Blood Sugar
by Nelson – Dr. Christopher’s Herb Shop
The most common and noticeable symptom when health declines is fatigue.
Right now adrenal fatigue, particularly thyroid health, is getting a lot of press. I get many people with diagnosed hypothyroidism. And it is true that adrenal fatigue is very prevalent in industrialized society.
Yes, stress and overwork will aggravate this condition, and that it is often the hardest working people who are labeled with this condition.
But when someone wants help with a thyroid problem, the thyroid isn't necessarily always the best place to start. The thyroid is a part of the adrenal system, and is very 'high up' there, founded on several other adrenal glands. From one point of view, if anything that the thyroid is built on goes out of order, it is then the thyroid's job to pick up the slack. If this is the case, you can supplement for the thyroid, and you will feel better, but you will become dependent on supplementation.
Until the other systems of the body are able to do their job independently, you will be running on emergency fuel for typical tasks.
Your thyroid supplies adrenaline. This emergency fuel was not intended to be the primary source of energy. The pancreas will usually use its reserve enzymes before the thyroid is called on, and it is actually the liver that stores the body’s main fuel, glucose. The kidneys then form the foundation of the adrenal system.
Often, it doesn't take much digging to find out someone has a blood sugar imbalance (hypoglycemia, diabetes, etc.) along with their thyroid problem. What this means is that such a person can achieve much better relief the symptoms working closer to the cause, not even working directly on the thyroid.
When the pancreas doesn't work, you can run into similar symptoms. Fatigue, inability to digest food, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, suicidal tendencies and even insanity can be experienced in blood sugar problems. Usually, when a person feels this fatigue, they take a stimulant like coffee, or eat something sugary or high in carbs (probably because they are a very active person with little time) giving them a boost to get them by for a few hours, only to crash later. Eventually this person can feel tired 100% of the time, as this only aggravates the problem.
The liver also has a heck of a lot to do. It is responsible for managing all toxins in the body, breaking down hormones and storing fuel. If it has to work cleaning up more because of a junk diet, it will not be able to focus on storing energy, so refined foods need to be avoided. If there is a problem, eat fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds until you can get things under wraps.
The first key here is to look at the diet. If the pancreas is out, concentrated sweets, including fruit juice and agave need to go. They will wear you out, to the point where you feel tired eating them, yet crave them for energy. Complex proteins, such as dairy or meat foods, are much more difficult to break down than plant amino acids, and wear more on the adrenals.
Focus on using low glycemic foods. Sprouted grains will provide fuel longer than simple sugars, and won't spike the blood sugar. These still need to be taken moderately with prudence. Vegetables are always great (not large amounts of potatoes or starch veggies).
Avocados are an excellent calorie source, will help you feel full and are almost a specific for blood sugar complaints. Sugar snap peas or green beans are almost perfect foods for helping the pancreas heal, if eaten daily and not overcooked or canned. Dandelion greens not only cleanse the liver, but contain a natural source of the valuable inulin. These three foods are potent healers, and it isn't uncommon to get a large energy boost merely by adding these to the daily diet. In fact, string beans alone have been the key for many type II diabetics for full recovery (5 small meals a day with 1 cup of string bean juice at each meal).
If the problem is caught early enough, diet may be the only needed therapy. If it is more severe, herbs can provide an immediate restoration of energy, and over time, support the body in toning up the adrenals to proper health. Next week we will discuss the effective use of herbs for this purpose.
Find Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Formulas, single herbs, essential oils, books and more at Dr. Christopher’s Original Herb Shop: www.drchristophersherbshop.com.
NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe.
