Sugar issues?
Do you feel irritable, shaky, queasy or lightheaded if you miss a meal or eat late? Do you have a difficult time staying away from sweets? Do you feel sick if you eat too much sugar? Do you make sure you eat three meals a day and are diligent in not forgetting? Or, do you know someone who is so incredibly grumpy when they’re hungry that you make sure they’re fed before doing anything else? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, there is a chance you (or the “someone” else) may be exhibiting signs of a poor sugar-handling mechanism. You could be hypoglycemic, diabetic or borderline on either of those.
Since high levels of blood sugar not only interfere with healing and immune function but also can be quite serious, it is important to manage it before it gets out of control. Most adult-onset diabetes (now called Type 2 diabetes) started with low blood sugar. Blood sugar levels that swing from high to low is very hard on the body, but easy to control once you know how.
The problem is that we are only taught to control blood sugar by the use of various medications or told to exercise and watch what we eat, but not much attention is given to correcting the underlying cause. There are several organs or glands responsible for managing blood sugar. They are part of a complex hormonal system called the endocrine system. A weakness or lower functioning of any one of the organs or glands in the endocrine system can cause a malfunction in another of the organs or glands controlling blood sugar. This can start occurring long before the organ or gland is diseased. There are a lot of gradients of function between “healthy” and “diseased.” The degree that you fall between these may be the degree to which you have a blood sugar handling issue.
In addition, there are foods that perpetuate blood sugar instability as well as foods that support healthy blood sugar. There are foods that support proper organ function and foods that contribute to malfunction. Some make you crave more sweets and others suppress cravings. There are herbs and other substances that are helpful as well. How and what you use could keep you going down an undesirable path, or you can reverse the trend and move towards a greater state of health. Knowing how to use them is the key.
Learn about the factors that influence blood sugar levels, how to control sugar cravings and how to improve your body’s natural blood sugar regulation capacity by attending our upcoming health class, “How to Balance Blood Sugar Naturally” on Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at Vital Health in Coeur d’Alene. Fee: $10. RSVP: 208-765-1994 or register here: http://bit.ly/VHBloodSugarClass.
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Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with nearly four decades of experience. Carling is a “Health Detective.” She looks beyond your symptom picture and investigates WHY you are experiencing your symptoms in the first place. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d’Alene clinic. Visit Carling’s website at www.vitalhealthcda.com to learn more about Carling, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Carling can be reached at 208-765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.