Showing posts with label stress/adrenal/cortisol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stress/adrenal/cortisol. Show all posts
The 2-Minute Thyroid: The Second Most Important Thing
What's Your Thyroid Story?
Many of the patients who have come to our clinic tell a similar story: Nobody believed that they had hypothyroidism. The patient did enough research to learn that their symptoms could be caused by hypothyroidism, but their doctor told them that their blood tests were normal.
As their condition worsened they eventually received a diagnosis of hypothyroidism and were prescribed medications that helped some. Still many hypothyroid symptoms persisted. So they started their journey within the alternative community. Here they were told that they needed a single nutrient like iodine, tyrosine, zinc or a glandular containing an animal source of thyroid gland.
After years of bouncing from one doctor to the next and taking one pill after another hoping that it was the silver bullet that would make a miraculous difference, the thyroid patient begins to lose hope.
Reality check
The vast majority of hypothyroidism sufferers find themselves in this situation—they’re often left without any significant improvement after years of treatment.
The truth is there is no silver bullet.
Your thyroid physiology is complicated and that’s why you probably haven’t gotten the results you’re looking for – no single thyroid pill or nutrient is capable of correcting the widespread dysfunction in the web of chemical reactions throughout the body.
Volumes of peer-reviewed research illustrate the complexities of thyroid physiology. For example, your thyroid function can be influenced by your blood sugar, cortisol (a stress hormone), testosterone, estrogen, the immune system and brain function. A problem in any one system is capable of affecting all other systems.
Ideally, you want to work with a doctor who understands these interactions that are capable of affecting thyroid metabolism. That is, you want someone to unfurl the web. As a patient, you will also need to be willing to follow through and make any necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle to improve your health. There may me no silver bullet but you can still hit the bulls-eye for good health.
As their condition worsened they eventually received a diagnosis of hypothyroidism and were prescribed medications that helped some. Still many hypothyroid symptoms persisted. So they started their journey within the alternative community. Here they were told that they needed a single nutrient like iodine, tyrosine, zinc or a glandular containing an animal source of thyroid gland.
After years of bouncing from one doctor to the next and taking one pill after another hoping that it was the silver bullet that would make a miraculous difference, the thyroid patient begins to lose hope.
Reality check
The vast majority of hypothyroidism sufferers find themselves in this situation—they’re often left without any significant improvement after years of treatment.
The truth is there is no silver bullet.
Your thyroid physiology is complicated and that’s why you probably haven’t gotten the results you’re looking for – no single thyroid pill or nutrient is capable of correcting the widespread dysfunction in the web of chemical reactions throughout the body.
Volumes of peer-reviewed research illustrate the complexities of thyroid physiology. For example, your thyroid function can be influenced by your blood sugar, cortisol (a stress hormone), testosterone, estrogen, the immune system and brain function. A problem in any one system is capable of affecting all other systems.
Ideally, you want to work with a doctor who understands these interactions that are capable of affecting thyroid metabolism. That is, you want someone to unfurl the web. As a patient, you will also need to be willing to follow through and make any necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle to improve your health. There may me no silver bullet but you can still hit the bulls-eye for good health.
Functional Medicine Is Individualized Medicine
When I first consult with a patient who has a chronic illness like hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy or fibromyalgia, I communicate the differences in disease classification between allopathic (traditional) and functional medicine.
Allopathic physicians use set criteria to diagnose their patients. Patients are treated using roughly the same approach that, for the most part, involves pharmacological intervention. This model is sometimes critiqued as “one size fits all”.
In contrast, functional medicine practitioners evaluate and treat each patient individually. Even if two people have the same diagnosis, differences between patients are appreciated. In many ways the doctor practicing functional medicine has the more difficult task—to treat the individual, not the condition.
Unfurling The Web Of Disease
In treating patients at the individual level, functional medicine docs take a holistic approach. They evaluate a complex web of chemical interactions in the body in determining a diagnosis and the best course of treatment.
Take, for example, a diagnosis of Hashimoto's disease.
Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid. Allopaths typically prescribe thyroid hormone—in reality, Hashimoto's is not primarily a thyroid problem. Because the immune, endocrine (aka hormone-producing), nervous, circulatory and digestive systems are all part of an interactive web, abnormalities in any one system can affect another.
A patient with Hashimoto’s may be suffering from multiple conditions that are exacerbating symptoms. For example, the patient may also have insulin resistance. Through an understanding of the interactions between bodily systems, a functional medicine practitioner can recognize that excess insulin causes abnormal levels of the hormone cortisol. Excess cortisol can in turn interfere with thyroid metabolism in several ways. It can also reinforce insulin resistance, which can create a positive feedback loop that worsens the initial condition.
With the roots of Hashimoto’s exposed, a functional medicine doc will then look into the source of insulin resistance. The differential diagnosis for insulin resistance includes poor diet, hypothyroidism, food sensitivities, gastrointestinal problems and autoimmune disease. Each of these conditions has multiple components and a functional medicine doctor tackles them one by one. As metabolic dysfunctions are revealed, the doctor can see a pattern particular in the Hashimoto's patient.
This in-depth analysis allows for a tailored treatment regimen—a far cry from a one-size-fits-all label.
Patients who are aware of the fundamental difference between allopathic and functional medicine therapeutic paradigms will understand that motivation to cooperate in functional medicine treatment programs can lead to real improvements.
Allopathic physicians use set criteria to diagnose their patients. Patients are treated using roughly the same approach that, for the most part, involves pharmacological intervention. This model is sometimes critiqued as “one size fits all”.
In contrast, functional medicine practitioners evaluate and treat each patient individually. Even if two people have the same diagnosis, differences between patients are appreciated. In many ways the doctor practicing functional medicine has the more difficult task—to treat the individual, not the condition.
Unfurling The Web Of Disease
In treating patients at the individual level, functional medicine docs take a holistic approach. They evaluate a complex web of chemical interactions in the body in determining a diagnosis and the best course of treatment.
Take, for example, a diagnosis of Hashimoto's disease.
Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid. Allopaths typically prescribe thyroid hormone—in reality, Hashimoto's is not primarily a thyroid problem. Because the immune, endocrine (aka hormone-producing), nervous, circulatory and digestive systems are all part of an interactive web, abnormalities in any one system can affect another.
A patient with Hashimoto’s may be suffering from multiple conditions that are exacerbating symptoms. For example, the patient may also have insulin resistance. Through an understanding of the interactions between bodily systems, a functional medicine practitioner can recognize that excess insulin causes abnormal levels of the hormone cortisol. Excess cortisol can in turn interfere with thyroid metabolism in several ways. It can also reinforce insulin resistance, which can create a positive feedback loop that worsens the initial condition.
With the roots of Hashimoto’s exposed, a functional medicine doc will then look into the source of insulin resistance. The differential diagnosis for insulin resistance includes poor diet, hypothyroidism, food sensitivities, gastrointestinal problems and autoimmune disease. Each of these conditions has multiple components and a functional medicine doctor tackles them one by one. As metabolic dysfunctions are revealed, the doctor can see a pattern particular in the Hashimoto's patient.
This in-depth analysis allows for a tailored treatment regimen—a far cry from a one-size-fits-all label.
Patients who are aware of the fundamental difference between allopathic and functional medicine therapeutic paradigms will understand that motivation to cooperate in functional medicine treatment programs can lead to real improvements.
Testing For Cortisol, The Stress Hormone
It’s rare that I meet a patient who is not stressed out. Usually, this person is retired or comfortably unemployed and has the means and time to really take care of themselves. A few of our Zerona laser patients fit into this category. The other 98% of our patient base is to one degree or another “Stressed Out.”
Here are some symptoms of Stress Disorder:
- Fatigue (most common symptom)
- Headaches with physical or mental stress
- Weak immune system
- Dizziness from sitting/lying down to standing
- Frequent cravings of sugar or salt
- Allergies
- Gastric ulcer
- Slow starter in morning
- Crave Sweet, cigarettes, caffeine
- Blurred vision, unstable behavior
- Shaky or lightheaded if meals are missed
- Back pain
- Cannot FALL asleep
- Cannot STAY asleep
At Better Body Solutions we run labs to determine circadian cortisol profiles. This test shows the amount and the fluctuations of cortisol throughout the day. Normally, cortisol should be lowest at night, gradually rise during sleeping, reach its peak upon awaking and gradually diminishing over the course of the day. Cortisol panels can show frank excess or deficiency of this stress hormone or reveal an abnormal rhythm where cortisol levels are lower or higher than they should be at a certain point in the day. These abnormal fluctuation can produce symptoms. For example, if you have trouble going to sleep you might have too much cortisol, if you can’t stay asleep you may have too little – we will help you even out your levels based on these panels.
Better Body Solutions Stress Buster Health Tips
1. If you’re stressed out, fatigued, or relying upon caffeine to get through the day, you may have a cortisol problem.
2. Learn to go to bed earlier, and avoid stimulants like caffeine and sugar.
3. Make a ritual of aerobic exercise and relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga.
4. Consider taking adaptogenic herbs which can help modulate your circadian release of cortisol.
5. Look into taking supplements with Phosphatidyl serine, a nutritional compound that can help reduce the amount of cortisol in your body.
6. Ask your doctor to run an Adrenal Stress Index (ASI) to reveal the toll stress is placing on your body.
7. After you make the dietary and lifestyle changes above have your doc run a second ASI in about 4-6 weeks to measure improvement.
Here are some symptoms of Stress Disorder:
- Fatigue (most common symptom)
- Headaches with physical or mental stress
- Weak immune system
- Dizziness from sitting/lying down to standing
- Frequent cravings of sugar or salt
- Allergies
- Gastric ulcer
- Slow starter in morning
- Crave Sweet, cigarettes, caffeine
- Blurred vision, unstable behavior
- Shaky or lightheaded if meals are missed
- Back pain
- Cannot FALL asleep
- Cannot STAY asleep
At Better Body Solutions we run labs to determine circadian cortisol profiles. This test shows the amount and the fluctuations of cortisol throughout the day. Normally, cortisol should be lowest at night, gradually rise during sleeping, reach its peak upon awaking and gradually diminishing over the course of the day. Cortisol panels can show frank excess or deficiency of this stress hormone or reveal an abnormal rhythm where cortisol levels are lower or higher than they should be at a certain point in the day. These abnormal fluctuation can produce symptoms. For example, if you have trouble going to sleep you might have too much cortisol, if you can’t stay asleep you may have too little – we will help you even out your levels based on these panels.
Better Body Solutions Stress Buster Health Tips
1. If you’re stressed out, fatigued, or relying upon caffeine to get through the day, you may have a cortisol problem.
2. Learn to go to bed earlier, and avoid stimulants like caffeine and sugar.
3. Make a ritual of aerobic exercise and relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga.
4. Consider taking adaptogenic herbs which can help modulate your circadian release of cortisol.
5. Look into taking supplements with Phosphatidyl serine, a nutritional compound that can help reduce the amount of cortisol in your body.
6. Ask your doctor to run an Adrenal Stress Index (ASI) to reveal the toll stress is placing on your body.
7. After you make the dietary and lifestyle changes above have your doc run a second ASI in about 4-6 weeks to measure improvement.
How Heartburn & Reflux Can Be Caused By Too Little Stomach Acid
It seems counter intuitive to say that heartburn, reflux, bloating and burping can be caused by too little hydrochloric acid. Yet that’s precisely what happens. Hydrochloric acid is the acid that your stomach makes to digest proteins. Here’s a list of symptoms that can be caused by deficient hydrochloric acid production:
- Excessive belching, burping or bloating
- Gas immediately following a meal
- Offensive breath
- Difficult bowel movements
- Sense of fullness after eating
- Difficulty digesting fruits and vegetables
- Undigested foods found in the stool
If there isn’t enough hydrochloric acid in the stomach to digest proteins, food may putrefy. When this happens, organic acids are produced. This causes hyperchlorhydria secondary to hypochlohydria! Please know that organic acids are not stomach acids and therefore the problem isn’t too much stomach acid. Organic acids released due to putrefaction can irritate the stomach lining and even cause ulcers. Hyperchlorhydria can result in the following symptoms:
- Stomach pain, burning or aching 1-4 hours after meals
- Frequent use of antacids
- Feeling hungry an hour or two after eating
- Heartburn when lying down or bending
- Temporary relief with antacids, food, milk and carbonated beverages
- Rest & relaxation lessen symptoms
- Heartburn when eating spicy foods, chocolate, citrus, peppers, alcohol and caffeine
So many Americans rely on antacids, but often these stomach issues can easily be treated without medications or their side effects. I’ll write another post soon about how we treat hypochlorhydria and hyperchlorhydria at Better Body Solutions, but here’s the take away:
A great number of stomach problems result from deficient stomach acid production and this occurs due to stress, helicobacter pylori (a bacteria that lives in the stomach), abnormal blood sugar and intestinal inflammation.
- Excessive belching, burping or bloating
- Gas immediately following a meal
- Offensive breath
- Difficult bowel movements
- Sense of fullness after eating
- Difficulty digesting fruits and vegetables
- Undigested foods found in the stool
If there isn’t enough hydrochloric acid in the stomach to digest proteins, food may putrefy. When this happens, organic acids are produced. This causes hyperchlorhydria secondary to hypochlohydria! Please know that organic acids are not stomach acids and therefore the problem isn’t too much stomach acid. Organic acids released due to putrefaction can irritate the stomach lining and even cause ulcers. Hyperchlorhydria can result in the following symptoms:
- Stomach pain, burning or aching 1-4 hours after meals
- Frequent use of antacids
- Feeling hungry an hour or two after eating
- Heartburn when lying down or bending
- Temporary relief with antacids, food, milk and carbonated beverages
- Rest & relaxation lessen symptoms
- Heartburn when eating spicy foods, chocolate, citrus, peppers, alcohol and caffeine
So many Americans rely on antacids, but often these stomach issues can easily be treated without medications or their side effects. I’ll write another post soon about how we treat hypochlorhydria and hyperchlorhydria at Better Body Solutions, but here’s the take away:
A great number of stomach problems result from deficient stomach acid production and this occurs due to stress, helicobacter pylori (a bacteria that lives in the stomach), abnormal blood sugar and intestinal inflammation.
How Stress Robs You Of Precious Sleep
Do you have trouble falling asleep?
Do you have trouble staying asleep?
The “stress hormone” cortisol helps control our daily wake-sleep (circadian) rhythm. Normally, Cortisol levels should be highest in the morning and lowest at night. Here’s how cortisol maintains our circadian rhythm: At night, even as the body is asleep, our brain is still working and needs fuel. While asleep, cortisol is slowly released over time to maintain the blood sugar needed to feed the brain. Cortisol levels continue to rise throughout the night, and when they are high enough we wake up. When we break our 6-9 hour fast by eating our morning meal, our blood sugar rises and cortisol levels drop off through the day. They’re at their lowest in the evening allowing us to fall asleep and the cycle repeats itself.
When this cycle is normal we can get the “good night’s sleep” that we need. However when cortisol levels are abnormally high or low our sleep pattern suffers. Typically, high cortisol levels in the evening are associated with a difficulty falling asleep. Conversely, when cortisol levels are too low you may not be able to stay asleep.
What you need to know: Your cortisol circadian rhythm can be tested with a hormone panel. If your cortisol cycle is too high or low we recommend changing your lifestyle and/or taking nutritional supplementation (more on this later) to normalize the release of the “stress hormone.”
Read more about the circadian rhythm.
Read more about stress techniques.
Stress Tip: Eating a healthy breakfast can help normalize cortisol levels.
Do you have trouble staying asleep?
The “stress hormone” cortisol helps control our daily wake-sleep (circadian) rhythm. Normally, Cortisol levels should be highest in the morning and lowest at night. Here’s how cortisol maintains our circadian rhythm: At night, even as the body is asleep, our brain is still working and needs fuel. While asleep, cortisol is slowly released over time to maintain the blood sugar needed to feed the brain. Cortisol levels continue to rise throughout the night, and when they are high enough we wake up. When we break our 6-9 hour fast by eating our morning meal, our blood sugar rises and cortisol levels drop off through the day. They’re at their lowest in the evening allowing us to fall asleep and the cycle repeats itself.
When this cycle is normal we can get the “good night’s sleep” that we need. However when cortisol levels are abnormally high or low our sleep pattern suffers. Typically, high cortisol levels in the evening are associated with a difficulty falling asleep. Conversely, when cortisol levels are too low you may not be able to stay asleep.
What you need to know: Your cortisol circadian rhythm can be tested with a hormone panel. If your cortisol cycle is too high or low we recommend changing your lifestyle and/or taking nutritional supplementation (more on this later) to normalize the release of the “stress hormone.”
Read more about the circadian rhythm.
Read more about stress techniques.
Stress Tip: Eating a healthy breakfast can help normalize cortisol levels.
Adaptogenic Plants = Stress Busters
From “The Simpsons”
Homer: Are you saying you're never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad, those all come from the same animal.
Homer: Heh heh heh. Ooh, yeah, right, Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.
Homer might question Lisa’s sanity for becoming a vegetarian but she has a great point – certain plants can positively impact your life and energy in a variety of ways.
In fact, there is a group of magical plants that have the ability to both improve your endurance AND help you get a good night’s sleep?
These same magical plants can also help improve your immune system, enhance your mental clarity and memory, increase your sense of well being, help detoxify your body, normalize your blood sugar and more?
Adaptogenic plants like siberian ginseng for example, support the adrenal system and help us respond to stress and maintain a healthy inner balance. In our clinic we use a product called Adaptocrine which contains 5 different adaptogens that research has proved to decrease the effect of stress upon the body. These ingredients include:
Panax Ginseng root
Ashwagandha root
Holy basil leaf extract
We probably recommend Adaptocrine to 75% of our nutrition patients to combat daily stresses. Ultimately, these botanicals have been found to help re-establish healthy functioning of the brain and body.
Some, like Homer, might prefer the taste of pork, but these are wonderful, magical plants indeed.
Homer: Are you saying you're never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad, those all come from the same animal.
Homer: Heh heh heh. Ooh, yeah, right, Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.
Homer might question Lisa’s sanity for becoming a vegetarian but she has a great point – certain plants can positively impact your life and energy in a variety of ways.
In fact, there is a group of magical plants that have the ability to both improve your endurance AND help you get a good night’s sleep?
These same magical plants can also help improve your immune system, enhance your mental clarity and memory, increase your sense of well being, help detoxify your body, normalize your blood sugar and more?
Adaptogenic plants like siberian ginseng for example, support the adrenal system and help us respond to stress and maintain a healthy inner balance. In our clinic we use a product called Adaptocrine which contains 5 different adaptogens that research has proved to decrease the effect of stress upon the body. These ingredients include:
Panax Ginseng root
Ashwagandha root
Holy basil leaf extract
Rhodiola root extract
Eleutherococcus root
We probably recommend Adaptocrine to 75% of our nutrition patients to combat daily stresses. Ultimately, these botanicals have been found to help re-establish healthy functioning of the brain and body.
Some, like Homer, might prefer the taste of pork, but these are wonderful, magical plants indeed.
Silly Rabbit - The Trix On You!
You may think that you have it figured out. Your going to lose weight by not eating much - especially at breakfast. But studies show that
eating breakfast is one of the secrets to maintaining a healthy weight and feeling good both physically and mentally. (See post on “Low Blood Sugar & Your Cranky Inner Child”) One study showed that eating breakfast lessens the chances of a mid-late day food binge.
When we consult with patients, what we hear over and over is something like this: “ Well I’m really health conscious, so I eat a fiber muffin/oatmeal/smoothie/fruit for breakfast.” And that’s if the patient is eating breakfast at all.
Nutritionally, these “grown up” foods may be far superior to Count Chocula, Trix, and their sugary brethren. However, just like children’s cereals, these high carbohydrate breakfasts break down quickly and can cause blood sugar issues.
What we recommend to our Zerona laser patients when they have evidence of low blood sugar is simple:
Eat within a half hour of arising.
Eat some protein with breakfast.
Eat something healthy every couple of hours, even if it’s just a couple of bites.
Protein at breakfast could be an egg, fish, chicken, pork, meat. Suggestion: try making a little extra dinner and have it for breakfast. Protein is beneficial because unlike the carbohydrate laden breakfasts listed above, it breaks down slowly and can help balance your blood sugar. Fish may be particularly good because it’s a lean source of protein and cold water fish have health omega 3’s.
So, Silly Rabbit, don’t be fooled. Eating an insubstantial breakfast is linked to weight problems. Add some healthy protein.
If you’ve been diagnosed with high or low blood sugar I suggest that you read “Protein Power” by Michael Eades, M.D.
eating breakfast is one of the secrets to maintaining a healthy weight and feeling good both physically and mentally. (See post on “Low Blood Sugar & Your Cranky Inner Child”) One study showed that eating breakfast lessens the chances of a mid-late day food binge.
When we consult with patients, what we hear over and over is something like this: “ Well I’m really health conscious, so I eat a fiber muffin/oatmeal/smoothie/fruit for breakfast.” And that’s if the patient is eating breakfast at all.
Nutritionally, these “grown up” foods may be far superior to Count Chocula, Trix, and their sugary brethren. However, just like children’s cereals, these high carbohydrate breakfasts break down quickly and can cause blood sugar issues.
What we recommend to our Zerona laser patients when they have evidence of low blood sugar is simple:
Eat within a half hour of arising.
Eat some protein with breakfast.
Eat something healthy every couple of hours, even if it’s just a couple of bites.
Protein at breakfast could be an egg, fish, chicken, pork, meat. Suggestion: try making a little extra dinner and have it for breakfast. Protein is beneficial because unlike the carbohydrate laden breakfasts listed above, it breaks down slowly and can help balance your blood sugar. Fish may be particularly good because it’s a lean source of protein and cold water fish have health omega 3’s.
So, Silly Rabbit, don’t be fooled. Eating an insubstantial breakfast is linked to weight problems. Add some healthy protein.
If you’ve been diagnosed with high or low blood sugar I suggest that you read “Protein Power” by Michael Eades, M.D.
Low Blood Sugar & Your Cranky Inner Child
Have you ever been around a child who is Really hungry? It’s not pretty, is it?
The kid probably has low blood sugar and as an adult you can have low blood sugar (functional hypoglycemia) too. And if you do, you’re probably just as unaware of the cause of your distress as the child.
Although diabetes and high blood sugar get all the attention, low blood sugar can drastically affect the way you think and feel every day. You may be blithely unaware of the role low blood sugar is playing in your emotional and intellectual life, not to mention your waist line. Because the great majority of people don’t know the symptoms that are associated with functional hypoglycemia, they think instead that it’s normal to feel that way. Sometimes a patient will say to me, “Oh, I thought thats just the way I am.”
Functional Hypoglycemia can be defined as a fasting blood sugar between 65 and 85. This isn’t a disease state, however it can greatly impact your health both now and in the future due to the stresses it places on the hormonal system. About 50% of the people that I see who wish to lose weight have low blood sugar.
Here are some symptoms associated with functional hypoglycemia:
- Craving sweets
- Irritability if meals are missed or delayed
- Dependence upon caffeine (coffee/tea) to keep yourself going
- Getting lightheaded if meals are missed
- Eating relieves fatigue
- Feeling shaky, jittery, tremors
- Being agitated, easily upset, nervous, anxious
- Poor memory, forgetful, confusion upon wakening
- Blurred vision
- Bad temper, mood swings
The good news is that functional hypoglycemia is usually easy to treat. You don’t need a medication, which is probably why you haven’t heard of it. Otherwise, there would be commercials all over the TV. However, if there were more public information about functional hypoglycemia you may have a different perception of what normal is.
So the first step is recognize why your inner child is cranky. More about your blood sugar and what to do about it later.
The kid probably has low blood sugar and as an adult you can have low blood sugar (functional hypoglycemia) too. And if you do, you’re probably just as unaware of the cause of your distress as the child.
Although diabetes and high blood sugar get all the attention, low blood sugar can drastically affect the way you think and feel every day. You may be blithely unaware of the role low blood sugar is playing in your emotional and intellectual life, not to mention your waist line. Because the great majority of people don’t know the symptoms that are associated with functional hypoglycemia, they think instead that it’s normal to feel that way. Sometimes a patient will say to me, “Oh, I thought thats just the way I am.”
Functional Hypoglycemia can be defined as a fasting blood sugar between 65 and 85. This isn’t a disease state, however it can greatly impact your health both now and in the future due to the stresses it places on the hormonal system. About 50% of the people that I see who wish to lose weight have low blood sugar.
Here are some symptoms associated with functional hypoglycemia:
- Craving sweets
- Irritability if meals are missed or delayed
- Dependence upon caffeine (coffee/tea) to keep yourself going
- Getting lightheaded if meals are missed
- Eating relieves fatigue
- Feeling shaky, jittery, tremors
- Being agitated, easily upset, nervous, anxious
- Poor memory, forgetful, confusion upon wakening
- Blurred vision
- Bad temper, mood swings
The good news is that functional hypoglycemia is usually easy to treat. You don’t need a medication, which is probably why you haven’t heard of it. Otherwise, there would be commercials all over the TV. However, if there were more public information about functional hypoglycemia you may have a different perception of what normal is.
So the first step is recognize why your inner child is cranky. More about your blood sugar and what to do about it later.
Suzy Sells Sea Shells & Stress Kills Brain Cells
When I asked Suzy how her short-term memory was she said,
“I have CRS?” Ever the sucker, I plunged right in, “Um, What’s That?”
“Can’t remember shit”, Suzy said with a grin.
CRS is as good an abbreviation as any. It’s descriptive, humorous and ironically lends itself to being remembered. Short term memory impairment is fairly common and its incidence increases with age. Their are number of different causes of CRS and as per usual, chronic stress is implicated.
Stress On Steroids
Ask anybody and they know what stress is. It’s the traffic, your boss, spouse or kid. There’s a hundred everyday emotional stresses that our brain and body process. But not all stress is alike. Some stressors are super-sized: divorce, bankruptcy, and severe illness to name just a few. These types of stresses don’t readily go away, they stay present and become a habit, chronic, and unrelenting.
Chronic stressors can cause an abnormally high release of the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol is toxic to the brain; it kills brain cells. The area most affected is the hippocampus and that’s where short term memory is processed.
When your brains on cortisol you C.R.S.
“I have CRS?” Ever the sucker, I plunged right in, “Um, What’s That?”
“Can’t remember shit”, Suzy said with a grin.
CRS is as good an abbreviation as any. It’s descriptive, humorous and ironically lends itself to being remembered. Short term memory impairment is fairly common and its incidence increases with age. Their are number of different causes of CRS and as per usual, chronic stress is implicated.
Stress On Steroids
Ask anybody and they know what stress is. It’s the traffic, your boss, spouse or kid. There’s a hundred everyday emotional stresses that our brain and body process. But not all stress is alike. Some stressors are super-sized: divorce, bankruptcy, and severe illness to name just a few. These types of stresses don’t readily go away, they stay present and become a habit, chronic, and unrelenting.
Chronic stressors can cause an abnormally high release of the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol is toxic to the brain; it kills brain cells. The area most affected is the hippocampus and that’s where short term memory is processed.
When your brains on cortisol you C.R.S.
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