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You feel fine after you eat…
…for a while.
Then you crash.
You get tired.
Irritable.
Foggy.
Hungry again — fast.
So you grab coffee.
Or sugar.
Or something quick just to feel normal again.
By evening, cravings spike.
Energy dips.
Mood swings creep in.
But when labs are run, you’re told:
“Your blood sugar looks normal.”
This is where many women get confused — because glucose patterns can be unstable long before standard labs flag abnormalities.
This is what I call:
The Blood Sugar Rollercoaster.
Most providers check:
Fasting glucose
Hemoglobin A1c
These markers assess long-term averages — not daily fluctuations.
So you can have:
Normal fasting glucose
Normal A1c
…while still experiencing significant swings throughout the day.
And those swings are what drive symptoms.
Women often describe:
mid-morning crashes
afternoon fatigue
urgent hunger
irritability between meals
nighttime cravings
shakiness if meals are delayed
It feels like inconsistent energy — but it’s often glucose instability.
Here’s the simplified physiology:
1️⃣ You eat → glucose rises
2️⃣ Insulin releases to manage it
3️⃣ Glucose drops
If the drop is too steep, the body perceives it as stress.
So it releases:
cortisol
adrenaline
Which creates symptoms like:
anxiety
urgency
shakiness
cravings
Not emotional — physiological.
Fasting glucose may look fine while fasting insulin is elevated.
Why this matters:
Insulin regulates storage vs release.
When chronically elevated, it can drive:
energy instability
weight resistance
inflammation
cravings
It’s one of the earliest metabolic signals — often missed.
A1c reflects average glucose over ~3 months.
But averages hide variability.
You could swing from:
high spikes
to reactive drops
…while still averaging “normal.”
Which means symptoms are real — even if labs appear stable.
Glucose fuels the brain.
So instability affects:
focus
patience
anxiety
emotional regulation
Many women think they’re emotionally reactive — when they’re metabolically unstable.
Again: physiology influences perception.
You might recognize this if you:
crave sugar late day
crash after meals
feel shaky if you delay eating
rely on caffeine for energy
feel anxious between meals
snack to maintain focus
These are blood sugar signals — not just habit patterns.
Glucose instability influences:
cortisol rhythms
insulin signaling
inflammation
fat storage
nervous system activation
It’s foundational — not isolated.
Standard labs show snapshots.
CGMs show patterns.
They reveal:
post-meal spikes
reactive drops
nighttime instability
food-specific responses
This shifts the conversation from guessing → seeing.
From general advice → personalized insight.
Cravings aren’t always discipline issues.
Energy crashes aren’t always sleep issues.
Mood swings aren’t always emotional issues.
Often, they’re glucose regulation signals.
When women see their patterns, relief replaces self-blame.
If you read this and thought:
“This explains my energy, cravings, and mood swings perfectly…”
The next step isn’t restriction — it’s visibility.
Because blood sugar patterns can’t be fully understood through averages alone.
They’re revealed through daily fluctuations.
This is where tools like Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) can be incredibly insightful.
Not to obsess over numbers — but to understand how your body uniquely responds to:
• meals
• stress
• sleep
• caffeine
• exercise
Many women are surprised by what spikes them — and what doesn’t.
Seeing those patterns often replaces confusion with clarity.
If you’re not ready for CGM data yet, you can begin by tracking symptom patterns manually.
That’s exactly why I created:
“What Spikes Me?” — A 7-Day Glucose Pattern Tracker
It helps you connect:
• energy dips
• cravings
• mood shifts
• meal timing
• food responses
Without needing devices or tech.
👉 You can download it here: https://the-nurse-rebecca-nurse-health-coaching.kit.com/df44cb231b
Data is powerful — but interpretation is where change happens.
If you want support connecting your blood sugar patterns to:
• fatigue
• anxiety
• weight resistance
• inflammation
• stress load
That’s exactly what we explore inside clarity calls.
👉 If this made you realize your body isn’t broken — it’s responding, I offer free 60-minute clarity calls to help you connect the dots and figure out what actually matters for your body.
https://calendly.com/rebecca-thenurserebecca/60min
If this pattern feels familiar, these articles may help you understand how blood sugar connects to other symptoms:
Why Your Labs Are “Normal” — But You Still Don’t Feel Well
If you’ve been told everything looks fine but your body feels anything but, this foundational article explains why daily physiology often tells a different story than standard labs.
The Wired-Tired Pattern: When Cortisol, Blood Sugar, and Burnout Overlap
How stress hormones and glucose instability combine to create exhaustion, anxiety, and nighttime alertness.
Anxiety That Doesn’t Respond to Mindset Work: A Lab-Based Perspective
A deeper look at how blood sugar swings and cortisol rhythms can drive anxiety symptoms without anxious thoughts.
Weight Loss Resistance: When Thyroid, Insulin, and Stress Work Against You
How insulin signaling influences fat storage, metabolism, and progress plateaus.
Low Energy Isn’t Just Iron: The Fatigue Pattern Most Labs Miss
How glucose regulation, cortisol, and nutrient layers influence persistent fatigue.
Why Your Labs Are “Normal” — But You Still Don’t Feel Well You finally did the responsible thing. You asked for labs.You waited for
The Link Between Hydration, Electrolytes, and Kidney Health THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS Most people think hydration is just about drinking more water.
Creatinine, BUN & eGFR: What Kidney Labs Really Tell You THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS Let me tell you something I wish someone had
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