Look to the GUT for Health
That is the thing about health, it is in our hands, degenerative dis-ease is created by consistent choices in food, thoughts and emotional responses. Starting with choosing to balance your own blood sugar is one of those places that can lead to lasting vitality, that when achieved leads to so many benefits to your body and mind. Sugars of all kinds are hiding in most boxed foods, and at first you will feel like they are everywhere, not to mention the addictive properties of sugar and emotional urges to go toward it. The gut brain (all those microbes that are really what are feeding your body) are the ones demanding it, and they generally get what they want, this only creating turmoil in our organs, body, and life. So, let’s get into how you can balance your blood sugar and master taking control of your health.
“All Disease Starts in the GUT”
– Hippocroates
At the DAWN of medicine… this was known… and NOW… it is ignored…
The Players of Digestion
Once our brains even see food, digestion begins. The process of breaking food down into individual molecules begins in the mouth and ends in the large intestine. Each organ involved in digestion plays a part in separating the molecules of our food, when we see food, or feel hungry, the salivary glands in the mouth are activated. They produce enzymes that begin the breakdown of starches in the mouth, while we chew our food (yes we need to do that!), these enzymes prep the food for the stomach to churn it up. By the time our food reaches the stomach, there is a soup of acids and other enzymes that will continue to break down the food, getting it ready for the full digestion that happens in our GI tract.
Some of the other organs are more behind the scenes of the digestive process. Those being the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen. Each of these organs break down specific components of nutrition. Like fats, amino acids (better known as proteins), complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. There are also cascades of hormones related to digestion and moving the nutrients throughout the body. The small intestine assimilates the single molecule nutrients and sends them into the blood stream, this happens through our magical microbiome that inhabits the small intestine. When these broken down nutrients travel throughout the body we have the building blocks of what creates the physical being that we are.
When it comes to managing your blood sugar, it is key to focus on the pancreas, which is secreting hormones, the liver, brain, and blood. Each of these components of digestion are vital to tune into when it comes to digestion and balancing your blood sugar. Tuning into them will lead to you making nourishing food choices and ultimately lead to long lasting vitality in health.
The Pancreas and Insulin
During the process of digestion, many things begin to take place in our bodies, it goes far beyond what I have described and above. As we well know, insulin is a main player in degenerative dis-eases like Type II Diabetes, which leads to obesity, heart disease and hyper inflammatory states. Insulin is a hormone that is secreted by the pancreas, when our system detects food, insulin floods the blood, readying itself for glucose. Insulin, allows Glucose in the blood to be absorbed by cells in our body to then be used as energy.
The only issue with burring glucose as a main source of fuel for our bodies, is that it is a short lived fuel source, complex carbohydrates, table sugars, processed foods and even high levels of fruit intake can lead to constant hunger, this leading to insulin levels being a constant in the blood stream. Insulin is known as the growth hormone because it leads to the body storing excess sugars, and the fat that isn’t being used as fuel, as body fat, this is not good on many levels.
Why the High Insulin?
In the modern western life, chronically high Insulin levels are all too common. This issue stems from the regular diet that is consumed in western culture, known as the Standard American Diet (SAD for short… and it is rather sad). Along with diet, the chronic sedentary lifestyle patterns, and lack of movement, even light exercise adds to the growing problem. Each of these components of the standard way of western life, is a lead into the unfortunate state of blood sugar and poor digestion in the west. It is key to look at diet, and lifestyle when addressing things like blood sugar, especially (I would argue that all dis-ease needs to be looked at from the three point model of health I use with my clients; nourishment, lifestyle, and connection to spirit).
Hyperinsulinemia
Hyperinsulinemia is a condition where the pancreas secrets too much insulin. This condition leaves glucose floating around in the blood which is a result of the chronic secretion of insulin. Because glucose is floating around in the blood stream, the pancreas continues to sense it in the blood. Then, secreting more insulin to combat the problem, this then leads to the problem in controlling blood sugar levels.
This condition is associated with Type II Diabetes, though it may not develop in all cases. Insulin resistance and cases of frequent episodes of hyperglycemia are associated with hyperinsulinemia.
Not the Only Reason Sugar Has a BAD Name
Sugars of all kinds are inflammatory substances, and not all are created equally. Many sugary foods contain glucose as one or more of their sugar molecules, when they are broken down from these foods the blood is flooded with glucose. Which is easily accessible as fuel, but also leads to soaring insulin levels. Foods that contain mostly fructose are already a simple sugar, thus don’t have the same flooding effect that complex sugars in processed breads, cereals, and bleached grains have.
And there is a caveat to eating too much fructose, this sugar that we are consuming truly, only flooding the blood with sugars. Fructose is not used as energy like glucose is in our cells. Instead, fructose molecules flood the liver and the blood. Stimulate the production of insulin which pours into the blood to create high levels of insulin.
Because fructose is not used as energy by our cells, it is left to be circulating in the blood not being used at all. High levels of fructose can lead to weight gain, diabetes, and systemic inflammation. It is also a main leader in the development of non alcoholic fatty liver disease. Which is why it is important to consume fruits that are high in antioxidants, like berries, the antioxidant levels are so high and fructose is much lower in concentration.
What About FAKE Sweet?
Artificial sweeteners are something that is almost worse than glucose and fructose, not only because they are not natural. BUT they have been shown to bond to estrogen receptor sites. This either stimulating or inhibiting normal flow of hormones in the endocrine system. AND disrupting normal fluctuation of hormonal responses.
These fake sugars have also been shown to stimulate the secretion of glucagon-like-peptide-1 from the pancreas. Which then leads to hyperinsulinemia in the ABSENCE of elevated blood sugar levels. The brain senses them as sugars, which is responsible for stimulating this response. Along with all of this, synthetic sugars can create massive amounts of oxidative stress. The kind of stress that leads to systemic inflammation, weight gain, and food cravings.
How to Remedy These Issues
Though it seems difficult. Especially when challenging lifestyle and food habits. Truly, there are simple ways to create a healthy change in your life. First of all. Implementing digestive bitters into your meal time. Not only will they encourage a healthy digestive response. You will also be curbing food cravings. Nourishing your natural gut flora. And helping your metabolism and liver be supported. What will happen in result of simply taking bitters, can be health altering. I work with my clients on retraining their palates through digestive bitters, it is incredibly effective and helps you to continue to choose nourishing foods at meal time.
You can also begin to move. If you work in an office, take 10 minutes every couple of hours to walk the circumference of the building, or even your office space. During this time you can focus on breathing, and begin a walking meditation. By implementing this process, you are already starting to alter your stress levels. Which also helps inflammatory responses in the body.
It is also beneficial to concentrate on strengthening your liver. Along with a rainbow of foods, digestive tonics, and bitters will help to maintain healthy concentrations of insulin in the blood. When the liver is strengthened all of the processes of digestion are more efficient and effective. Eating an ancestral based diet (tuned into your heritage) is going to be super helpful as your body is built to be able to work with these diets. A great place to start is Nourishing Traditions, there are many ways to eat healthfully while also enjoying your food.
Our bodies are designed to be in a state of balance, and that includes blood sugar balance. AND the modern conveniences truly inhibit these choices from being simple. Slowing down, even if it is just a bit, to be sure you are optimizing your digestion and choosing nourishing foods will have great effect on you and your family’s health and life!
