BLOOD SUGAR
Most of the following information is from the 2nd edition of the Applied Kinesiology Synopsis authored by Dr David S. Walther, DC.
Problems with blood sugar can be the cause of emotional disturbances. The balance within the endocrine (hormone) system causes some people to be more susceptible than others to blood-sugar-handling stress as a result of dietary indiscretions. We inherit our glandular systems' strengths and weaknesses, just as we inherit our facial and body characteristics. Our hormone balance influences the physical type a person will be. In a similar manner, our hormone balance that we inherit influences how efficiently stress will be handled. A particular stress may be nothing to one person but detrimental to another.
There are specific mental characteristics that fit the diabetic, and characteristics that fit the hypoglycemic (low blood sugar). The diabetic is a happy-go-lucky person who usually has difficulty maintaining a diet because of an attitude that seems to indicate, "This really isn't important to me." On the other hand, the hypoadrenic-hypoglycemic often has asthma and/or other allergies. Hypoglycemia usually relates with adrenal insufficiency, causing a failure of mobilization of glycogen and gluconeogenesis. In adrenal insufficiency there is a lack of the pro- and anti-inflammatory hormones, leading to allergies.
The hypoglycemic tends to be depressed. After being established on a proper diet he usually follows it very closely, sometimes to the extreme of weighing foods and counting specific calories to be certain the diet is followed accurately.
If an individual diagnosed as diabetic does not follow the typical pattern but is consistently depressed, critical, and moody, one should think of dysinsulinism, a condition in which hyperglycemia (elevated blood sugar) is present during one portion of the day and hypoglycemia during another part of the same day. The most reliable means of determining a blood sugar problem (diabetes, hyperglycemia, hypo- glycemia or dysinsulinism) is with a six-hour glucose tolerance blood test. Also the most effective means of controlling blood sugar is not with prescription drugs, but with natural nutritional support and a good, balanced diet.
Emotional problems due to blood sugar handling stress are sometimes caused by dietary habits the patient places on himself, such as fad diets. An individual with a tendency toward hypoglycemia will suffer greatly from the low carbohydrate diet that periodically keeps coming back into style as a weight-reduction method. Although this discussion is centered on blood sugar handling stress and the emotions, one should consider the same principle in other dietary programs. Some are so fearful of gaining weight that they will eat nothing containing fat, if at all possible, thus creating a deficiency of the essential fatty acids which are just as important to our health as proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
A well balanced diet is very important in any blood sugar handling problem. The emotions and psyche of an individual are affected in many ways by hypoglycemia and adrenal insufficiency. The first and most obvious involvement is the inability of the nervous system especially the brain to function normally without adequate levels of blood sugar. Thinking becomes irrational and sluggish; simple problems become complex and difficult to solve. An individual may not be succeeding in his employment because of poor thinking ability. Constant stress causes increased adrenal fatigue which makes hypoglycemia even worse. It can be a deadly cycle. Constant pressure as a result of failure(s) will create mental problems of many varieties. Frustrations may be taken out on family members in particular and society in general.
When emotional problems develop as a result of physiologic disturbance, such as in blood sugar handling problems, treatment must be directed to the basic underlying cause. Treatment directed to the psyche alone, such as with a psychiatrist, often fails miserably because the "root" of the problem was not corrected.
Hypoglycemia is a condition of low blood sugar. Many medical doctors will tell you that hypoglycemia is very rare outside of diabetes, but it is very common and is aggravated by eating too many refined and sugary foods. Hypoglycemia can be a short term episode of low blood sugar because of missing a meal or having alcohol and carbohydrates on an empty stomach, but for many people it becomes a chronic roller coaster of symptoms. Listed on this page are many of the symptoms reported by hypoglycemia sufferers. Many of the initial symptoms are caused by the bodys attempt to slow the rapid fall of sugar in the blood by releasing adrenalin. Adrenalin is the same hormone released when you are afraidit signals an emergency condition. A sudden release of adrenalin results in the following symptoms, the same symptoms you probably experience when you have just avoided a car accident, for example.
trembling and shakiness; heart palpitations; sudden sweating; sweaty palms; overall clamminess;
inner trembling; nausea; cold hands and feet
These are among the most common symptoms that adrenalin is being released (and persistent production of adrenalin contributes to adrenal fatigue). Having these symptoms is not a guarantee that you have hypoglycemia. This is why many people who do have hypoglycemia have been told that they are having panic attacks. Aside from the clear symptoms of an adrenalin rush, you may also have some or all of these symptoms:
- hunger; a feeling of mental cloudiness; pallor around the mouth; dilated pupils; feeling faint; apprehension
If you have some or all of these symptoms 2-5 hours after eating, and you feel and work better after eating, it is very possible that you have hypoglycemia. Even when you are not having an attack, your hypoglycemia will have an effect on your overall well being, and many hypoglycemics report these chronic problems:
- constant fatigue or exhaustion; headaches or migraines; dizziness; blurred or double vision; ringing in the
- ears; faintness; insomnia and other sleep problems
- Diagnosis of hypoglycemia is further complicated by the myriad of mental and emotional symptoms.
- difficulty concentrating; mood changes and irritability; anxiety and nervousness; outbursts of temper
- disorientation; indecisiveness; mental confusion; forgetfulness
It is easy to see why hypoglycemia patients are often sent for psychiatric counseling instead of treating them with diet and nutrition. Since hypoglycemia is a disorder of the bodys ability to handle sugar, its not surprising that many hypoglycemics also notice symptoms around food and eating.
sudden or constant hunger; lack of appetite; craving for sugar; craving for salt; indigestion; alcohol intolerance
The cravings for sweets are common and sometimes overpowering, and many hypoglycemics struggle with weight problems as well. There are fairly strong links between hypoglycemia and alcohol related problems, and one study (Hypoglycemia Saunders/Ross, p. 129) suggests that alcoholism can result from unchecked hypoglycemia.
Severe hypoglycemiaseen most often in diabetics whose insulin production or intake is inappropriate for their diet or exerciseis an emergency medical condition and must be treated with immediate ingestion of sugar followed by a trip to the nearest emergency room. Symptoms could include:
convulsions/seizures; retrograde amnesia (retrograde means moving backwards to a worse state); unconsciousness; coma (This is referred to as diabetic coma in diabetics, but can happen in other severe cases of hypoglycemia as well); death
Chiropractic is more effective in treating hypoglycemia than prescription drugs because chiropractic gets to the underlying causes of hypoglycaemia. Vertebral subluxations can and does cause nerve interferences to the organs that control your blood sugar such as your adrenal glands, pancreas and liver. Nutritional deficiencies can and does affect your blood sugar levels also.