Today, let’s dive into a topic that many of us have heard about but might not fully understand: menopause. Don’t worry; we’ve got your back! So let’s talk about those hormonal changes and the oh-so-fun symptoms that come with them, such as hot flashes, trouble sleeping, fatigue, or vaginal atrophy.

Now, picture this: once you reach puberty, your body is like a bustling hormonal factory, producing estrogen and progesterone-like nobody’s business. But as you enter the magical realm of menopause, the production line starts to slow down. It’s like those hormones are taking a vacation, leaving you to navigate this new hormonal landscape alone. The signs of perimenopause vary greatly. Many women experience unpredictable periods, weight gain, more belly fat, hot flashes, chronic fatigue, mood swings, or cold sweats at night. Talk about an adventure, right? 

The age when women start their perimenopause (the time before their final period) and when they reach menopause (once you haven’t had your period for 12 months) varies greatly. Perimenopause usually happens in your forties or fifties, but everyone’s journey is unique, so don’t fret if your experience is a little different.
And if you experience some symptoms post- menopause: That’s also normal. Just because you haven’t had your period for 12 months doesn’t mean all your hormones are done working, they’re just not that much in sync anymore.

Weight gain, chronic fatigue, hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances. It’s like our bodies are throwing a wild party without an invitation. But fear not, we’ve got some tricks up our sleeves to tackle these symptoms.

The mysterious weight gain seems to sneak up on a majority of women during this phase. It’s like the metabolism decided to go on vacation and left you with a few extra kilos as a souvenir. It’s a common part of the journey, and your body is just adjusting to the new hormonal landscape. Focus on nourishing yourself with healthy, whole foods, stay active in ways that bring you joy, and remember that your worth isn’t determined by a number on a scale. Monitoring your blood sugar can help you understand what foods will keep your glucose levels balanced, without adding extra weight. 

Fluctuating hormones during perimenopause can affect your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar effectively, leaving you feeling drained and exhausted.  

You wake up in the morning, and it seems like someone stole all your energy. Or you may have difficulty keeping your eyes open during the afternoon. It doesn’t have to be that way. By choosing balanced meals and snacks that include a mix of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats, you can stabilize your blood sugar levels and say goodbye to those energy crashes. So, load up on whole grains, fruits, and veggies and pair them with some lean protein. Staying hydrated will also help.

And hey, if you need an extra boost, reach for some nuts or a piece of dark chocolate for a tasty and energizing treat. Remember, you’re in control of your health, and by monitoring your blood sugar, you’re giving yourself the gift of sustained energy during this incredible journey of menopause.

Picture this: you’re casually sipping your coffee, feeling fabulous, and suddenly your body transforms into a furnace. It’s like someone turned up the heat to the max, and you’re left wondering if you accidentally stepped into a sauna. The key here is to stay cool (literally and figuratively). Dress in breathable fabrics, and layers, avoid spicy foods, and some women even swear by a mini handheld fan in their purses. Stress can intensify hot flashes, so keep a close eye on your blood sugar levels to understand your triggers.

You’re laughing one minute, and the next, you’re crying over a cute kitten video. Emotions on a roller coaster ride, similar to your blood sugar?

Our advice: Feel the feels, but don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s okay if you’re carving chocolate when you’re feeling down, but remember to cover it with some protein or go for a walk after to balance your blood sugar. Remember, you have control over your blood sugar and how you feel at least a little bit.  

Sleep disturbances such as night sweats, insomnia, or restless sleep are the last thing on our list many women experience in their menopausal transition. And while it was easy for your younger self to feel energized after 4 hours of sleep, it’s not that great in your forties or fifties. But it wouldn’t be us if we didn’t have advice for you on you you can find some more sleep again.
Establish your own relaxing bedtime routine by drinking some chamomile tea (because we can all improve our hydration game), writing down the thoughts that might bother you before bedtime, opening the windows for some fresh air to lower the room temperature, and avoiding heavy meals within 3 hours before bedtime. 

We’ve covered some of the most common symptoms, but keep in mind that every woman’s experience is different. Some may sail through the menopausal transition with minimal disruptions, while others may face additional challenges. It’s essential to listen to your body and seek support from your healthcare provider if needed. They can offer guidance tailored to your specific needs and help you navigate this exciting new chapter. Some may recommend menopausal supplements such as monk pepper or hormonal combinations to reduce the intensity of the symptoms. 

Remember, what happens in the body during menopause is one thing. But what we think and how we see things also significantly influences how we experience menopause and therefore how we feel. If you stay curious and know what’s happening in your body, what’s coming up, and what you can do to feel better, you’ve already taken the first important step.

Because from now on, nobody knows you better than you. 

Have you ever heard the term “metabolic health” and wondered what it really means?

Since the concept of metabolic health is still pretty new, no official definition exists yet.
But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a unique understanding of it.

So what do experts say? 

Experts understand metabolic health as the absence of metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, elevated lipids and blood glucose.
Simply put metabolic health means your body can digest and absorb nutrients from food without unhealthy spikes in blood sugar, blood lipids, inflammation and insulin.

When we look at the opposite, “metabolic unhealth” it becomes even more clear why we strive for metabolic health.
Some people’s bodies have more difficulties keeping their blood glucose and insulin levels from spiking after eating, while others have high blood lipid levels for extended periods after eating. Other people have problems with both blood sugar and blood lipid levels.

Moderate fluctuations in blood sugar, insulin and blood fat levels after eating are normal and are part of the way your body digests and responds to food.

An occasional spike in blood sugar or a blood fat level that has been elevated for a long time does not do much immediate harm. But over time, these events add up and cause an unhealthy metabolic response. 

Gradually, these unhealthy reactions to food can lead to chronic inflammation, arteriosclerosis, problems producing enough insulin, and possibly weight gain.

If your metabolism is not healthy, you are likely to experience major fluctuations in blood lipid, blood sugar, and insulin levels after eating, as well as diet-related inflammation.

This is not good for your health and increases your risk for metabolic syndrome and metabolic diseases.

To help you achieve your metabolic health, we think it’s necessary to explain a few more terms.
Let’s start with 

Metabolism is chemical processes in your body that make it possible to live, such as breaking down the foods and drinks into fuel for your body. 

When you have a healthy metabolism, your body is able to change the utilization of fuel sources, switching from fats to carbohydrates and vice versa. This is super helpful and necessary, so you don’t run out of energy when you’re not eating for some time. It also helps to perform exercise without eating a big portion of pasta every time before. 

This switching between energy resources brings up a new term. 

Metabolic flexibility describes how good your body is in switching between energy sources, and depends heavily on the availability of carbohydrates in our body. In short, a healthy metabolism is able to switch the fuel source from fat to carbohydrate while maintaining a perfect balance between glucose and fat storage and utilization.
The first signs that your metabolic flexibility is not ideal are energy slumps in the middle of the day, drowsiness after eating and the urge to snack right after the meal.

This is a delicate and well-coordinated process. Most of the time (with the exception of low and moderate exercise) your cells will prefer available carbohydrates (glucose) as its preferable fuel source. For example, between meals or at night, your cells start using fat as fuel because they perceive that no glucose is coming in, so they switch fuel sources. This is often referred to as fasting.
If you’ve ever used a continuous glucose monitor you may have noticed that your blood sugar levels stay pretty stable overnight  – even without eating. This is because your body switches its energy source to fat so that it doesn’t deplete the glucose stores fully. 

You may have guessed it, as with many things improving your health: Diet and exercise are key to improving your metabolic flexibility and metabolic health.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet, with little to no snacks is shown to be beneficial for your metabolic health. Additionally, we recommend choosing smart carbs over avoiding carbs. And besides all the healthy food, opt for daily movement. Ideally, you aim for a combination of different exercise intensities and strength training.

If you’re curious to see how metabolically flexible your body is, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can help you look inside.

With Hello Inside, you’ll be able to see how balanced your blood sugar is, when you’re not eating. You may be surprised about the glucose spike after your breakfast. With our guidance we’ll help you to understand which foods work best for you, so you get a step closer to your metabolic health, and avoid all the unpleasant side effects of metabolic inflexibility such as afternoon slumps, weight gain, or cardiovascular diseases.

You may have noticed your blood sugar going up and down without eating or drinking. But is stress the culprit? Does stress increase blood sugar? How are stress and blood sugar connected?

Your glucose graph, with its ups and downs, may serve as some kind of mood barometer similar to a mirror of your emotions. Yet it’s much more than just how stressed, nervous, or excited you feel.
That’s why we have created this post to dive into the relationship between blood sugar and stress. And answer the question “Does stress increase blood sugar? “

The short answer is: Yes. When stressed, the body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, resulting in increased blood sugar levels. This holds true for positive (excitement to enjoy a fun activity) and negative stress (like a meeting with your boss you’re nervous about).

Adrenaline is the hormone that causes symptoms such as sweaty palms and accelerated heartbeat and can make us anxious and irritable. If these warning signs are ignored, cortisol is released.

Cortisol is a hormone meant for crisis situations. Think “flight-or-fight” mode. This hormone ensures our survival and allowed our ancestors to run away from a mammoth. Because of its function to signal our body to move, it increases blood sugar. This can still be relevant if we’re running late and need to catch a train or bus, but it’s less important in our everyday activities in front of the computer. 

Since stress and blood sugar fluctuations are so inextricably linked, we want to look at some habits that may affect your stress levels, probably without you noticing it. 

Eating a good breakfast that is rich in fiber, complex carbohydrates, and protein can help replenish your blood sugar levels and keep them steady throughout the day. When we skip breakfast, the pancreas produces glucagon, which signals the liver to release glycogen, which is then converted to glucose. As a result, skipping breakfast can raise and destabilize our blood glucose levels.

One study showed that skipping breakfast leads to dramatic blood sugar spikes and drops, while another found that those who skip breakfast even once a week have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Is your bedtime irregular? Do you like to snack late at night or have a meal just before you go to bed? This could be a major factor in your stress. A 2020 study says late-night meals can cause blood sugar levels to spike while you sleep, and blood sugar levels are still elevated the next morning.

We’ve all been there: When we’re stressed, falling and staying asleep becomes a new challenge. And even though we know that sleep is important for our health and recovery, we tend to forget that a lack of quality sleep unbalances blood glucose levels and has a particularly negative effect on insulin resistance. Lack of sleep triggers the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which may be higher due to stress already, and leads to an increase in blood sugar levels.
Read more about blood sugar and sleep here.  

Let’s be honest: When we’re stressed, drinking is not the first thing we think of. Some people reach for a glass of water when they feel tired and noticed they haven’t had enough to drink yet. But did you know that dehydration also has a big impact on your blood sugar levels?  Even mild dehydration can increase blood sugar levels and start a dangerous cycle: The kidneys force the body to urinate to flush excess glucose from the body, but the more you urinate, the more dehydrated you become. Water accounts for 50-60% of body weight in women and 60-65% in men, so every biological function depends on the availability of water.

Women may face particular challenges when it comes to managing stress and blood sugar levels.
Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle and menopause can affect blood sugar levels. Additionally, women may be more likely to experience stress related to caregiving responsibilities, work-life balance, and social expectations. So let’s have a look at five ways stress can affect a woman’s health.

Stress can disrupt the menstrual cycle, leading to irregular periods or even infertility. Chronic stress can also increase the risk of developing conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This is one of the reasons why monitoring your blood sugar levels for women is super helpful. It allows them to understand their body better and potentially see if certain situations make them feel stressed. 

High levels of stress during pregnancy can increase the risk of complications such as preterm labor and low birth weight. Stress can also have long-term effects on the child’s health, such as developmental delays and behavioral problems.

High blood sugar levels and chronic stress can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke in women, as well as contribute to high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. This is especially important because women have a higher risk for stroke than men. 

Unfortunately, women are twice as likely as men to experience depression and anxiety, and stress is a significant contributor to these conditions. Especially during the second half of the menstrual cycle, women are more likely to experience more intense emotions and mental health changes. Imbalanced blood sugar levels can be a big contributor to this. 

Even though women are known to have a stronger immune system than men, stress can also weaken their immune system, making women more susceptible to infections and illnesses. Checking their blood sugar levels can be a good indicator of a potential infection.

It’s important for women to prioritize self-care and stress management to protect their blood sugar levels and, thus, their health. 

Coping mechanisms have been shown as helpful in managing stress and lowering your blood sugar.

Regular physical activity is a great way to relieve stress and improve blood sugar control. Besides its positive impact on short and long-term blood sugar, exercise may help bump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins.
Yoga and gentle movements have been shown to be especially helpful in relieving stress. If you’re wondering how to lower blood sugar levels fast, we recommend moderate-intensity exercises such as cycling or walking. And as a nice benefit, it will also decrease the negative stress in your body. 

Certain practices can help to calm the mind and reduce stress on the body.
One easy mindfulness practice is to feel your feet on the ground.  When you feel the support of the ground you enhance the connection between your mind and your body, which in turn improves your sense of awareness in the present moment.
Another great tool to lower stress quickly are breathing techniques, such as alternate nose breathing or diaphragmatic breathing, which will also lower your blood sugar. 

Talking to friends and family can help to alleviate stress and provide emotional support. Having supportive relationships with friends, family, or a community can provide emotional, practical, and informational support that can help you cope with stressful situations.

Techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization can all be effective in reducing stress.
One great breathing exercise to release stress is: Coherent breathing, also known as Resonant Breathing. It is a slow breathing technique that involves six breaths per minute. This pattern of slowing down the breathing rate will alter the autonomic nervous system, including blood glucose and heart rate. Studies show that this will change the brain’s activity, decrease stress, and maintain insulin secretion. 

However, with effective coping strategies and support, women can successfully manage their stress and blood sugar levels. It’s important to work with a healthcare provider to develop a personalized plan for managing stress and diabetes, taking into account individual factors such as age, lifestyle, and overall health.

Stress impacts your body in many ways, and one thing that changes inside you is your blood sugar levels. That’s why balanced blood sugar levels can be an important factor in supporting your overall well-being.

With Hello Inside, you’re able to track your glucose levels so you can see what stresses your body and make lifestyle choices that support a healthy life.
Ready to take the first step? Start with our quiz to see how Hello Inside supports you and your health.

Skin, inflammation, and blood glucose do not seem to have an obvious connection. However, they are closely related because blood sugar affects inflammation, which in turn can affect the appearance of the skin.

It may surprise you, but did you know that the skin is the largest organ in the body?

The outer layer of the skin, called the epidermis, is constantly changing and replacing dead or damaged cells.
This layer is essential for the human body as it protects it from various factors such as bacteria and chemicals. So, it is fair to say that healthy skin is very important.

Many lifestyle and dietary factors affect skin health and impact the risk of certain skin diseases.
An unhealthy diet can promote inflammation and flare-ups of certain skin conditions such as dermatitis, acne or psoriasis. Even though these diseases are clinically very different, they have a chronic inflammatory background. So let us first cover some of the basics of inflammation.

Although it causes unpleasant side effects, inflammation is actually a good and healthy response by our immune system to a foreign invader. Inflammation becomes harmful when it persists and begins to damage healthy cells, creating a pro-inflammatory condition.
In this context, proper nutrition can suppress the inflammatory response and reduce inflammation.

The key is to eat a variety of anti-inflammatory foods rather than focusing on one or two specific foods or nutrients. Ideally, your diet should include a combination of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, legumes, red wine, and fish and olive oil.
The modern Western diet, characterized by high levels of processed foods rich in saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and added sugars, has been shown to be pro-inflammatory. You do not want that.

Recently, elevated blood sugar has been shown to contribute to inflammation. The mechanism is complex, but simply put, high blood sugar can lead to the formation of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that lack an electron. To stabilize their own structures, they “steal” an electron from neighboring molecules, which then damages surrounding tissues, such as the skin, and leads to chronic inflammation.

Monitoring your blood sugar levels can improve your skin health. By using it as a real-time tool to adjust your lifestyle you can reduce inflammatory processes and feel better every day.

Acne can be a very unpleasant and long-term affair. It can occur at different times in a person’s life. Often it is related to fluctuations in hormone levels. For example, during puberty or even after stopping the birth control pill. However, acne can be treated and influenced in various ways. Nutrition and your diet have a particularly large influence.

Acne is caused by various factors, such as increased sebum production (sebum is an oily substance that protects the skin from drying out) or inflammation. Although many factors seem to be beyond our control, diet is one of the main factors that influence the development and aggravation of acne. Studies show that acne is associated with the Western diet. Two mechanisms are discussed that have the greatest influence on the development of acne.

The menstrual cycle is regulated by the complex interaction of 4 hormones: luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estrogen and progesterone. But how do these hormones work and what happens with them during our cycle?

The first two, LH and FSH, are produced in the pituitary gland, a gland located in the brain, and are released into the bloodstream until they reach the ovary to stimulate the production and release of estrogen and progesteron, also called the female hormones. Estradiol is the hormone produced in the ovary during the first half of the cycle (proliferative phase), secondary to its stimulation by FSH. Progesterone is the hormone produced in the second half of the cycle (luteal phase) by the corpus luteum, a structure formed in the ovary after ovulation.

These four hormones play a very significant role during the menstrual cycle, increasing or decreasing depending on each moment of the cycle. 

From the beginning of the female cycle (first day of menstruation) and for approximately 7 days, FSH levels increase and stimulate the production of estrogen in the ovary, causing follicles to be selected and to increase in size. When the estrogen concentration is too high, it inhibits FSH production, causing a dominant follicle to be selected. This results in only one follicle growing in each cycle. Before ovulation, estrogen levels decrease again. 

LH maintains its production at low levels during the first half of the menstrual cycle and has its highest production around day 14 of the cycle, when its secretion increases tenfold, generating a peak that induces ovulation.

After ovulation, the corpus luteum begins to produce progesterone and levels increase during the second half of the cycle. This causes changes in the uterus, making it suitable for possible implantation in the event of fertilization.

LH and FSH production decreases in this second half of the cycle. Estrogen levels increase slightly again. At the end of the cycle, the decrease in LH causes estrogen and progesterone levels to decrease, resulting in endometrial shedding.  As estrogen and progesterone levels decrease, PMS symptoms may increase until the pituitary gland increases FSH and LH production again and the new cycle begins. Symptoms usually begin during the second half of the menstrual cycle. They usually disappear 1 to 2 days after the menstrual period begins.

Hormonal imbalance can affect this complex interaction between hormones, brain and reproductive organs. Healthy lifestyle habits (healthy and balanced diet and regular exercise), healthy environmental conditions (avoid stress and ensure a good night sleep)  and keeping blood glucose levels on a healthy range can help to maintain hormonal balance. By continuously measuring your blood glucose levels you can ensure stable insulin levels. 

Insulin plays a key role here. High insulin levels mix up ovary hormone production affecting the balance between estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. These imbalances affect female health, one of the first is that PMS symptoms may worsen or intensify. Many women experience more sugar cravings during PMS and have more fatigue and stress. 

Find your balance regulating your blood glucose levels with the help of a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and Hello Inside. 

Blood sugar (or glucose) can have a significant impact on your sleep patterns. Did you know that it could even be the reason for your sleep problems?

The relationship between sleep and blood sugar is bidirectional. In one direction, your sleep directly affects your blood sugar levels (the next day). In the other direction, your blood glucose levels before and during the night’s rest affect your sleep.

Blood sugar affects sleep, and sleep affects physical health. Short sleep duration – less than seven hours in a 24-hour period – can have a significant impact on health. That explains why adults with too little sleep are at higher risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

So getting your sleep habits under control has a positive impact on your health and life expectancy. We’ll show you how to do just that by monitoring your blood sugar levels.

Sleep is important for your body’s recovery process. When you don’t sleep enough, several changes occur in your body.

Sleep affects hormone levels and your circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm naturally controls your sleep-wake cycle by responding to things like light and darkness.

A small group of nerve cells make up what is called the “master clock” in your brain. This internal clock controls hormone secretion, temperature, eating habits and digestion. For it to function optimally, a consistent circadian rhythm is required. 

If your circadian rhythm is out of sync, your body’s metabolic health can worsen – and you increase the chances for diabetes.  

Also a lack of sleep decreases insulin sensitivity, causing your body to produce more insulin to stabilize blood sugar levels. This eventually leads to glucose intolerance and diabetes.

Unfortunately, even a single night of insufficient sleep can impair the body’s ability to use insulin effectively.

Leptin and Ghrelin are two hormones regulating your appetite. Leptin has multiple roles in your body. Two of the main roles are long-term energy regulation and metabolism.
Let’s look at the mechanism behind it and why it’s related to sleep. 

The fat cells in your body release leptin to tell your brain when you have enough energy. When it is released, it suppresses your appetite and you feel satisfied. Low leptin levels will make you feel hungry. 

Several studies have found that short sleep duration lowers leptin levels, which leads to overeating and weight gain. The desire to eat more, in turn, leads to an increased intake of carbohydrates, which spike blood sugar levels.

Ghrelin has the opposite function of leptin: high ghrelin levels increase your appetite.These high levels can be the result of sleep deprivation. 

The increase in ghrelin level triggers a feeling of hunger, which leads to eating more carbohydrates, which in turn increases the blood sugar level.

In short: Sleeping less leads to more cravings and overeating and may be the reason for weight gain.

Lack of sleep or also insufficient sleep can increase sympathetic nervous system activity, controlling the fight of flight response. Lack of sleep can cause this “fight-or-flight” mode to kick in during the day and at night, releasing stress hormones such as cortisol. And cortisol can lead to chronically elevated blood glucose levels. The long term consequences of these high blood sugar levels include prediabetes, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome.

Research shows that sleep deprivation increases inflammatory levels in the body. Similar to the impact on insulin levels, this effect can occur after just one sleepless night. Inflammation is one of the body’s defense mechanisms, providing valuable protection against viruses and bacteria.

Glucose is the fuel for the brain. It provides the energy it needs to perform its functions. When sleep is deprived, the brain’s activity decreases significantly. You may have noticed that you can concentrate better after eating something sugary. At least for some time. 

As mentioned earlier, sleep helps maintain body weight in many ways, including regulating hunger hormones and insulin levels. Besides the hormonal impact, lack of sleep increases levels of free fatty acids in the blood. These high fatty acid levels reduce insulin sensitivity and hinder the body’s ability to metabolize fat.

We’re going to assume that these are enough reasons highlighting the importance of sleep.
So let’s look at your blood sugar levels when you sleep. 

In a healthy person, blood sugar levels rise and fall during sleep, which is normal. Some of the changes can be attributed to your sleep phases (usually lower during a REM phase), some may be the result to the glass of alcohol (big fluctuations) you’d consumed with your dinner, or it can also be connected to your circadian rhythm (with your liver being most active between 2-4 am).

In general, we’ve noticed that blood sugar levels tend to be lower during your sleep, then when you’re awake.
Currently, there aren’t any general recommendations for your blood sugar levels at night, but it seems safe to say that healthy ranges during the night are between 70 -100 mg/dl.
So yes, they can be lower than the optimal range of 80-110 mg/dl. However, if you notice that you wake up multiple times during the night and your blood sugar levels are in the lower range, we recommend optimizing your dinner and bedtime routines.

Another fascinating fact about sleep and blood sugar is the dawn phenomenon. 

The dawn phenomenon is a process that happens to everyone. In the early morning hours, certain hormones (growth hormone, cortisol and catecholamines) cause the liver to release sugar into the bloodstream. This process can cause a short-term spike in blood sugar levels. This is the body’s “natural alarm clock”.

For most people, the dawn phenomenon usually occurs between 4 and 8 am, depending on your sleep-wake rhythm. Your blood sugar levels should drop within a few hours again.

High blood sugar before bedtime can affect the nervous system, making it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night. This can trigger insomnia and increase cortisol and adrenaline levels, preventing your body from fully relaxing.

You may need to go to the bathroom more often, which disrupts your sleep. This is because your kidneys are trying to flush the excess glucose out of your body.

High blood sugar can cause you to feel dehydrated and wake up from sleep to rehydrate with a glass of water.

They can also make you feel hot, irritable and restless, making it harder to fall asleep.

Low blood sugar can occur in both diabetics and non-diabetics. It can also severely affect your sleep. Your blood sugar levels may drop due to stress, alcohol, insulin resistance, etc.

Sleep disturbances caused by high/low blood sugar levels can lead to a problematic cycle of poor sleep and poor blood sugar control.

Your blood sugar levels can have a significant impact on how your body feels and functions. Therefore, stable blood sugar levels can be an important factor in your overall well-being.

With Hello Inside, you can track your blood glucose levels over time with the help of a continuous glucose monitor, allowing you to make decisions that promote your health.

Are you ready to take the first step? First, take our quiz to find out which Hello Inside program is right for you.

Women’s health and especially topics like fertility are very complex and sensitive at the same time. There are many rumours out there when it comes to cycle health, natural fertility and hormones. We decided to tackle the most common questions and statements around women’s heath, fertility and glucose and run a fact check.

1️⃣ Controlling blood glucose concentrations can help women stay in a healthy weight range. 

💡 Fact: Women tend to gain weight more than men. This may be due in part to the fact that women tend to accumulate more body fat and that women generally have more food cravings (premenstrual syndrome). Read more on the connection of blood glucose and weight control in our blog post.

2️⃣ Optimizing blood glucose levels can help women sleep better.

💡 Fact: Regardless of whether men or women need more rest, the fact is that both sexes do not get enough sleep. Sleep and blood sugar levels have a bidirectional relationship. This means that a bad night’s sleep affects blood sugar levels, which in turn can affect the quality of sleep. Over time, poor sleep leads to serious conditions such as obesity, coronary heart disease and diabetes, and shortens life expectancy (as does poor blood sugar control). Women are more likely to suffer from insomnia than men. This is due to hormonal changes associated with menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, which can alter women’s circadian rhythms and thus contribute to insomnia. In general, women are more prone to depression and anxiety, as well as weight gain. The latter can be explained by the fact that women tend to have more body fat and a greater desire for food.

3️⃣ Optimizing blood glucose levels can help women overcome hormonal changes 

💡 Fact: The female reproductive system is closely related to energy metabolism and hormonal changes. This means that female hormones regulate weight, body composition (fat storage and distribution), and energy needs of women. Under normal conditions, female hormones fluctuate during the menstrual cycle and affect our energy homeostasis. Women may have greater difficulty losing weight and generally lose less weight than men on weight management programs. This may be due in part to gender differences in energy metabolism and appetite control caused by the release of reproductive hormones.

4️⃣ Optimizing blood glucose levels can help boost natural fertility

💡 Fact: Women’s fertility is affected by lifestyle factors and environmental conditions such as stressful jobs, unbalanced diet and unhealthy nutrition. In addition, a normal body weight and a balanced (neither restricted nor excessive) energy intake are important for normal female reproductive function. Several mechanisms have been discussed for how elevated blood glucose levels can affect female fertility, primarily through failure to ovulate, disruption of ovulation and endothelium, and ovarian inflammation and aging.

5️⃣ Optimizing blood glucose levels can help our microbiome.

💡 Fact: High blood glucose levels may negatively affect the female (and male) microbiome; however, there is a bidirectional relationship (similar to sleep) between blood glucose levels and the microbiome. Elevated blood glucose levels lead to alterations in our gut bacteria that have serious long-term consequences, including various diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, T2DM, immune system impairment, and negative nervous system modulation, with the gut-brain axis leading to depression, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

In short: There are many reasons to manage your glucose levels in order to stay healthy. Especially for women it’s a game changer to understand what their body really needs in which phase of the cycle to fuel it the right way. No matter if you are looking to boost fertility, want to lose weight or just want to improve your sleep quality and energy levels – blood glucose tracking will help your reach your goals.

How does the way we eat influence the quality of our sleep? The relationship between diet and sleep is a two-way street. Our diet plays a very important role in the quality of our sleep, and therefore our rest, which has a direct impact on our hormonal system. For instance, a bad night can impact hormones that regulate your blood glucose, hunger and appetite. Long term these can lead to weight gain. 

Why is that so? Let’s go into the basics. When we talk about sleep, we need to highlight melatonin, the hormone that regulates day-night cycles or sleep-wake cycles. Melatonin levels begin to increase a few hours before the usual bedtime, remain high during the night, decrease in the first hours after the usual wake-up time, and remain very low during the rest of the day. Exposure to light during the night causes a reduction in melatonin (whereas darkness during the day does not increase melatonin production).

On the other hand, melatonin has an inhibitory action on glucose tolerance, because it can contribute to the nighttime reduction in insulin sensitivity.  This means that the later we eat dinner, the longer it takes for the body to process carbohydrate rich foods properly.  Choosing smart carbs at night is key to controlling blood glucose.

Remember the two-way street between diet and sleep? High glucose levels can impair your sleep.  Sleep disturbances can alter the production of cortisol, the well-known stress hormone, which decreases insulin sensitivity and causes blood glucose levels to remain higher than usual, leading to a change in hunger and appetite regulation and an increased intake of calorie, fat and sugar-laden foods. Long term this will be reflected in weight gain. 

When we eat carbohydrates such as rice, pasta or potatoes, they are broken down in the intestines and absorbed as sugar. This causes our blood sugar levels to rise. You might have observed such a glucose spike yourself already. So this is nothing new.

But when we eat pasta, rice and potatoes as leftovers, our blood sugar levels don’t rise that quickly. #fascinating

When we cook these carbohydrates and then cool them, the resistant starch in the food increases. Resistant starch is a type of dietary fiber that is, as the name suggests, resistant to digestion. It is fermented rather than digested in the small intestine. This small difference has a positive effect on our blood sugar, because the carb-to-sugar transformation takes longer.

The good thing is that the resistant starch remains elevated even when you reheat the food, which means that it has a higher fiber content. And fiber is good for balanced blood sugar.
In other words, when reheated foods high in starch lead to a smaller increase in blood sugar levels. So yes, reheated food is better for us and our blood glucose response.

In the image above shows an experiment we did with the team.
With the fresh pasta (top curve), you can clearly see that the glucose levels were higher overall, and it took longer for the glucose levels to reach the starting blood sugar level again. This means that the body works hard to balance your blood sugar curve, ideally, you want to reach your baseline levels latest within 2.5 hours.

This means that without changing a single ingredient we can transform our beloved meals that are rich in starches into healthier, more blood sugar-friendly meals.
The only thing we need to do is be patient, let the food cool completely and reheat it.
This is how pasta salad becomes a great office lunch.

What will your blood sugar levels look like when you eat the lasagna you still have in the freezer?

And remember: we are all unique and so is our response to food and meals. It depends on many factors how our glucose curve looks like – your meal composition and ingredients, your movement, your sleep, your cycle phase, hormonal levels and much more. The best way to find out what works for you is to experiment and try it out yourself.

Source: Hodges C, Archer F, Chowdhury M, Evans BL, Ghelani DJ, Mortoglou M, Guppy FM. Method of Food Preparation Influences Blood Glucose Response to a High-Carbohydrate Meal: A Randomised Cross-over Trial. Foods. 2019 Dec 25;9(1):23. doi: 10.3390/foods9010023. PMID: 31881647; PMCID: PMC7022949.