Peak Health Center

For anyone wanting better blood sugar regulation ➡️

While foods have a big effect on blood sugar, so do other lifestyle choices! Here are 5 non-food-related ways to support healthy blood sugar balance:

✅ Daily Movement
✅ Walks After Meals
✅ 7+ Hours of Sleep
✅ Plenty of Water
✅ Stress Management

Nothing happens in isolation.

That’s why we always take a whole-body, whole-person, and whole-life approach to healing.

👀 Pause the scroll and spend a minute with me…

Ready for a crash course in exactly what happens at the cellular level when you eat too much sugar at once?

(let’s say—a big gulp slushie 🥤)

When the sugar hits your digestive tract, it’s absorbed into your bloodstream as glucose (aka blood sugar)...

…which signals beta cells in your pancreas to release insulin (a hormone) into the blood as well.

⚠️ Remember this: because we’re dealing with a slushie here, a large spike in blood sugar triggers a large spike in insulin.

Insulin facilitates the movement of glucose into cells so it can be used as energy 👏👏

Sounds great EXCEPT…

Because of the sudden nature and magnitude of the sugar spike and insulin spike, glucose is quickly moved into cells and blood sugar drops dramatically (the CRASH 🫨)

Cue hunger, cravings, shakiness, brain fog, anxiety, you-name-it.

👉 The point is that our bodies were not made to deal with excessive sugar intake.

If repeated day in and day out, eating high amounts of sugar or refined carbs without healthy fats, fiber, and protein…

…is the main cause of insulin resistance.

If you’re still with me, like ❤️this post and follow 🚶‍♀️for my upcoming posts on how to keep a healthy blood sugar balance.

3 things that impact blood sugar in the morning ⬇️⬇️

If you’re being proactive to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, here’s what you need to know about that morning meal:

1️⃣ Cortisol
The natural circadian rhythm will cause an elevation of cortisol first thing in the morning to help you feel awake and alert. Cortisol is a stress hormone that also increases blood sugar levels. That means your morning meal may result in a higher blood sugar response than meals later in the day.

2️⃣ Carbs
When your stomach is empty, there is nothing to slow the digestion and absorption of carbs. That’s why it’s even more important at this time of day to not eat carbs alone.

3️⃣ Caffeine
Even though black coffee has no sugar, the caffeine triggers the release of the stress chemical, adrenaline. One effect of adrenaline is to trigger the release of glucose from liver cells into the bloodstream, effectively elevating blood sugar levels.

Did any of these surprise you?

Signs of Blood Sugar Imbalance You May Not Know 👇👇

But first it’s important to be clear that you cannot know if you have blood sugar problems strictly by the way you feel.

💥 The only way to know is to test.

That being said, here are some of the outward signs:

▪️ Belly fat
▪️ Sugar Cravings
▪️ Energy Crashes
▪️ Brain Fog
▪️ Mood Swings
▪️ Skin Tags
▪️ Darkened Skin Creases

These signs give us clues that you may have insulin resistance, which means your cells have become less responsive to insulin and less effective at using glucose from your blood as energy.

Left unchecked, insulin resistance can also fuel inflammation, weight struggles, and heart disease 😬

Be sure to like ❤️ this post and follow 🚶‍♀️for more posts coming soon on how to understand and optimize your blood sugar.

❌ Stop doing these things If you want healthy blood sugar regulation.

Lots of times people come to me with concerns about their blood sugar, and they’re already doing a lot of things *right*

They know they need to eat a healthy balance of macronutrients and to move their bodies every day, but here are some surprising things many people don’t realize can spike their blood sugar and sabotage their efforts.

1️⃣ Eating Carbs Alone
Without protein, fiber, or fat, carbs are quickly digested and cause a sudden spike in blood sugar.

2️⃣ Eating While Stressed
Stress hormones signal cells in the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream as an energy source to face the perceived threat. That’s not helpful if real sugar is also coming in the form of food.

3️⃣ Coffee on Empty Stomach
Coffee triggers the release of adrenaline (a stress signal), which signals cells to release sugar into the bloodstream. This can set the stage for poor blood sugar regulation for the day.

4️⃣ Dinner Late at Night
Food is meant to be digested and then utilized for energy. If you eat a large meal right before bed, the excess energy will be stored as fat or disrupt blood sugar levels in the night.

5️⃣ Sleep Deprivation
Studies show that even one night of sleep deprivation can worsen insulin resistance the next day.

What did I miss?

Have you noticed other surprising things that disrupt your blood sugar?

💥 Blood Sugar Myths & Facts 💥

Healthy blood sugar regulation is essential for energy, mood, brain function, heart health, immunity, and whole-body wellness.

So, which of these myths have you heard (or believed)?

1️⃣ MYTH: I need frequent snacks to keep my blood sugar balanced.

FACT: Grazing exposes your cells to repeated bursts of sugar and insulin, which could potentially contribute to insulin resistance. Feeling the need to snack often can be a sign of blood sugar swings (spikes and dips) rather than healthy blood sugar regulation.

2️⃣ MYTH: I look thin so my blood sugar must be fine.

FACT: The type and distribution of fat in the body matters more than outward appearances. Even people who appear thin can have unhealthy visceral fat (around internal organs) that can contribute to inflammation and insulin resistance.

3️⃣ MYTH: My body is changing because of hormones, not blood sugar.

FACT: While it may be true that your body is changing because of hormones, declining levels of estrogen at menopause can increase the risk for insulin resistance. Insulin, cortisol, thyroid hormone, and estrogen all interact to affect blood sugar balance.

4️⃣ MYTH: I need to improve my cholesterol levels, not my blood sugar.

FACT: When you eat more sugar than your cells can use for energy, the excess is converted into triglycerides (fats), and the liver makes more LDL cholesterol. Unhealthy cholesterol is also a blood sugar issue.

5️⃣ MYTH: Only people with diabetes need to pay attention to blood sugar.

FACT: Early changes in blood sugar regulation are driven by insulin resistance, which can develop years before a diagnosis of diabetes.

Surprised by any of these?

Like ❤️and follow 🚶‍♀️for more on how to take a whole-body approach to health 🙌

Nutrients to Support Blood Sugar ⬇️⬇️

Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is one of the best ways to optimize your hormones, brain health, energy levels, and overall well-being.

While blood sugar responds to the macronutrients (fats, proteins, carbs) in your diet, it also depends on 💥micronutrients💥 for regulation.

Such as (in no specific order)...

✅ B Vitamins
✅ Magnesium
✅ Chromium
✅ Zinc
✅ Omega-3’s
✅ Vitamin E
✅ Vitamin D

Each of these nutrients carry out specific functions related to blood sugar, but many support the action of insulin or the enzymes needed for energy metabolism.

So what?

So this means that eating nutrient-dense foods is just as important as balancing out carbs with protein, fat, and fiber.

If you are looking for targeted support for your blood sugar, metabolism, or energy, we can help.

Check out this list ⬇️⬇️

If you want to support your digestion, immune system, metabolism, and brain…

…you’re going to need to have your gut microbiome on board.

So it’s important to avoid (or at least minimize) exposure to the things that most directly disrupt microbiome balance.

These include:

▪️ Antibiotics
▪️ Glyphosate (an herbicide residue on conventionally grown foods)
▪️ Artificial Sweeteners
▪️ Processed Foods
▪️ Stress!!

There are also plenty of things you can do to support a healthy microbiome, such as eating a variety of plant foods and exercising outdoors.

It’s all about tipping the scales in favor of health.

Wondering if microbiome balance could be an issue for you?

We can help you find out.

Call our office at 919-469-0771 for your Functional Medicine Consultation.

🤔Ever thought of this?

Here’s how your gut microbiome affects metabolism (and why to fix it!):

1️⃣ Glucose Metabolism
An altered gut microbiome can increase the amount of insulin released in response to blood glucose, a pattern associated with insulin resistance.

2️⃣ Ghrelin Production
An altered gut microbiome can increase the secretion of ghrelin, a hormone that signals the brain it is hungry.

3️⃣ Calorie Uptake
The composition of microbiota associated with obesity increases the absorption of calories from ingested foods.

What does this mean?

It means that there is more to metabolic health and weight loss than just counting calories and exercising 🤯

We get better results because we look at correcting the metabolism from a whole-person perspective, including gut health and the microbiome.

Signs of microbiome imbalance ⬇️

Changes in the balance of microorganisms in the gut (also called dysbiosis) can lead to these gut-related issues:

▪️Gas
▪️Bloating
▪️Smelly Stools
▪️Loose Stools
▪️Constipation
▪️Bad Breath

Or these systemic issues:

▪️Brain Fog
▪️Skin Rashes
▪️Anxiousness
▪️Fatigue
▪️Aching Joints

This is not an exhaustive list, and every person is unique!

The good news is that we can correct, protect, and support the microbiome with functional medicine. The key is to test and then create an individualized plan.

Call our office at 919-469-0771 to learn more!

Want clear & glowing skin?

Not many people realize this, but your skin has an ecosystem of its own (the skin microbiome), which can be nurtured or harmed just like the gut microbiome.

Studies have shown that the composition of bacteria on your skin directly correlates with skin hydration and texture, which in turn affect how your skin looks and feels.

You can support your skin microbiome from the outside (by what you put on it) and the inside (through the gut-skin axis!).

For example:

1️⃣ Use gentle skincare products rather than harsh and alcohol-based products.
2️⃣ Eat a microbiome-friendly diet, rich in antioxidants, fiber, and probiotic-rich foods.
3️⃣ Work with a practitioner to identify the root cause of any skin concerns you have.

Have you ever thought about healing your skin from the inside out?

Let us know in the comments!

For anyone struggling with an unexplained health issue 👉this is commonly missed.

Dysbiosis is defined as an imbalance of the gut microbiome.

Whereas a healthy microbiome has a wide diversity of beneficial bacteria, dysbiosis can occur when any of these 3 things happen:

1️⃣Loss of beneficial bacteria
2️⃣Overgrowth of potentially harmful bacteria
3️⃣Loss of overall bacterial diversity

These 3 things can also happen simultaneously.

Research shows that disruptions of the gut microbiome are associated with conditions that affect digestion, metabolism, weight, blood sugar, and even neurological health.

How do we know if this is an issue?

We test.

Functional medicine tests like the organic acids test and digestive stool analysis can give us insights into the health of your microbiome and guide us in creating a plan.

Call our office at 919-469-0771 to book your consultation.

Check out the latest update with our clinic renovations! These past two days the team has put in some work into our main treatment space, ripping out flooring and even putting in some fresh walls. Stay tuned for more updates! We can't wait for you all to see the finished product!!

BIG NEWS! Many of you know we've been planning renovations for our clinic for quite some time now and we're excited to announce that those renovations will be happening primarily over the weekend of June 21st-23rd. We hope this will not interrupt clinic flow for our daily shifts.
Please that we will be opening later on Monday, June 24th at 9:00am to accommodate for the renovations. For patients we see for chiropractic adjustments OR shockwave treatments, please note that the adjusting wall is going to be rebuilt and may be completely down during some of the process.
We thank you for your understanding during this time and ask that you please excuse our mess during the interim. We look forward to serving you better with our new space!

Simple ways to support your microbiome 🙌

It’s easy to forget about your gut microbiome, but there are also easy ways you can support microbial diversity with everyday habits, like:

🥗 Microbiome-Friendly Foods
The Mediterranean Diet, fermented foods, fiber-rich foods, and polyphenols (colorful compounds in plant foods) have all been found to benefit the microbiome.

🏃‍♂️ Regular Exercise
Exercise (as long as it is not training to exhaustion) benefits the diversity of the gut microbiome.

💤 Sleep & Circadian Rhythm
Unnatural disruptions in the sleep-wake cycle or short duration of sleep may alter the gut microbiome and intestinal health.

The benefit of doing these things?

Better digestion, stronger immune system, healthier metabolism, sharper brain function, and overall wellness.

Which of these do you think you could improve upon?

Let me know in the comments ⤵️

You’ve heard of the gut microbiome, right?

It’s those trillions of microorganisms inhabiting the gut that keep our digestion and immune systems happy.

But guess what?

That’s not the only microbiome in the human body!

We actually have 5 microbiomes:

▪️ Gut
▪️ Skin
▪️ Oral
▪️ Vaginal
▪️ Respiratory

Each of these has their own distinct composition of microorganisms to keep us healthy and balanced.

And that means that all of these systems ☝️can be affected by things we do to support or disrupt our microbiome.

I’ll be sharing more posts soon all about the microbiome and tips on how to optimize yours for better health.

Be sure to like this post ❤️ and follow along for more!

Looking for something different to drink that will support a healthy gut? 🥤The these ➡️

🫚 Golden Milk
Golden milk gets its color from turmeric. It’s made by warming 2 cups of a milk of your choice on the stove with 1 tsp of turmeric powder and any other spices or sweeteners to taste (cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, black pepper, vanilla, maple syrup, etc.) Turmeric has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to benefit the gut!

🧉 Kombucha
Kombucha is a fizzy fermented tea that can be purchased at the store or made at home (you’ll need a SCOBY for the fermentation process). It’s rich in B vitamins as well as probiotic bacteria to support the gut microbiome.

🍵 Green Tea
Green tea is rich in catechins, which are antioxidant polyphenols that have been shown to promote a healthy gut microbiome.

Do you have a favorite gut-friendly beverage? Let me know in the comments!

🤷‍♀️ What are polyphenols anyway?

Polyphenols are plant compounds that have antioxidant properties and help to combat inflammation, which is often linked with poor gut health.

Research shows that polyphenols also promote a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut microbiome 🙌

Here are some specific foods that have been studied and shown to benefit the gut:
▪️ Pomegranate extract
▪️ Blackberry extract
▪️ Tart cherry juice
▪️ Red wine
▪️ Green tea
▪️ Cocoa
▪️ Natto & tofu

Each of these provide unique polyphenols, like anthocyanins, catechins, or genistein.

Alongside a healthy diet, there are so many other things we can do with naturopathic & functional medicine to heal the gut.

Please that our office will be closed in Observance of Memorial Day returning Tuesday, May 28th.

👋 Pause the scroll and take a minute with me here if you are trying to get answers to what you feel like is a broken metabolism!

While a lot of factors play into metabolic health, research shows that one important factor is GUT health.

Here’s how:

1️⃣ Energy Absorption
Gut microbes produce short-chain fatty acids (SFCAs), which are generally beneficial but when produced in excess can provide extra energy (like calories) absorbed from the gut.

2️⃣ Appetite
Gut microbes regulate gut hormone levels, like peptide YY and GLP-1, which communicate with the brain and affect appetite and fullness.

3️⃣ Fat Storage
Some gut microbes increase the absorption of glucose (sugar) from the intestines and promote fat deposition in the liver.

4️⃣ Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of metabolic dysfunction and can be driven by inflammation in the gut.

You don’t actually have to know all of this to heal (that’s my job). Point is—when we heal the gut, it makes it easier to heal the metabolism too.

Which will it be?

If you’re trying to incorporate gut-healthy habits but are confused about probiotics & prebiotics, here’s the scoop.

*Probiotics* are live microorganisms that are meant to help maintain the beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome. *Prebiotics* are dietary fibers that act as food for those beneficial bacteria.

Both can come in the form of either foods or supplements.

Probiotic supplements deliver microorganisms like Acidophilus of Bifidobacteria, whereas prebiotic supplements deliver fibers like inulin, arabinogalactan, or fructooligosaccharides.

👉👉Please be aware that even though probiotics and prebiotics are generally considered safe for healthy people, they are not for everyone and can aggravate gut problems in people with certain conditions (like SIBO).

But if you’re looking to gently boost your intake of foods that support the diversity of your gut microbiome, here are some to consider.

Probiotic-Rich Foods 🥣
▪️ Yogurt
▪️ Kefer
▪️ Kombucha
▪️ Sauerkraut
▪️ Kimchi
▪️ Natto

Prebiotic-Rich Foods 🧅
▪️ Bananas
▪️ Artichoke
▪️ Asparagus
▪️ Onions
▪️ Flaxseeds
▪️ Oats

If you are struggling with your gut health and want help getting to the root cause, that’s what we’re here for.

My top tips for bloating ⬇️⬇️

But first, remember that bloating can happen for many different reasons—from stress to hormones, food sensitivities, dysbiosis, or SIBO. If you experience painful, extreme, or everyday bloating, the best approach is to be evaluated and follow a personalized plan based on YOU.

With that being said, here are some helpful tips to reduce the bloat:

1️⃣ Minimize trigger foods (common triggers are sugar, alcohol, carbonated drinks, artificial sweeteners, cruciferous vegetables, & beans)

2️⃣ Stay hydrated and gradually increase fiber to ensure regular bowel movements (constipation can cause bloating, but so can too much fiber too fast)

3️⃣ Consider probiotics or probiotic-rich foods (this is not appropriate for everyone because it can make things worse for anyone who already has overgrowth of bacteria)

4️⃣ Take a walk (movement can encourage healthy digestion)

5️⃣ Slow down (stress or eating on the run puts your nervous system alert, whereas calming your nervous system promotes healthy digestion)

We are here to get to the root cause, so if these things only get you so far, it’s time to look deeper. Like if you found this helpful ❤️

💥 Causes of bloating you didn’t know ⬇️⬇️

First, let’s be clear. Bloating is NOT normal when it is painful, extreme, or happens every day ❌

If you’ve tried the usual things (like eating slowly, chewing thoroughly, drinking beverages at room temperature, and walking after meals) but STILL can’t seem to find a solution for bloating…

It’s time to look deeper for a cause.

Some of the potential issues underneath could be:

▪️ Parasites
▪️ Low stomach acid
▪️ Gut motility issues
▪️ H.pylori overgrowth
▪️ Low digestive enzymes
▪️ Dysbiosis (disrupted gut microbiome)
▪️ Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
▪️ Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIFO)
▪️ Leaky gut (increased permeability)

This is not an exhaustive list! These are only the issues that are specific to the gut, but bloating can also be caused by 🌸hormones, 😩stress, or 🍷alcohol consumption.

The only way to solve a problem is to first find out what the problem actually is. This is something we excel at in naturopathic & functional medicine.

Want to get to the root cause of bloating or other health issues?

Call Now to schedule your Functional Medicine Consultation at 919-469-0771!