34. Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, often develops for the same dietary extremes that cause diabetes but instead of a shortage of insulin, excess is produced. Hypoglycemia often precedes diabetes.

It is believed that at least half of the population of America has hypoglycemic symptoms.

Good bread, bad bread
The hypoglycemic person usually has a history of high-level sugar and meat consumption.

Too much meat in the diet causes sugar cravings as our bodies try to balance protein to carbohydrates. It also generates prostaglandin that causes pain, inflammation and depression that sugar and alcohol seem to temporarily reduce but actually only cause more problems.

Avoiding denatured foods is important because of the missing nutrients that control blood sugar levels.  Refined flours and sugars, for example, are composed primarily of carbohydrates that deliver energy. The minerals that are refined away needed to be incorporated into the blood, hormones, and various body fluids to subdue the burning of sugars into energy. Thus, the hypoglycemic body robs its own tissues of the minerals causing the stabilizing reserves to be depleted.

The principle dietary remedy for hypoglycemia is complex carbohydrates in whole forms. Grains, vegetables, and legumes. These take time to break down and metabolize and contain the necessary nutrients that regulate insulin production.

Salt consumption must be curtailed because it reduces blood sugar.

Eat limited whole fruits, not juices that are too concentrated.  Citrus lowers blood sugar rapidly and should be avoided.

Wholesome concentrated sugars (molasses, rice syrup, barley malt, and honey) can be tolerated by hypoglycemics occasionally if used moderately.

Hypoglycemics are not only mineral deficient but also usually lack essential fatty acids (EFA).  This can manifest itself through dry skin, hair, low body weight, poor glandular function, irritability, depression, nervousness, pains and cramps.  In these cases it is good to add EFAs of exceptional quality such as fresh, cold-pressed flax oil.

Hypoglycemia can cause many problems. 

The brain requires a constant supply of blood sugar to function properly, thus low blood sugar affects our mental processes.  Insufficient blood sugar can result in depression, foggy thinking, distorted moral senses, and retardation in children, juvenile delinquency, schizophrenia, drug addiction, alcoholism, and obesity.