Most people think of type 2 diabetes when they hear about blood sugar problems, but the truth is that imbalanced blood sugar affects countless people that aren’t in the “diabetes-zone”. In fact, many of my clients are unknowingly suffering from blood sugar spikes and dips all day long which result in symptoms such as:
1. Fatigue
2. Brain fog
3. Joint and muscle pain
4. Weight gain around the middle
5. Disrupted sleep
6. Low energy
7. Poor focus
8. Hormone/thyroid imbalance
9. Depression and Anxiety
10. Headaches
Why is this overlooked by conventional healthcare providers?
These symptoms are often brushed off by conventional practitioners as a result of “stress” or “normal aging”, but they are NOT normal; they are a sign that your body is not functioning properly. While people suffer daily symptoms of poor glucose metabolism, their labs may reveal “normal” fasting glucose levels and HbA1c (an average 3-month blood sugar marker). What conventional doctors are missing is the rollercoaster of blood sugar imbalance that is occurring throughout the day.
Why does blood sugar imbalance feel so awful?
When the body loses the ability to efficiently turn carbohydrates into fuel, glucose remains in the bloodstream leading to high blood sugar. This leaves the cells without energy and puts tissues at risk of damage. The body has become insulin resistant to some degree and is suffering through blood sugar highs and lows all day.
Anytime blood sugar moves out of a healthy range throughout the day, the body experiences stress and inflammation. Low blood sugar triggers a cortisol response and high blood sugar calls on insulin. Both of these hormones are helpful in normal conditions but lead to an impaired immune system and a dangerous inflammatory state when they are relied on too often or for too long.
When my clients report any of the symptoms above, we begin to monitor blood sugar. It’s not uncommon for them to be waking up with high or low blood sugar and then struggling to regulate throughout the day.
Poor glucose regulation begins YEARS before diabetes is diagnosed
More than a low-carb diet
The other surprising discovery is that, often, their blood sugar is spiking in response to low-carb foods that are instigating a stress response due to food sensitivity. I have seen clients regularly experience a spike in blood sugar from almond butter, chicken, eggs, and even green apples. This means that even a lower-carb and “healthy” diet may not result in balanced blood sugar.
While this blood sugar yoyo is frustrating and exhausting, it’s fairly simple to resolve with 3 weeks of monitoring and assessment. Once blood sugar balance is restored, most symptoms disappear, and health improves by leaps and bounds.