Post Time: 2025-07-18

Maintaining a healthy blood sugar range is crucial for overall well-being. The ideal blood sugar range varies depending on factors such as age, health conditions, and physical activity level. For most adults, the American Diabetes Association recommends the following ranges:

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG): Less than 100 mg/dL
Postprandial glucose: Less than 140 mg/dL

When blood sugar levels are consistently high or low, it can lead to serious health complications.

The Importance of Monitoring Blood Sugar Ranges

Monitoring your blood sugar range is essential for managing diabetes and preventing its complications. You can measure your blood sugar at home using a glucometer or continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Regular monitoring helps you understand how different foods, activities, and medications affect your blood sugar levels.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that people who monitored their blood sugar regularly were more likely to achieve glycemic control. This can be done by checking your blood sugar:

At least 4 times a day for those with diabetes
Before and after exercise or meals

The Role of Diet in Maintaining Blood Sugar Ranges

Diet plays a critical role in maintaining healthy blood sugar ranges. Foods high on the glycemic index (GI) can cause significant spikes in blood sugar levels, while low-GI foods help regulate them.

Examples of low-GI foods include:

Leafy greens
Broccoli
Apples

Foods that are rich in fiber also help slow down glucose absorption and maintain stable blood sugar ranges. Aim to consume 25-30 grams of fiber per day from sources like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

The Impact of Exercise on Blood Sugar Ranges

Regular physical activity can significantly lower your risk of developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. This is because exercise increases the sensitivity of your cells to insulin, allowing glucose to enter more efficiently.

However, certain types of exercise may have a greater impact than others:

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Improved insulin sensitivity
Aerobic exercises: Reduced blood sugar levels

Managing Stress and Blood Sugar Fluctuations

Chronic stress can disrupt your body's natural ability to regulate blood sugar. When under stress, the release of cortisol triggers an increase in glucose production by the liver.

Stress management techniques such as yoga, meditation, or deep breathing may help mitigate these effects:

Yoga: Reduced HbA1c levels
Meditation: Lowered symptoms of depression

Blood Sugar Ranges and Mental Health

Imbalanced blood sugar can lead to mental health issues like anxiety and depression. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found a significant association between elevated blood glucose and increased risk of developing anxiety.

Maintaining stable blood sugar ranges may help alleviate some of these conditions:

Maintained focus
Improved mood

Reducing Your Risk for Diabetes

Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels can significantly reduce your risk of developing diabetes. For those with pre-diabetes, making lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity and losing weight can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

A review published in The Lancet found that:

Intensive lifestyle interventions reduced progression to diabetes by up to 60%
Metformin treatment reduced incidence of developing T2D

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Robert Lustig, M.D., neuroendocrinologist, professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and a bestselling author on nutrition and metabolic health. We address the “calories in- calories out” (CICO) model of metabolism and weight regulation and how specific macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates), fiber and sugar can modify the CICO equation. We cover how different types of sugars, specifically fructose, sugars found in liquid form, taste intensity, and other factors impact insulin levels, liver, kidney, and metabolic health. We also explore how fructose in non-fruit sources can be addictive (acting similarly to drugs of abuse) and how sugar alters brain circuits related to food cravings and satisfaction. We discuss the role of sugar in childhood and adult obesity, gut health and disease and mental health. We also discuss how the food industry uses refined sugars to create pseudo foods and what these do to the brain and body. This episode is replete with actionable information about sugar and metabolism, weight control, brain health and body composition. It ought to be of interest to anyone seeking to understand how specific food choices impact the immediate and long-term health of the brain and body. For the show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit Thank you to our sponsors AG1: Eight Sleep: Levels: AeroPress: LMNT: Momentous: Huberman Lab Social & Website Instagram: Twitter: Facebook: TikTok: LinkedIn: Website: Newsletter: Dr. Robert Lustig Website: Books: Publications: Blog: UCSF academic profile: Metabolical (book): SugarScience: X: Facebook: amount of cinnamon to lower blood sugar LinkedIn: Instagram: Threads: Timestamps 00:00:00 Dr. Robert Lustig 00:02:02 Sponsors: Eight Sleep, Levels & AeroPress 00:06:41 Calories, Fiber 00:12:15 Calories, Protein & Fat, Trans Fats 00:18:23 Carbohydrate Calories, Glucose vs. Fructose, Fruit, Processed Foods 00:26:43 Fructose, Mitochondria & Metabolic Health 00:31:54 Trans Fats; Food Industry & Language 00:35:33 Sponsor: AG1 00:37:04 Glucose, Insulin, Muscle 00:42:31 Insulin & Cell Growth vs. Burn; Oxygen & Cell Growth, Cancer 00:51:14 Glucose vs. Fructose, Uric Acid; “Leaky Gut” & Inflammation 01:00:51 Supporting the Gut Microbiome, Fasting 01:04:13 Highly Processed Foods, Sugars; “Price Elasticity” & Food Industry 01:10:28 Sponsor: LMNT 01:11:51 Processed Foods & Added Sugars 01:14:19 Sugars, High-Fructose Corn Syrup 01:18:16 Food Industry & Added Sugar, Personal Responsibility, Public Health 01:30:04 Obesity, Diabetes, “Hidden” Sugars 01:34:57 Diet, Insulin & Sugars 01:38:20 Tools: NOVA Food Classification; Perfact Recommendations 01:43:46 Meat & Metabolic Health, Eggs, Fish 01:46:44 Sources of Omega-3s; Vitamin C & Vitamin D 01:52:37 Tool: Reduce Inflammation; Sugars, bitter gourd and blood sugar Cortisol & Stress 01:59:12 Food Industry, Big Pharma & Government; Statins 02:06:55 Public Health Shifts, Rebellion, Sugar Tax, Hidden Sugars 02:12:58 Real Food Movement, Public School Lunches & Processed Foods 02:18:25 3 Fat Types & Metabolic Health; Sugar, Alcohol & Stress 02:26:40 Artificial & Non-Caloric Sweeteners, Insulin & Weight Gain 02:34:32 Re-Engineering Ultra-Processed Food 02:38:45 Sugar & Addiction, Caffeine 02:45:18 GLP-1, Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Tirzepatide), Risks; Big Pharma 02:57:39 Obesity & Sugar Addiction; Brain Re-Mapping, Insulin & Leptin Resistance 03:03:31 Fructose & Addiction, Personal Responsibility & Tobacco 03:07:27 Food Choices: Fruit, Rice, Tomato Sauce, Bread, Meats, Fermented Foods 03:12:54 Intermittent Fasting, Diet Soda, Food blood sugar testing kit Combinations, Fiber, Food Labels 03:19:14 Improving Health, Advocacy, School Lunches, Hidden Sugars 03:26:55 Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, YouTube Feedback, Sponsors, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter #HubermanLab #Science #Nutrition Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - Disclaimer:

Dr. Robert Lustig: How Sugar & Processed Foods Impact Your Health [b58700]