| Blood sugar Balancing!! Such an important subject!! |  |
This is the time of year when we increase our intake of those sweets and snacks as we move into the holidays.
We have an epidemic of blood sugar balancing issues in America for various reasons, and mostly due to our diets including excess sugars consumed in so many of our foods, and hidden in places you wouldn't expect (Watch the documentary "Fed up!").
We have an epidemic of blood sugar balancing issues in America for various reasons, and mostly due to our diets including excess sugars consumed in so many of our foods, and hidden in places you wouldn't expect (Watch the documentary "Fed up!").
Some of the other common triggers of high or excessive blood sugars are from dairy and grain, including products with wheat and even whole wheat - These can all also trigger elevations! Sound like any of your favorite foods and snacks, especially around the holidays with cakes, cookies, breads and the like? You bet it does!
When that sugar hits your bloodstream, it is converted to glucose and a message is sent to the pancreas asking it to release insulin - This insulin release is very critical to the whole process! The insulin interacts with insulin receptors on the cells and sends a message to the surface of the cell to open the doorway and come into the cell to produce energy (ATP). Many times, there are breakdowns in the body in this critical process along all the stages, which often have a nutritional element associated with them! Of course the best way to control this process is to reduce the intake of sugar, gluten (wheat), and dairy. Sounds like the typical American diet, right?! Well, you need certain nutrients to make it all happen! For glucose to signal the pancreas, it requires adequate levels of Vitamin D, which 50% of the population have a decreased sufficiency in at this time. I find in my blood analysis testing, the majority of my clients have lower than optimal levels of this important hormone. We need enough for the pancreas to make insulin, and we also need enough zinc to hold the insulin together. Other nutrients in this whole process that are needed are magnesium, chromium, Vitamin B3 (Niacin) and calcium. We also need Co EnzymeQ10 and other B vitamins. In essence, all the pathways are driven nutritionally. Some of the common blood sugar balancing medications can actually influence this pathway and can be a detriment to the process by lowering our levels of CoEnzyme Q10, folate, B12, and Vitamin D.
The plant foods that have the most amount of these nutrients are:
Zinc: Cashews, garbanzo beans, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, spinach, swiss chard, lentils, asparagus, shitake and crimini mushrooms, quinoa, green peas, oats, beet greens, summer squash, broccoli, brussels sprouts, parsley, sea veggies, bok choy
Magnesium: pumpkin seeds, spinach, swiss chard, beet greens, summer squash, turnip greens, sesame seeds, soybeans, tempeh, black beans, quinoa, cashews, sunflower seeds, navy beans, buckwheat, pinto beans, millet, cacao, brown rice, lima beans, kidney beans, oats, romaine lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, celery, kale, green peas, cantaloupe, mustard greens, parsley, fennel, leeks, basil, cloves, almonds, papaya, flaxseeds, brussels sprouts, winter squash, collards, raspberries, beets....Lots of plant sources!
B1 - Thiamin - Sunflower seeds, navy beans, green peas, dried peas, pinto beans, lima beans, oats
B2 - Riboflavin - Soybeans, spinach, beet greens, tempeh, crimini mushrooms, eggs, asparagus, almonds
B5 - Pantothenic acid - Shitake mushrooms, avocado, sweet potato, lentils, crimini mushrooms, dried peas, broccoli, cauliflower, beet greens, cucumber, celery, potatoes, winter squash, raspberries, papaya, pineapple, collards, grapefruit, cranberries, watermelon, brussels sprouts, cabbage, fennel, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, bok choy, figs....
B3 - Niacin - Brown rice, crimini mushrooms, asparagus, legumes, root veggies and leafy greens, cantaloupe, sunflower seeds
Calcium - Sesame seeds, collard greens, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, beet greens, tofu, bok choy, swiss chard, kale, cabbage, cinnamon, broccoli, brussels sprouts, green beans, orange, summer squash, parsley, asparagus, leeks, celery, romaine lettuce, cumin, basil, oregano.....
Folate - Papaya, strawberries, lentils, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, parsley, romaine lettuce, asparagus, pinto, black, navy, lima and garbanzo beans, green beans, summer squash, spinach, brussels sprouts, cabbage, tomatoes, leeks, fennel, eggplant, mustard greens, lemons and limes, carrots, beet greens, avocado, sunflower seeds, winter squash, oranges, cantaloupe, onions, collard greens, pineapple, raspberries....
Eat as many plant foods as you can!
When that sugar hits your bloodstream, it is converted to glucose and a message is sent to the pancreas asking it to release insulin - This insulin release is very critical to the whole process! The insulin interacts with insulin receptors on the cells and sends a message to the surface of the cell to open the doorway and come into the cell to produce energy (ATP). Many times, there are breakdowns in the body in this critical process along all the stages, which often have a nutritional element associated with them! Of course the best way to control this process is to reduce the intake of sugar, gluten (wheat), and dairy. Sounds like the typical American diet, right?! Well, you need certain nutrients to make it all happen! For glucose to signal the pancreas, it requires adequate levels of Vitamin D, which 50% of the population have a decreased sufficiency in at this time. I find in my blood analysis testing, the majority of my clients have lower than optimal levels of this important hormone. We need enough for the pancreas to make insulin, and we also need enough zinc to hold the insulin together. Other nutrients in this whole process that are needed are magnesium, chromium, Vitamin B3 (Niacin) and calcium. We also need Co EnzymeQ10 and other B vitamins. In essence, all the pathways are driven nutritionally. Some of the common blood sugar balancing medications can actually influence this pathway and can be a detriment to the process by lowering our levels of CoEnzyme Q10, folate, B12, and Vitamin D.
The plant foods that have the most amount of these nutrients are:
Zinc: Cashews, garbanzo beans, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, spinach, swiss chard, lentils, asparagus, shitake and crimini mushrooms, quinoa, green peas, oats, beet greens, summer squash, broccoli, brussels sprouts, parsley, sea veggies, bok choy
Magnesium: pumpkin seeds, spinach, swiss chard, beet greens, summer squash, turnip greens, sesame seeds, soybeans, tempeh, black beans, quinoa, cashews, sunflower seeds, navy beans, buckwheat, pinto beans, millet, cacao, brown rice, lima beans, kidney beans, oats, romaine lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, celery, kale, green peas, cantaloupe, mustard greens, parsley, fennel, leeks, basil, cloves, almonds, papaya, flaxseeds, brussels sprouts, winter squash, collards, raspberries, beets....Lots of plant sources!
B1 - Thiamin - Sunflower seeds, navy beans, green peas, dried peas, pinto beans, lima beans, oats
B2 - Riboflavin - Soybeans, spinach, beet greens, tempeh, crimini mushrooms, eggs, asparagus, almonds
B5 - Pantothenic acid - Shitake mushrooms, avocado, sweet potato, lentils, crimini mushrooms, dried peas, broccoli, cauliflower, beet greens, cucumber, celery, potatoes, winter squash, raspberries, papaya, pineapple, collards, grapefruit, cranberries, watermelon, brussels sprouts, cabbage, fennel, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, bok choy, figs....
B3 - Niacin - Brown rice, crimini mushrooms, asparagus, legumes, root veggies and leafy greens, cantaloupe, sunflower seeds
Calcium - Sesame seeds, collard greens, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, beet greens, tofu, bok choy, swiss chard, kale, cabbage, cinnamon, broccoli, brussels sprouts, green beans, orange, summer squash, parsley, asparagus, leeks, celery, romaine lettuce, cumin, basil, oregano.....
Folate - Papaya, strawberries, lentils, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, parsley, romaine lettuce, asparagus, pinto, black, navy, lima and garbanzo beans, green beans, summer squash, spinach, brussels sprouts, cabbage, tomatoes, leeks, fennel, eggplant, mustard greens, lemons and limes, carrots, beet greens, avocado, sunflower seeds, winter squash, oranges, cantaloupe, onions, collard greens, pineapple, raspberries....
Eat as many plant foods as you can!
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