Managing blood sugar levels in the body is crucial for the prevention of life threatening diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Let me discuss how this can happen and what you can do about it.
First let me explain the role of carbohydrates with regard to blood sugar levels.
Carbohydrates, found predominantly in plants, are broken down by the body to produce energy. They are broken down into their simplest form called glucose which is also known as blood sugar. The brain requires a constant steady feed of glucose to help you think and your muscles also require glucose to provide a source of ATP (energy) so that they can help the body move.
What is important to know is that there are different categories of carbohydrates that are distinguished by their number of sugar units. Simple carbs are those that are made up of either single or two sugar units. Therefore, glucose which is a mono (single) saccharide can be easily absorbed by the body and used quickly in the time of emergency such as running from a potential source of danger (think saber tooth tiger). The second classification of carbs is known as complex carbohydrates. These are still sugars that are made up of many monosaccharides. An example would be a starch such as rice or potatoes. They take time to be broken down into glucose and released into the blood stream.
So why is this important? Let’s think about our current eating habits. We now hopefully get the idea that we are eating far too many sugary foods and not taking enough exercise. We also know that obesity and diabetes are epidemic. Unfortunately, in the 1980’s we were led to believe that fat was contributing to obesity and heart disease so we cut out fat and went onto low fat diets (which usually meant replacing the fats and proteins with high amounts of carbohydrates). We ate carbohydrates with uninhibited enthusiasm and even though we knew we were meant to be exercising, often our office jobs meant we just didn’t move enough. The problem with excess carbohydrates is that our body feels overwhelmed and cannot cope with the high amount of sugar in the blood stream especially if you are also sedentary. You see glucose, whilst important for the brain can also be toxic at high levels. Therefore to protect our tissues from damage we have an operating system that manages our blood sugar levels twenty four hours a day. When we consume carbohydrates, the brain sends a signal to the pancreas to release the hormone insulin. Insulin is responsible for letting the glucose enter into cells so that it can continue its journey (through the Krebs cycle) to make ATP (energy). Cells are covered with insulin receptors that act as doors; the more insulin receptors you have, the more glucose can be converted to energy (think feeling energized); the less insulin receptors you have, the less energy you have (think fatigue). Therefore, when we consume high amounts of sugary foods the body, which is designed to protect the brain from toxic high levels of glucose, will over time reduce the amount of insulin receptors on a cell. Unfortunately, the excess sugar still needs to be stored somewhere (if it is not being converted into energy) and so insulin is also responsible for converting the glucose into glycogen or adipose tissue (think fat). So in summary, the more sugar you consume and do not burn it off through exercise, the more it will stay in your body and get converted to triglycerides (fat!).
Consequently, a diet that has been full of refined sugars, processed foods (often laden with sugar) and grains such as pasta, rice and potatoes has the ability to place so much stress on the body that it eventually becomes insulin resistant. The cells become so filled with sugar that they can’t accept any more sugar (for the fear of damage to the organs and tissues) and therefore reduce the amount of insulin receptors. As the body still senses high blood sugar levels, the pancreas continues to release insulin so now you have high glucose and high insulin levels which is very oxidative (toxic).
Symptoms of Insulin Resistance
Symptoms can include feeling tired and irritable (despite eating carbs which provide you with energy). You may experience brain fog, short attention span or tired muscles; in addition to anxiety that causes you to crave more sugar. Remember, the last thing your body needs is more sugar which is toxic. Unfortunately, many people who don’t understand what is going on will reach for the coffee and donut just to give them that burst of needed energy. Another very common sign of insulin resistance is obesity and specifically the apple shape whereby the circumference of the stomach is bigger than the circumference of the hips. A man’s waist circumference should be no greater than his hip circumference. A woman should have a ratio no greater than .8 meaning her hips should be slightly wider than her waist.
Syndrome X
Unfortunately, unmonitored insulin resistance can eventually lead to type 2 Diabetes. Furthermore, there is a risk of developing Syndrome X, also known as metabolic syndrome. This is characterized by elevated glucose levels, high blood pressure, obesity and high blood lipid levels. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 47 million adults in the US have metabolic syndrome and are at risk for type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease (McGuire & Beerman, 167).
Remember that insulin resistance causes high levels of blood glucose and high levels of insulin, known as hyperinsulinemia. This causes a number of other malfunctions that lead to metabolic syndrome. First of all hyperinsulinemia can cause the kidneys to return sodium to the blood instead of excreting it leading to high blood pressure. Next we know that excess energy is converted to fat: more specifically glucose travels to the liver and is converted to triglycerides which then enter back into the blood stream in the form of low density lipoproteins (LDL). Thus we have high levels of fat floating in the blood stream. Consequently you may see in a blood test with high levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and low levels of HDL (good cholesterol). Please note this link between eating refined sugar and heart disease when all we have been told is that we need to cut out fatty foods and take statin drugs to reduce our cholesterol!
So what can we do to prevent insulin resistance?
An ideal fasting glucose should be 80 to 100 milligrams to deciliter which you can get measured in a routine blood test. Our aim is to manage and monitor our intake of carbohydrates. Obviously our number one aim is to reduce or eliminate the amount of refined sugar (start reading labels to get an idea of the sugar content). Therefore, we can choose more complex carbohydrates such as grains and legumes as they take a longer time to be converted into blood sugar and also contain a lot of fiber which also slows down the process. Be careful though as white grains such as white rice, white flour, and white potatoes can be considered to be high in sugar and most of its goodness has been taken away in the refining process (not potatoes as they have not been through a refinery). It’s best to choose brown bread, rice and sweet potatoes as alternatives, low glycemic index and high in fiber.
The types of fat you eat will also make a difference. By staying away from bad fats such as trans-fats and rancid fats found in cheap refined vegetable oils that will interfere with the body’s ability to use glucose. Furthermore, essential fatty acids such as avocados, nuts and seeds tend to slow down glucose release and improves insulin sensitivity (Bartholomy, Audio notes MSHN 211).
A good starting point is to reduce your carbohydrate intake to 40-60% and your fats and proteins to 25-30%. The higher amount of fats and proteins in your diet will also slow down the insulin release.
Obviously, the more exercise you participate in the more sugar can be used up which alleviates the stress on the pancreas. You will obviously lose more weight too and better still strength training will develop your muscle tone which will burn more calories and energy throughout the day.
In summary, the point of this article is to highlight that not all fats are bad and the only contributing factor to developing heart disease and diabetes. Eating a standard American diet (SAD) that includes refined sugars, processed meals, fast food with poor quality fats and lack of exercise are the lifestyle choices that can lead to syndrome X. Proper carbohydrate intake can be managed by staying away from refined sugar and instead learning about GL (glycemic loading) that teaches you the sugar content of each food. In addition, choosing whole foods that have a high amount of fiber can also help as soluble fiber can lower glucose and cholesterol in the blood. Lastly, despite fruits being a simple sugar they contain an abundance of micronutrients, phytochemicals and dietary fiber that far outweighs the detrimental effects of refined sugar such as a candy bar. If you are insulin resistant then a great place to start would be to minimize your fruit intake to two pieces per day and always have a fat and a protein with each piece. A great mid morning snack would be an apple and a handful of walnuts.
If you feel you are at risk of having Insulin Resistance and have Diabetes or Heart disease in your family, please contact me today for your low glycemic eating plan that teaches you about managing your sugar levels.
