The Importance of Healthy Sugar Metabolism
Achieving proper blood sugar metabolism is essential for good health. Prolonged inefficient blood sugar metabolism, can adversely affect the health of your nerves, eyes, kidneys, proper weight, body shape, energy levels, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, cardiovascular health, and more. Metabolic Syndrome is a term used to denote your body’s difficulty in using carbohydrates effectively.
Over 60 million people in this country have “insulin resistance”; a form of unhealthy blood sugar metabolism. This condition usually goes unrecognized until its damage is very noticeable. Insulin resistance develops over years of consuming refined carbohydrates in all its forms: sugary sweets, pasta, white rice, white flour, chips, crackers, as well as fruit juice and fruit juice sweetened foods, like yogurt.
People with this disorder struggle with excessive fat, particularly around the abdominal area, high LDL Cholesterol, and low HDL Cholesterol, as well as a constant craving for carbohydrates. Insulin resistance, according to the AMA, increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 Diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Obesity, lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet are the major contributors to developing poor blood sugar metabolism. When you consume excess sweets and refined or processed foods, the simple sugars found in these foods raise blood very quickly, causing a dramatic rise in blood sugar.
With a high concentration of sugar in the blood, your pancreas responds by producing the amount of insulin required to handle the amount of sugar in the blood stream. Living with unhealthy sugar metabolism over-produces insulin as a response to the ingestion of foods that are classified as having a high glycemic index. It is essential to avoid these high glycemic index foods. Over time this excess insulin begins to cause the health problems listed above. Eventually this excess insulin becomes less and less effective in lowering blood sugar. This eventually leads to type2 Diabetes.
Some of the symptoms of insulin resistance are; craving sweets or starch, always feeling hungry, fatigue, weight gain (especially around your waist), increased blood pressure, sleep problems, and elevated cholesterol, along with high LDL and low HDL.
The good news is that type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance are treatable. even reversible. Metabolic syndrome can be treated successfully treated with the proper use of diet, exercise, and proper supplements.
Studies show that eating low-glycemic carbohydrates, along with adequate amounts of protein, and fats, can help in reducing the glycemic load on the pancreas. This will eventually allow the pancreas to (over time) produce insulin that is more effective. Low glycemic carbohydrates are foods that raise blood sugar slowly, thus avoiding the rollercoaster ride of peaking blood sugar and rapid dropping blood sugar. Removing all refined carbohydrates like fruit juice, white flour products, white potato, beer, wine, and avoiding foods made with fructose or corn syrup, is essential in reversing this problem.
In addition to dietary changes, nutritional supplements can be very effective in reversing insulin resistance. Nutrients like chromium, magnesium, vitamin E, b-vitamins, alpha lipoic acid, fish oil, and cinnamon, just to name of few along with a diet that is plentiful in low glycemic foods, adequate amounts of fats of all types, and protein is a proper solution to good health.
For any questions please call Dr Steven Felder at 914-939-3621
Posted by Dr. Steven Felder
