In 2010, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported more than 20% of Americans is clinically obese and that number continues to rise. Obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, type 1 and type 2 diabetes are all around us. There’s not a person reading this article who isn’t affected by these conditions, either directly or indirectly. Yet as common as these conditions are, few people understand how closely they’re related to one another. If unresolved, a slew of debilitating symptoms can result.
It is now clear that not only do these conditions share the same underlying causes. They are 100% preventable and, in most cases, entirely reversible.
Signs of abnormal blood sugar regulation include:
- Abdominal obesity (i.e. “spare tire” syndrome or love handle development);
- Dyslipidemia (low HDL, high LDL and high triglycerides);
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar (fasting above 100 mg/dL, Hb1Ac above 5.5);
- Insulin resistance (fasting above 100 mg/dL and high fasting insulin)
Organs that regulate glucose levels are many. They include the liver, pancreas, spleen, adrenals, thyroid, pituitary, and kidneys. The spleen, pancreas, kidneys, liver and adrenal glands are first impacted. If blood sugar levels remain unbalanced for an extended period of time, the thyroid, pituitary, ovaries and hypothalamus begin to show signs of distress. If you have a weight or blood sugar related health challenge, investigate which organs requires specific nutritional support and replace your intake of foods known to raise glucose in the blood stream with those that are historically known to keep it balanced.