of these hormones can tell your pancreas to release insulin when needed and help keep things balanced. Certain gut bacteria can actually help with the production of these helpful hormones. (4)

Keeping Things Calm Inside: Imagine if your gut gets a bit…unruly. If the balance of good and not-so-good bacteria gets off, it can lead to a "leaky gut," where things that shouldn't get into your bloodstream do. This can cause low-level inflammation throughout your body, which can make it harder for insulin to do its job. It's like trying to unlock a door that's a little jammed. (5)

Bile's Big Adventure: Your liver makes something called bile to help you digest fats. But guess what? Your gut bacteria can change these bile acids, and these changed bile acids can then send signals that affect how your body uses sugar. It's all connected! (4)

Why Should You Care?

Insulin Resistance & Weight Loss

Scientists are finding more and more evidence that changes in your gut bacteria might play a role in why some people develop insulin resistance (where your cells don’t listen well to insulin) and even type 2 diabetes. Often, people with these conditions have less variety in their gut bacteria and more of the types that can cause problems. It is very difficult to maintain a healthy bodyweight when we have insulin resistance.

The good news is that by learning how to tweak your current nutrition and lifestyle habits, you can reduce insulin resistance and support your body to lose weight.

Simple Ways to Love Your Gut (and Your Blood Sugar!) to Support a Healthy Body Weight

Here are some targeted things you can do to reduce insulin resistance and set your body up for weight loss. It’s all about keeping your blood sugar balanced:

Protein: include 3-4 ounces (size of a deck of cards) of protein at each meal. This slows the movement of carbs (sugar) into your blood. (Balanced blood sugar = easier to lose weight).
Order of Eating:
- Eat 1st: Protein & non-starchy veggies (e.g. salad, broccoli, green beans) to slow the digestion of the carbs and balance your blood sugar.
- Eat 2nd: Carbs with fiber (sweet potato, peas, corn, beans, bread, rice, etc)
  - Find carbs that have resistant starch (overnight oats, green banana, cooked & cooled rice and potato).
  - Choose black and wild rice over white rice for more fiber and phytochemicals to feed your good bugs.
- Include Healthy fats: Olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, ghee & butter to slow digestion and balance blood sugars.
Movement: This is very individualized and depends on your age, life-stage (e.g. menopause), gender, & health history. But in general, movement after eating will help reduce your blood sugar and insulin resistance and support you in meeting your health goals.
Menopausal transition and beyond: there are very specific ways to fuel our bodies around exercise to support weight loss and a healthy body composition during this phase of life. Reach out for more info!

Stress & Sleep: High chronic stress and disrupted / poor sleep can increase your blood sugar, increase insulin resistance and make it difficult to lose weight.

Continuous Glucose Monitors

One tool I use in my practice is continuous glucose monitors (CGM) like Stelo (https://www.stelo.com/). It gives you real-time feedback of how your blood sugars are doing so you can learn about your unique body and how to support it to reach your health goals. Learning this information is invaluable when trying to reduce inflammation, lose weight, and feel your best! Reach out to learn more!

Get Personalized Support Today!

The link between your gut and your blood sugar is another reminder of how interconnected everything in your body is. If you would like support in figuring out exactly what foods, movement, & lifestyle habits will support you in feeling your best, then book a free discovery call today!

Insurance: I am in-network with Anthem/BCBS, Aetna, Harvard Pilgrim, and Cigna and most plans cover nutrition 100%. Come learn how to support your body and feel your best. You deserve it!

References:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5793163/

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any health concerns or before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle.

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