Struggling with Anxiety and Low Mood?

It could be that you are on the Stress (too much) High and Low Blood Sugar, Insulin Resistance Rollercoaster ride??

It has been a lot these last few years and if you have been feeling it lately then you are not alone. It feels like we are in an in between space… we are questioning everything and feeling unsure of what to do next.

I feel the same way too however, I keep coming back to the fundamentals of what makes us human and what we can do in uncertain times to nourish ourselves. Healthy Action Steps taken now can help us better navigate the future and all its uncertainty. We need to be strong for whatever we decide we want to next.

How Stress affects Body and our Mood.

We all know that Diet, what and when we eat and how much plays a role in how well we manage Blood Sugar however did you know that your Adrenal Glands also help you maintain normal blood glucose.

“Glucocorticoids are steroid hormones produced from the cortex of adrenal glands (gluco-corti-coids: glucose-cortex-steroids). Glucocorticoids have a pivotal role.  These hormones have many jobs, such as controlling how your cells use sugar and fat and curbing inflammation.”

This is important… if you are stressed out Physically, Mentally, Nutritionally, Spiritually etc.  then you are inflamed and it is hard to maintain balanced energy levels.

Let’s take a look at what balance looks like and what imbalance looks like.  Then look at what you can do to help support balance and reduce anxiety, increase energy and improve mood.

BALANCED BLOOD SUGAR 

This is what balanced Blood sugar would feel like… Not many of us in the category, eh?

• Feel rested when you wake up
• No change in function
• No major changes in mood
• Energy is constant and you recognize hunger versus hangry
• Could eat or could wait… fat adapted

HIGH STRESS AND UNSTABLE BLOOD SUGAR 

These are just some of the symptoms you could be experiencing. It is important to note that the Pancreas and the Adrenal glands are part of the Endocrine System (Hormones) and therefore have an effect on all those systems.

• Wake up tired: Cortisol is low instead of high
• Wake up in the middle of the night (Adrenaline rush… no stored glycogen in the Liver or stored cortisol which leads to a drop and adrenaline wakes us up (anxiety). Once we know we are OK we then we get up and go pee.
• No appetite in the morning and eating makes me nauseous
• Hangry and shaky before eating is normal
• Go all day before eating anything
• 10.00am and 6.00 pm crash… happy hour
• Crave sugar after a meal
• Mood and anxiety issues
• Chubby even though I don’t eat much

These are the products I like to support stress and unstable blood sugar.

Drenamin, Super B, Amino Acids, Enzycore, Multizyme, KL Support, TUDCA.

INSULIN RESISTANT

Insulin is a hormone that allows glucose to enter cells which also reduces blood glucose (blood sugar). Insulin is released by the pancreas in response to carbohydrates consumed in the diet. In states of insulin resistance, the same amount of insulin does not have the same effect on glucose transport and blood sugar levels. There are multiple ways to measure insulin resistance such as fasting insulin levels or glucose tolerance tests, but these are not often used in clinical practice. Insulin resistance can be improved or reversed with lifestyle approaches, such as exercise and dietary changes.

• Wake up tired
• Body Aches (Liver)
• Wake up and look for Sugary things or eat fruit
• Tired after a meal and need coffee
• Eat crash and the crave pattern
• Low recovery from exercise/ workout
• Low recovery re: tasks requiring focus
• Can’t lose weight.
• Inflamed and swollen
• Gallbladder issues.
• Hormonal Issues like PCOS
• I have skin tags
• Frequent urination and thirsty all the time
• Have foggy brain a lot

These are the products I like for Insulin and an AIC that is pre diabetic. Diaplex, Cat GTF, Cataplex B Core, Metabol Complex, Multizyme, Gymnema, Inositol, TUDCA, Olprima EPA/DHA and Milk Thistle and KL Support for Liver support.

HYPOGLYCEMIA AND ANXIETY 

This is when Blood Glucose is Low.  This is just as important as high glucose as it relates to your overall health.  A lot of us swing between high and low blood sugar throughout the day and over time it can become a metabolic and a brain problem.

• Eat well but still eat sugar, honey, fruit, smoothie, salad, dinner is OK… not enough protein, fat, or fiber in diet.
• Low resilience
• Low blood pressure or postural hypotension or feels dizzy
• Poor circulation like cold hands and feet
• Headaches: migraine??
• I have blurred vision
• I am easily distracted and lack focus
• I feel on edge or anxious or irritable
• I get light-headed if meals are missed
• I always have a snack on hand just in case
• I overtrain or workout a lot

These are some of the products I like for low blood sugar. Adrenal Support, Super B, Omega 3 fatty Acids. Add clean powdered Protein and collagen sources to your morning tea, smoothie, matcha or coffee after you have had a big glass of lemon water.

Blood sugar is strongly connected to how we handle stress, our need for control, or lack thereof and our relationship with food and self.  It is important to our overall health to keep our blood sugars stable and we often need help, time and support in order for that to happen.

MORE SOLUTIONS FOR ANXIETY AND LOW MOOD

If you are a regular reader then you know I am a huge fan of whole food and herbs as support for the body.  Some of these suggestions can be found by clicking the link.  Use my code for a 10% discount on your purchases. (W8MJSC). Here is also the link for a broader range of products: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/pmartindr/signup

There are some amazing tools that have come to market in recent times to help us better understand how blood sugar and stress affect our metabolic health. Check out these two. The Continuous Glucose Monitors from Levels and Heart Rate variability monitors like the Oura Ring. 

You could also buy an inexpensive version from a company called Stelo. No Prescription needed and it costs S99.00. Do a food/ drink/ exercise/ sleep/ feelings type log and compare the results from Glucose Monitor to see what causes your spikes and how you can make adjustments to help support your metabolism, your mood and enjoy more stable energy throughout the day.

This is worth doing even without the glucose monitor. Make two columns: Write down all the things that cause you stress or trigger stress or make you feel unsafe. Then have a look where you can simplify, eliminate or re frame those areas.  The goal is to make the changes to reduce what cause you real or perceived stress!!

Last but not least: Food and drink is a big deal as it relates to keeping our mood, focus and energy stable throughout the day. Movement is also super important for keeping sugar stable as is a Calm and Mindful state. Conscious choice puts us in touch with the idea of Nourishing ourselves versus consuming.

I hope you have enjoyed this article?  BTW. The Metabolic Functional Health Panel we run measures all the major metabolic markers and I run them for my cost. You are Welcome!

As always if you need support on your wellbeing journey, I am here to support you.

Dr Pia