Understanding Blood Sugar & It’s Effects On Weight Loss,

Energy and Health

• Nearly all overweight Americans (70% of the population) already have “pre-diabetes” and significant risks of disease and death.

• The worst thing is they don’t even know it!

• Direct health care cost in the U.S. over the next decade due to diabetes and pre-diabetes will be 3.4 trillion or 1 in every 10 health care dollars.

• 1/3 of all diabetics have documented heart disease. 4 times more likely to die from heart disease.

• Link between obesity and cancer is well documented and driven by insulin resistance.

• 75% of diabetics have high blood • pressure.

• Under 100 mg/dL is considered normal• 101-126 mg/dL is considered “pre-diabetic”• Over 126 mg/dL is considered “diabetic”• Ideally you want you blood sugar between 80-90

mg/dL• Work with your health care provider to get insulin

and A1C checked• If anything comes back out of range a 2 hour

glucose tolerance test is a way to assess your risk• Purchase a glucometer and check blood sugar upon

waking, before lunch, before dinner, and before bed

• Each point about a fasted glucose of 84 mg/dL increases your risk for developing Type 2 diabetes by 6% in the next 9 years

• Even if you exercise and eat “healthy”, you can still have blood sugar issues.

– Insulin resistance is chronically elevated blood sugar and therefore chronically elevated insulin

– Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar or blood sugar fluctuations. Sometimes it’s too low, sometimes too high.

• Adequate glucose can’t enter cells because chronically elevated insulin levels create dysfunctional insulin receptor sites

• Symptoms include: fatigue after meals, craving for sweets that don’t go away after sweets are eaten, increase thirst, and increased urination.

• Insulin resistant patterns include:– Fasted glucose about 100 mg/dL– Triglycerides greater than 100 mg/dL– HDL lower than 55 mg/dL– LDL greater than 120 mg/dL

• Surges of insulin rather than chronically elevated levels.

• The body should respond to low blood sugar by producing cortisol to increase blood sugar– If a person has low adrenal function the body

has to rely on adrenaline to elevate blood sugar between meals which can contribute to shakiness and lightheadedness.

• Symptoms: lightheadedness, irritability, shakiness and fatigue between meals, which often goes away after food is eaten.

• Promotes the synthesis of protein and storage of fat.

• Spikes before blood sugar

• Needed to live but as with any hormone insulin should be balanced

• Sympathetic Nervous System– “Flight or Fight”• Pupil dilation• Increased heart rate• Increased blood flow to the muscle• Shuts down digestion• Increases blood sugar

• The forgotten hormone• Leptin High

– Healthy metabolism, appetite at bay

• Leptin Low– Metabolism slows down, appetite stimulated

• Leptin Resistance– Causes include: caloric restriction, insulin issues &

blood sugar surges, stress, overeating, increased triglycerides, fructose, and wheat

• Most of the time it lowers glucose levels.

• During exercise muscles obtain energy from glucose stored in the muscles called glycogen.

• After exercise glycogen stores in the muscles and liver must be replaced decreasing glucose levels.

• Increasing muscle mass will increase your glycogen stores.

• Glycemic index– Balance meals with protein, fat– Fiber

• Food that raise blood sugar–Wheat, corn, white potato, white

rice, and refined sugar

• Base carbohydrate need on activity level

• Choose SLOW Carbs, not LOW carbs• Green Carbs: Eat Freely

– Make up 50% of your meals, low GI vegetables

• Yellow Carbs: Eat in Moderation– Whole grains– Legumes– Dark berries– Stone fruit– Apples and Pears– Fiber

• Red Carbs: Eat LIMITED Amounts– Starchy, high glycemic cooked vegetables– High-Sugar Fruits

• Forbidden Carbs: Avoid COMPLETELY– Processed carbs– Gluten-containing whole grains (wheat,

barley, rye)– Dried fruit

• Krill oil• Envia– VanChroZin– Liquid Vitamin D3– B-complex– Resvante

• Alpha lipoic acid• Cinnamon• Chromium

• Fat Chance beating the odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease

– By Robert H. Lustig, M.D.

• The Blood Sugar Solution– By Dr. Mark Hyman

• Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It– By Gary Taubes