Eat a plate of pasta followed by a bowl of ice cream and you may be ready for a nap. Or a sugar high. What? With all the carbs and sugar in those two items, it's not unusual.

Then wait for side effects. The dreaded sugar crash. That's when your energy level bottoms out.

A recent article from Sanford Health describes what the body goes through when a sugar crash occurs. Along with the lack of energy, the article states you may be faced with hunger, irritability, headaches, dizziness, the shakes and other symptoms.

From personal experiences after a plate of pancakes with syrup and a large OJ, those same symptoms have hit me.

Sanford Health Sr. Dietician Kelsey Herrick has a few common-sense suggestions. Balance, moderation, and consistency are the most effective ways to avoid these crashes.

One that I found easy to follow was when eating sugars is to combine them with protein and fiber.

Here's another live-by tip. When you take that pizza out of the oven or the box you don't have to eat the entire pie. Have a slice or two combined with a salad.

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