https://www.healthline.

com/health/and-after-effect-eating-blood-sugar#the-takeaway

How Does Eating Affect Your Blood Sugar?

 When you eat
 Carbohydrates
 Exercise
 Insulin
 Testing
 The takeaway
What is blood sugar?
Blood sugar, also known as blood glucose, comes from the food you eat. Your body creates blood
sugar by digesting some food into a sugar that circulates in your bloodstream. Blood sugar is used for
energy. The sugar that isn’t needed to fuel your body right away gets stored in cells for later use.
Too much sugar in your blood can be harmful. Type 2 diabetes is a disease that is characterized by
having higher levels of blood sugar than what is considered within normal limits. Unmanaged
diabetes can lead to problems with your heart, kidneys, eyes, and blood vessels.
The more you know about how eating affects blood sugar, the better you can protect yourself against
diabetes. If you already have diabetes, it’s important to know how eating affects blood sugar.
What happens when you eat?
Your body breaks down everything you eat and absorbs the food in its different parts. These parts
include:
 carbohydrates
 proteins
 fats
 vitamins and other nutrients
The carbohydrates you consume turn into blood sugar. The more carbohydrates you eat, the higher the
levels of sugar you will have released as you digest and absorb your food. Carbohydrates in liquid
form consumed by themselves are absorbed more quickly than those in solid food. So having a soda
will cause a faster rise in your blood sugar levels than eating a slice of pizza.
Fiber is one component of carbohydrates that isn’t converted into sugar. This is because it can’t be
digested. Fiber is important for health, though. Protein, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals don’t
contain carbohydrates. These components won’t affect your blood sugar levels.
If you have diabetes, your carbohydrate intake is the most important part of your diet to consider
when it comes to managing your blood sugar levels.
High-carbohydrate foods
The foods that generate the biggest spike in your blood sugar are those that are high in processed
carbohydrates. These foods include:
  white grain products such as pasta and rice
 cookies
 white bread
 cold processed cereals
 sugared drinks
If you’re watching your carbohydrate intake, you don’t have to avoid these foods. Instead, you’ll need
to be careful about portion size. The more food you eat, the greater the amount of sugar you will
absorb. Eating mixed meals is helpful. Protein, fat, and fiber help slow down the digestion of
carbohydrates. This will help reduce spikes in blood sugar after meals.
How often you eat during the day is also important. Try to keep your blood sugar levels consistent by
eating every three to five hours. Three meals a day plus a couple of snacks can usually keep your
blood sugar steady.
If you have diabetes, your doctor may recommend the amount of carbohydrates you can have for
meals and snacks. You may also work with a dietitian familiar with diabetes who can help plan your
meals.
Your health, age, and activity level all play a part in setting your dietary guidelines.
Exercise and blood sugar
Exercise can have a big effect on your blood sugar levels because blood sugar is used for energy.
When you use your muscles, your cells absorb sugar from the blood for energy.
Depending on the intensity or duration of exercise, physical activity can help lower your blood sugar
for many hours after you stop moving. If you exercise regularly, the cells in your body may be more
sensitive to insulin. This will help keep blood sugar levels within normal ranges.
Insulin and blood sugar
Insulin is an important hormone that helps regulate your blood sugar levels. The pancreas makes
insulin. It helps control your blood sugar levels by assisting the cells that absorb sugar from the
bloodstream.
If you have type 1 diabetes, your body doesn’t make insulin. This means you have to inject insulin
every day. If diet and exercise are not enough to manage blood sugar, those with type 2 diabetes may
be prescribed medications to help keep blood sugar levels within target ranges.
If you have type 2 diabetes, your body produces insulin, but may not use it properly or produce
enough of it. Your cells don’t respond to insulin, so more sugar keeps circulating in the blood.
Exercise can help the cells respond better and be more sensitive to insulin. The proper diet can also
help you avoid spikes in blood sugar. This can help keep your pancreas functioning well since high
blood sugar levels decrease pancreatic function.
Knowing blood sugar levels
If you have diabetes, you’ll have to check your blood sugar levels after a big meal, before and after
exercise, and if you feel sick.
What you eat and what you do for physical activity affect your blood sugar. But there is no way to
know what effect they have unless you test your blood sugar. Blood glucose meters are used to test
blood sugar levels so you can see if your levels are within the target range. You can also work with
your doctor to know when to test and what is the best range.
Watch what you eat
Carbohydrates are the component in food that affect blood sugar. It’s not the only component that
provides calories. Foods also contain proteins and fats, which provide calories.
If you consume more calories than you burn in a day, those calories will be converted into fat and
stored in your body. The more weight you gain, the less sensitive your body becomes to insulin. As a
result, your blood sugar levels can rise.
In general, you want to avoid or minimize your intake of sweetened beverages and foods that are
highly processed and high in carbohydrates and unhealthy fat, and low in healthy nutrients.
For example, a brownie may have as many carbohydrates as a banana, but the fruit also has potassium
and vitamins your body needs. Brownies don’t have those benefits.
If you have diabetes or you’ve been told you have high blood sugar levels, talk with your doctor or a
dietitian about what you can do to eat smarter and healthier.