Healthy Blood Sugar After Meals And Its Connection To Blood Pressure

Imagine chowing down on a burger or pizza or sipping a soft drink – just imagine, don’t go out and have one! Bear with us, this is an experiment. Feel the impact of the lip-smacking food, all calories, sugar, protein, and fats, on your body once they pass through your mouth. You might not feel it, but your heart is working overtime as you revel in the bliss of sugars and saturated fat you just gorged on. 

But who doesn’t like to be in a food coma? Yeah, yeah, we know YOLO (you only live once) is real. Treating yourself every now and then is permissible, but frequently binge-eating foods that raise your blood pressure and blood sugar levels is a recipe for disaster. That’s why it’s vital to understand your normal blood sugar after eating.

What Are Normal Blood Sugar Levels After Eating?

We are too used to eating our food without checking how much sugar, calories, saturated fats, or carbs it has. But have you wondered what your normal blood glucose is after eating? For non-diabetic adults, the normal blood sugar ranges from 70-100 mg/dL. Normal blood sugar after eating varies depending on the time after every meal.

Source – https://asianheartinstitute.org/blog/blood-sugar-level-chart-by-age/

Keeping your blood sugar in check doesn’t just mean dodging diabetes; it also means reducing the risk of blood pressure and heart health issues.

How Blood Sugar Affects Blood Pressure

It is no coincidence that people who have high blood pressure or hypertension also have high blood sugar or diabetes. When an individual has both of these lifestyle conditions, one is considered the comorbidity of the other. Conventionally, people think salt is responsible for blood pressure. But guess what? Sugar can be equally responsible as well.

• The Usual Process: For starters (nope, not appetisers), your body breaks carbohydrates in your food into glucose, which gets absorbed in the bloodstream, causing your blood sugar levels to rise. In return, the pancreas releases insulin to help the cells absorb glucose for energy. 
• Overload!: But when there’s an overdose of sugar in your system, your body stops responding to insulin as it should, leading to insulin resistance. Here’s where it starts to get tricky. Insulin resistance creates a domino effect on your blood pressure, forcing your body to pump out more blood. So, your blood vessels get damaged eventually after working overtime, making it harder for the heart to pump blood efficiently.

So, what exactly is the mechanism behind how the body regulates blood sugar levels, whether before and after meals?

• Research suggests that a small sensor – carotid body – located near your neck regulates both blood pressure and blood sugar. And when this sensor gets triggered, it activates the sensory nervous system responsible for the ‘fight or flight response’. When the literal ‘adrenaline rush’ occurs, energy (aka glucose) floods into your bloodstream, your heartbeat speeds up, and blood pressure shoots up.
• Some low blood sugar medications can drop your blood sugar levels, releasing glucagon and adrenaline, which again spike up your blood pressure and heart rate.
• Here’s the importance of knowing your normal blood sugar after meals: If you are not careful with your sugar intake, untreated high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels, causing the walls to narrow. This can cause long-term effects, such as plaque build-up, narrowed blood vessels, and a heavy workload on your poor heart. Severe conditions such as atherosclerosis or high blood pressure may arise due to these factors. 

Risk Factors For Blood Sugar And BP Imbalance

If these two conditions continue playing a game of seesaw, both can trigger chaos. The following are some overlapping risk factors common to both lifestyle conditions, such as:

• Obesity
• Chronic inflammation
• Insulin resistance
• Increased oxidative stress
• Overproduction of tissue-damaging free radicals
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Unhealthy habits
• Poor sleeping schedule
• Overeating 
• Genetics

Tips To Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar And Blood Pressure 

Keeping track of your blood sugar levels and blood pressure is in your hands. Make the following tips a part of your daily routine to stay healthy –

• • Maintain a healthy diet – Mothers are always right, especially when it comes to eating your greens. We know – good food + good mood, but we can’t always chomp on fried, junk food. Be more mindful of your eating habits. Include fruits, vegetables, protein and fibrous foods in your diet. Additionally, check your normal blood sugar after every meal to keep track of your food intake.
  • Eat smaller, more frequent meals –  Ditch the three-square-meals plan. Instead, space out your meals to prevent sugar spikes. Also, choose smaller plates that can help keep your portion size in check.

• Hydrate plenty – Sometimes, your body confuses thirst with hunger. So, drink at least 8-9 glasses of water to stay hydrated. Instead of resorting to carbonated drinks, caffeine or alcohol, you can choose coconut water, buttermilk, or fresh fruit juices. Hydration and bp management can go a long way in maintaining normal blood sugar after meals.

• Movement is a must – Right from getting 10,000 steps daily to engaging your body in intensive exercises, make it a habit to work out daily. Take a walk after every meal, take the stairs instead of the elevator, opt for a public commute to your office, practice pilates, yoga, or aerobics. You can also engage in physical activities like playing a sport or swimming to stay fit. 

• • Stress less – While asking someone to ‘calm down’ has not calmed down anyone ever, tactfully handle your stress. Try journaling, doodling, gardening, meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises, or just count to 10 for starters and let your anger simmer down. Try these stress management techniques instead of doom-scrolling and your blood pressure will thank you!

• No sleep, no recovery – Ensure you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep and adequate rest every day.

Summary

Remember, sugar spikes = bp spikes. It’s not about creating the perfect diet plan; it’s about making better choices with every meal and ensuring stable, normal blood sugar after eating.

Disclaimer

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