Breakfast tips to keep energy levels steady for the winters

Whether you're at risk for type 2 diabetes or just trying to keep your energy levels steady, there are multiple reasons why it's beneficial to keep your blood sugar levels balanced.

Breakfast is the first opportunity of the day to do that and food combinations are an important part of maintaining steady blood sugar levels.

For example, a bagel can lead to an increase in blood sugar after eating it, but if you pair it with eggs or an avocado (as both good sources of unsaturated fats), it slows sugar absorption from the carbohydrates.

Similar to how some pairings can be beneficial for blood sugar, other pairings can be detrimental, causing even more of a blood sugar spike.

There's one particularly popular breakfast food and drink combination that can do this, according to endocrinologists.

"Even without diabetes, steady blood sugar helps keep energy stable, supports clear thinking, reduces cravings and protects long-term metabolic health," Dr. Fady Hannah-Shmouni, MD, an endocrinologist and the medical director at Eli Health.

Unstable blood sugar levels impact health both in the short term and long term. Short-term, Dr. Hannah-Shmouni says it can lead to fatigue, brain fog, irritability, headaches, shakiness and intense food cravings. "These rapid swings can also disrupt concentration and mood as your body releases stress hormones to rebalance itself," he adds.

Dr. Rachel Pessah-Pollack, MD, an endocrinologist with NYU Langone Health, adds to this, saying, "Complications can occur from long-term unstable blood sugar, including an increased risk for heart attacks, kidney and nerve damage, high cholesterol and blood pressure."

"Pastries and fruit juice are both forms of fast-acting carbohydrates without good nutrients and as a result will significantly increase your glucose levels, especially if you have underlying type 2 diabetes," Dr. Pessah-Pollack says.

While a pastry and fruit juice aren't exactly a great pairing as far as your blood sugar is concerned, that doesn't mean you can't ever indulge in either one.

If you're going to have either a pastry or fruit juice for breakfast, all three experts recommend pairing it with a food high in protein, fiber or unsaturated fats.

Some examples include nuts, eggs or avocado. This will control the blood sugar spike, especially if you eat the nutrient-dense food first.