WORKSHOP REMINDER:  I’ve got 2 workshops/talks planned on Blood Sugar, and it’s relationship and effect on Weight, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Thyroid, and Mood.  The dates are Friday, August 23, 12-2, and Wednesday, August 28, 6-8pm,  the charge is $30/person, and the venue is the Marshall Community Center, 4133A Rectortown Rd, Marshall, Va.  This is literally right off Rt 66, and very easy to find.  There’s plenty of parking and the room is big, so bring a friend or a family member if you’d like.  You can pay at the door.

I hope everyone local can attend one of these upcoming talks.  I PROMISE you’ll leave energized, excited, and empowered.  Our health is dependent on the food we eat.  Blood Sugar regulation, and it’s effects on your weight, your health, and your mood (and your children’s weight, health, and mood) is HUGE.  If you understand what the body does with flours, grains, and sugars, and honestly, it’s pretty simple, you have the power to change yourself!

Here’s a little preview:  You eat a bowl of oatmeal, with a banana, and some orange juice, for breakfast.  That’s about 70 grams of carbohydrate, or 18 teaspoons.  Our body only wants a teaspoon or 2 in the blood, any more is considered a “dangerous situation”, which is the case here. The pancreas releases insulin, which disposes of the 16 excess teaspoons:  some to empty muscle cells (on an as need basis), some to the liver (it stores about a teaspoon), and the rest… get remade into Triglycerides.

LDL cholesterol is made to transport these triglycerides to your stomach area = LDL shoots up.  The immune system is immediately weakened, for at least several hours, as macrophage/natural killer cells/white blood cells production is halted ( imagine the implications if you’re stepping into a sick office, or your child sits next to a sneezy kid at school).   Gut flora’s affected, because bacteria and yeast eat sugar – it’s their favorite food.  Any bad bacteria or yeast get a little boost.   Then, every sugar HIGH is answered with a corresponding LOW.  Low blood sugar causes our adrenal glands to release Cortisol and Adrenaline; great if we need to out run a bad guy, bad if we’re sitting at a car or a desk.    Both Insulin and Cortisol block the Thyroid conversion of T4 to T3 – hello Thyroid issues.

You’ve also caused Insulin to shuttle Amino Acids out of the blood circulation, and into the muscle cells. This means the brain loses access to amino acids that it’s hungry for.  You know how you’ve heard that we need to eat carbs so our brain can produce Serotonin ( a neurotransmitter that supports a level mood)?  Serotonin’s made from protein, specifically, the amino acid Tryptophan.  Carbs just contain OPIATES that temporairly stimulate mood as opposed to actually increasing our serotonin brain stores.  Those same opiates cause ADDICTION.  Hmm.  Ever wonder why those darn chips, crackers, or pretzels are so hard to put down?

I could go on and on, and if you come to one of my talks, I will.  If your primary motivation is to lose weight, then attend. You will.  Let that be what starts you on your journey.  But know that the more you learn about how your body operates, the more it becomes about your health.  When you let your health ( and your children’s health) be your guide, WEIGHT LOSS IS A SIDE EFFECT.   If you’re not a Local, get in touch with me, and we’ll consult over the phone or via Skype.  Again, Empower yourself.