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Munching on almonds is a great way to regulate your blood sugar levels Darrell Miller 6/14/17
Foods to grab during a workout Darrell Miller 2/13/17
Marijuana and Appetite Darrell Miller 1/31/17
For stress, superfoods are better than comfort foods Darrell Miller 12/22/16
For stress, superfoods are better than comfort foods Darrell Miller 12/22/16
Tips to Help Fight Breast Cancer Darrell Miller 10/5/16
Keeping Your Edge - The state of your outer body reflects the inner you. Darrell Miller 6/12/05
Snack Attack - we munch on about 125,000 pounds of pretzels, chips, popcorn and nuts a min Darrell Miller 6/12/05
Stevia, Xylitol Sugar alternatives ... Darrell Miller 6/9/05




Munching on almonds is a great way to regulate your blood sugar levels
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Date: June 14, 2017 04:14 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: munching on almonds is a great way to regulate your blood sugar levels





Eating almonds is a really great way to regulate your blood sugar levels. It is so easy and you can do it while you are sitting around and watching the television, or reading a book for fun. They are great for people that have diabetes. They help to regulate blood sugar levels among many other positive things. They are one of the healthiest foods in the world and people should eat them to get their amazing benefits.

Key Takeaways:

  • Almonds are packed with nutrition and can help battle diseases such as Type-2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular illnesses.
  • Almonds help regulate blood sugar levels, blood pressure and blood fats.
  • Studies show those who eat almonds regularly are more likely to maintain their ideal body weight.

"Almonds have tremendous health benefits. They help regulate weight, which is one of the risk factors for diabetes. They contain mono-saturated fat that helps you feel full longer, which keeps you from overeating."

Read more: http://www.naturalnews.com/2017-06-11-munching-on-almonds-is-a-great-way-to-regulate-your-blood-sugar-levels.html

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Foods to grab during a workout
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Date: February 13, 2017 07:59 AM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Foods to grab during a workout





Contrary to popular belief it's OK to eat during a workout if you get hungry. Why starve yourself? All that does is trigger your body into storing fat. You just need to know which foods are best. This talks about that. Use this to decide what to eat and you won't end up undoing your workout altogether.

Key Takeaways:

  • It is well known that what you eat before, during, and after you exercise can make or break a workout and affect your results.
  • Before you exercise, load up on carbs, and ensure you stay hydrated during your workout.
  • After you exercise, munch on protein - including dairy products, eggs, and meat to maximize your gains.

"So what do nutritionists recommend to munch on? It turns out that quality carbohydrates are important pre-workout and lean proteins post-workout, experts say."



Reference:

//www.cnn.com/2016/12/29/health/what-to-eat-exercise/index.html

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Marijuana and Appetite
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Date: January 31, 2017 07:59 AM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Marijuana and Appetite





Many people suffer from over eating, but there is a similar problem that affects many other people- lack of appetite. Lack of appetite can stem from various factors, but it can be serious to people who are suffering illness and need to take in nutrients to get better. Marijuana is known to cause people to get "the munchies." There are two different components of marijuana that can help with lack of appetite: CBD and THC. Users can get these components in a variety of ways.

Key Takeaways:

  • A lack of appetite can be a serious condition when chronic. When we don’t eat, our health suffers.
  • Marijuana is an approved medication for appetite loss; however, CBD may also help ease symptoms.
  • Not having an appetite can cause problems for people who are already underweight, or individuals who are losing weight when they shouldn’t or don’t want to.

"While CBD isn’t known for its appetite-stimulating properties (in other words, it doesn’t give users “the munchies” the same way THC is known to do); it can still have some beneficial effects on people suffering from a lack of appetite."



Reference:

https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=//thejointblog.com/marijuana-appetite/&ct=ga&cd=CAIyGmM2M2RhZjlmZTVmZDZjMmU6Y29tOmVuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNEJwbAI5DFzy0bV6bb6kWW1fnIaxQ

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For stress, superfoods are better than comfort foods
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Date: December 22, 2016 06:59 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: For stress, superfoods are better than comfort foods





There is probably no person in this world that hasn’t been under stress at some time in their life. Different people have different responses to stress. Things such as exercising are actually good for the body, whereas eating comfort foods can be very harmful. If you must munch on something when under stress, try instead to eat superfoods such as broccoli, leafy greens, nuts, oily fish, and fermented foods. Anything with high amounts of vitamin C will do, since it has been found that the supplement prevents spikes in cortisol. Sugary or caffeine-filled foods can have the opposite effect.

Key Takeaways:

  • The top superfoods that are recommended to munch on when feeling anxious are kale, broccoli, leafy greens, celery, nuts, oily fish like salmon, fermented foods like kimchi, herbs and spices, and organic berries high in vitamin C.
  • In animal studies, vitamin C fed to rats who were undergoing stress both prevented an increase in cortisol levels and ... known signs of physical and/or emotional stress like losing body weight.
  • Animals that didn't receive the vitamin C had three times the level of cortisol in their bodies,

"Many of these 'superfoods' also work to boost glutathione in the body: an amino acid in charge of detoxification. So superfoods nourish and detoxify, and in this way, they combat stress."



Reference:

//www.cnn.com/2016/12/15/health/foods-to-reduce-stress-anxiety/index.html

(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3688)


For stress, superfoods are better than comfort foods
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Date: December 22, 2016 06:39 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: For stress, superfoods are better than comfort foods





There is probably no person in this world that hasn’t been under stress at some time in their life. Different people have different responses to stress. Things such as exercising are actually good for the body, whereas eating comfort foods can be very harmful. If you must munch on something when under stress, try instead to eat superfoods such as broccoli, leafy greens, nuts, oily fish, and fermented foods. Anything with high amounts of vitamin C will do, since it has been found that the supplement prevents spikes in cortisol. Sugary or caffeine-filled foods can have the opposite effect.

Key Takeaways:

  • The top superfoods that are recommended to munch on when feeling anxious are kale, broccoli, leafy greens, celery, nuts, oily fish like salmon, fermented foods like kimchi, herbs and spices, and organic berries high in vitamin C.
  • In animal studies, vitamin C fed to rats who were undergoing stress both prevented an increase in cortisol levels and ... known signs of physical and/or emotional stress like losing body weight.
  • Animals that didn't receive the vitamin C had three times the level of cortisol in their bodies,

"Many of these 'superfoods' also work to boost glutathione in the body: an amino acid in charge of detoxification. So superfoods nourish and detoxify, and in this way, they combat stress."



Reference:

//www.cnn.com/2016/12/15/health/foods-to-reduce-stress-anxiety/index.html

(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3687)


Tips to Help Fight Breast Cancer
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Date: October 05, 2016 05:38 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
Subject: Tips to Help Fight Breast Cancer

For women, breast cancer is a well know villain. Medical doctors and specialists continue the long fight on all types of melanoma. Until a cure is found, women must maintain to fight the fight. These holistic remedies have showed promise in the fight against cancer.

Eat Your Broccoli - Yes, consuming broccoli may help lessen your uncertainties of getting breast cancer. It is stated to be one of the best veggies that battle many diseases due to its high sulfur content.

Work That Body - Help aid the prevention of breast cancer by working out to control excessive estrogen. The study suggests that exercising for about three to five hours weekly cut your risk in half of breast cancer, simply by decreasing tumor-promoting estrogen in your bloodstream.

Demolish Bad Fat From Your Diet - Cut virtually all harmful fats. Women eating a lot of trans fats tend to be two times as prone to suffer from breast cancer as women who consume the least.

Enjoy Soy - Investigation shows that utilizing soy may slightly lower your risk.

munch on Walnuts - Research suggests 2 Servings of walnuts each day might keep cancer at bay. By only eating on 2 oz. of delicious nuts, you can squash errant cells because of the anti-cancer compounds found in nuts.  A serving every day could prevent breast cancer extension up to 50%, based on the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Beans are Good For you Too - Women who consume beans and lentils have a substantial decrease of developing breast cancer compared to women who rarely eat them, based on a study in the International Journal of Cancer.

You are what you eat, by making healthier choices, one can fight back against cancer.

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Keeping Your Edge - The state of your outer body reflects the inner you.
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Date: June 12, 2005 05:22 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Keeping Your Edge - The state of your outer body reflects the inner you.

Keeping Your Edge by Carl Lowe Energy Times, December 2, 2003

If you want to keep your mental edge, better keep your physical edge. As your body goes, so goes your brain: The state of your outer body reflects the inner you.

A flabby body leads to flabby thinking. Weight gain and toneless muscles on the outside are evidence of an out-of-tune brain and thinking processes as soft around the edges as your stomach. But staying in shape physically can boost your mental powers.

As you age, one of the biggest threats to keeping your thoughts sharp is Alzheimer's disease, a progressive brain deterioration (dementia) that destroys your memory and your ability to think.

Today, about 4.5 million Americans suffer Alzheimer's disease. Over a lifetime, the average cost per person suffering this disease adds up to a staggering $175,000. Consequently, according to the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org), this disease drains approximately a billion dollars a year from the US economy.

Thanks to an aging population and the growing girth of Americans, the rate of Alzheimer's threatens to explode into an epidemic over the next two decades.

Experts now believe that if you are carrying around too much weight, those extra pounds puts you at a higher risk of losing your thinking abilities. And being seriously overweight greatly expands your chances of developing this debilitating type of dementia.

An 18-year study of about 400 people in Sweden, all aged 70 at the beginning of the research, concluded that your chances of suffering dementia significantly increases with every extra pound (Archives for Internal Medicine 7/03).

Cholesterol Conquers Minds

In addition to the extra risk to your thinking capacity from body fat, having high levels of cholesterol in your blood also threatens your brain's ability to reason. Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have found that:

* Excess amounts of cholesterol can lead to accumulation of APP, a protein found normally in moderate amounts in both the brain and the heart.

* Excess APP linked to cholesterol can, in turn, lead to the development of larger amounts of a substance called amyloid protein.

* Pieces of amyloid protein can form plaque on the brain, destroying cells and leading to the development of Alzheimer's disease.

"Past research has shown that high cholesterol levels appear to increase APP levels, which in turn leads to increased levels of beta amyloid protein and the risk of accumulation of amyloid beta peptide," says Vassilios Papadopoulos, PhD, professor of cell biology at Georgetown. "Our research showed that high cholesterol levels also increase the rate at which the amyloid beta peptides break off and form the tangles that kill brain cells." Added to that, the Georgetown scientists have demonstrated that high cholesterol seems to cause the body to boost its production of the protein, apolipoprotein E (APOE), a chemical that normally helps take cholesterol out of cells. But when APOE accumulates, this chemical leads to an excess of free cholesterol, which kills nerve cells.

"Our study adds to the growing body of evidence implicating high cholesterol as a significant risk factor in Alzheimer's disease, and breaks new ground in showing the damage caused by excessive levels of cholesterol," says Dr. Papadopoulos.

Since high blood pressure also increases your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (BMJ 6/14/01), devoting yourself to a heart-healthy lifestyle (eating plenty of fiber, cutting back on saturated fat in red meat and avoiding trans fats in cookies and cakes) can increase your chances of keeping your wits about you as you move through life.

Brain Food

As part of that heart-healthy lifestyle that keeps your brain functioning at top capacity, experts recommend regular helpings of omega-3 fatty acids, the type of fats found in fish, flax and hemp.

In research that focused on people between the ages of 65 to 94, researchers have found that eating seafood at least once a week drops your risk of Alzheimer's by about 60% compared with folks who forego fish (Archives of Neurology 7/03).

Along with fish, the scientists recommended munching more nuts, which are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids.

In the report on the relationship between eating and Alzheimer's, Robert Friedland, MD, of the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, noted: "A high antioxidant/low saturated fat diet pattern with a greater amount of fish, chicken, fruits and vegetables and less red meat and dairy products is likely to lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease, as that for heart disease and stroke."

Wake Up Your Brain

If your thinking has been fuzzy lately, take a nap.

Getting enough sleep right after you learn something new helps maintain your learning abilities, according to research at the University of Chicago. In a test of how sleep can help people remember words and language, these researchers taught students to recognize a unique vocabulary spoken by a machine. After the learning session, students were then tested on their new abilities.

The scientists found that students trained in the morning tested poorly when tested later the same evening. But when students were trained right before bedtime and then tested the next morning, their test scores soared (Nature 9/9/03).

"Sleep has at least two separate effects on learning," according to the researchers. "Sleep consolidates memories, protecting them against subsequent interference or decay. Sleep also appears to 'recover' or restore memories."

The concept of this research originated in observations of birds.

"We were surprised several years ago to discover that birds apparently 'dream of singing' and this might be important for song learning," says researcher Daniel Margoliash, professor of biology and anatomy at the University of Chicago.

While you may not dream of singing like a bird, you may dream of having a sharper intellect. Luckily, the tools for sharpening your mental powers are easy to find and put to good use: Methods for keeping your brain in shape are basically the same techniques effective for keeping your body and heart in shape.

Pleasant dreams!



--
Vitanet ®

Solaray - Ultimate Nutrition - Actipet Pet supplements - Action Labs - Sunny Greens - Thompson nutritional - Natural Sport - Veg Life Vegan Line - Premier One - NaturalMax - Kal

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Snack Attack - we munch on about 125,000 pounds of pretzels, chips, popcorn and nuts a min
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Date: June 12, 2005 02:33 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Snack Attack - we munch on about 125,000 pounds of pretzels, chips, popcorn and nuts a min

Snack Attack by Chrystle Fiedler Energy Times, August 5, 2003

Americans are snackers. For instance, during the Superbowl, we munch on about 125,000 pounds of pretzels, chips, popcorn and nuts a minute; 30 million pounds by the end of the game. At work about half of us snack two or three times a day. By the end of today, as a group, we'll have eaten $22 million worth of candy-almost a million dollars an hour for every hour of every day.

If you snack unwisely, these munchies can expand your waistline and sabotage your health. But if you snack wisely, you can keep your taste buds fulfilled, your brain working at top capacity and your body satisfied.

When searching for snack satisfaction, think protein. Protein bars and protein shakes keep you feeling fuller longer on fewer calories than sweets.

Second to protein, think fiber, as in fresh fruit, dried fruit, or whole grain breads and crackers.

Unlike carbohydrates that break down into sugars and may be quickly stored as body fat, protein-rich snacks release sugar into your bloodstream at a slow, steady and healthy pace. That keeps you satisfied longer on fewer calories.

"Protein is an important building block (for the body)," says Alicia Gonzalez, ND, a teaching fellow at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington. "It breaks down into amino acids as precursors to things like neurotransmitters, hormones and muscle."

Besides eating protein-rich snacks, eat protein with every meal and eat it first. "It will help your body absorb sugar at a slower rate."

"Protein and fiber are the best at helping the body absorb sugar at an optimal rate," says Jon Gordon, author of Become an Energy Addict (Longstreet Press).

"Protein bars release sugar at a slower rate, resulting in more balanced blood sugar levels and greater overall energy," Gordon says. "You'll crave sugar less and will have a more sustained source of energy all day long."

Protein Bars' Power

"The biggest advantage of protein bars, besides their convenience, is the fact that they do have considerably more protein, say 10 grams, than candy bars, which can contain as little as 2 grams," says Dr. Gonzalez. Total fat tends to be much less in a protein bar, too.

When choosing a protein bar, Dr. Gonzalez says, "Look for total protein content, say, between 10 and 12 grams and total fat, no more than 5 grams, and be careful with high sodium content."

"Choose a protein bar closest to nature," says Gordon. "Like one with almonds and cashews. Nuts are full of nutrients and minerals. Nuts are also a source of fiber."

If you exercise, protein bars with whey or soy protein make for quick replacement of necessary nutrients. "Eating a protein bar an hour before exercising helps to maintain that energy boost you need and replenishes minerals you lose when working out," says Dr. Gonzalez.

Some protein bars, though, do a bait n' switch with saturated fats and trans fatty acids, says Dawn Weatherwax, RD, author of The Official Snack Guide for Beleaguered Sports Parents (WellCentered Books). "If the label says hydrolyzed or hydrogenated palm oil, that's as bad as saturated fat. People think they're doing the healthy thing by eating a protein bar but they end up getting the wrong type of fat."

Besides protein bars, other healthy and healthful snacks include whole grain bread with peanut butter and cheese on whole grain, high-fiber crackers. "Mixing fiber and protein will help you sustain your energy," says Gordon. "Yogurt is also very good."

Smooth Sailing

"Smoothies are also wonderful (snacks)," says Weatherwax. "Add protein powder, silken tofu and fruit to them and you can have them as a meal replacement."

"Nuts like cashews, almonds, seeds and dried berries are some of the best snacks that you can eat because you're not getting all that sugar," says Dr. Gonzalez. "Nuts have a good balance of good fat versus bad fat, including essential fatty acids, which are really important for cellular health and overall well-being. A combination of nuts, seeds and dried berries provides you with a good mix of all the vitamins and minerals along with the good fats that you need to be healthy."

When snacking, think about variety. "Mix it up, have a protein bar one day, a protein shake the next," says Gordon. "Combine protein with a healthy carbohydrate and you'll have much more sustained energy throughout the day."

Fuel for Your Fire

"We're like a train, we need to keep the furnace stoked," says Weatherwax, a consulting dietitian for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team. "The goal is to eat every three or four hours. You have breakfast and lunch and you need an afternoon snack. That's the hardest one to get. Most people don't want to eat another sandwich; they want snack food. So a protein bar with a carb like a piece of fruit, an apple, orange or banana...is a great combination." "Studies show if you have moderate-size meals plus small between-meal snacks you increase your levels of energy and alertness," says Gordon. "It also optimizes your memory and performance and gives you a steady flow of energy rather than the rises and falls. Without healthy snacks your blood sugar falls and you experience fatigue and tension. Just as we need to constantly feed a fire with moderate-sized pieces of wood, we also need to continually supply our internal furnace with food that can be turned into fuel. This keeps our metabolism going strong and steady."

"You want to stay between one-third and two-thirds full," adds Weatherwax.

"Eating less in an effort to lose weight is actually deleterious in the long run," says Dr. Gonzalez. "When we don't eat our body gets mixed signals; it isn't sure when it's going to get its next meal. This makes the body want to store fat and sugar to save it just in case. On the other hand, if your body becomes accustomed to eating more often, the cells will be more inclined to use the fat up, knowing there is more food on the way."

To program your body this way, don't skip meals. Have protein-filled breakfast like a protein smoothie and eggs. Follow up with healthy snacks like a protein bar or shake and regular meals.

"Ideally, it's best to combine the macronutrients, the protein, carbs and healthy fats," says Weatherwax. "By mixing all three you actually burn more energy. One study shows that you burn an extra 35 calories."

Nibbling on refined sweets can give you the snack blues. So let smart-snack strategies. Shift your mental outlook into high gear and use snacks wisely.

Snacking and Exercising

When you incorporate snacks into a consistent exercise program, you boost your chances of maintaining a healthy weight.

To make a big difference in your day, Gordon says, get up a half an hour early to exercise. Next, eat a breakfast that includes protein and fiber, have a mid-morning snack, a healthy lunch, an afternoon snack and good dinner. Take a walk within 30 minutes of eating dinner and you'll give your body a double dose of get-up-and-go.

"It exponentially increases your energy production and fat burning," says Gordon. Do all these things and watch your energy soar. "You'll fuel your life with real sustained power sources rather than the quick fix like coffee that's going to give you the rise in energy and then fall."

You don't need to be told to keep on snacking. Just keep to the protein and fiber side of the snack street.



--
Vitanet ®

Solaray - Ultimate Nutrition - Actipet Pet supplements - Action Labs - Sunny Greens - Thompson nutritional - Natural Sport - Veg Life Vegan Line - Premier One - NaturalMax - Kal

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Stevia, Xylitol Sugar alternatives ...
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Date: June 09, 2005 06:15 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Stevia, Xylitol Sugar alternatives ...

Xylitol

Stevia

Sugar Solution by Kristin Daniels Energy Times, January 4, 2002

Sugar Solution by Kristin Daniels

Low blood sugar-a blood sugar recession-can make the good times recede. While you can't live without blood sugar, too much or too little wreaks havoc on your body and mind. And when blood sugar dips low enough to cause hypoglycemia you may feel like your emotions have been shredded. Knowing how the body regulates blood sugar allows you a measure of control in keeping blood sugar in the proper groove, and makes life a little sweeter. Hypoglycemia occurs when you feel dragged out because of low blood sugar. Ironically, this low blood sugar syndrome may be caused by an overabundance of sugar in your meals and snacks. Those who point to hypoglycemia as a widespread problem claim that up to two of three women in America suffer from hypoglycemia. That would make it an epidemic of monstrous proportions. In a survey of 1000 folks complaining of hypoglycemia, published in the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation's winter 2000 edition, researchers found that low blood sugar sufferers complained of hypoglycemic discomforts in several main categories: 94% of the people in the study reported nervousness, 89% mentioned irritability, exhaustion affected 87%, depression struck 86% and drowsiness hit 73%. Other miseries included fatigue, cold sweats, tinnitus (ringing of the ears), rapid heart rate, blurry or double vision, confusion, sudden hunger, convulsions, sweating, sleeping problems, paleness, muscle pain, memory loss, crying jags, fainting and dizziness.

Body of Evidence
Hypoglycemia may result from munching endless sweets and never exercising (physical activity improves your body's handling of sugar). Many sufferers of hypoglycemia may view it as a disease, but the experts pigeonhole it, technically, as a condition or syndrome. R. Paul St. Amand, MD, Professor of Endocrinology at UCLA, points out that "in certain people, the body is unable to process carbohydrates without adverse consequences. Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is the name often used to denote a whole disease. But more accurately it is only one of a cluster of symptoms that together make up a syndrome." According to herbalist Cynthia Hartson, ND, at Better Health Chiropractic and Natural Family Health Care in Mission Viejo, California, when you eat too many processed foods you set yourself up for a big fall in blood sugar. "...As with many conditions out there, you don't catch diseases, this one or any; you create an environment in your body that allows these symptoms (and conditions) to occur." Your body breaks down carbohydrates, including those in vegetables, fruits, breads and grains, into simpler sugars. As these carbohydrates pour into the blood in the form of glucose, cells in the pancreas secrete the hormone-like substance insulin. Insulin is supposed to persuade cells to take up this in-flow of glucose and use it as fuel. But if, during this process, blood sugar drops too low, the pancreas releases glucagon, which stimulates the release of glucose into the blood to bring blood sugar levels back up. Overindulging in sweets and processed foods may upset this blood sugar balancing act. Americans consume about 120 pounds of sugar per person annually, a voluminous avalanche compared to preindustrial times when we only took in about seven pounds a year. When you eat your way through this much sugar, Dr. St. Amand claims, your body's "...excess amounts of carbohydrates (generate) an overproduction of insulin. As your blood sugar drops, your brain tunes out. Because a massive amount of carbohydrates drives your insulin and glucagon down, the fats (stored as carbohydrates) in your body can't be released (for energy) and you crave more carbohydrates." As you continue to consume large amounts of carbohydrates, the pancreas secretes greater amounts of insulin to properly transport the excesses of circulating blood sugar. Eventually, every time you eat sugar, your pancreas may release excessive insulin, which drives and keeps your blood sugar low enough to make you feel like lying down in a corner and telling the world to go away. And there's more bad physiological news: Your adrenal glands respond to this stress by producing adrenaline and dumping it into the bloodstream in overabundance, causing anxiety, trembling and panic attacks: frequent signs of a hypoglycemic reaction. Adrenaline is supposed to stimulate the liver to release glycogen (stored sugar) to get your blood sugar back to a functioning level. But once again, as your sugar cycle degenerates, the pancreas increasingly produces more insulin to drive down your blood sugar level. Your blood sugar may drop and stay down.

Numbers Game
Many conventional doctors dismiss hypoglycemia as an illusion. But Dr. St. Amand states that doctors are "hung up on numbers." The glucose tolerance test, typically used to diagnose hypoglycemia, is based on numbers and the numbers often don't add up. Signs of hypoglycemia typically show up to two to three hours after a meal or snack containing lots of processed foods, when there is a rapid release of sugar into the small intestine, followed by rapid glucose absorption into the bloodstream and the consequent production of a large amount of insulin. These reactions occur so rapidly and unpredictably that catching them in a glucose tolerance test is often impossible. (Of course, see your health practitioner if you suffer persistent health problems that may be caused by a serious underlying condition or disease.)

Diary of a Maddening Condition
Keeping a food diary can help you discover what foods set off your hypoglycemia. Be honest, and record everything: your food, drinks, even breath mints! Note the time you eat, the time you sleep, the exercise you do, and your moods to see what triggers low blood sugar. Once you identify your triggers, remove them. When recommending ways to dodge hypoglycemia, Dr. St. Amand says, "It is not what you add but what you remove" that's most important. Items that often cause problems include:

  • * Sugar (obviously) of all kinds: table sugar, corn syrup, honey, sucrose, glucose, dextrose or maltose.
  • * Starches such as potatoes, rice, pasta and processed white breads.
  • * Fruit juices.
  • * Caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate and soft drinks), which intensifies the action of insulin. The National Hypoglycemia Association says that foods which many hypoglycemia sufferers find to be helpful are those high in soluble dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates: whole grains, legumes and vegetables, which may be absorbed more gradually than processed items. Slower carbohydrate absorption may help prevent the major swings in blood sugar levels that foments hypoglycemia. Eating smaller meals and snacking often may ease blood sugar fluctuations. Incorporate fats into your snacks to decrease the flow of carbohydrates into your bloodstream and decrease carbohydrate cravings. Whole-wheat crackers with natural peanut butter, vegetables dipped in organic olive oil, packaged nuts and seeds, rice cakes, and soy cheese may slow sugar absorption. Your food diary should also record your activity level, the amount of water you drink, and indicate the times you feel stressed. While your diary may show that the stresses and lifestyle items that most frequently trigger your hypoglycemia are different than those that cause problems in others, you will probably discover that exercise significantly helps to dispel low blood sugar discomforts. Exercise tones your muscles, improves circulation and aids in digestion. It increases circulation and helps your muscles metabolize sugars more effectively.

    Review Time
    Ask your relatives to find others in your family who suffer diabetes, hyperinsulism or hypoglycemia. Roberta Ruggiero, president of the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation, Inc., and author of the book The Dos and Don'ts of Low Blood Sugar (Lifetime), notes that genetics plays a large role in reactive hypoglycemia. "In a survey of confirmed hypoglycemics," she states, "it was found that approximately 64 percent of them had one or more family members who had been diagnosed with diabetes." If you know someone in your family suffers this kind of problem, you can find it helpful to see what works for them to relieve the discomforts of low blood sugar. And you can share with them what works for you. Together, you can slip the shackles of hypoglycemia and sweeten your days.

    --
    VitaNet ®
    VitaNet ® Staff

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