Balance Your Blood Sugar Naturally: 5 Strategies That Work

Balancing blood sugar is a hot topic right now, but unfortunately, a lot of the hype is fueled by fear-mongering and products that promise a "secret formula" to stable glucose levels. The truth? Your body is incredibly intelligent, and blood sugar regulation doesn’t require magic potions—it requires science-backed habits.

If you're looking to improve your energy levels, reduce cravings, or even prevent diabetes, understanding how your blood sugar works and how to balance it naturally is key. Whether you’re pre-diabetic, managing diabetes, or simply want to act preventatively, these five strategies will help keep your blood sugar stable without the stress.

Understanding Blood Sugar: A Simplified Approach

Think of your blood sugar like fuel in a car—it provides the energy your body needs to function. When you eat, especially carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into glucose (sugar), which enters your bloodstream. In response, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that helps move glucose into your cells for energy.

Sugar itself isn’t bad—it’s essential for energy. However, consuming too many refined carbs (candy, baked goods, sugary snacks) can cause large spikes in blood sugar, followed by crashes that leave you feeling fatigued, hungry, and craving more sugar. Over time, frequent spikes and crashes can lead to insulin resistance, weight gain, and increased risk of diabetes.

The goal? Instead of sharp peaks and valleys, we want to create gentle, rolling hills with our blood sugar levels. Here’s how to make that happen.

5 Proven Strategies to Balance Blood Sugar Naturally

1. Prioritize Protein and Healthy Fats

Start every meal with protein and healthy fats before eating carbohydrates. This helps slow down sugar absorption and prevents large spikes in blood sugar. If you’re eating a carb-heavy meal (like pasta or bread), be sure to add a protein source to promote balanced energy levels.

Examples:

• Protein: Chicken, turkey, steak, eggs, tofu, fish, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese.

• Healthy fats: Avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil.

2. Choose Fiber-Rich Carbs Over Processed Carbs

Not all carbohydrates are created equal. Fiber slows digestion, helping to stabilize blood sugar levels. Opt for whole grains, vegetables, beans, and legumes instead of refined carbs like white bread, pasta, or sugary snacks.

Examples:

• Instead of white bread, choose whole-grain or sprouted bread.

• Swap white pasta for lentil or chickpea pasta.

• Choose fiber-rich snacks like hummus and veggies instead of chips.

3. Don’t Eat Carbs in Isolation

Pairing carbohydrates with protein or healthy fats ensures a slower release of sugar into the bloodstream, preventing energy crashes.

Examples:

• Add eggs or peanut butter to toast.

• Pair fruit with nuts or Greek yogurt.

• Add avocado or cheese to a sandwich.

4. Move More—Especially After Eating

Physical activity helps your body use blood sugar for energy instead of letting it sit in your bloodstream. Even a short 10-15 minute walk after meals can significantly improve blood sugar regulation.

Movement ideas:

• A post-meal walk.

• Bodyweight exercises like squats or lunges.

• Stretching or yoga to promote circulation.

5. Manage Stress and Prioritize Sleep

Stress raises cortisol, which can spike blood sugar levels. Lack of sleep has a similar effect. Consistently getting 7+ hours of sleep and practicing stress management techniques can help stabilize glucose levels.

Ways to manage stress:

• Deep breathing or meditation.

• Journaling or therapy.

• Engaging in hobbies you enjoy.

Who Might Need Extra Support?

While these five strategies work for most people, those with insulin resistance, diabetes, or PCOS may need additional steps. These include:

• Being more mindful of total carbohydrate intake under professional guidance.

• Strength training at least twice a week to improve insulin sensitivity.

• Exploring intermittent fasting (with caution, especially for women).

Final Thoughts

Blood sugar balance isn’t about perfection—it’s about consistency. These five steps are simple yet effective ways to regulate blood sugar naturally, leading to improved energy, reduced cravings, and better long-term health. If you need more personalized guidance, or could benefit from turning these effective strategies into life-long eating habits, feel free to reach out—I’d love to help!

Things I do as a Mom that might surprise you when you find out I’m a Nutrition Coach

For context, I have a 2.5 year old and a 4 month old (who is thriving on bottles and avocado). And while I’m not a parenting expert, but I do know a thing or two about nutrition and building healthy relationships with food, so here’s what’s working well for our household right now:

I give my toddler candy every day
I’m not exaggerating when I say that my two-year old is obsessed with lollipops. It’s the first thing he asks for in the morning and the last thing he thinks about before bed. In an effort to avoid demonizing sugar, and teach him the importance of variety and balance, he gets to pick a lollipop to enjoy after lunch every day.

I don’t make my kids finish their meals
Instead of forcing the last few bites because it’s the quantity I think he should eat, I ask, “is your belly happy or are you still hungry?” I might playfully encourage him to take another dinosaur bite to see if he’s truly full or simply distracted (as toddlers often are), but he gets to decide when he’s done - not me.

I sometimes skip the veggies
I do my best to ensure a vegetable is available at lunch and dinner, but if there’s resistance to eating it, or even trying it (in the case of something new), I don’t force the issue. I know that giving him access to vegetables and setting an example as someone who eats vegetables consistently is far more important than getting him to “just eat one bite”.

I don’t always make him eat at the table
There are occasions when we sit down as a family to enjoy a meal together and I encourage him to stay seated (even if he’s done eating), but there are an equal number of occasions when I allow him to eat while roaming, or have a “picnic” with his toys. Because it’s more important to me that he eats than follow table manners. Not to mention, I don’t always eat while sitting down, so it seems unfair that I’d ask him to (especially as a tornado toddler who rivals the energizer bunny).

What’s a mealtime habit that works well for your family? I’d love to know in the comments below!

Make Healthy Eating SIMPLE With These 6 Steps:

#1. Schedule a standing weekly grocery shopping/delivery date

Because if you don’t have access to the food you need for the week, even the best plan won’t work.

#2. Always have pre-made, ready-to-eat options on hand

Greek yogurt, string cheese, steamable rice and veggies, canned tuna/salmon, rotisserie chicken, etc.

Having a healthy alternative that’s just as easy as takeout will save you calories and cash!

3. Don’t sleep on canned and frozen produce

It’s often as nutritious and more cost-effective when compared to fresh fruits and veggies!

#4. Stop wasting time searching for the *perfect* 32-step recipe. Pick a protein and pair it with a vegetable and a favorite carb

#5. Stop overcomplicating food prep

You don’t have to be a chef or love cooking to set yourself up for healthy eating success.

Hard boiling eggs, grilling protein, and/or stocking up on steamable carbs and veggies in advance of the week is food prep. Keep. It. Simple.

#6. Slow down and sit down when eating

Instead of standing over the sink or scarfing food down in the car, make enjoying your food a priority. Sit, chew, taste, and embrace how food makes you feel.

Tune in to episode No. 305 of the Health, Wellth & Wisdom Podcast with Ali Elman to learn more about how to make healthy eating SIMPLE + enjoyable.

5 healthy habits to STICK WITH

Now that the 73 days of January have passed, it’s officially love month and according to most research, 80% of New Years resolutions have been abandoned by February.

And while, in some cases, that could be a good thing (like if your resolution was too restrictive or aggressive), here are five healthy habits you definitely want to stick with this season:

Prioritizing sleep 💤 

Skimping on sleep is a great way to ensure you’re hungry more often and feel like working out less often. 😬 So stay up late when it really matters, but make sure you’re still prioritizing sleep whenever possible. 

Gold ⭐️ goal = 7-9 hours/night

Eating veggies 🥗 

There is nothing quite like a happy digestive system and easeful bathroom trips! 🚽 Enjoy your favorite fun foods and beverages, but don’t forget your fiber too!

Gold ⭐️ goal for women = 25+ grams of fiber/day

Gold ⭐️ goal for men = 35+ grams of fiber/day

Getting steps 👣

Inside or outside, fast, or slow, walking is a healthy habit you can (and should) stick with all yearlong. The risk is low and the benefits - blood sugar stabilization, mood boosting, weight management, bone and heart health - are wiiiild. 

Gold ⭐️ goal = 8-10K steps/day

Prepping protein 🍤 

Carbs and fats are always easy to find and can usually be prepared quickly. But protein requires forethought and preparation. Make balanced meals easy by having 1-2 prepared options in your fridge at all times. 

Gold ⭐️ goal ‎ = -.7-1 gram of protein per lb. of ideal body weight or lean body mass

Planning for your faves 🍪 

You can enjoy ALL foods and still make amazing progress, it’s true. But it’s easy for foods hyper-palatable, low-nutrient value foods to add up quickly. In an effort to more easily balance them with the foods your body NEEDS (like proteins, fiber, complex carbs, and healthy fats), plan for them! 

Know weekend cocktails are your jam? Commit a drink max that will leave you feeling good but not hungover. 

Look forward to Friday pizza night all week long? Plan on eating a high protein, high fiber meal beforehand knowing you’ll get plenty of carbs and fats later. 

Need help establishing these healthy habits and ensuring you can confidently maintain them all year long?

We’re here to help.

Your Online Nutrition Coach,

Nicole Hagen

What does it mean to have a healthy relationship with food?

If you ask 10 people this question, you might get 10 different answers, but here’s what we mean @nutritionwithnicole when we say that we help our clients create healthy, confident relationships with food:

We teach them how to create long-term behavior change 

Anyone can demonstrate compliance without understanding only for old habits to resurface once the diet ends. Building a healthy relationship with food teaches understanding, addresses the root causes of eating patterns, and allows our clients to make mindful and informed choices moving forward. 

We help them address their emotional patterns 

We all eat in response to stress, boredom, and emotions rather than physical hunger sometimes. Learning to understand the emotional triggers behind those choices creates awareness that allows us to build healthier coping mechanisms moving forward.

We teach them how to irradicate food morality 

Labelling foods as "good" or "bad" creates guilt and shame around eating, which leads to a cycle of restriction and overeating. A healthy relationship with food, on the other hand, allows for balance, where all foods can fit in moderation, and reduces the likelihood of overindulging in “forbidden” foods.

We help them improve their quality of life 

Rather than being a source of stress (as is often the case with dieting), food becomes a source of nourishment and pleasure, contributing to a life without food noise, as well as improved mental and physical wellbeing. 

We help them create autonomy 

Creating a healthy relationship with food equips individuals with the tools to make choices that align with their needs and values, fostering habits that are healthier, more enjoyable, and sustainable over the long term.

Having a healthy relationship with food DOES look like eating a balance of nutrient-dense foods most of the time in a quantity that allows you to look, feel, and perform your best, but it’s also so much more than that.

If you want to address the deeper issues contributing to your current eating habits and lack of results, fill out a 1:1 Nutrition Coaching application and let us help you create true, lasting change in your diet, your body, and your relationship with food.