Happy and Healthy Wednesday,
Most of us think of Diabetes (High Blood Sugar) when we think of someone as having blood sugar problems, however there are other conditions that can be equally damaging if not managed. They are Hypo Glycemia (Low Blood Sugar) which is typical for a lot of endurance athletes who carbo load and vegetarians/vegans who eat too many processed grains. You also have a condition called Insulin Resistance (This is were the insulin cells are unresponsive to high blood glucose), which occurs after years of poor diet and high stress.
This subject is close to home for me as I have lost a dear friend to Diabetes and I have a family member who had Metabolic Syndrome, which thankfully is being managed.
Keeping your blood sugar stable is so important to your good health and many of the symptoms listed below will decrease when you make changes to when you eat and what you eat! Please feel free to pass this information along and as always I am ready willing and able to provide support.
Dr Pia
Why it is important to keep your blood sugar stable!
Research has shown that, by far, the most damage someone can do to the body is having blood sugar imbalances. We eat more sugar and refined carbs (same thing, really) in a week than people ate in a year 200 years ago. This is the common factor in almost every modern disease. The problems are severe and can include:
- High amounts of inflammation
- Increased cardiac risk
- Hardening arteries
- Reduced stomach and digestive function
- Accelerated aging
- High cancer risk
- Adrenal fatigue
- Low testosterone in men
- Hypertension
- Increased risk of stroke and clotting
Hypoglycemia (Reactive)
is defined as “too little blood glucose”. Symptoms include:
- Getting shaky and/or irritable between meals
- Tired without food
- Overall fatigue
- Difficulty in focusing vision
- Waking up at night
- Tired in the afternoon
- Difficulty concentrating
- Reflux, sour stomach, or nausea
- Sugar cravings
It is most common in people who have a history of:
- skipping meals or long periods between eating
- high sugar/carbohydrate intake (athletes and vegetarians/vegan)
- high stress
What occurs is the body is “predicting” a high carbohydrate diet and “surging” insulin, which causes insulin levels to be too high in the blood, causing low blood sugar and preventing fat-burning. People can be hypoglycemic for years and the body’s constant exposure to insulin can cause the cell receptor sites to become resista
nt (see below). This is the first step towards chronic inflammation and blood sugar issues.
nt (see below). This is the first step towards chronic inflammation and blood sugar issues.
Insulin Resistance
is defined as the body’s cells having been exposed to insulin for too long (in cases of years of high sugar or carb intake) and they are now not able to recognize insulin. It often progresses to Metabolic Syndrome, which is characterized by severe hormonal imbalances, abdominal weight gain, elevated triglycerides, increased cortisol (with it’s associated adrenal symptoms and diseases), and Type 2 Diabetes.
Symptoms include:
- Sleepiness after meals
- Mental fogginess and fatigue
- Intestinal bloating and gas
- Increased blood pressure
- Increased blood triglycerides
- Depression
- Thinning hair in women
- Abdominal weight gain
- Difficulty losing weight
- Many of the symptoms listed above for hypoglycemia
It is diagnosed using a fasting glucose value from a blood test, as well as possibly an A1C glucose blood test, which measures glucose levels over the last 3 months.
In insulin resistance, it is not enough to cut out refined carbohydrates – it must also be accompanied by treatment to reverse the cells’ resistance to insulin. Additionally, it is probable that the individual will never be able to return to their previous carbohydrate intake, which is what burned out their cells to begin with.
For some people, that will be less than 72 grams of carbohydrates per day (check labels). For others, it will take more extreme measures than that – a near-Atkins diet. This isn’t necessarily for forever, but until the sugar cravings disappear. That means most fruits also – they still trigger the sugar-insulin response.
Exercise is one of the only things that will reduce insulin resistance and improve blood glucose metabolism. It doesn’t have to be much, but it has to be consistent – a minimum of 30 minutes, 4-5 times a week. Walking, swimming, etc. are all great options. Keep it light.
Once your blood glucose levels have become more stable, you will notice that your energy levels are much better, your adrenals start to recover, your immunity improves, you sleep better, your moods are better, joint pain improves, etc. – the list goes on and on.
