Did you know that blood sugar spikes can trigger cravings for more carbs and sweets?

If you’re a woman over 35, it’s essential to pay attention to these spikes for your overall health. So, how can you tell if you’re experiencing them?

After eating certain foods, keep an eye out for these common symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Cravings for Sugary Foods
• Mood Swings
• Brain Fog
• Increased Thirst and Frequent Urination

How your body manages sugar can significantly influence your mood, energy levels, weight, and even your risk for long-term health issues like heart disease, kidney disease, and type 2 diabetes. Blood sugar spikes happen when your blood glucose levels rise sharply after eating, and while most people are aware that sugary treats are a common culprit, some surprising everyday foods can also lead to these big spikes.

In this article, we’ll explore how blood sugar spikes specifically affect women over 35, uncover twelve surprising foods that can spike blood sugar, share hacks to enjoy them better, and discuss the best strategies to lower these spikes for improved blood sugar management and overall health.

How Blood Sugar Spikes Affect Women Over 35

For women over 35, blood sugar spikes can significantly affect both health and day-to-day life. As we age, our bodies become more sensitive to changes in blood glucose levels, which means that frequent spikes can lead to several issues, including intense cravings, weight gain, and even long-term health problems.

1. Energy Rollercoaster and Cravings

When your blood sugar spikes after eating sugary foods or refined carbs (like white bread, sweet drinks, or snacks), your body produces much insulin to lower the blood sugar. This quick drop can make you feel tired, hungry, and craving more sweet foods or carbs, creating a cycle of low blood sugar and blood sugar spikes. For women over 35, this cycle can be even more noticeable because our insulin sensitivity naturally decreases with age.

• Cravings for sugary snacks or carbs can become more intense, especially in the afternoon or late at night.
• Eating more sugary or refined foods can result in another big glucose spike, keeping you in a loop of energy highs and lows.

2. Weight Gain and Insulin Resistance

Frequent blood glucose spikes can lead to insulin resistance over time, where your body needs to produce even more insulin to control blood sugar. This is a major contributor to weight gain, especially around the belly, and makes it harder to lose weight. Plus, insulin resistance increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 

3. Mood Swings and Brain Fog

When your blood sugar drops after a spike, it can also affect your mood. Women over 35 may experience:

• Mood swings or irritability.
• Feeling shaky, tired, or unfocused.
• Difficulty concentrating, also known as "brain fog."

4. Long-Term Health Risks

Over time, continuous blood sugar spikes can increase the risk of:

• Heart disease and cardiovascular disease.
• Kidney disease and problems with your blood vessels.
• Gum disease and chronic stress from trying to manage blood sugar levels.

12 surprising foods that can spike blood sugar and hacks to enjoy them better

1. Energy Bars

• Why it spikes: Many energy bars marketed as healthy are filled with added sugar or artificial sweeteners, which can spike blood glucose levels.
• Hack: Look for bars that are low in sugar and high in fiber-rich foods like nuts and seeds. You can also make your own bars using ingredients like oats, nuts, and maple syrup as a natural sweetener.

2. Oatmeal

• Why it spikes: While oats are often thought of as a healthy breakfast, processed versions like instant oatmeal can spike blood glucose levels quickly. Even if you're cooking your own whole oats, the portion size is important as one cup of oatmeal contains 27g of carbs. 
• Hack: Opt for steel-cut oats instead of instant. You can also add healthy fats like nut butter or olive oil to slow digestion and prevent a big glucose spike. This makes it a more balanced diet choice.

3. Sweet Potatoes

• Why it spikes: Despite having a lower glycemic index than white potatoes, sweet potatoes are still starchy and can cause blood sugar spikes. All potatoes contain starchy carbds, 30+ grams. 
• Hack: Pair sweet potatoes with a protein or healthy fat to reduce their impact on blood sugar responses. Roasting them with olive oil and sprinkling them with cinnamon, which has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, is a better choice. Also, you can leave the skin on, which provides fiber. Boil instead of baking or frying can make them more glucose resistant.

4. Fruit Juice

• Why it spikes: Even 100% fruit juice can be loaded with free sugars (natural sugar) and lacks the fiber found in whole fruit, leading to rapid blood sugar spikes. One fresh orange provides you with fiber and vitamins, 15g of carbs but fruit juice doesn't give you the same fiber and nutrients, and gives you 45g of carbs in just one cup. 
• Hack: Swap fruit juice for whole fruit, like an apple, which contains good sources of fiber that slow down sugar absorption. If you crave juice, drink it with a fiber-rich food or some protein to mitigate the impact.

5. Brown Rice

• Why it spikes: Brown rice is often seen as a healthier option than white rice due to its fiber content. However, it’s still a carbohydrate that can cause blood sugar spikes.
• Hack: To make brown rice easier on your blood sugar, cook it with healthy fats like olive oil or use bone broth for added flavor and nutrients. Pair it with lean proteins like chicken or tofu to slow digestion. A cool trick is to cook the rice, let it cool in the fridge for over 12 hours, then reheat it—this process increases resistant starch, which can improve blood sugar control. For those focused on weight loss or diabetes management, swapping brown rice for cauliflower rice is an even better option.

6. Bananas

• Why it spikes: Bananas, especially ripe ones, are high in sugar, which can raise blood glucose levels quickly.
• Hack: Choose less ripe bananas or pair them with nut butter for added fat and protein. This will stabilize the release of sugar into your bloodstream. 

7. Grapes

• Why it spikes: Grapes are another sweet fruit that can lead to a blood sugar spike due to their high natural sugar content. Grapes are known as "sugar bombs" because even just a few can rapidly raise your blood sugar. 
• Hack: Limit portion sizes and pair grapes with a handful of almonds, which are high in healthy fats. This snack combo can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Adding a few slices of cheese (in moderation) can also help with the spikes. 

8. Dried Fruits

• Why it Spikes: Dried fruits, while nutritious, are often high in sugar and low in water content, making it easy to consume more sugar than intended, which can lead to blood sugar spikes. For example, raisins are often considered healthy snacks but reveals actually 1g more carbs than the same amount of chocolate chips. 
• Hack: Opt for fresh fruits instead of dried ones to benefit from their fiber and water content, which helps slow sugar absorption. If you choose to eat dried fruits, pair them with a source of protein, such as nuts, to balance blood sugar levels.

9. Whole Wheat Bread & Pasta

• Why it spikes: Even though whole wheat is better than white bread, both can cause blood sugar spikes because they are quickly broken down into glucose. 
• Hack: Opt for whole grains with a low glycemic index, like sourdough bread or sprouted grains, and pair them with healthy fats like avocado or nut butter to stabilize your blood sugar.

10. Low-Fat Dairy

• Why it spikes: Low-fat dairy often contains added sugars to compensate for the loss of flavor, leading to high blood sugar.
• Hack: Opt for full-fat dairy options, or unsweetened alternatives like almond, flax, or soy milk, which still provide calcium. The fat in full-fat dairy helps slow the absorption of sugar (the process by which your body takes in sugar), keeping blood glucose (blood sugar) spikes under control.

11. Greek Yogurt (Flavored)

• Why it spikes: Flavored versions of Greek yogurt often contain added sugar, which can cause a sharp rise in blood glucose levels. Even seemingly healthy options can pack in a lot of sugar, making it a surprising contributor to blood sugar spikes.
• Hack: Choose plain Greek yogurt and sweeten it naturally with whole fruit like berries. Berries are lower in sugar compared to fruits like bananas or grapes (high sugar) and contain good sources of fiber to help balance the sugar.

12. Raisin Bran Cereal

• Why it Spikes: Regular raisin bran flakes can contain added sugars that may cause blood sugar spikes. often 1 cup is 40g of carbs and 18g of sugar. 
• Hack: Choose high-fiber bran flakes and pair them with protein sources like Greek yogurt or nuts to slow down digestion and stabilize blood sugar levels.

The Good News: Hacks to Lower Blood Sugar Spikes

Managing blood sugar doesn’t mean cutting out all carbs or sweet foods. You can still enjoy them, but with a few tweaks:

• Eat in the Right Order: This glucose goddess hack, popularized by Jessie Inchauspé, suggests starting your meal with fiber-rich foods like veggies, followed by protein and healthy fats, and ending with carbs. Eating in this different order slows down sugar absorption and helps with blood sugar management.

• Add Vinegar to Your Diet: Studies suggest that a tablespoon of vinegar (mixed with water) before a meal can help improve insulin sensitivity and prevent a big glucose spike. The acetic acid in vinegar slows digestion and sugar absorption, helping you maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

• Move After Eating: A short walk or light exercise after a meal can help lower blood glucose spikes. Strength training is also beneficial for improving insulin sensitivity and managing metabolic health.

• Include Savory Breakfasts: Savory breakfasts are great for stabilizing blood sugar levels, especially in the morning when your body is more sensitive to glucose spikes.Opt for savory breakfast options like eggs with spinach, avocado toast on whole-grain bread, or a veggie omelet. These high-protein, high-fiber choices slow down sugar absorption, keeping blood glucose levels stable throughout the morning.

• Mindfulness Meditation: Reducing chronic stress through practices like mindfulness meditation can help lower cortisol levels, which in turn helps with glycemic control.

Isn't it surprising to learn that some foods we consider healthy might actually be the reason you're feeling hungrier or more fatigued?

For women over 35, managing blood sugar is key to maintaining overall health and preventing future complications like diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease. The thing is it is not hard to make these small changes like adding vinegar to meals, eating foods in a different order, and incorporating healthy fats. These hacks can make a significant difference in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels on a daily basis.

Here are some simple hacks from Glucose Goddess, Jessie Inchauspé, that you can easily follow. Save these tips and try out the ones that feel doable for you. They'll help you move forward on your health journey even faster!