Today's tip is on hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Hypoglycemia affects both non-diabetics as well as diabetics.It has been considered an early sign of adult onset diabetes, although I am not completely convinced that this is always true. If you have ever felt weak at the knees, sweaty and somewhat disoriented about two hours after eating something sweet, you probably have had an episode or two of hypoglycemia. It is a very unpleasant feeling and if your blood sugar gets low enough you can get into serious trouble.
Brief synopsis of the biochemistry.
Most hypoglycemia is a result of eating table sugar (sucrose). Human biochemistry can handle complex carbohydrates very well like the potato and rice. But it does not do so well when the sugar is "refined" / extracted and processed into a molecule like sucrose from sources such as sugar cane. The molecule sucrose is one glucose molecule hooked up to one fructose molecule.
The other way to become hypoglycemic is to be on a low carbohydrate diet. However, these symptoms are usually not the acute hypoglycemia symptoms that one gets from eating simple sugars. They more often manifest as chronic depression from insufficient blood glucose for the brain.
Fructose short-circuits glycolysis.
When the body attempts to digest sucrose the fructose short circuits the glycolytic pathway for the glucose. Glucose is not metabolized as fast as it would be if there was no fructose in the bloodstream. Because of this, the body perceives more glucose than is really present and excretes more insulin than is necessary. Soon all the fructose is metabolized, followed rapidly by the metabolism of the glucose. Then, because of excessive insulin, the blood glucose is lowered more than it should be and you really begin to feel disoriented, clammy and weak at the knees.
What to do on the immediate basis.
Ingestion of some readily absorbable sugar such as found in orange juice, is standard therapy for hypoglycemia. This will raise your blood sugar and you will begin to feel better. Eating more sucrose will also raise your blood sugar but doing so only starts the whole cycle all over again. Best not to get low blood sugar / hypoglycemia in the first place.
What to do to keep from getting hypoglycemia.
The simple answer is to avoid sugar. I know this is easier said than done. When I quit meat and dairy it was easy and I have never missed it. When I quit Pepsi and candy such as Mike and Ikes, it was very difficult. Sugar is extremely addicting. I felt so much better without it however, that it has really been worth it. I don't miss the extra weight from the sucrose nor the episodes of hypoglycemia. Also, it is much easier to keep my running mileage high since I quit sugar.
One more thing I don't miss is the ongoing destruction of my vascular system caused by sugar. Adult onset diabete smellitus is a "polite and very confusing" term for "sugar toxicity."
Today's Health Tip:
To avoid hypoglycemia stop eating any simple sugars.
Be sure to read the labels of any processed foods carefully. While whole grain brown rice is no problem, refined products like brown rice syrup can cause hypoglycemia.
Reference:
Biochemistry Fourth Edition Lubert Styrer
Shameless Plug
The MericleDiet is the Only 100% Sugar-Free Diet that I havefound. Also, it is the only one to make the transition away from sugar as easy as it can be. To visit the MericleDiet follow the link below:
Copyright 2005 John Mericle M.D. All Rights Reserved
http://www.drmeri cle.com is devoted to achieving optimal health and peak performance through diet and lifestyle change. Dr. Mericle brings together a unique blend of formal medical education, 29 marathons, 3 Hawaii Ironman competitions and a lot of practical real life experience.
best cleaning company Highland Park ..A frequent misunderstanding about macrobiotics is that it is a... Read More
Although many realize that the liver has its own cleansing... Read More
Diets concern especially Americans as they do have a "national... Read More
Niacin, also called nicotinic acid, is a member of the... Read More
When we think about the benefits of being ensuring a... Read More
"To eat an apple before going to bed will make... Read More
Whatever diet you choose to live by, the food you... Read More
The ingredients list found on the back or side panel... Read More
Recently, trans fats have risen to the forefront of the... Read More
Understanding ocular nutrition and eye health can be one of... Read More
Fruit calories are very healthy as compared to calories in... Read More
Looking into statistics, we can see the average American consumes... Read More
Soy, and most soy-based products, are nutritional powerhouses. Soybeans are... Read More
Meal replacements have been part of the diet landscape for... Read More
A lot of people I've talked with about health supplements... Read More
In parts 1-4 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
Anyone who has spent a day fasting from food, or... Read More
PROTEIN DEFICIENT? CHANCES ARE YOU ARE!Did you know that 9... Read More
With the release of the new dietary guidelines, in the... Read More
What is nutrition? We hear so many reports today on... Read More
Coke, more commonly known as cocaine is a highly addictive... Read More
The old clich? that you are what you eat is... Read More
(Part 1 of a Special 5 Part Series on Body... Read More
The word cholesterol has become synonymous with poor health. Indeed,... Read More
I am going to share with you possibly the most... Read More
high-end home cleaning Winnetka ..It is ironic how something as obvious as nutrition has... Read More
In a study review conducted by David A. Geier, B.A.... Read More
Fats (triacylglycerols) ...Some basic terminology ...fat or fatty acid ...In... Read More
East Meets WestAsian cultures have realized the medical benefits of... Read More
Increasing the fiber in your diet has been shown to:... Read More
High Fructose Corn SyrupBefore we get to high fructose corn... Read More
Since the 1930's the western diet has dramatically changed. This... Read More
A hundred years ago, life was very different here on... Read More
The reason I remember the first time I was served... Read More
Are Your Cells Talking To Each Other?Communication! It permeates our... Read More
Salt does Not Cause High Blood Pressure. Some things you... Read More
Beverages - and not just alcohol - are a significant... Read More
If you're looking for a power-packed entr?e or soup to... Read More
Dieting is a pain. I think basically everyone would agree... Read More
With summer comes more sun and with more sun comes... Read More
Every where you look you see articles or news or... Read More
Did you know that the food you eat when you... Read More
While packages of the artificial sweetener Splenda claim, "made from... Read More
Can a child thrive on a vegan diet? The answer... Read More
Question from Jack:A question from Jack, one of the subscribers... Read More
What is the best protein powder to buy? I get... Read More
With so much 'diet advice' around today it is little... Read More
Since 1994, food manufacturers have required the Food and Drug... Read More
What are Glyconutritionals?The Greek word "Glyco" means "Sugar". Most people... Read More
What Ever Happened to the Basic FourThe USDA was originally... Read More
Nutrition |