Managing Blood Sugar Levels

There are a number of people with blood sugar problems but not necessarily diabetic. Common symptoms of blood sugar imbalances include irritability, fatigue (especially in the afternoons) thirst, lack of energy, and the need for stimulants like coffee, tea, chocolate, and a feeling of dizziness if without food for more than 6 hours, headaches, blurred vision, excessive sweating, crying spells, fears and anxiety, palpitations and muscle cramps.

If we constantly eat sugar, the pancreas is stimulated. If we eat any carbohydrate in its refined form, white sugar, sweets, chocolate, white flour for example, digestion is rapid and glucose enters the bloodstream in a rush. In each case, the pancreas can overreact and produce too much insulin. Blood glucose then takes a rapid, uncomfortable drop and may end up too low for normal functioning (hypoglycaemia). If this over stimulation happens too often, the pancreas becomes exhausted. Now, instead of too much insulin it produces too little. Too much glucose remains in the blood. In its most severe form this condition becomes diabetes.

The regulation of blood glucose is a constant balancing act. The aim is to provide energy to the cells which need it, including the brain, and to make sure that unwanted glucose is not left circulating in the blood. If this balance is lost both physical and mental well-being are unbalanced.

Diet is of the utmost importance for people with out-of-control blood sugar. All refined carbohydrates must be removed from the diet – this includes honey and fruit juice. Research has shown that a whole foods approach to diet, including fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds is effective in reversing insulin resistance seen in adult onset diabetes. They contain starch, which requires less insulin than simple sugars, high levels of fibre, natural antioxidants, essential fatty acids and minerals. Avoiding stress and taking regular exercise also helps balance blood sugar levels.

Chromium is often deficient in people who have uneven blood sugar levels. Breakfast is extremely important and also to eat little and often. By including protein and essential fatty acids in every meal and snack, blood sugar levels will be kept even and there should be an improvement in concentration, mood and energy levels. Dozens of top quality studies now confirm that supplementing 400mcg to 600mcg of chromium a day, which is more than ten times the average intake in the British diet, helps stabilize blood sugar. In some trial participants this non-toxic mineral has normalised blood sugar completely. Chromium works by improving your sensitivity to insulin.

Cinnamon has been used for many years in traditional herbal medicine for treatment of type-2 diabetes. The active ingredient in cinnamon, MCHP, mimics the action of the hormone insulin, which removes excess sugar from the bloodstream. 

Low-GL Diet

Instead of trying to cheat the system by stimulating more insulin release, the solution for weight management, diabetes and heart disease, is to eat a low-GL diet that means you need to make less insulin to keep your blood sugar level stable, and to naturally improve your sensitivity to insulin so you need less insulin to get the job done. Hundreds of studies now prove that a low-GL diet helps to improve blood sugar balance, and makes you less insulin-resistant, and hence reduces the need for medication. 

Exercise Plays a Key Role

Exercise is also a vital piece of the prevention equation. A review of fourteen good quality trials found that, while exercise alone didn’t decrease weight, it did lower glycosylated haemoglobin by the kind of amount one might expect from a drug. As your energy goes up on a low-GL diet you’ll find that so too does your desire to exercise.