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Wow, blood sugar!
“Yeah, I know…, my doctor tells me about this all the time.”
“Right now my doctor says I’m pretty good. My fasting glucose level is 109- but if it goes any higher I’m going to be pre-diabetic.”
No, you are pre-diabetic.
Anything between 100 and 125 is pre-diabetes, and this number does not take into account how hard your pancreas has been “humpin’” nearly 24/7 to keep your fasting levels in the pre-diabetic range.
In previous blogs and videos, I talked about the importance of eliminating chronic inflammation and all the damage that it does to your body.
Truth be told, the lifestyle that has your blood sugar levels elevated, is an inflammatory lifestyle.
A person really can’t have one without the other.
If a person wanted to lead an anti-inflammatory lifestyle he would do so by managing his blood sugar levels, and vice versa.
If a person wanted to avoid being diabetic and live a healthy and well lifestyle he would live an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
I would say if your blood sugar levels were in the normal range, that is about as bulletproof as a person can become on preventing not only all of the chronic illnesses like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and autoimmune diseases but also cancer and almost any other disease and/or disorder.
Regardless of what “My doctor says…,”
Fasting blood glucose levels, that being blood sugar levels should be between 80 and 100, and obviously closer to 80 is better.
Just because your blood sugar is 99 is no reason to go dancing in the streets
So, how would a person go about managing his blood sugar levels?
Obviously diet is the major target. The deflammatory diet of eliminating:
- Sugar
- Grains
- Grain flours
- Omega 6 Polyunsaturated vegetable oils
- Trans Fats would do the trick
This would mean eating meat proteins, vegetables, fats, berries, and raw nuts.
We have a list available at our office, or if you own David Seaman, D.C’s The De-Flame Diet book you can find the list there as well. I think it has to be posted at least 20 times!
This is the point where most patients tell me how healthy their diet is when I can clearly see that their waists are bigger than their hips. Remember the video on waist size and waist-to-hip ratios?
This is a sign of chronic inflammation and a blood sugar level that is out of control.
Recently I have seen a number of patients in my office who have been told that their cholesterol levels were too high, and have been instructed to eat a “heart” healthy diet of oatmeal and whole grains to lower their cholesterol.
Did the doctor tell them that their elevated blood sugar levels is a primary reason their cholesterol levels are high?
No.
In fact, in each case those patients eating oatmeal and whole grains for their heart and cholesterol levels watched their A1C levels skyrocket.
They were now full-blown diabetics and were told they might have to be put on insulin (which is the dumbest thing to do to a Type 2 Diabetic) if their numbers did not come down.
A1C gives a blood sugar level picture over a few-month period and tells doctors how well your body is handling blood sugar over a several-month period rather than just at the time of the blood draw.
Did these patients believe us when we told them that oatmeal and grains were the culprits?
No.
But when they started to use a Constant Glucose Monitoring device that tells in real time what a person’s blood sugar levels are doing with everything they eat, they were each shocked to discover that their blood sugars rose above 250 each time they ate oatmeal and stayed elevated for several hours.
Can you say DIABETES?!?1?
When they stopped eating oatmeal and whole grains, their A1C and blood sugar levels all returned to normal…, each and every time!!!!!!!!
I have to tell you, turning someone into a diabetic in the name of trying to save their heart from cholesterol (which really isn’t an issue…, surprise, surprise it’s inflammation and elevated blood sugar that cause damage to the heart and associated blood vessels, not cholesterol.), is a pretty dumb idea.
But immediately a person should get the idea that if they stopped eating things that drove their blood sugar levels into the ionosphere they would no longer be diabetic. This would be the “cure” for Type 2 Diabetes!
In past blogs and videos, I talked about the importance of sleep, sunlight, exercise, eating in a time-restricted eating window, and hanging around good people who lift your spirits and nourish your soul, and how important each of these factors was to eliminating chronic inflammation.
But guess what?
They are also very important in managing blood sugar levels!
Let’s take a quick look at what each of these do to blood sugar levels.
Seven to Nine Hours of Sleep Each Night:
Proper sleep increases insulin sensitivity and activates the parasympathetic nervous system slows the heart rate, stimulates digestion, and promotes rest and relaxation
Exercise:
Exercise increases insulin sensitivity, meaning the cells take in glucose, that is blood sugar more readily, burn up excess sugar in the muscle tissues, and increase muscle mass which will consume excess sugar.
A brisk walk within 30 minutes of eating can lower blood sugar levels 50 times more than being sedentary.
Sunlight:
Increases Vitamin D production which is used in insulin production. Insulin regulates blood sugar levels.
Sunlight also helps the body switch from carbohydrates to fat as an energy source.
Also, sunlight regulates the circadian clock which is linked to metabolism and insulin resistance.
A person needs about 30 minutes a day of sun on the face, arms, and hands.
Time Restricted Eating Window:
Ideally, a person would eat only 10 hours each day, less for men who want to lose weight.
That means at least 14 hours a day- no eating, only water.
Great Relationships:
Lower blood glucose levels.
Being happily married, thinking about a romantic partner, good communication, and working partnerships all lower glucose levels.
So there it is, manage your blood sugar levels and live a de-inflammatory lifestyle and you’ve got it made.
Alright, let’s leave it at that for now and we’ll talk more about the problem with elevated blood sugar in the next video.
In the meantime, we at Paragon Chiropractic can really help you get your blood sugar levels into the normal range, and all it would take is self-discipline!
See you next time!
Dr. Dave
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