Blood Sugar Stabilizing Foods that Nurses Should Eat During 12-Hour Shifts

Nursing is a demanding profession. There is a need for nursing professionals to get many things done on an everyday basis while being on the move within a healthcare setting. In the middle of a high-pressure work setting, it is important that nurses take care of themselves by consuming food that stabilizes and even strengthens their bodies.

If you are working for one of the jobs for nurses that require you to attend a 12-hour shift then you should be monitoring your food intake consistently. Eating the right food or the food that stabilizes the blood sugar can have a tremendous effect on the blood sugar and your overall health.

Becoming a successful nurse has a lot to do with being in a good physical and mental state. Hence, you must try to consume healthy food that can keep your blood sugar in check. In this blog, we will see the blood sugar-stabilizing foods that nurses should eat during a 12-hours shift.

1. Fruits and Vegetables: Everyone who consumes whole fruits including blueberries, apples, and grapes has a low risk of having high blood sugar. Most fruits contain a lot of water and fibre to balance out naturally occurring sugar which is called fructose.

Consuming fruits and vegetables can help you in getting protected against heart diseases and even diabetes. So if you are new at one of the jobs for nurses, make it a point to eat healthy by consuming whole fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Some of the blood sugar balancing fruits and vegetables that you can add to your diet include apples, grapes, berries, avocados, broccoli, kale, and spinach.

         2. Whole Grains: Whole grains can be an amazing source of fibre and other important nutrients such as B12 vitamins, iron, selenium, potassium, magnesium, and folate which are responsible for keeping the blood sugar in check.

Even during completing the nursing study in Canada, you must be taught that eating food rich in whole grains helps in keeping heart disease at bay, manage high blood pressure, and some forms of cancer.

Hence, you must try to consume whole grain versions of food as much as possible. Some of the whole-grain foods that you can eat during 12-hour shifts include oatmeals, crackers, quinoa, brown rice, barley, buckwheat, millets, whole wheat bread, etc.

         3. Protein-Rich: Proteins are macronutrients that are important for building muscle mass that helps in limiting carb consumption to burn off more fat. Protein does not increase blood sugar levels and it can also help a person feel fuller for a long time.

Consuming protein-rich foods at your jobs for nurses can slow your digestion and also prevent any post-meal blood sugar spikes along with increasing the feeling of fullness. Some examples of high protein foods include fish, tuna, egg, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, soybean, etc.

           4. Flavourful and Low-Calorie Drinks: Keeping yourself hydrated by drinking water is a good option but infusing the same water with fruits and vegetables is a great option too. You can cut a lemon or cucumber and put it in water or also make ice cubes while adding some flavouring to them.

In case you are not a hot tea drinker then you can also try cold tea with lemon or a cinnamon stick. Not only will this kind of beverage be low in carbohydrates but it will also help fill you up so you do not crave anything else.

Conclusion:

Working a 12 hours shift can be a tiring endeavour. As a nurse who is responsible for taking care of patients, you must first ensure that you are healthy too and for that, stabilizing your blood sugar levels is important. Make sure you consume healthy foods during your shift so that your blood sugar levels can be optimal and stabilized.