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Carbohydrate Intolerance
Carbohydrate Intolerance (CI) is a little known occurrence
in our bodies, but it affects many people - up to
75% of the population today. As simple as this sounds,
it can have far reaching affects on the body. Anything
from high blood pressure to diabetes to fatigue to
weight gain. Americans have been bombarded with information
from medical doctors to the media saying to eat a
low fat, low to moderate protein, and high carbohydrate
diet. This diet, according to the government, is supposed
to reduce high cholesterol, triglycerides, etc. and
reduce the amount of body fat of an individual. As
we can all see, this hasn't been the case. As a matter
of fact, cholesterol, triglycerides, and body fat
have all risen. According to a study done by the government
last year, there are more people who are overweight
today than people considered "within normal range"!
That means that the "normal" is now a minority!
I think it's safe to say that the diet recommended
to us by the government is not doing its job. One
of the main culprits is too many carbohydrates.
Some of the most common complaints of CI include:
(Be aware these symptoms are also related to other
problems)
- Physical Fatigue
- Low Blood Sugar
- Sleepiness
- Increased Triglycerides
- Addiction to Sweets and Carbohydrates
- Mental Fatigue
- Intestinal Bloating
- Increased Blood Pressure
- Depression
- Increased Fat Storage and Weight
What is carbohydrate intolerance? It is our
body's inability to handle the amount of carbohydrates
that we eat everyday. For people who have CI, too
much insulin is produced/released in response to the
carbohydrates eaten. Over time this results in the
cells becoming less sensitive to insulin thereby inhibiting
sugar to enter the cells.
When this happens, the brain thinks there is not enough
insulin being produced and stimulates the pancreas
to make more, creating a vicious cycle. This process
can result in hyperinsulism, one of the first steps
to diabetes.
How do you get CI? It appears that the majority
of people with this imbalance developed it as a result
of making poor choices continually through their life.
Factors thought to contribute to CI are diet, exercise,
smoking, and stress. Although there is a small genetic
component, lifestyle modification plays the majority
of the role in reversal of this condition.
Obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, appears
to have such a close association with insulin resistance
(another name for CI) that it is often now viewed
as a clinical marker for this metabolic imbalance.
It appears that the degree of insulin resistance is
proportional to the amount of fat around the midsection.
In other words, the bigger the midsection is the higher
degree of CI one has.
Diet plays a major role in CI. Eating refined carbohydrates,
which include breads, pastas, and all foods made with
flour including rolls, muffins, pancakes, and waffles;
cereals, white rice, white potatoes, and of course,
all sweets quickly push your body into a state of
carbohydrate intolerance. Avoiding or severely limiting
these foods is the first step to reversing this metabolic
imbalance. According to several research studies,
a diet consisting of moderate carbohydrates, a higher
percentage of protein and fats (especially monounsaturated
fats) tends to produce the most positive outcomes
with CI. Adding additional fiber to the diet is also
essential (oat fiber is an excellent source).
Exercise may the be the single most important lifestyle
factor for preventing and reversing CI. Many studies
are showing that consistent exercise lowers CI and
improves the body's ability to burn fat even at rest.
A program as simple as utilizing brisk walking four
times per week has shown beneficial results. Including
resistance exercise (i.e., weight training) in addition
to aerobic exercise has shown even more benefits.
What types of stress do you face everyday?
While there are many answers to this question, there
are some well-known and some little known stressors
in our life:
- Family/Relationships
- Work related
- Chemicals/Pollutants that we breath
- Chemicals/Pollutants that we eat
- Nutritional deficiencies - when we are deficient
in nutrients, even some of the trace nutrients,
it is a big stress on our bodies.
- Structural misalignments - when muscles, bones,
ligaments, etc. are not functioning properly it
puts a major stress on our bodies.
- Energy imbalances - when meridians, chakras, and
other subtle energy patterns in our bodies are not
balanced it puts stress on our bodies.
- Thermal - going from an extreme condition to another
extreme condition in a relatively short period of
time is a stress on our bodies, i.e., going from
a hot car to a very cold building.
Correcting all or even most of these stresses can
be overwhelmingly beneficial to reducing carbohydrate
intolerance and improving your overall well-being.
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