Managing Energy Levels and Weight by Stabilising Your Blood Sugar
Levels
By Liz Barrington, Natural Body Healing
Keeping correct blood sugar levels constant is probably the most
important factor in maintaining even energy levels and weight. The
level of glucose in your blood largely determines your appetite. So when your blood sugar levels drop, you feel hungry.
When blood
sugar levels are too low, you experience fatigue, poor
concentration, irritability, nervousness, depression, sweating,
headaches, cravings and digestive problems. When blood sugar
levels are very low, your 'pancreas' produces a hormone
called 'glucagon'. Glucagon helps to balance blood sugar
levels by stimulating the body to break down its fat stores and
burn them for energy. Whenever you consume carbohydrates,
a limited amount of glucose is stored as glycogen in the liver
and also in muscle tissue so it can be readily converted back
into glucose for energy.
Unfortunately eating sugar, sweets and refined carbohydrates dramatically
increases blood sugar levels. So much so,
that high blood glucose levels actually stimulate the
pancreas to also release 'insulin' which turns excess glucose into
body fat, for 'long-term storage'. Glucagon helps to get
the body back into balance because it counters the effect of insulin by stabilising blood
sugar levels and reducing appetite, sugar and carbohydrate
cravings.
However, primarily due to our overly refined diets in the UK, diabetes is now becoming a serious problem
across all age groups. This condition is an extreme form
of blood sugar imbalance, and it arises when the pancreas
malfunctions often because of long-term exhaustion and constant
over-consumption of refined sugars. As a result, the
pancreas is no longer
able to produce sufficient insulin.
A secondary dietary factor can also worsen the condition - the
consumption of saturated and hydrogenated fats hardens cell
membranes, making them unable to respond to insulin, so they
become 'insulin resistant'. Consequently, there is too much glucose in the
blood and not enough in the cells, a situation which has to be
rectified by regular insulin injections.
In the early stages, a typical symptom of diabetes includes a
constant thirst as the body tries to dilute the excess blood
sugar levels. Diabetes is a serious health condition.
It can
also lead to complications such as kidney damage, poor circulation, gangrene
and limb amputation, coma
and even premature death. Therefore, it's best avoided at
all costs.
Simple dietary and lifestyle changes can help avert the onset of
diabetes in the first place. To avoid rapid sugar rushes that put
pressure on the pancreas, you should ensure you eat regular
meals which include 'complex carbohydrates' that slowly release
sugar into the bloodstream throughout the day.
Examples of 'complex' carbohydrates include:
Cherries, grapefruit, dried apricots, plums, pears, apples, oranges,
barley, wholemeal spaghetti, wholegrain rye and wheat bread, soya
beans, lentils, kidney beans, haricot beans, butter beans, chick
peas, milk, yogurt, peanuts, apple juice, oats.
'Simple carbohydrates' should be avoided in large quantities, as
these provide a fast release of sugar into the blood, forcing
the pancreas to overexert itself and to release greater
levels of insulin. Examples of 'simple' carbohydrates include:
Glucose, maltose, honey, watermelon, french baguette, rice cakes,
biscuits, most cereals, parsnips, chocolate, confectionery, potatoes,
white bread, white pasta, french
fries, fizzy drinks: cola, lemonade etc.
Protein, one of our most important nutrients,
plays a key role in helping us to maintain blood sugar levels.
Whenever we consume protein before eating carbohydrates, the
pancreas is stimulated to produce glucagon and therefore our body
will produce energy from our own fat stores which will in turn
encourage weight-loss. Blood sugar levels are also
stabilised and energy is release slowly throughout the day.
Synerprotein is a great natural protein supplement made from
the finest natural non-GM soya that helps balance glucagon and insulin production,
encourage weight loss and maintain energy levels. Developed specifically for NASA astronauts and Olympic athletes, Synerprotein
also helps improve concentration and memory, strengthen hair,
skin and nails and also repair and build lean body tissue.
Taken as a shake drink, it's ideal for children and adults first
thing in the morning, and it's extremely beneficial for
diabetics too. Try it, you'll certainly notice the
difference!
Finally, it's
worth noting that when your blood sugar level crashes, you
release adrenal hormones which further raise blood sugar levels.
Stimulants such as alcohol, tea, coffee and cigarettes and drugs
have a similar effect on the adrenal glands and so in the
long-term, these exacerbate the problem by encouraging insulin resistance and weight gain.
Therefore to lose weight and maintain your energy levels, these
stimulants should be reduced or better still avoided completely if
at all possible.
By making simple dietary changes, you can help keep
your energy levels constant throughout the day; you also avoid the need
to snack on sweet foods, which will help you manage your weight.
Importantly, you also reduce the onset of diabetes.
The nutritional supplement product links stated in this article can only be purchased from this website in UK and in Europe; however all other health product links stated on this page are available worldwide from Natural Body Healing.
The above information should not be treated as a substitute for the
medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care
professional.
|