Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is essential for energy, organ function and overall metabolic health, while frequent or prolonged spikes and drops can contribute to health complications.<\/p>\n
Jim LaValle, a Texas-based clinical pharmacist and metabolic medicine expert, told Fox News Digital that understanding how food, exercise, sleep and stress<\/a> affect blood sugar is key to keeping levels in check.<\/p>\n POPULAR DIET SLASHES LIVER FAT BY 67% WHILE REVERSING PREDIABETES IN SOME PEOPLE<\/a><\/p>\n LaValle recommends monitoring blood sugar after meals, known as postprandial glucose, to better understand how different foods, beverages<\/a> and eating habits affect blood sugar levels.<\/p>\n “Do I spike more from eating rice, or do I spike from eating quinoa? How much can I eat?” he said. “I think that’s a foundational issue.”<\/p>\n Stable glucose levels are essential for energy, organ function and overall metabolic balance, while spikes and drops can contribute to long-term health effects. (iStock)<\/p>\n The metabolic health expert noted that insulin resistance<\/a> occurs when cells become less responsive to insulin, a process that can be influenced by inflammation in the body.<\/p>\n Normally, insulin helps move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle cells, where it can be stored as glycogen for later use.<\/p>\n THINK YOUR CORTISOL IS TOO HIGH? EXPERT REVEALS THE TRUTH BEHIND VIRAL WELLNESS CRAZE<\/a><\/p>\n LaValle said he\u2019s a “big believer” in eating a higher-protein breakfast<\/a> rather than one that\u2019s heavy in carbs, pointing to naturally elevated cortisol levels in the morning and their potential impact on blood sugar.<\/p>\n “You’ve got to watch how many sugars are in food, how many refined carbohydrates you’re [eating],” he added.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/p>\n One of the simplest lifestyle habits to help lower blood sugar, according to LaValle, is taking a 10-minute walk after eating. Regular exercise<\/a> is an “obvious” healthy practice, he added, although he acknowledged that it’s not easy for everyone.<\/p>\n The expert recommends taking a 10-minute walk after eating to balance blood sugar levels. (iStock)<\/p>\n “It\u2019s easy to say, \u2018eat better, exercise, sleep better,\u2019 but then people are working 16-hour days or are single parents, they get home, they open up their pantry and destroy a bag of cookies because that’s the first thing they can eat and their blood sugar\u2019s plummeted,” he said.<\/p>\n Even a little movement<\/a> after eating can be beneficial, LaValle said, particularly in a modern world that\u2019s “eliminating the need to move.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES<\/a><\/p>\n LaValle also emphasized the importance of managing stress, which can contribute to insulin resistance.<\/p>\n Along with healthy eating, exercise and stress management, getting adequate sleep<\/a> is “huge for glucose regulation,” he added.<\/p>\n “You’ve got to watch how many sugars are in food, how many refined carbohydrates you’re [eating],” the expert advised. (iStock)<\/p>\n “When you don’t sleep, and you don\u2019t get enough rest to reset your body for the next day … all those hormones that are supposed to be getting released get skewed,” LaValle said, noting that insulin regulation is particularly affected by inadequate sleep.<\/p>\n TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/a><\/p>\n LaValle noted that sleep apnea<\/a> is often associated with conditions such as diabetes, prediabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, emphasizing the importance of healthy sleep habits.<\/p>\n Hyperarousal of the brain can contribute to insomnia, LaValle added.<\/p>\n Sleep hygiene is important for keeping weight and stress in check, the expert said. (iStock)<\/p>\n For someone who\u2019s “jacked up all day long,” feeling overcommitted and anxious, that heightened state of stress can disrupt sleep and, in turn, interfere with glucose regulation.<\/p>\n Inadequate sleep can also affect appetite and eating behaviors, potentially making blood sugar management more difficult.<\/p>\n![\"Doctor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/prediabetes-weight-loss.jpg\")
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