Why Blood Sugar Rises in Winter

If you monitor your blood sugar, you might notice that it creeps up in winter months, even if you eat, sleep and exercise the same as ever. What’s the deal?

Vitamin D, most likely.

Vitamin D helps your cells take in carbohydrate, to burn it up as energy. When vitamin D levels drop, less sugar can enter your cells and get used, so that sugar stays in your blood stream longer.

So monitor your vitamin D level with your doctor (or with http://www.grassrootshealth.org, where they send you blood test kits every 6 months) and consider adding these blood sugar lowering habits:

• Get a stand-up desk, or better yet, a treadmill desk
• Ditch fancy shoes for more comfortable ones, which are proven to make people move more, without even realizing it
• Build new muscle, with weights or new exercises
• Replace grains or higher glycemic foods (bread, crackers, cereal, grains, sweets) with lower glycemic options (e.g., veggies, fish, chicken, nuts, shirataki noodles, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.)
• Get enough sleep
• Add high-intensity intervals to your workout, after getting clearance from your doctor
• Give up any sugar-containing drinks
• Replace desserts with lower-glycemic treats that satisfy, such as Greek yogurt with berries and cinnamon or peanut butter on apple slices
• Move your carbs earlier in the day

Or plan a tropical vacation!