Focusing on maintaining stable blood sugars

Feeling better the last couple of days - but I am also eating a ton! However, I have been focusing more on foods that won't spike and crash my blood sugar, so I have been eating better as a result :) I've had a lot of protein - eggs, beef burgers, turkey meatloaf, yogurts and cottage cheese. And trying to reduce the amount of grains I am consuming (though I am craving them like whoa) to about a serving a day, pretzels or toast.

I've never really noticed blood sugar crashes before in my life - but as soon as I was about 7 weeks pregnant, it became a nearly impossible thing for me to control! Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that your blood volume increases when pregnant?

So even though I've been craving grains and candy (craving in a way I've also never experienced before... less of a "want" and more of a "OH I NEED IT!" feeling), I've had to get a little real with myself and not give in as much. Also, if I am going to eat something really sugary, like a chocolate, I eat it much earlier in the day than before so that any blood sugar spike/crash won't interfere with my sleep.

Adjusting this little bit has made me feel worlds better!

It's been really, really interesting for the science-nerd in me to examine the changes in my body and my body's needs the past couple of weeks. I've always just so easily maintained my blood sugars and kept my body in a stable state. All of a sudden, I had to relearn and retrain my instincts on what to eat to get back to stable :)

And it is not just important to find a stable place for ME to feel good, but there are some real health issues that can arise if I just ignored my body signs (of feeling dizzy, nauseous, and fatigued after crashing from sugar) and kept doing what I was doing:

"Does blood sugar really impact fetal development? Most definitely. Unbalanced and high sugar levels can increase the risk of:

• Pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure)
• Too much amniotic fluid
• Premature labor and the complications that poses to infant development
• Birth complications resulting in the need for cesarean delivery
• Baby growing too large to safely pass through the birth canal
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in the baby after birth
• Jaundice
• Obesity for yourself and child later on in life
• Developing Type 2 Diabetes for yourself or child later on in life."

From: Managing Blood Sugar Levels During Pregnancy

I have known a pregnant woman, otherwise trim and healthy before pregnancy, who went kind of hog-wild with food during her pregnancy, eating tons of white-bread carbs (bagels and pasta) and sugar. She ended up having to leave work months early and put on bed rest because she developed a bad case of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. Issues she never faces before.

A definite do-not-want for me!

So even though I am relaxing with my weight and not obsessed with staying strict Paleo in this time, I've noticed that with just a few better food choices over the past couple of days, I am feeling SO MUCH better.

My tooth pain is subsiding a little, which is good, because I didn't know that I could bear the pain until next Thursday!

Job-wise, I have an opportunity to apply for a promotion with much better pain and way worse hours. I am debating what to do. I think I might apply, just to see, because I can't make a decision if I don't get offered the job!

Looking forward to a weekend of nice temperatures - will probably finally go for a hike with Chris and Koda somewhere where there is NO SNOW (the tulips are popping up in my yard, and I refuse to travel to a mountaintop covered in snow when it is turning to spring elsewhere!).

Namaste <3