Did working out get your head spinning?

Tip of the Day

Have you ever felt dizzy after working out? It may be a "runner's high", or maybe you feel so attractive that you can't handle it (go you, for being so awesome and working out a lot!).
Although we both know you're not full of yourself, you should still pay more attention to your body (and we don't mean staring into a mirror all day)! Exercise can cause your blood sugar to drop even hours after your workout, which can contribute to this light-headed, dizzy feeling.

According to The American Diabetes Association, your body can burn glucose for up to 24 hours after exercise (depending on the intensity and duration of your activity)! 

"With long or hard exercise, you use glucose stored in your liver for fuel. After the exercise is over, your body wants to replenish those glucose levels as soon as possible. If there is no food available, the glucose is pulled from your blood stream, which can cause hypoglycemia"

"To help prevent low blood glucose, check your blood glucose about every 45 minutes after a hard workout and gauge whether your blood glucose is going down, going up, or leveling off. If it is going down, eat a few carbs and keep checking until you level off."

Don't let this news scare you! Working out is a great way to keep yourself happy and healthy, but it's important to maintain a good diet as well. Exercise can help you loose weight, which can lower your risk for type 2 diabetes, and help you kick some meds off of your refill list. Blood sugar levels can be monitored at home, or even within our office (Did I mention our new Screening Services?), for your convenience.
So after that long run, it's okay to eat some carbs, but don't get carried away and make that work out worthless!

Stay Healthy!
-Dr. Lisa Kim Staff