Do I Really Need To Give Up Sugar For My Skin?
Blood sugar fluctuations influence energy, mood and hormones, often in ways that have nothing to do with willpower.
Sugar has become one of the most misunderstood parts of nutrition, and it’s often framed as a question of discipline… eat less of it, avoid cravings and have more willpower. But the reality is far more physiological than personal. Blood sugar fluctuations don’t just affect how energised you feel in the moment. They also influence hormones, appetite, mood and overall wellbeing across the day. When blood sugar rises quickly, the body responds just as quickly. And it’s that rapid response (rather than a lack of motivation) that often drives the cycle of cravings, fatigue and energy crashes that so many of us recognise.
As Sana Alajmovic, founder of Sigrid, explains: “So many people feel like they are failing when cravings hit, but what is happening is very physical. Modern food breaks down extremely fast, so sugar rushes into the bloodstream. The body releases insulin to cope and that often leads to a drop in energy not long after. That drop is what drives cravings, fatigue and the feeling that you need something else to eat.”
This growing awareness has changed the way blood sugar is talked about and understood. It’s not just about how much sugar you eat, but how quickly glucose enters the bloodstream and how well your body is able to handle it once it’s there.
What Happens Inside The Body When Blood Sugar Rises Quickly
After eating, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and released into the bloodstream, where insulin helps move that glucose into your cells so it can be used for energy. This is a normal and necessary process that supports everything from brain function to physical movement, but when this happens at a steady pace, you’re more likely to feel sustained and satisfied between meals, with fewer noticeable dips in energy or sudden changes in appetite.
When digestion happens quickly, glucose enters the bloodstream faster, and the body responds by releasing more insulin to bring levels back down. One study found that the drop in blood sugar that follows a spike plays a role in driving hunger and influencing how much people go on to eat later, regardless of the initial meal itself. This helps explain why energy can feel steady for a short time after eating, followed by a noticeable dip that leaves you thinking about food again sooner than expected.
Over time, these quicker rises and falls can make energy feel less reliable across the day. You might notice that your concentration shifts, your mood feels different, or that you reach for something to eat even when you’ve eaten recently. These patterns don’t just reflect what you’re eating, but how quickly your body is processing and responding to it, which is why helping glucose enter the bloodstream gradually is an important for metabolic and hormonal health.
The Hormonal Connection And Why It Matters… Especially For Women
Blood sugar regulation is closely linked to the endocrine system, which controls hormones involved in appetite, stress, metabolism and energy. Insulin is central to this process, but it doesn’t work alone. It interacts with other hormonal signals that help regulate hunger, satiety and how the body uses fuel. When blood sugar rises and falls quickly, these signals become less consistent, which influence how hungry you feel, how steady your energy is and how balanced your mood is.
Sana explains that these shifts can feel more apparent during periods of hormonal change. “Many women notice that cravings, mood, and weight feel harder to manage at certain times of the month, or during perimenopause and menopause. In those phases, the body often reacts more strongly to fast-digesting meals.” This reflects the close relationship between metabolic and hormonal health, where internal hormonal fluctuations can influence how the body responds to food and energy intake.
Why Reducing Sugar Alone Does Not Always Improve Energy Stability
It’s easy to assume that cutting out sugar will naturally lead to more stable energy, but the reality is a little more nuanced than that. Many everyday foods, including white bread, pasta and processed snacks, are broken down into glucose very quickly once they’re digested. So even when you’re not eating obvious sources of sugar, your blood sugar can still rise and fall quite fast depending on the structure of the meal and how quickly it’s absorbed.
Research shows that the order and composition of a meal can significantly influence post-meal glucose levels. In this study, eating fibre and protein before carbohydrates led to smaller blood sugar and insulin rises compared with eating carbohydrates first, despite the meal containing the same foods overall. This helps explain why some meals feel more sustaining than others, even when the ingredients appear similar.
Sana explains why this can leave people feeling confused. “Many foods that do not taste sweet still turn into sugar very quickly once we eat them. So even when someone ‘cuts sugar’, meals can still hit the body fast and trigger the same spike-and-crash cycle. This is often where people feel stuck.” Understanding this can help shift the focus away from simply avoiding sugar, and toward building meals that the body can process in a more gradual and supportive way.
Does Sleep Have An Impact On Blood Sugar Regulation?
In simple words, yes. Sleep has a direct influence on how the body manages glucose. Even a single disrupted night can affect insulin sensitivity, which plays a key role in regulating blood sugar. Research has shown that even one night of reduced sleep can lower insulin sensitivity the following day, thanks to our hormones Ghrelin and Leptin being all out of whack and making glucose harder for the body to manage effectively. This helps explain why energy and appetite often feel different after a poor night’s sleep.
Sana highlights how clearly this can show up in everyday life. “A poor night’s sleep can make blood sugar harder to manage the next day. Chronic stress pushes blood sugar higher through stress hormones. Irregular routines, skipped meals and eating late also add strain.” When these factors combine, energy and hunger can feel far less predictable, even when eating habits remain the same.
The Stress And Daily Routines Shaping Metabolic Health
Stress can have a noticeable impact on blood sugar, even if you haven’t changed the way you eat. When you’re feeling under pressure, the body releases stress hormones that increase glucose in the bloodstream to provide a quick source of energy. This can be helpful in the moment, but when stress is ongoing, these repeated rises can make energy feel more uneven across the day. Daily routines also make a difference, particularly when meals are skipped, delayed or squeezed into a busy schedule.
Sana explains how common this is. “Stress hormones raise blood sugar, poor sleep reduces the body’s ability to deal with it, and irregular routines make responses unpredictable. That combination can overpower good intentions.” It helps explain why some days your energy feels steady and manageable, while on others it feels much harder to maintain, even when your food choices haven’t changed.
When blood sugar is more stable, energy tends to feel more reliable throughout the day. You’re less likely to experience sharp dips in concentration or sudden waves of hunger, and it becomes easier to go between meals without thinking constantly about food. When levels rise and fall more quickly, energy can feel unpredictable, which is often when cravings, tiredness and changes in mood start to creep in.
Sana explains that supporting the body in a way that fits into real life can make a meaningful difference over time. “A realistic approach supports steadier responses to everyday meals, reduces swings, and helps healthier patterns stick over time.” As those patterns settle, you’ll find their energy becomes easier to manage and that healthy habits start to feel more natural rather than something that requires constant effort.
How To Support Stable Blood Sugar
Supporting blood sugar stability often starts with simple, practical habits. Eating at consistent times helps provide a steady source of energy, while including protein and fibre can slow digestion and help glucose enter the bloodstream more gradually. Prioritising sleep and managing stress also support the body’s ability to regulate energy effectively.
Sana recommends “I would start small. Eat regularly, include protein and fiber most of the time and avoid long gaps that lead to crashes later. Protect sleep as much as possible and also try to reduce stress where you can, without aiming for perfection.” These habits can help support more consistent energy while still allowing flexibility in daily life.
Why Understanding Blood Sugar Can Change The Way You Approach Things
As awareness of metabolic health grows, the conversation around sugar is becoming more balanced. There is increasing recognition that modern lifestyles influence how the body responds to food, energy and stress. Supporting blood sugar is less about strict avoidance and more about helping the body respond well.
Sana hopes this shift continues. “I would love to see less blame and more understanding. Modern food and modern life are challenging by design and many people feel the effects long before any diagnosis. The conversation should move toward practical, compassionate support, tools that help people feel steadier, calmer, and more in control, one meal at a time,” she adds.
The Last Word
Looking after your blood sugar does not require a complete overhaul of the way you eat or live. In most cases, small, consistent habits make the biggest difference. Start by building meals that include a source of protein, healthy fats and fibre, which helps slow digestion and support a more gradual release of energy. Eating at regular times during the day can also help prevent the dips that often lead to cravings later on.
It’s equally important to look beyond just what you’re eating. Protecting sleep where possible, getting daylight exposure early in the day and allowing time for proper meals rather than eating in a rush can all help support the body’s natural rhythms. These changes don’t need to be perfect to be helpful, but they do need to be realistic enough to maintain.
Over time, these habits help create a more stable foundation for energy, mood and appetite. The goal is not strict control, but creating the conditions your body needs to respond well so that feeling energised, focused and balanced becomes the norm rather than the exception.
Words by Samantha Nice for The Well Edit
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