Take Control of Sugar Cravings
The answer to which is worse: having low blood sugar or having high blood sugar is that they’re both equally bad. Worse still are the fluctuations in blood sugar, called glucose, from high to low throughout the day that become increasingly unmanageable on a day-to-day basis and over time. Fluctuating glucose supply throughout the day is destabilizing to brain health and increases the likelihood of addictive and other mood-altering behaviors.
With low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), it’s like having a car with an empty gas tank—both the brain and body are trying to function normally, but there just isn’t enough fuel to do that. This leads to irritability, anxiety and panic. On the other hand, with high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), so much glucose is released into the bloodstream at once that the body can’t manage it. This leads to a condition called insulin resistance, causing fatigue after meals, weight gain and brain fog.
We talk about blood sugar a lot because of how much it negatively impacts health. When a patient’s brain isn’t getting the fuel it needs, it’s going to send out a “stress alarm” that causes a hormone release of cortisol. This creates collateral effects that include altering the gut environment, causing leaky gut and food sensitivities; it can also cause changes to brain chemistry that affect things like mood, memory and focus. Both of these negative cycles can happen repeatedly throughout the day and to the same patient, fueling the brain’s craving for more sugar.
Most people are addicted to sugar to some degree, whether they know it or not. It’s easy to become “sugar” addicted because of the brain’s neurochemistry that causes us to seek more unrefined sugars and processed, simple carbs. The initial “postprandial”, feeling after eating is one of initial improvement in energy and mood. It is no surprise that within an hour this improvement will be overtaken by the well-known “sugar crash” that causes us to feel tired and depleted.
A patient does not have to be overweight or have diabetes to have a problem with blood sugar or be sugar addicted. The signs and symptoms are evident with even a handful of questions and some simple monitoring for things like constant cravings, the desire for sweets throughout the day, a history of chronic urinary tract infection, brain fog and fatigue, and mood and behavior changes.
To view a free, three-Minute Blood Sugar Quiz, visit DrPucciBloodSugarQuiz. To learn about Dr. Doug Pucci’s Root Cause Solution to chronic health concerns, call 201-261-5430 or register at GetWell-Now.com/webinar.
