Is Sugar is the Root of Your Health Issues?
I think most people are aware of the negative effects sugar can have on the body.
We talk about the sugar rush kids get at a birthday party, or the sugar crash that inevitably occurs later that day causing epic meltdowns. We talk about how we’re addicted to dessert and that our sweet tooth is giving us cavities.
We know it’s not good for us. But do we really know why?
Blood sugar dysregulation affects literally every system in the body. Before we get into the details, let’s talk about what sugar is.
What is Sugar?
Sugars (saccharides) are simple carbohydrates including monosaccharides (one sugar molecule) and disaccharides (two sugar molecules). The monosaccharides are glucose, fructose and galactose. The disaccharides are sucrose, lactose, and maltose. Sugars are digested quickly and therefore raise blood sugar quickly. Table sugar is a disaccharide called sucrose, which is made of one glucose and one fructose molecule.
Glucose is the body’s preferred fuel source because it is quickly turned into ATP (energy for the cells). So glucose isn’t bad. We need it to live. And please know that I’m NOT anti carbs in any way. However, there are many ways that our body can create ATP, and I’d like to discuss some of the negative effects that sugar in particular can have on our health, and how to know if it might be affecting you.
Blood Sugar Regulation
In a healthy person, blood sugar is regulated by the pancreas, liver, and adrenal glands. Your body’s main goal is always to achieve homeostasis (stability; balance; equilibrium). So it doesn’t like when your blood sugar changes-up or down.
The pancreas releases insulin when blood sugar is high, and glucagon when blood sugar is low. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose get into the cells so they can produce ATP (energy). If there’s too much sugar for the cells, then it’ll be stored as glycogen in the muscle and liver. If those stores are full, then it’s stored as triglycerides or cholesterol. When blood sugar is low, glucagon is then released to promote the breakdown of stored glycogen.
The adrenals release cortisol and epinephrine when blood sugar is low in order to signal the breakdown of glycogen, fats, and proteins to make glucose available. These are the fight or flight hormones, which basically means your body thinks it’s in an emergency situation. It’s a necessary function of the body, but is detrimental when it happens over and over day after day.
Your body should be able to regulate blood sugar by producing insulin after eating and glucagon between meals. But the Standard American Diet makes it difficult for our bodies to do so efficiently. One statistic said that the average American eats 140 pounds of sugar a year!
What ends up happening is that our bodies go on a blood sugar roller coaster ride. We eat a carb heavy breakfast of cereal or waffles which sends our blood sugar through the roof! Then a couple hours later we crash, our adrenals fire and release cortisol or epinephrine, putting our body into a state of emergency. So we run to get the coffee and donut from the break room. And so the pattern continues. This puts a massive stress on the pancreas, adrenals, and liver, as well as every other system of the body.
Why does this matter? Well, this stress on the body leads to hypoglycemia, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and other serious health issues.
Do I Have Blood Sugar Issues?
So how can you tell if you are experiencing blood sugar dysregulation? Here’s a few signs to look for:
Craving sweets or caffeine
Getting “hangry”, jittery, or shaky between meals
Getting tired after meals
Light headedness
Memory issues
Blurred vision
Hormonal imbalance or infertility
Chronic stress
Trouble falling or staying asleep
Waking up at night feeling wired
Binging or uncontrolled eating
Getting sleepy in the afternoon
Headaches when meals are skipped
Frequent thirst and urination
Anxiety or depression
Slow metabolism or trouble losing weight
Thyroid issues
Soooo you could say there are a few problems related to blood sugar imbalance. You most certainly don’t need to experience all of these signs and symptoms in order to have blood sugar issues. If you have even just a few, this might be something for you to look into.
What Can I Do About It?
I work on blood sugar regulation with every. single. client. And luckily, it’s pretty simple (as in uncomplicated, not necessarily easy) to fix, so long as you haven’t done permanent damage to organs and whatnot.
Diet change
Diet change is extremely difficult for most people. Which is why I do what I do. Shifting from a high carbohydrate or high refined sugar diet to a higher fat, whole foods based diet will make all the difference in the world. Fat is digested slowly, and therefore slows the absorption of carbs (meaning your blood sugar won’t skyrocket as it would without the fat). So I always recommend pairing a fat with whatever carb you’re eating. I work with clients to create meals that are balanced with the appropriate amount of macros (for that particular person; everyone is different) so that their bodies can learn to burn both carbs AND fat for fuel.
Sleep more
If you are in a sleep deficit (one study says anything less than 7 hours) you will be insulin resistant. So not sleeping will actually affect your blood sugar no matter WHAT you eat. You can eat the “healthiest” diet in the world, and still have blood sugar problems if you don’t sleep well.
Reduce stress
Remember how the adrenals release cortisol in order to raise blood sugar? Well guess what… when you’re under stress, your body releases cortisol. So even if your blood sugar isn’t low, cortisol is still going to do it’s job and elevate it.
Move more
Okay, so maybe not EVERYONE needs to move more. I’m not saying you need to work out for an extra hour a day. But for the sedentary individual, moving more will help improve insulin resistance. Long periods of inactivity induce insulin resistance. So even if you’re active, but have a desk job where you don’t move for several hours, this can also apply to you. Stand up, take a walk, or stretch every so often to try and prevent this from happening.
Like I said, simple doesn’t mean easy. Changes aren’t going to happen overnight, but I have seen so many people reap the benefits of this process. It usually takes a few weeks to see some improvement, and after about 2-3 months, they feel like a new person. So trust me when I say,
it’s worth being uncomfortable for a few months in order to feel good for a few decades.
Questions about how to get started? Shoot me an email at lexie@wellfromwithin.co no strings attached.
Have you begun to see a theme with my educational blogs? Sleep, stress, diet, and movement are KIND OF A BIG DEAL. If you want to read more articles like this one, try these.
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