Improve Blood Sugar Control All Day With These 5 Expert-Approved Morning Habits
These simple tips help you stay steady and energized
The things you do as soon as you wake up do more than just set the tone for the rest of your day—they can actually improve your health. For example, a few simple tweaks to your morning routine can go a long way toward better blood sugar control and warding off diabetes-related health problems. Here, experts reveal their top tips for keeping your blood glucose levels steady in the A.M. and beyond.
5 morning habits for better blood sugar control
Controlling your blood sugar doesn’t have to be complicated. These simple nutrition, exercise and stress-management tools can help minimize blood sugar fluctuations throughout the day.
Start by hydrating
Before anything else, you should drink water upon waking. Overnight, your body loses fluid through breathing and sweating, which can leave you mildly dehydrated, explains Amy Davis, RD, Live Conscious Nutrition consultant.
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“Dehydration can cause blood sugar concentrations to rise because there’s less fluid in your bloodstream to help distribute glucose,” she says. “To address this, drink 16 to 20 ounces of water right after waking. For an added benefit, add some electrolytes, including magnesium, sodium and potassium. These play key roles in insulin signaling and glucose transport.”
Rehydrating in the morning not only aids digestion and energy metabolism, but also primes your cells to respond more efficiently to insulin as you begin your day, adds Davis. And for better long-term glucose control, you can stay hydrated by keeping a reusable water bottle handy or setting reminders on your smartphone to drink up.
“Stress relief can be easy to skip, but it’s surprisingly powerful.” —James Lyons, MD
Pace your protein
“Most people don’t get enough protein to start the day,” says Pamela Nisevich Bede, RD, global nutritionist for Abbott’s Lingo business. “But this hard-working macronutrient can help fend off hunger and support healthy metabolism, muscle strength and lean body mass in addition to supporting glucose control. In fact, a recent review found that consuming high amounts of protein at breakfast or more protein in the morning than in the evening was associated with improvements in body composition.”
Why is it beneficial to eat protein earlier in the day? Meals rich in protein support steady energy, explains Bede. Spacing out your protein intake sends a steady supply of amino acids to working tissues and organs, and the addition of protein at the beginning of meals slows down the digestion of carbs in the meal, she notes.
Additionally, after an overnight fast, cortisol levels naturally rise to help the body wake up. But the stress hormone cortisol also promotes glucose production in the liver, which can lead to elevated morning blood sugar levels, says Davis.
The foods you eat in the morning can play an important role in blood sugar control. She recommends having a balanced breakfast within a couple hours of waking helps blunt this response. She suggests aiming for 25 to 35 grams of high-quality protein, such as eggs, egg whites, Greek yogurt or a smoothie made with protein powder.
Tamp down stress
It’s also smart to set aside even just five minutes for stress-reducing breathwork or mindfulness, says Dr. Lyons. (Find out how to relieve stress and anxiety in minutes here). Deep breathing, guided meditation or quiet reflection can help lower stress hormones like cortisol, which directly impact blood sugar levels, he explains.
“Doing this in the morning is helpful because you are starting your day in a more grounded place before stress builds up,” he notes. “When your nervous system is calmer, your body handles glucose more efficiently throughout the day. This one is easy to skip, but it is surprisingly powerful.”
Fill up on fiber
Taking a tablespoon of psyllium husk in water or including ground flax or chia seeds in your breakfast can further slow your body’s absorption of carbs, Dr. Lyons explains. This is because soluble fiber forms a gel in the digestive tract that slows digestion and keeps post-meal blood sugar from spiking too quickly.
“Starting the day with fiber has a ripple effect,” he says. “There is something called the ‘second meal effect,’ where stabilizing blood sugar at breakfast improves your response to meals later. So, even if your lunch has a few more carbs, your body may handle it better if you start strong in the morning.”
Engage in light movement
Doing 10 to 15 minutes of light exercise regularly in the morning can make a big difference in keeping your blood sugar steady, says Dr. Lyons. He suggests going for a short walk or doing light movement (like yoga or stretching) after waking up. Staying physically active helps activate your muscles, which use glucose for energy and improves insulin sensitivity early in the day, he explains.
“Doing this first thing is especially helpful because it sets the tone for your metabolism and can help reduce the post-breakfast blood sugar spike,” says Dr. Lyons. “It is an excellent way for many people, especially those with insulin resistance, to avoid the natural rise in blood sugar in the morning.”
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