The REAL Cause of Your Blood Sugar Problems (SHOCKING!)

Anyone who has diabetes knows that what you eat has a major impact on your blood sugar levels.

Exercise is a major factor, too, since it helps with weight control.

But there’s another key thing that has a MAJOR impact on your blood sugar levels… and it has nothing to do with diet or exercise.

And for anyone who wants to maintain healthy blood sugar levels—diabetic or not—this is something you MUST get under control.

High blood sugar is bad for you.

And stress is bad for you. (I’ve told you this before.)

But can stress actually impact your blood sugar levels?

Surprisingly, the answer is yes!

In fact, stress relief is a crucial component of diabetes management.

In a recent study published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, researchers analyzed data from people who had either impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes.

They determined their cortisol levels throughout the day (cortisol is your body’s stress hormone) and measured their morning fasting blood sugar levels once a year.

Cortisol isn’t something you only produce during times of stress. Cortisol is yet another hormone that is governed by your body’s circadian rhythm, and there are natural times that it is higher (like in the morning), and it then decreases throughout the day.

Ultimately, the researchers found that in people with diabetes, each annual percentage increase in morning cortisol levels, total amount of excreted cortisol, and decline in the natural slope of cortisol during the day was associated with a significant increase in fasting glucose.

In other words, higher levels of stress equaled higher blood sugar levels.

The researchers pointed out that this connection existed regardless of a person’s body mass index, which suggests that cortisol directly impacts glucose metabolism through effects on insulin secretion and insulin signaling.

Now, what they DIDN’T study was whether or not reducing cortisol levels also reduced blood sugar levels.

But you don’t need to wait around for the results of that study before taking action.

Acute stress is beneficial, but chronic stress—the kind that most people seem to be under a lot of these days—is terrible for your mind AND your body.

It can lead to insomnia, headaches, fatigue, digestive problems, sexual dysfunction, more frequent infections, autoimmune diseases. The list goes on.

That’s a lot of reasons to get your stress under control.

The fact that high levels can contribute to high blood sugar is just another in an already lengthy list.

The good news is that the things that help reduce stress are the same things that make life more enjoyable.

Personally, I spend my mornings doing yoga and meditation, and I find that it helps keep me grounded for the rest of the day.

But if that’s not your thing, do what works for you.

Spend time outside, take a walk with your dog, hang out with friends, listen to the Eagles.

It’ll make all the difference for your mind AND your body.