Unstable blood sugar and low energy levels

Do you bounce out of bed in the morning raring to go with a spring in your step and a glint in your eye?

Do you have all the energy you need to do everything you want to in a day?

If not, you are not alone as a recent survey revealed that the most common everyday symptom we confess to is fatigue. Many people suffering from a long-standing energy problem ends up having a test for anaemia or low thyroid function at their doctor's surgery.

Fatigue or low energy levels can have many other causes, and for most people who are chronically tired and results of these tests are usually normal. What this means is that conventional medicine often has little more to offer someone who is feeling unduly tired than to advise them to sleep more and get more rest.

Food cravings tend to be worse just before a period for many women as hormonal fluctuation at this time can disrupt blood sugar balance.

Even if we have plenty of fuel elsewhere, if the level of sugar in the blood drops, fatigue is inevitable. Low blood sugar is a bit like having a full tank of petrol with none of it getting through to the engine.

Anyone suffering from hypoglycaemia will tend to experience fluctuating energy, with fatigue being worst when the blood sugar is at its lowest. A classic time for low blood sugar is in the middle of the afternoon, and the characteristic slump many of us suffer after lunch is usually a sign that our sugar level has taken a turn for the worse. Hypoglycaemics also tend to have poor energy in the morning even after eight or more hours of sleep because the blood sugar level tends drop considerably overnight.

Eating the right diet is essential to overcoming hypoglycaemia. Sufferers should eat little and often - this helps ensure that the blood sugar level never really gets the opportunity to drop into the danger zone. Ideally, sufferers should not go more than three hours between eating. The diet itself should be based around foods that release sugar slowly into the bloodstream such as meat, fish, wholemeal bread, brown rice, fresh fruits and vegetables. Sugar and refined carbohydrates like white bread and white rice should be avoided because they tend to cause rapid rises in blood sugar which the body tends to over-compensate for, leading to low blood sugar later on.

Sufferers of hypoglycaemia have been shown to be helped by taking nutrients which support the body in maintaining the blood sugar level. Chromium polynicotinate (AS GTF factor) has been shown to improve blood sugar stability and is included in most formulations which has been especially manufactured for sufferers of hypoglycaemia. These formulas also contain vitamins C and B5 which are important for supporting the adrenal glands - adrenal weakness is often at the root of hypoglycaemic problems. Other ingredients include Vanadium and L Carnitine, vitamins B I and B3 which are also vital in energy releasing metabolic pathways.

Regular meals and a diet based around foods which release sugar slowly into the bloodstream plus additional support from the above nutrients is too often all that is needed to bring about considerable improvement in blood sugar control. Within two weeks you should start feeling more energetic. However, if you suffer from digestive complaints such as bloating, flatulence, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea, you must correct these symptoms as it may mean that you have food intolerance or food allergies.

Weight loss is easier to achieve when slimmers and dieters maintain stable blood sugar levels as it stops cravings, reduces appetite and makes diets more manageable.

Obesity is a chronic disease that affects many people and often requires long-term treatment to promote and sustain weight loss. As in other chronic conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, long-term use of prescription medications may be appropriate for some individuals. While most side effects of prescription medications for obesity are mild, serious complications have been reported. Valvular heart disease was reported to occur in association with the use of certain appetite-suppressant medications. As a result of these reports, the manufacturer has voluntarily withdrawn two medications, fenfluramine (Pondimin) and dexfenfluramine (Redux) from the market. There are few studies lasting more than 2 years evaluating the safety or effectiveness of weight-loss medications. In particular, the safety and effectiveness of combining more than one weight-loss medication or combining weight-loss medications with other medications for the purpose of weight loss is unknown. Weight-loss medications should be used only by patients who are at increased medical risk because of their obesity and should not be used for cosmetic weight loss.