The single most essential fuel for the human body is sugar or glucose, but...
The brain functions best when a small but steady supply of glucose is provided and reacts instantaneously when this requirement is not met. That is the reason why many of the symptoms of imbalanced blood sugar relate to the nervous system. Symptoms include:
Palpitations
Headache
Depression
Anxiety
Irritability
Blurred vision
Mental confusion
Poor memory
Difficulty coping with normal stresses
Incoherent speech
Difficulty making decisions
Drowsiness
Low libido
Intense hunger.
A normal blood sugar response, after eating unrefined good quality food, is for the blood glucose levels (BGL) to rise slowly and gradually. The pancreas then releases a corresponding amount of insulin into the blood stream. This in turn helps to bring about a gradual return of the BGL to approximately what it was before eating, as the role of insulin is to send sugar into the cells to be utilized as energy or store it as fat.
Reactive hypoglycaemia is the most common form of hypoglycaemia and is characterized by the development of symptoms 2 to 4 hours after a meal. It can occur in a susceptible individual when, by the nature of the food ingested (usually refined and high glycaemic), sugar is released very rapidly into the blood stream. The pancreas overreacts and secretes excess insulin to counter this. The more rapidly insulin is released, the more likely the pancreas is to 'overshoot the mark' and produce an excessive amount of insulin. This removes the sugar too rapidly from the bloodstream, causing the levels to crash much below what it was prior to eating. A quick 'fix' is needed for this emergency state; anything that stimulates the adrenal glands - a candy bar, cigarette, drug s, or alcohol.
Many other bodily disorders can cause hypoglycaemic problems Among them adrenal insufficiency, thyroid disorders, pituitary disorders, kidney disease and pancreatitis. Immune deficiency and candidiasis are strongly linked to hypoglycaemia too. In some cases, symptoms are better associated with elevated insulin levels. The word hypoglycaemia is actually a misnomer as one would assume it is the opposite of diabetes which involves too much sugar in the blood. Thoug h it may seem paradoxical, low blood sugar can also be an early sign of diabetes. These two disorders are often manifestations of a similar endocrine disorder, due to the same causes.
Diagnosis can be difficult as symptoms, often subtle and tending to come and go, can mimic those of other disorders including chronic fatigue syndrome, neurological problems, and weight problems. Hypoglycaemia can be diagnosed clinically using a 5-hour glucose tolerance test (GTT). Some cases show normal blood glucose levels with elevated insulin levels, which are associated with hypoglycaemic symptoms. A useful diagnostic test may be to follow the recommended dietary and supplemental regimen and see if the symptoms improve. Recently. new medical research is supportive of the view that the effects of even mild hypoglycaemia may be far reaching and have been associated with a significant proportion of physical, mental and emotional disorders including hyperactivity, schizophrenia, anti-social behavior, criminal personalities, drug addiction, impotence, alcoholism.
The Glycaemic Index (GI) is the measure of a food's effect on blood sugar levels. Foods with a low or medium GI result in slower absorption of sugars from the diet, a modest rise in BGL and a smooth return to normal. Foods with a high GI result in fast absorption of sugars and a surge in BGL and should be eaten in moderation by hypoglycaemics. The presence of protein in food lowers its GI.
Dietary and lifestyle considerations in the control of blood sugar related conditions
Identify and control food allergies.
Always have a good breakfast.
Have regular meals. People who miss meals often experience low blood sugar symptoms.
Eat small frequent meals containing slow releasing unrefined carbohydrates preferably combined with protein rich foods. This prevents sugar cravings and adrenal stress.
Avoid refined carbohydrates totally. This is a cornerstone of treatment and is an extremely important rule to follow. Anyone who has hypoglycaemic symptoms or has been given a diagnoses of reactive hypoglycaemia avoid refined carbohydrates totally.
When eating fruit, eat in moderation and slowly. Avoid fruit juice or dilute it with water. Natural fruit juice, even without added sugar, acts rapidly to raise blood glucose levels.
Decrease your intake of dried fruit.
Eliminate (or at least cut down significantly) alcohol where possible, sugar and foods containing sugar (avoid honey, glucose, molasses as these too are sugar).
Avoid consumption of stimulants such as tea and coffee. Decaffeinated coffee is also best avoided as it still contains other chemicals.
Be wary of convenience foods as they often contain refined carbohydrates and other harmful chemicals. Help yourself by not having buns, cakes, chocolates and fizzy drinks!
