How can you know your lifestyle is keeping you healthy? Is there any truth to the saying "an apple a day drives away sickness and pain"? Is seven hours of sleep a day enough, or should you aim for eight? And will a banana before your morning run help you tackle those extra miles? Or does it actually harm you?
For centuries, the workings of the human body remained a mystery. Everything seemed to be working fine until our bodies let us know that wasn't the case, and by the time that happened, it was usually already too late.
Fortunately, this has begun to change in the 21st century: For the first time in history, thanks to technological advances and data analysis apps, people's individual health data is more accessible than ever before. This allows them to not only respond to existing health problems but also take preventative measures to stop them from occurring.
However, the abundance of data and information on health in the modern world can pose a problem:
- What data should you pay attention to?
- How should you record the data?
- And how should the results be interpreted?
In this article, we'll look at biomarkers—those telltale signs that something is happening in your body. You'll learn which biomarkers you should know, how to measure them, and why you should focus on one biomarker in particular: blood sugar.
Why blood sugar is the best biomarker
There are a wide variety of biomarkers you can monitor to get a picture of your overall health, but none are as effective, thorough, or medically informative as measuring your blood sugar.
Your heart rate, and thus your heart rate variability (HRV), is also an important biomarker you should pay attention to, especially if you have a family history of cardiovascular problems.
Heart rate variability is the time interval between individual heartbeats. This can provide information about whether your heart is functioning regularly or not. An irregular heartbeat can be caused by increased stress, hormones, or lack of sleep, or it can be a sign of a metabolic disorder. However, while heart rate variability can be a good indicator of a disorder, it doesn't reveal nearly as much about what the problem might be as measuring your blood sugar level.
Smartwatches and smartphone apps have made tracking and measuring sleep patterns popular in recent years. The quality, quantity, and consistency of sleep are all important variables. Getting enough sleep is essential for well-being, fitness, and the immune system. While chronic sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, simply monitoring sleep may not be a sufficient indicator of overall health, as the tracking provides little insight into what's happening inside your body.
Blood glucose levels are the best biomarker for measuring your overall health. They can provide a variety of insights:
Blood sugar spikes, crashes and glycemic variability
Frequent rises and falls in blood sugar can make your everyday life a nightmare. Chances are you're already suffering from it in silence:
- Do you often feel tired or very exhausted?
- Do you find it difficult to concentrate?
- Do you feel depressed? And unproductive?
- Are you constantly hungry?
If you suffer from one or more of these symptoms, it could be a sign of unstable blood sugar levels. Stabilizing your blood sugar can be a first step toward a healthier, happier, and easier life. In the long term, frequent blood sugar spikes and crashes can even lead to chronic diseases like cancer, stroke, and cardiovascular disease, as well as cognitive decline.
Your unique reaction to different foods
In the 21st century, there is no room for diets or eating plans that suit everyone.
We now know that every person, and indeed every body, is unique and therefore reacts to food in a very individual way. By observing how your blood sugar level rises and falls in response to the different foods you eat, you'll finally know whether you can eat one more cookie or whether you should cut down on carbohydrates in the future.
Your blood sugar levels reflect the state of your microbiome (the bacteria that live in and on us), the influence of your genes, fitness level, sleep habits, stress and diet on your overall health.
You will gain unparalleled insight into the condition of your body and learn what you can do to improve it.
Metabolic flexibility (MF)
We now know that weight control is much more complex than a simple equation of the number of calories consumed minus the number of calories burned.
If you have high blood glucose levels, your body will use it as its preferred energy source. This means that excess calories are stored in the body as fat, leading to weight gain.
When your blood sugar level is stable, your insulin sensitivity increases. Insulin resistance should be avoided because it means your cells don't respond well to insulin, can't utilize glucose from the blood, and causes your blood sugar level to rise.
So, when resistance decreases, your body can process the sugar in your blood and start burning fat more quickly, preventing weight gain. In other words: If you know how to stabilize your blood sugar levels, you can eat in a way that makes your body's metabolism more flexible. You can maintain your desired weight.
Metabolic syndrome
In the past, because there were no readily accessible biomarkers to measure general health, it was often not possible to detect the onset of a metabolic disorder before insulin resistance developed.
So it was too late.
Measuring blood sugar levels as a biomarker can provide you with initial insights you might otherwise have missed. Insulin resistance, for example, may not show up in a blood test for ten years. Regular blood sugar testing can detect it earlier. Making the right changes to your diet and lifestyle can play a crucial role in preventing the onset of prediabetes and other chronic diseases.
How do you measure blood sugar correctly?
The most reliable and readily available method for measuring blood glucose levels is using a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device.
A CGM is a small, unobtrusive white disc, usually no larger than a two-euro coin. The sensor is attached to the back of your arm and can be worn comfortably under clothing. It stays securely in place even during physical activity such as swimming, showering, or other daily activities.
The CGM will measure your blood glucose levels. You can check them at any time using the HELLO INSIDE data analysis and tracking app. The HELLO INSIDE system uses NFC technology in your smartphone to transfer the information from the sensor to your phone. The HELLO INSIDE app helps you identify trends in your blood glucose levels, as well as blood glucose spikes and crashes. Using this data, you can develop a healthy lifestyle. This, in turn, helps keep your blood glucose levels stable and within a healthy range.
What are healthy blood sugar levels?
Blood sugar is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). Healthy blood sugar levels are defined in the HELLO INSIDE app as between 80 and 110 mg/dl.
Any physical activity, stress, or eating certain foods can cause your blood sugar levels to temporarily spike. Tracking and monitoring your blood sugar levels can help you identify what specifically affects your blood sugar levels and learn how to avoid these triggers in the future.
What are bad blood sugar levels?
Your blood sugar levels fluctuate constantly throughout the day and night. However, they should always remain within a certain healthy range (see normal blood sugar levels earlier in this article).
If your blood sugar levels drop or rise too sharply (especially after a meal—see the graph above), this may be cause for concern. Generally, frequent blood sugar levels below 60 mg/dL or peaks above 180 mg/dL are considered potentially dangerous.
If your blood sugar level constantly fluctuates around one of these two values, this could be a sign of a serious health problem. Please consult a doctor.
What are the signs of good or bad blood sugar?
If your blood sugar levels are normal , you feel great!
- You don't feel hungry shortly after eating.
- You don't have any cravings.
- You are energetic, happy, and find it easy to concentrate.
If your blood sugar levels are not within the healthy range , the following symptoms may occur:
- You are irritable, hungry or tired.
- You find it difficult to concentrate on certain tasks
- You have signs of depression or anxiety.
Our blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day, especially after eating or exercising. This means you can experience blood sugar spikes or drops at any time, even while you're at work. If you suddenly feel like you're having the worst day of your life or that the IQ of all your colleagues has suddenly dropped by at least 20 points, you should check your blood sugar before writing your resignation letter.
Blood sugar stabilization: What are the short- and long-term benefits?
Successfully stabilizing blood sugar levels means keeping them within a healthy range and thus no longer having to live with unpredictable mood swings, lack of energy, poor concentration, cravings, and general daily mental and physical discomfort.
In the long term, successfully stabilizing your blood sugar levels also means preventing diseases. These include metabolic disorders, diabetes, cancer, stroke, obesity, and other conditions that can significantly impact your life expectancy and quality of life.
How can you influence your blood sugar levels?
There are many ways you can directly or indirectly influence your blood sugar.
You can directly influence your blood sugar levels through diet and exercise. Whether you eat right or wrong, and whether you exercise too much or too little – all of this affects your blood sugar levels.
However, there are other things that indirectly influence your blood sugar levels: These include your sleep patterns, stress levels, and addictive substances such as nicotine and alcohol.
To better understand these points, we've divided everything that can directly and indirectly affect your blood sugar levels into six different categories. These can help you influence your biomarker levels and train your body toward a healthier blood sugar relationship.
6 areas for balanced blood sugar levels
Nutrition
Diet has a direct impact on your blood sugar levels. This includes everything you eat, portion size, and even the order in which you consume foods. You probably already know that sugar causes a blood sugar spike. But did you know that you can reduce this effect by only eating sweets after a healthy, balanced meal?
The 'Apple Cider Vinegar' Hack
Die-hard apple cider vinegar fans might carry a stash of it in their flask to keep it handy. But joking aside, even a small green salad with apple cider vinegar dressing before a heavy meal can make a big difference! Try it and monitor your blood sugar levels. How does it react to this small change?
Movement
It's important to be active and move throughout the day. This is the only way your body can better process glucose in the blood and support insulin metabolism. A short walk after a heavy lunch can work wonders: You'll be focused and energized all afternoon! You might even be able to skip the afternoon coffee this way in the future.
Sleep
Did you know that your blood sugar levels are higher after a bad night's sleep? That's why it's important to get plenty of rest every day.
Sleep allows your body to recover from the previous day's stress. It's also essential for your body to continue processing glucose and burning energy from the right sources. Try to establish a good sleep routine. This can be achieved by setting a regular, early bedtime.
Also, about an hour before bedtime, avoid anything that overly agitates or activates you and your body: Turn off all screens (e.g., smartphone, TV) to limit your exposure to artificial light. There are so many ways you can fall asleep without looking at a screen: When was the last time you read a good book? Or listened to a podcast?
Relationships
Humans are social animals by nature. This means we depend on the company of others to be healthy and happy.
Spending time with close friends and family can help us feel less stressed, more energized, and more part of a community. This, in turn, indirectly has a positive impact on our blood sugar levels.
One thing to note here: Don't let yourself be persuaded to eat unhealthy food or drink too much alcohol in social settings. If you notice people in your social circle trying to pressure you to eat, tell them about your HELLO INSIDE blood glucose sensor and show them the effects certain foods have on your body. You'll see, it will lead to some great conversations.
Addictive substances
Drinking alcohol (especially in large doses) is bad for your blood sugar levels. Among the many things alcohol does in your body is that your body uses it as fuel, which further delays the onset of glucose and, ultimately, fat burning.
There's no good news for smokers either. Nicotine has been shown to increase insulin resistance, which raises blood sugar levels and makes spikes more likely. If you're serious about using your blood sugar levels as a biomarker, you should quit smoking for good and try to limit or avoid alcohol consumption as much as possible. If you can't resist a glass of alcohol at an event or social gathering, opt for wine or sparkling wine instead of cocktails or beer.
stress
Stress releases cortisol, a stress hormone that impairs the utilization of glucose in cells and causes blood sugar levels to rise.
In other words, if you're stressed, you probably don't feel particularly healthy or happy.
Try to limit your intake of foods like caffeine and sugar. These can trigger internal stress. Also, try to develop some stress management strategies to cope with external influences in your daily life.
Stress management works with…
- breathing exercises
- meditation
- a hot cup of tea
- a nice bubble bath
Basically, anything that counts as time for yourself can help reduce stress and, in turn, your blood sugar levels.
How can you start controlling your blood sugar levels?
Some of the changes you need to make to see a significant difference in your blood sugar levels may be more difficult to maintain than others. As with any new habit, it's best to start small and gradually work toward implementing them in all areas of your life. Also, be sure to consistently track your progress. Set gradual goals. This is the only way to stick with it and achieve long-term success.
