3 signs you have a blood sugar imbalance

Do you have a blood sugar imbalance? 

Blood sugar levels are a key indicator of metabolic health and the balance of blood sugar can affect our energy, hormones, thyroid, stress, immunity and more. 

It’s something ALL of us can be aware of to support health and I honestly love talking about it because it can make such a huge difference in how we feel on a daily basis and that’s really what I care about.

Here are 3 clues you might be dealing with a blood sugar imbalance:

1. You experience energy crashes - if you have big dips in energy especially late afternoon it’s a good indicator you might be on the “blood sugar roller coaster” of ups and downs 🎢 

2. You have strong cravings, especially for sugar, refined carbs and caffeine - cravings give us so much insight into what the body is needing to come into balance. I LOVE decoding cravings with my clients. These cravings can indicate the body needing more quick acting energy as a result of blood sugar ups and downs. 

3. You’re always hungry! - if you never feel satiated it’s likely because there is a blood sguar imbalance and we want to look at the macronutrients of protein, fat, fiber and carbs to get you feeling full and have balanced energy. 

And if you’re experiencing hormone imbalance (PMS, PCOS, thyroid issues), low energy or autoimmunity you definitely want to shore up blood sugar as a key first step! 

Tune into the short video below to learn more! And leave me a comment if you have questions or want to go deeper on this for yourself. I’m taking on a few new 1:1 clients right now and would love to support you! 🦋

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If we haven't met before, I'm Christina Tidwell and I'm so excited that you're here! I am a RN & Functional Nutrition Practitioner that helps those with autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance and gut issues heal without overwhelm so you can feel better in your body in a way that honors your unique needs and feels sustainable for the rest of your life. 

If you suffer from:

• Fatigue and energy crashes

• Brain fog

• Poor digestion

• Painful periods and PMS

• Symptoms of autoimmunity

• Stress and overwhelm 

...and aren't getting the support you need, I’m here to help guide you! My job is to clear the overwhelm, help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and co-create a sustainable path forward to help you reach your goals and feel better in your amazing body. When we work together you can’t fail. 

In my health & nutrition coaching programs I support you in the quest to get back into balance by listening to your story, understanding your needs, getting to the roots of imbalance in the body and co-creating a sustainable path to healing together. These sessions weave together functional nutrition and science, lived experience, breathwork, mindset shifts, and intuitive guidance for a unique and full-spectrum approach to nutrition counseling and holistic health.

I always offer free 20-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and identify what’s standing in your way. Click the button below to set up your free consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.

How to Get Rid of Sugar Cravings

HOW TO GET RID OF SUGAR CRAVINGS

Craving sugar? You’re certainly not alone. Sugar can feel like it has SO much power over us on a daily basis. “How do I deal with sugar cravings?” is one of the things I get asked about most frequently so I wanted to share my insight into this important topic!

There are two pieces for us to look at when sugar cravings arise, the physiological side of cravings and also the emotional side. In the video below, I’m sharing some of my go-to ways for dealing with the emotional aspects of these cravings. You’ll see how you can use your cravings as an opportunity or invitation to dig a little deeper to understand and feed the ACTUAL need that you’re experiencing.

This process helps bring awareness to the deeper reasons behind cravings and allows us to avoid restrictive cycles that tend to happen when we simply say “no”. You might be surprised when you try it! When we support our bodies and our emotions in nourishing ways, often cravings naturally start to dissipate and disappear.

If you’re having sugar cravings, I’m here to help! This is something that a lot of us struggle with, and it’s important that we have a framework in place for when cravings do happen. If you need more support in understanding and managing your cravings, I invite you to check out my Eating for Energy Mini-Course. Inside the Eating For Energy Mini-Course, you will be guided through 3 simple and effective steps to take to fuel your body for sustained energy and improved sleep on a daily basis. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and confused about what and how to eat to feel your best, this course is your next, simple step to focus on to make tangible and sustainable change in how you feel. Learn more and enroll here.

Now, over to you! Feel free to share your experience dealing with sugar cravings in the comments!

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If we haven't met before, I'm Christina Tidwell and I'm so excited that you're here! I am a RN & Functional Nutrition Practitioner that helps those with autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance and gut issues heal without overwhelm so you can feel better in your body in a way that honors your unique needs and feels sustainable for the rest of your life. 

If you suffer from:

• Fatigue and energy crashes

• Brain fog

• Poor digestion

• Painful periods and PMS

• Symptoms of autoimmunity

• Stress and overwhelm 

...and aren't getting the support you need, I’m here to help guide you! My job is to clear the overwhelm, help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and co-create a sustainable path forward to help you reach your goals and feel better in your amazing body. When we work together you can’t fail. 

In my health & nutrition coaching programs I support you in the quest to get back into balance by listening to your story, understanding your needs, getting to the roots of imbalance in the body and co-creating a sustainable path to healing together. These sessions weave together functional nutrition and science, lived experience, breathwork, mindset shifts, and intuitive guidance for a unique and full-spectrum approach to nutrition counseling and holistic health.

I always offer free 20-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and identify what’s standing in your way. Click the button below to set up your free consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.

Gluten-Free Seed Bread [Recipe]

I’ve been eating a gluten-free diet for a few years now and it’s honestly become so routine to me now that I hardly notice or remember what it was like to have gluten in my diet. It wasn’t always this way though, and I experimented many times over the years with taking gluten out, bringing it back in, thinking it made a huge difference, not being convinced that it really did anything etc. It’s been about a 15 year journey with chronic illness and autoimmunity for me and I’ve learned A LOT about my body and what works for it in the process as I’m sure anyone reading can relate to!

Changing our diets or any habit in our lives can feel challenging at first. This is normal! When coaching clients through dietary shifts, one of the first pieces is trying to find substitutes or “upgrades” for things you know and love already. This seed bread (based on the Adventure Bread recipe from David Lebovitz) is an amazing substitute for a regular piece of toast and great to top with avocado, turkey slices, honestly….anything you want!

The nuts and seeds provide great vitamins and nutrients combined with fiber to support a healthy digestive system so it’s a real upgrade from a piece of bread high in refined carbohydrates. It’s all held together without flour with the magic of psyllium seed husks! Psyllium seed husks contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble fiber dissolves in water and soothes the digestive tract with its mucilaginous properties, while the insoluble fiber acts like a broom to sweep the the colon. 

My family loves this bread and I make a loaf every 1-2 weeks to have on hand! I really hope you enjoy it!

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Gluten free seed bread

Dry Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups rolled oats*

• 1 cup sunflower seeds, hulled (optional to toast)

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, hulled (optional to toast)

• 3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional to toast)

• 3/4 cup flax seeds

• 1/3 cup psyllium seed husks

• 3 tablespoons chia seeds

• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt

Wet Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 1/2 cups water

*I have made a version of this bread without the oats before and it’s a lot more dense but really delicious! You may have to adjust the amount of liquid you use for the “dough” if omitting the oats.

Directions

1. It’s optional to toast the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts to add more flavor to your bread. To do this preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC.) Spread the sunflower and pumpkin seeds and walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until they start to brown (about 10-15 minutes).

2. Mix together all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

3. Stir in the maple syrup or honey, olive oil and water. (I have made loaves before without syrup or honey and they turned out great as well!)

4. Use your hands to work the “dough” you’ve created to make sure everything is combined.

5. Line a loaf pan with baking paper. Spoon your dough into the loaf pan and smooth out the top.

6. Place this in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

7. Remove the bread from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400ºF (200ºC.) Bake the bread for 1 hour. Take it out and let cool on a cooling rack for at least 2 hours. It will be temping to cut into it but allowing it to fully cool and settle before cutting into it makes it a lot better and more formed!

8. Slice and toast bread. Top it with grass-fed butter, avocado, turkey meat, hummus, honestly, you NAME it!

Enjoy and leave me a comment about how you liked it!

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If we haven't met before, I'm Christina Tidwell and I'm so excited that you're here! I am a RN & Functional Nutrition Practitioner that helps those with autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance and gut issues heal without overwhelm so you can feel better in your body in a way that honors your unique needs and feels sustainable for the rest of your life. 

If you suffer from:

• Fatigue and energy crashes

• Brain fog

• Poor digestion

• Painful periods and PMS

• Symptoms of autoimmunity

• Stress and overwhelm 

...and aren't getting the support you need, I’m here to help guide you! My job is to clear the overwhelm, help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and co-create a sustainable path forward to help you reach your goals and feel better in your amazing body. When we work together you can’t fail. 

In my health & nutrition coaching programs I support you in the quest to get back into balance by listening to your story, understanding your needs, getting to the roots of imbalance in the body and co-creating a sustainable path to healing together. These sessions weave together functional nutrition and science, lived experience, mindset shifts, and intuitive guidance for a unique and full-spectrum approach to nutrition counseling and holistic health.

I always offer free 20-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and identify what’s standing in your way. Click the button below to set up your free consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.

My Daily Matcha Latte Recipe

It’s no secret that I LOVE my matcha. But this was not always the case! As someone who adores the ritual of a warm cup of something in the morning, I had a pretty tough time coming to term with the fact that my morning coffee was not doing me any favors. Although I had been drinking it for years (and even worked as a barista) when I really tuned in years ago I realized that coffee was irritating my already irritated and inflamed gut, was adding to my already heightened state of stress and was a trigger for some of my worst inflammatory symptoms.

When transitioning away from coffee I realized I needed something tasty and satisfying I could put in it’s place! I love this matcha latte recipe and enjoy it pretty much every morning. The addition of fat and protein keep my blood sugar stable, and the caffeine in the matcha gives me a much more even energy boost than coffee.

L-Theanine, an amino acid found in matcha, combines with caffeine to create increased focused and sustained energy throughout the day. L-Theanine can help lower blood pressure, enhance mood and promotes a sense of calmness by relaxing alpha waves in the brain (associated with a feeling of happiness and alertness) and increasing dopamine production – two of the brain’s ‘feel good’ chemicals. [1] I find matcha to be really gentle and must easier on my nervous system than coffee. It’s worth experimenting to see what works for you!

Matcha is also a potent antioxidant. On the ORAC scale (oxygen radical absorbance capacity – a measure of the antioxidant capacity of food), it surpasses all other antioxidant rich foods including blueberries, pomegranates, and dark chocolate. As you can see there are tons of reasons to give matcha a try! Let me know how you like the recipe below!

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My daily matcha latte recipe

Ingredients

• 1 scoop matcha powder (I love Soar Organics)

• 2 scoops collagen powder (I’m currently using Further Foods collagen and love it!)

• Splash of coconut milk OR 1 tbsp coconut butter

• Dash of cinnamon

• 8oz hot water
  
  
  

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into a blender except water.

2. Allow the boiled water to cool slightly and pour into the mixture to avoid burning the matcha.

3. Blend until frothy and combined (about 30 seconds)

4. Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy!

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Hi! I’m Christina

If we haven't met before, I'm Christina Tidwell and I'm so excited that you're here! I am a RN & Functional Nutrition Practitioner that helps those with autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance and gut issues heal without overwhelm so you can feel better in your body in a way that honors your unique needs and feels sustainable for the rest of your life. 

If you suffer from:

• Fatigue and energy crashes

• Brain fog

• Poor digestion

• Painful periods and PMS

• Symptoms of autoimmunity

• Stress and overwhelm 

...and aren't getting the support you need, I’m here to help guide you! My job is to clear the overwhelm, help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and co-create a sustainable path forward to help you reach your goals and feel better in your amazing body. When we work together you can’t fail. 

In my health & nutrition coaching programs I support you in the quest to get back into balance by listening to your story, understanding your needs, getting to the roots of imbalance in the body and co-creating a sustainable path to healing together. These sessions weave together functional nutrition and science, lived experience, mindset shifts, and intuitive guidance for a unique and full-spectrum approach to nutrition counseling and holistic health.

I always offer free 20-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and identify what’s standing in your way. Click the button below to set up your free consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.