I’m Not Diabetic, So What’s the Big Deal About Blood Sugar?

I’m Not Diabetic, So What’s the Big Deal About Blood Sugar?

Blood Sugar Balance, a Powerful Lever

By now, we’ve established that symptoms, signs, and diagnoses are merely the branches of a tree whose roots grow deep in the terrain of your body’s internal environment. In Functional Nutrition, to truly impact what we see in the branches, we focus on supporting that terrain—clearing the debris or “muddy waters” that obstruct the body’s natural healing process.

Blood sugar balance is one of the most powerful levers we have to nourish this internal terrain. It’s not just about sugar or insulin. It’s about how your body extracts energy from food, how it communicates between systems, how it regulates inflammation, and how it supports healing at the most foundational level.

When blood sugar is stable, your internal landscape tends to be more calm and resilient. Digestion works smoothly, your hormones stay in sync, inflammation stays in check, and your brain has the steady fuel it needs to focus and function. But when blood sugar is out of balance—spiking too high or crashing too low—it sends ripples through every system: digestion, immune, neurological, endocrine, and energy production.

Given its outsized impact on the body’s function, let’s explore what “normal blood sugar” really means, why it matters far beyond diabetes, and how you can start supporting better balance today. Just a quick note—I won’t be diving into the specifics of Type 1, Type 2, or even pre-diabetes in this post. Those are important conversations for another day, as they involve additional complexities. Here, we’re focusing on the non-diabetic, normal physiological response when it comes to blood sugar.

To put this into perspective, let’s pause for a little introspection.

Have you ever felt that mid-morning crash after a bagel and coffee? Or gotten shaky, irritable, or “hangry” a few hours after a carb-heavy snack? Maybe you’ve had those days when a wave of sleepiness hits out of nowhere, or cravings send you back to the pantry over and over again. Often, these are subtle messages from your body that your blood sugar is out of balance—even if you don’t notice any symptoms, your levels may still be fluctuating more than they should.

When we talk about “normal blood sugar,” it's easy to think in terms of lab results—fasting glucose, A1C, or insulin levels. But blood sugar isn’t just a number on a lab report. It’s a core regulator of your body’s daily rhythm, influencing everything from energy and mood to hormones, inflammation, and long-term disease risk.

So let’s break it down.

What Is Blood Sugar, Anyway?

Blood sugar—or blood glucose—is the form of energy derived from food and circulates in your bloodstream, especially after you eat. While the body can make glucose if it needs it in the liver, our primary source of glucose is carbohydrates—whether it’s fruit, bread, veggies, beans, or drinks—and it's the job of the digestive system, beginning in the mouth, to break those carbs down to a molecule that can be transported by the blood to the various cells that need to create energy.

Unless you’re exercising, glucose can’t just waltz into a cell and make itself available for use; it requires the hormone insulin to accompany it. So, once the body realizes glucose levels are going up, your pancreas releases insulin, which acts like a key to unlock your cells so they can take in that glucose and use it for energy. If you’ve eaten more glucose than you need at the moment, your body stores it—first in the liver and muscles as glycogen, and then, if those stores are full, it stores the extra in fat cells.

It’s a beautifully orchestrated system—when it’s working well.

What Happens When Blood Sugar is Out of Balance?

When we eat more carbs than our body can handle—especially refined sugar and processed grains—our blood sugar spikes. The interesting thing about glucose is that while it’s essential for energy, too much of it in the blood is dangerous and can lead to serious health complications.

To keep blood sugar from rising too high, the body responds by flooding the system with insulin. This can trigger a dramatic crash not long after—fatigue, mood swings, brain fog, and cravings for more sugar to bring us back up. And so, the rollercoaster begins.

Over time, frequent blood sugar spikes can dull the body’s sensitivity to insulin. The cells stop responding as they should, so the pancreas produces even more insulin to get the job done. Eventually, both blood sugar and insulin levels remain elevated—a combination that sets the stage for metabolic issues like weight gain, inflammation, and chronic illness.

Blood sugar imbalances don’t only show up as diabetes—though depending on your genetics and lifestyle, that may become a likely outcome. They can also manifest as fatigue, headaches, brain fog, cravings, stubborn weight, and anxiety. And even more serious health issues often trace back, at least in part, to poor blood sugar control.

Chronically high or erratic blood sugar can:

  • Disrupt hormone balance

  • Increase risk for heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune conditions

  • Worsen inflammation throughout the body

  • Drive mood swings, irritability, and poor sleep

  • Strain kidney function

  • Deplete minerals like calcium and magnesium

  • Feed yeast and bacteria overgrowth

  • Harm brain health and increase risk of dementia

So let’s be clear: blood sugar affects everyone—not just those with diabetes. One of the most powerful things you can do for your long-term health is to learn how to keep blood sugar within a healthy, stable range throughout the day.

And that starts with understanding what “normal” blood sugar really means.

What Is “Normal” Blood Sugar?

Conventional medicine will tell you that a fasting glucose between 80–125 mg/dL is “normal,” for adults and that an HbA1c (an average 3 month blood glucose test) under 5.7% is healthy. But functional medicine practitioners—who focus on optimal rather than just normal—tend to look for a narrower, healthier range.

Here’s what more optimal, functional glucose ranges look like for non-diabetics:

  • Fasting glucose: 75–88 mg/dL

  • Glucose 1 hour after eating: <120 mg/dL

  • Glucose 2 hours after eating: <110 mg/dL

  • Glucose 3 hours after eating: < 90 mg/dL

These values are going to vary from person to person and will be different for those who are pregnant, going through puberty, on medication, or have other health conditions. Also keep in mind that seemingly unassociated factors like exercise, sleep, mood, and stress all add on a layer of complexity to the more recognized factors of food quantity, quality, timing, variety.

Not every meal will be perfect and there will be certain foods that take you outside of the optimal range, but the healthy body will be able to balance back out in the longer run when given the right kind of support.

How to Support Healthy Blood Sugar Balance

The good news is, you don’t need to count every carb or live off grilled chicken and broccoli. For many, blood sugar balance is totally doable with simple, real-life strategies:

  • Start the day with a solid breakfast. Protein, fat, and fiber give your body stable fuel—skip the cereal or pastry and try eggs with veggies and avocado, or a chia pudding with nuts and berries.

  • Think “fat / fiber / protein” with every meal. These nutrients slow digestion and help prevent those sharp blood sugar spikes and crashes.

  • Cut back on refined sugar and processed grains. Your body burns through these too fast. Choose whole foods that digest more slowly and nourish more deeply.

  • Move your body. Even a 10-minute walk after meals can help your cells soak up glucose more effectively.

  • Get good sleep and manage stress. Lack of sleep and chronic stress both push blood sugar higher, even if you’re eating well.


Final Thoughts: It’s Not Just About Sugar

Here’s the bottom line: blood sugar regulation isn’t just about avoiding desserts. It’s a central pillar of metabolic health. It’s about understanding how your body uses fuel, and how to make choices that support energy, mood, hormones, and longevity.

If you’re trying to get to the root of chronic symptoms or simply want to feel better in your body, looking at blood sugar is a great place to start. Because once you understand what “normal blood sugar” looks like—and how to keep it steady—you unlock a cascade of healing.

For a growing portion of the population—including myself at one point—many of us need extra support to help the body regain its ability to balance blood sugar, reverse insulin resistance, and make lasting lifestyle changes. This is exactly the work we do at Peak Functional Health. While our approach can benefit anyone looking for support, it's especially designed to go deeper—root-cause coaching for those who feel like they've tried everything, yet nothing seems to work.

Want to see if blood sugar balance plays a role in your chronic symptoms? Try our free online assessment.