Feeling Sluggish and Moody? Blood Sugar Levels May Be to Blame

If you’re feeling sluggish, your blood sugar levels may be to blame. When blood sugar levels are frequently outside of the target range, your energy plummets and your mood can be affected. Worse yet, when blood sugar levels are consistently outside of the target range, you may be at risk for heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) states the blood sugar target range is between 70 and 180. Blood sugar targets can vary based on age and other factors. Consistently meeting the blood sugar target range can improve your A1c.

Bayhealth’s Endocrinology, Blue Hen, helps guide patients on their journey to regulating their blood sugars by offering education and support. One of Bayhealth’s Diabetes Educators Cindy Jester explains how regulating your blood sugars will highly benefit your overall health. 

1. Boost your mood and energy. When your blood sugar is regulated, you won’t have as many sugar cravings. In turn, you’ll notice a difference in your energy levels, and you’ll experience fewer mood swings.
2. Lose weight. When you are eating the foods that help you stay within a healthy blood sugar target range, you’ll likely lose weight. Even just a 10 percent loss in weight will help you improve your blood sugar. Better yet, maintaining a healthy weight will lower your risk of being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
3. Improve your sleep. Sleep is vital for the body to reset and recharge. When your blood sugar is regulated, you’ll get deeper sleep which allows your body to decrease inflammation which helps to prevent insulin resistance.
4. Eliminate cravings. When your blood sugar is stable, it’s much easier for you to resist giving into unhealthy cravings that will in turn cause blood sugar spikes and later cause an energy crash. When the sugar level in foods is higher, your body has to work harder to produce more insulin to offset the rising sugar level, resulting in those spikes and crashes.

Jester understands that making so many changes at once can be intimidating, so she recommends cutting back instead of cutting out. “It’s okay to enjoy your favorite foods as long as it’s in moderation,” she said. “A great first step is to eat at regular mealtimes and to never skip a meal. Eating at regular mealtimes and not skipping meals can prevent low blood sugars which can be inconvenient at the time and dangerous.”

If you don’t have diabetes, but want to start monitoring your blood sugar, the CDC offers tips that you can begin using today.
At the Bayhealth Endocrinology, Blue Hen, diabetes education and support is offered on a referral basis to those living with Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes. Our diabetes team consists of registered nurses and dietitians who specialize in self-management and nutritional support. In addition to individual appointments and group classes, the Bayhealth Endocrinology, Blue Hen offers a free support group that meets monthly.