• Emma Winter

Energy Crisis

How come we seem to eat so much, so often, yet still feel tired? What is going wrong with the process of getting that energy from our food and creating energy in cells to perform our daily functions? Why is the energy being stored away as fat?

All of the body’s cells need energy to work and it is usually created:

  • Carbohydrates

  • Proteins

  • Fats

Nowadays, we tend to eat a lot of refined carbohydrates and these contain high amounts of sugar and starch that raise the sugar levels in our blood very quickly - Yes, this definitely include the packaged meals labelled 'Healthy'.

What goes up must come down, so the body will often process excess sugar quickly so that the energy high is followed by an energy slump. Symptoms of low blood sugar levels can include hunger, sweating, dizziness, fatigue, irritability and confusion. It is at this point that you normally reach for the nearest chocolate bar, but this can cause the cycle to start over resulting in the blood sugar ‘rollercoaster’.

When the body detects glucose in the blood the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin that facilitates the movement of glucose into the cells, providing an energy source. However, when the body is overloaded with glucose, the excess is converted to glycogen, which is stored in muscles and the liver. Once glycogen stores are saturated, the liver converts the remaining glucose into fat, leading to increased weight gain and ultimately obesity.

Eventually, persistently high blood glucose may lead to metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and multiple other complications, such as inflammation and cardiovascular disease.

There’s a big link between blood glucose balance and our stress response too. Cortisol is our ‘get up and go’ hormone that releases into your system from the adrenal glands in the morning to wake you up feeling energised. Levels of cortisol gradually taper off throughout the day so that you can sleep in the evening. However, cortisol is also released in response to stress or low blood sugar to give you a burst of energy. Cortisol does this by tapping into our protein and fat stores to release glucose from glycogen. This energy can help an individual deal with a stressful situation. However, ongoing stress resulting in long term elevated cortisol can lead to chronically increased blood sugar levels. If our blood sugar is out of balance, that will cause cortisol to be released too, just to keep us going.

Luckily, we can do a lot with diet and nutrition, which are vital for helping to reduce fatigue and increase energy levels.

Modern life does seem to predispose us to our own energy crisis, and we need to take care of ourselves:

  • Ensuring you have regular meals

  • Trying to increase key nutrients

  • Undertaking physical activity

  • Managing your stress levels

All can help you achieve balanced blood glucose levels throughout the day. This can only be good, not only for your energy and wellbeing, but your future health outlook too.

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