Blood Sugar Imbalances
In our years of experience, we have found 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:
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High amounts of inflammation
Increased cardiac risk
Hardening arteries
Reduced stomach and digestive
function
Accelerated aging
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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:
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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:
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skipping meals or long periods between eating
high sugar/carbohydrate intake
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 fatburning. People can be hypoglycemic for years and the body’s constant exposure to insulin can
cause the cell receptor sites to become resistant (see below). This is the first step towards
diabetes.
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:
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Sleepiness after meals
Mental fogginess and fatigue
Intestinal bloating and gas
Increased blood pressure
Increased blood triglycerides
Depression
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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 follow the guidelines below – 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.
Treatment
It might help to think of blood sugar imbalances like this: we’re given a certain amount of
insulin/glucose activity in our cells in a lifetime. If we use up all of it in the first 3 or 4 decades of
our life by eating too many refined carbohydrates and sugar, then the damage has been done. To
avoid serious health problems as you get older, it is vital that carbs and sugar be reduced.
To do this, it is imperative that you reduce or eliminate carbs to the point where you don’t crave
sugar anymore. That starts the cells to begin to turn off the sugar response. 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.
This looks like eating something protein-based every 2-3 hours, before you are hungry, never
missing a meal, AND AVOIDING REFINED CARBS AND SUGAR.
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, 45 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.
Watch these videos for the clearest explanation you’ve seen or heard on blood sugar:
http://www.youtube.com/merrittwellness