Blood glucose control: the daily rollercoaster ride

Are you familiar with the feeling of riding a rollercoaster every day? That up and down throughout the day of your energy levels that you can’t seem to stay on top of without caffeine and a hit of carbohydrates? This is the blood sugar rollercoaster ride.

Our primary stress hormone, cortisol, plays a pivotal role in our daily energy fluctuations. In the morning, cortisol levels naturally rise upon waking, helping us get out of bed. However, various stressors, such as getting kids ready for school or running late, can further spike cortisol levels. To complicate matters, many of us reach for that morning cup of coffee, which contains caffeine, a substance known to increase cortisol levels. So, before our day even begins, our cortisol levels are soaring higher than usual.

And why does this matter?

Well, elevated cortisol levels can raise our blood sugar levels. High blood sugar is like a rollercoaster - it goes up, and then it must come down. As a result, our blood sugar levels spike, drop, and leave us feeling tired. This often triggers cravings for another source of energy, which might come in the form of food or, you guessed it, more coffee.

So you can see this rollercoaster effect that can go on throughout the day significantly impacting our energy levels.

Caffeine's Half-Life:

Did you know, just like any other drug, caffeine has a half-life? So, if you find yourself feeling tired and experiencing the infamous afternoon slump, it could also be due to the lingering effects of your morning coffee.

Upon waking: try riding your own natural cortisol wave when you wake. Cortisol peaks in the morning and is actually what wakes us up so riding this natural ‘high’ in the morning and then bringing in the caffeine a little later can be a good strategy for some people.