BLOOD SUGAR BALANCE

The next area of great importance is keeping your blood sugar levels stable thru-out the day. I am sure you are all familiar with the feeling you get if you have gone too long without eating. This a condition when blood sugar has become too low. Meaning the amount of sugar in the bloodstream, needed for your brain and body to function, is too low. The following symptoms are common with low blood sugar:

Cravings for sweets, sudden fatigue, irritability when a meal is missed, impatient, moody, anxiety, poor memory, inability to concentrate, forgetfulness, headaches, wakening in the middle of the night craving food, blurry vision, dry mouth, and feeling shaky.

If you experience these symptoms on a regular basis, low blood sugar may be the culprit. This is also called hypoglycemia.

Low blood sugar and weight gain:

• Blood sugar imbalance triggers cravings for immediate carbohydrate intake. This causes us to make incorrect food choices in order to get immediate gratification.
• The resulting poor choice of a sugary food, or simple carbohydrate, triggers a rapid rise in the amount of sugar in the blood.
• This results in an over-secretion of the hormone insulin, to try and lower the blood sugar back to normal. This then results in below normal blood sugar levels.
• This creates a constant cycle of imbalanced blood sugar and an inability to control cravings.

 High blood sugar levels, and insulin:

When sugar levels become high your body produces the hormone insulin to help carry the sugar into your cells. Insulin first pulls sugar out of the bloodstream and deposits it into the liver for storage, then into the muscles as glycogen, and the rest is converted to triglycerides for storage in the fat cells. Insulin is a fat storing hormone. Interesting note, every gram of glycogen stored in your liver, is attached to three grams of water. So the high sugar diet also puts on lots of water weight as well.

• When insulin levels remain too high for too long on a regular basis our cells do not respond properly to the insulin any more. We become insulin resistant, which allows large amounts of insulin to remain circulating in our blood.
• This circulating insulin triggers inflammation throughout the body, which causes the artery walls to be damaged, as well as the nerves, kidneys, heart, and eyes to name a few. Inflammation damages the cell membranes and makes them less receptive to insulin, this triggers insulin resistance, the number one cause of diabetes.
• High cortisol levels helps trigger insulin resistance. (Once again, we must reduce stress.)
• Chronic sleep problems further advances insulin resistance.
• Caffeine and tobacco worsen insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is characterized by the following symptoms:

• Consumption of carbohydrates and, or, sugary foods frequently. Cravings for these foods.
• Excessive thirst
• Weight gain, particularly around the midsection.
• History of gestational diabetes
• Any woman with a waist circumference over 35 inches, or any man with one over 40 inches, is extremely likely to be insulin resistant, and borderline diabetic.
• Mildly elevated blood sugar levels (Doctor told you that you were borderline diabetic)
• Blood pressure and cholesterol problems, high triglycerides
• Lack of regular menstruation, poly cystic ovarian syndrome
• Lack of regular exercise
• Poor sleep on a regular basis
• Smoking cigarettes

Proper blood sugar balance is critical to health and weight loss!

Supplements to help balance blood sugar levels:

Note: Diet changes are a must, follow the recommendations talked about earlier in class 2.

Magnesium is necessary for the action of insulin and the manufacture of insulin. When you raise your insulin, you lose magnesium, and the cells become even more insulin resistant. When you lose magnesium, your blood vessels constrict. This causes an increase in blood pressure and a reduction in energy since intracellular magnesium is required for all energy producing reactions that take place in the cell. The blood vessels constrict, and glucose and insulin can't get to the tissues, which makes them more insulin resistant, so the insulin levels go up and you lose more magnesium.

Because of the many different factors and nutrients involved in blood sugar balance, I like to use a formula that combines several of them together. Formulas such as the ones mentioned below have been put together by trained herbalists and nutritionists. When certain herbs and vitamins are combined together that have a synergistic effect, the resulting formula is actually more effective that taking the individual ingredients separately.

SugarReg - This combination is excellent for helping to reverse insulin resistance in the body. It would be an excellent choice for a diabetic to try before going on insulin lowering medications. The herbs help to increase insulin sensitivity in the cells, reduce cravings for sugar and carbohydrates, and keeps blood sugar stable which reduces cravings between meals. This formula contains both chromium and vanadium, key minerals in regulating insulin function. The herb banaba is added to this formula as it contains an anti-diabetic agent that has been shown to exert insulin like properties. Another herb, gymnena sylvestre helps regulate fluctuating blood sugar levels, and fenugreek is added to help bring down high sugar levels. If you are on the borderline between low blood sugar and insulin resistance you can still use this formula. Note: If you show symptoms of zinc deficiency it would be helpful to add 25-50 mg of zinc per day as well.

Chromium - This is a very important trace mineral involved in blood sugar balance. It is essential in order for your body to properly use glucose, and makes insulin work better. It could be readily available in foods, however it is removed during the refining process, in making breads, cereals, and other processed grains. The average American consumes about 33 mcg per day, but they need a minimum of 200 mcg per day. Every time you consume sugar in your food, you use up chromium. The worse part is that a lack of chromium creates an uncontrollable sweet tooth! The best form of chromium to help balance blood sugar metabolism is called GTF chromium which stands for “glucose tolerance factor”. (available in the SugarReg formula)

Vanadium - This is another trace mineral that has the ability to mimic many of the activities of insulin. It significantly increases the body’s ability to store glucose (sugar) into the liver. This helps to spare the breakdown of muscle protein for energy. Which lessens fatigue, and increases performance during exercise. Vanadyl Sulfate is the biologically active form of vanadium.

(available in the SugarReg formula).

Zinc - Often overlooked in blood sugar balancing, zinc plays a very important role. Zinc is a component of over 200 enzymes in the body. It is necessary for the proper function of hormones including insulin and thyroid hormone, both of which are involved in weight loss. A deficiency in zinc will create cravings for carbohydrates and particularly wheat. Understanding that a chromium deficiency can also contribute to similar cravings we need to be aware of other symptoms that a zinc deficiency can cause. Most common is: Skin problems such as acne, eczema, dermatitis, rashes, and hives, slow to heal wounds, white spots on the finger nails, weak immunity, frequent cold sores, and loss of the ability to taste or smell.

Alpha Lipoic Acid - This is a very important supplement for those with major problems with insulin resistance and or diabetes. Alpha-Lipoic Acid is a powerful antioxidant which easily passes into the cells. It has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity of the cells, improve blood flow to the peripheral nerves, and actually stimulates nerve damage repair. It is very important for diabetics who suffer from nerve damage in the feet, or vision problems resulting from high insulin levels.

HY-A - This is a combination of 4 herbs that are very helpful for people who suffer from low blood sugar. It would be my choice for teens, or people under age 35 with blood sugar problems. Typically after age 35 if you have had blood sugar problems for many years it is more likely you would be on the verge of insulin resistance, and the formula SugarReg would be a better choice. HY-A contains the herb licorice which has a good amount of chromium, magnesium, and zinc in it to help reduce cravings for carbohydrates and sugar, as well as balance the blood sugar. Licorice also supports and builds the adrenal gland which helps support stress, and the role this gland plays in balancing blood sugar. Safflower and horseradish are included in the formula to improve digestion. Dandelion has been added because of its effect on helping to restore liver function, which is very important when dealing with low blood sugar problems. 1-2 capsules three times daily.

In Summary: proper blood sugar balance is critical to your weight loss program, both for the ability to lose excess weight, to maintain proper energy levels, and for the ability to control food cravings.