Feeling Tired All the Time? Your Blood Sugar Might Be to Blame

It’s barely been 3 hours since you started your day, and you’re already fighting a losing battle with your increasingly heavy eyelids.

You didn’t physically exert yourself more than usual; you didn’t enjoy a little too many drinks before bedtime; and you clocked a solid 8 hours of ZZZs.

Then, an unsettling realization settles in your stomach: you’ve been feeling totally wiped out for months. And none of your usual energy-boosting strategies (mainly copious amounts of caffeine and desperately slapping yourself) have worked.

What’s going on? Your blood sugar levels may be to blame. Well, more specifically, they could be too high.

What is blood sugar (or blood glucose)?

Your body breaks down the carbohydrates you eat (e.g., those ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls you indulged in over the holiday season) and turns them into glucose, which is then absorbed into the bloodstream.

Blood sugar energy connection cinnamon rolls

This is your body’s primary source of energy.

Your pancreas senses how much sugar is in the blood and, in most cases, automatically secretes the perfect amount of insulin to help keep your blood sugar levels nice and steady by:

Allowing the glucose in your bloodstream to enter body cells in need of energy (say, those in your brain or your muscles)

Converting a small amount of glucose into something called glycogen, your body’s special form of readily available “backup glucose” that gets deposited in your liver and muscles as an emergency reservoir of energy to use when you need it (e.g., when you go a long time between meals or engage in endurance sports)

Storing the rest of the excess glucose in your fat cells as body fat

However, there are instances where your body may fail to regulate your blood sugar levels as it should.

The result is elevated blood sugar levels.

Hmm — is that a bad thing? Think about when you spill fruit juice or something sweet on the floor and how sticky it gets. That’s what’s happening inside your body. It attaches to everything internally and kind of gums everything up.

This could cause significant damage over time and lead to health complications. But of course, you should not worry only about the long-term effects.

Elevated blood sugar levels and energy levels

In the short term, elevated blood sugar levels could also negatively impact your energy levels.

Here’s why. When your body experiences a spike in blood sugar levels, it goes into overdrive trying to make enough insulin to balance the blood glucose.

But if there isn’t enough insulin or the body isn’t responding to it as it should, your body will start drawing on fat stores to create the energy it needs.

The problem with this is that while fat yields more energy than carbohydrates on a per-gram basis (9 calories vs. 4 calories), your body takes way longer to convert it into a usable form of energy.

Simple carbohydrates, for example, send immediate bursts of glucose (energy) into the bloodstream.

Compare that to the complex, multi-step process of fatty acid oxidation, which may take hours to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

This essentially creates a “lag time” between the period your body needs energy and when it can actually access that energy — offering a potential explanation for why you feel chronically zapped.

Simple steps to boost your energy

So, with all that said, taking the following (simple) steps to keep your blood glucose levels as stable as possible could seriously lift your energy levels:

Focus on balanced meals

A healthy, balanced diet can look different from person to person as nutrition needs vary based on gender, height, weight, activity level, and many other factors. That said, in general, a balanced diet will include a combination of the following:

Whole grains (carbohydrates): Compared to refined grains, your body digests whole grains more slowly, so your glucose levels will rise steadily and leisurely instead of careening straight up. The USDA recommends making half your grains whole grains. Examples of whole grains and whole grain foods include barley, bulgur (cracked wheat), farro, millet, quinoa, brown rice, red rice, wild rice, oatmeal, popcorn, wholegrain breakfast cereals, and whole-wheat bread, pasta, or crackers.
Lean proteins: Protein takes longer to digest, which slows down how quickly food contents empties into the intestines for nutrient absorption. This, in turn, results in a gentler rise in blood glucose levels. That said, not all protein sources are made equal. Several studies have suggested that red and processed meats could negatively affect blood glucose regulation. This is why you should prioritize lean proteins such as grilled chicken, ground turkey, and white fish.
Healthy fats: Like protein, fats also slow digestion and glucose absorption. There are also “good” and “bad” fats. In general, for your blood glucose levels, you should choose good fats, including unsaturated fats and saturated fats, from various vegetables, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, and unprocessed meats. Avoid bad fats such as partially hydrogenated oils and saturated fats in processed meat.
Fruits and vegetables: These are rich sources of dietary fiber, which could help your body maintain healthy blood glucose levels. Examples of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables include broccoli, apples, blackberries, artichokes, and avocados.

Ideally, each meal will consist of 50% to 60% high-fiber carbs (like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables), 15% to 20% protein (like lean meats and fish), and 20% to 30% healthy fat (like olive oil and nuts).

Move your body

Exercising helps your blood sugar levels because your muscles burn glucose when you move. Strength training could prove especially beneficial. That’s because it preserves and builds muscle mass, which stores consumed sugar and carbohydrates, aiding in maintaining healthy blood glucose levels.

As for how much exercise you should do? According to the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults need at least:

150 minutes of moderate-intensity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity
2 days of muscle-strengthening activity

… weekly.

Below, find examples of cardio and muscle-strengthening activities you could try.

Cardio	Muscle-strengthening activity
Swimming	Weightlifting
Running	Yoga
Rowing	Pilates
Dancing	Rockclimbing
Hiking	Calisthenics
Stairclimbing

Stay hydrated

Beyond helping your kidneys filter excess glucose from your bloodstream, drinking enough fluids could also modulate hunger — preventing you from overconsuming high-carb, blood-sugar-raising foods.

Hydration needs can differ from individual to individual. As a general rule, however, you should be drinking enough fluids such that you urinate several times a day, ad your urine is pale and odor-free.

To enhance hydration, consider electrolyte supplements.

In case you’re not familiar with electrolytes, they’re minerals with an electrical charge that regulates essential chemical reactions in the body, like pH balance, along with nerve and muscle contraction.

They also help maintain the balance of fluids inside and outside of cells, which means they can help keep your body optimally hydrated.

By the way, if you want to feel your best in the new year, we’ve got something very special for you. A comprehensive, in-depth guide (How to Recharge Your Energy and Regain Balance) that’ll walk you through:

Smart dietary swaps you could implement
Sample exercise plans, no matter your current fitness experience
Additional lifestyle tips

… that’ll keep your blood glucose and energy levels steady. This guide will give you the jolt you need to do more. And yes, it’s completely free.

Learn how you can unlock sustained energy naturally by checking out our guide here.

Enhance your energy naturally with Nutrionic™ H₂ Energizer

In the meantime, here’s another thing you should check out for a clean, natural energy boost: Nutrionic™ H₂ Energizer, a superpowered, bioavailable molecular hydrogen supplement that delivers a synergistic combination of molecular H2 and ionic magnesium ( Mg²⁺):

Molecular hydrogen: A potent antioxidant that’s small enough to cross into the mitochondria, supporting energy production right where it happens. Thanks to its innovative nanobubble technology, Nutrionic™ H₂ Energizer delivers up to 10+ ppm of molecular H₂ per glass of water. That’s the most concentrated hit of molecular hydrogen you can get on the market.

Ionic magnesium: A cofactor for over 300 enzymes involved with energy production; it may, as a result, help with maintaining healthy energy levels. Approximately 50% of Americans consume less than the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for magnesium, and some age groups consume substantially less. Every Nutrionic™ H₂ Energizer tablet releases up to 80 mg of unbound, bioavailable magnesium ions — helping plug any dietary gaps you may have.

Shop Nutrionic™ H₂ Energizer here.