Blood sugar curves simply explained: Symptoms of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia

What are the normal blood sugar ranges?

Ideally, our blood sugar levels should be in a healthy range of 80-110 mg/dl.

If your blood sugar level rises significantly above this normal value, a glucose spike occurs.

What is a glucose spike?

A glucose or blood sugar spike occurs when the blood sugar level rises. This typically happens after a meal, physical activity or exercise, or when you are stressed. Basically, a rise in blood sugar is a natural and temporary part of your blood sugar curve. However, if you experience multiple spikes throughout the day (and these blood sugar values are above the healthy range mentioned above), there is a risk of an unhealthy, unstable blood sugar level.

Frequent and sustained high blood sugar spikes cause your body to remain in a hyperglycemic state (= so-called high blood sugar) for longer. This increases oxidative stress, the glycation (the process by which sugar binds to proteins or lipids) of important proteins and lipids in your body, as well as inflammation.

In this state (hyperglycemia), your body releases more insulin into the bloodstream, which can further increase glucose uptake from the blood into the cells. Increased amounts of insulin can cause your cells to become less sensitive to insulin over time. This means you do not respond as well to insulin, and the absorption of blood sugar into the cells slows down.

Slowing down the process by which your body absorbs sugar can lead to elevated blood sugar levels. This leads to a number of undesirable psychological and physical effects. In the long run, even very serious and potentially fatal health conditions can develop.

What happens in my body when a blood sugar spike or drop occurs?

Short-term blood sugar spikes are associated with fatigue, "brain fog," mood swings, and excessive hunger.

If you consume a lot of sugar in a short time, this overwhelms your pancreas, as it has to release a large amount of insulin to combat the glucose. This leads to a so-called reactive hypoglycemia, colloquially known as low blood sugar: After a rise in blood sugar values, the blood sugar level falls rapidly into an undesirable range, which leads to increased cravings and mood swings.

Recurring low blood sugar episodes cause the body's own control mechanism, which raises blood sugar levels back to the desired range, to weaken. In the long term, recurring hypoglycemia results in metabolic disorders.

How does a blood sugar spike feel?

Signs and symptoms of a blood sugar rise:

• Brain fog: You have trouble concentrating or remembering things.
• Exhaustion: You feel incredibly tired and listless, even though you slept well and had a cup of coffee. 
• Irritability: Everything and everyone annoys you.
• Cravings: You just ate, but you don't feel full and are already thinking about what you could eat next.

What effects do glucose spikes have on my body?

In the short term, blood sugar spikes are simply unpleasant. They make it harder for you to live your life the way you want. Mood swings can also affect your productivity at work and your interpersonal relationships. They can also derail your diet plans because high blood sugar makes losing weight more difficult.

In the long run, chronically high blood sugar can lead to metabolic disorders, faster aging, and a shorter life expectancy due to the development of potentially fatal diseases such as cancer.

How many blood sugar spikes per day are normal?

Basically, rises in blood sugar are no reason to be worried, as long as they are not too severe and stay within the desired range. While it is better to have as few blood sugar spikes as possible throughout the day, it is impossible to avoid them entirely after eating or exercising. Nevertheless, you can take active, early measures to ensure your blood sugar levels stay within the desired range.

You can expect your blood sugar level to rise after every meal. It will also rise sharply if you eat very sugary foods in the middle of the day, such as a chocolate bar or candy. Your blood sugar level also skyrockets when you drink alcohol. This is especially the case if you reach for sugary cocktails or carbohydrate-rich beer. White wine or spirits are the better choice in this case.

Even an intense workout session inevitably leads to your blood sugar levels skyrocketing. However, this is no reason for concern! Physical activity activates several mechanisms so that even blood sugar spikes are healthy, such as increasing insulin sensitivity. While exercise is stress for your body, you can view it as positive stress.

You can, for example, schedule very strenuous training sessions in the morning or early afternoon so that your blood sugar level has leveled off by bedtime and your sleep is not impaired.

How can I control blood sugar spikes?

There are glucose spikes that are hardest to control: blood sugar spikes caused by stress. To avoid these, it is important to reduce stress in the long term, for example by trying to sleep well. Practicing mindfulness and meditation are also good ways to get rid of (chronic) stress.

Now for the good news: food-related blood sugar spikes are much easier to manage!

Here are some points to keep in mind:

• Be smart about eating carbohydrates.
• Avoid products with added sugar, such as cakes or pastries.
• Whenever possible, reach for whole grain products instead of simple white carbohydrates.
• Choose whole foods. Reach for whole fruits instead of juices or smoothies, and always combine them with healthy fats and proteins.
• Be sure to eat the right amount of food: eating too much can also lead to a rise in blood sugar.
• If you avoid added sugars, the amount of easily available glucose in your diet decreases. It is generally known that consuming carbohydrates in combination with fiber, fats, and proteins reduces the rise in blood sugar levels because they slow down the speed at which the body makes glucose from food available.

How can I avoid blood sugar spikes after eating?

If you want to avoid a blood sugar spike, remember to eat breakfast. Your breakfast should be savory and never sweet. But that doesn't mean you can't eat any fruit at all. As with everything, the dose makes the poison.

Avoid blood sugar spikes – this is what your healthy breakfast can look like:

• Slice of whole grain bread
• Some cheese
• Avocado or an egg
• Small piece of fruit

Your blood sugar curve will only rise very slowly, and your blood sugar level will remain in the healthy range.

Are you in the mood for another food hack?

Drink some apple cider vinegar before a rich meal. You can either mix it with a little tap water and drink it, or use it as a dressing over your green salad.

A 10- to 15-minute walk after eating also helps your body absorb excess glucose into the bloodstream faster, which reduces the duration and severity of a food-induced blood sugar spike.

When should I be worried and see a doctor?

Are you already measuring your blood sugar level and have noticed that your value is repeatedly over 100 mg/dl in the morning on an empty stomach? Then this could be a sign of a more serious underlying condition like prediabetes.

Have you noticed that your values are repeatedly over 140 mg/dl up to two hours after eating? This could also be cause for concern.

In both cases, we recommend that you see a doctor.

Hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia: Are blood sugar spikes and drops healthy?

As mentioned above: blood sugar spikes and drops throughout the day are perfectly normal. They can be caused by your diet, your sleep, or by exercise. If you feel symptoms such as hunger, "brain fog," or dizziness, this could indicate a blood sugar rise. But don't panic – there are various ways to deal with it.

The best way to get to know your body and understand what it needs is to measure your blood sugar regularly. This is how you will learn how to keep your values in the ideal range and what short- and long-term health benefits this has for you.