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.
quick home cleaning Glenview ..The debate regarding Fluoride continues to rage, is it good... Read More
What is health? Everyone wants this thing called health, and... Read More
Ionized minerals, colloidal minerals, chelated minerals . . . What... Read More
What is nutrition? We hear so many reports today on... Read More
Green tea has been used as for medical remedies in... Read More
It is believed that cane sugar was discovered before the... Read More
There are a number of common food mistakes that costs... Read More
Looking into statistics, we can see the average American consumes... Read More
Anyone who has spent a day fasting from food, or... Read More
The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very... Read More
Apart from eating many of the wonderful vegetables and fruits... Read More
ABC News has recently focused on the possible anti-aging benefits... Read More
Health is the thing. And no matter how many ways... Read More
In the last twenty years, a huge and growing body... Read More
Bread is one of the oldest known recipes to man.... Read More
The first place that we cut corners when we are... Read More
Last year I had a number of clients who started... Read More
Today's tip is on hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).Hypoglycemia affects both... Read More
It is ironic how something as obvious as nutrition has... Read More
It seems as if the health of America is failing.... Read More
Finding simple ways to reduce my waistline is always a... Read More
Millions of people around the UK consume dairy products on... Read More
Fiber is the part of the plant that is resistant... Read More
There are numerous diets out there that guarantee that they... Read More
Endurance Sports are like music concerts. They start at a... Read More
scheduled maid service Winnetka ..Bye Bye HolidaysHoping everyone had a fun, fantastic, exciting and... Read More
1880s - Characterization of monosaccharides by Emil Fischer.1952 - Fresh,... Read More
The latest tallies show that over three million people in... Read More
Most of us are "regular" people. We don't eat the... Read More
The body is a marvelous creation, a carbon, oxygen combustion... Read More
About 12.6 million Americans currently have heart disease.1.1 million Americans... Read More
The secret of success is knowing how to deal with... Read More
According to the National Institute of Health, Magnesium is needed... Read More
What are Glyconutrients? Glyconutrients are eight newly discovered biologically-active sugars... Read More
It is ironic how something as obvious as nutrition has... Read More
Did you know the average American gains 5-7 pounds every... Read More
Great news on the chocolate front! Chocolate is good for... Read More
Most digestive disorders develop because of the bodys inability to... Read More
First of all you have to have a bucket. You... Read More
Come on, guys and gals. Those Trix are for kids.And... Read More
This free list of fat burning foods will help you... Read More
Acid reflux disease, or GERD, is a common compliant of... Read More
Do you allow pleasure from food? Are your senses throughly... Read More
The key to good hydration is drinking a lot of... Read More
As a low carb dieter, your diet is undoubtedly high... Read More
Nutrition usually only comes up when people are finally deciding... Read More
Sprouts not only taste good, but they are also a... Read More
Heart disease results when plaque builds up inside the arterial... Read More
Do you know the risks to daily intakes of Starbucks... Read More
Step 1: Eat five to ten servings per day of... Read More
Nutrition |