iThei mdcdaelcinfd o c elllllrllll ThofthThseBlood Sugar Imbalances
Balancing blood sugar levels should be a priority for anyone hoping to
overcome autoimmune thyroiditis and adrenal fatigue.
Insulin is released to lower our blood sugar levels. We have learned that
many people with Hashimoto’s have an impaired tolerance to carbohy-
drates. Their blood sugar goes up too high too quickly after eating car-
bohydrates. This leads to a rapid, sometimes excessive release of insulin.
These insulin surges can cause low blood sugar (reactive hypoglycemia),
which can lead to unpleasant symptoms such as nervousness, lighthead-
edness, anxiety, and fatigue.
Reactive hypoglycemia is a stressor for the adrenals.
Cortisol is released when the adrenals become stressed, and excess release
of cortisol can also produce an overactive Th2 immune system. If this
pattern of excessively high and then low blood sugar keeps occurring, we
may develop insulin resistance. Insulin resistance leads to type 2 diabetes,
another American epidemic.
What Puts Us at Risk for Having a Blood Sugar Imbalance?
Unfortunately, the Standard American Diet (SAD) is perfectly designed to
produce an epidemic of people with diabetes and autoimmune conditions.
Living a fast-paced lifestyle that includes skipping breakfast; having “liq-
uid” lunches; consuming a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet; and consum-
ing excessive sugar is the norm. It’s not our fault.
Unfortunately, there is a lack of education on the topic of nutritious eating.
This essential should be taught alongside history, math, and English from
an early age. Instead, Americans rely on commercials and marketing to tell
them what is healthy and what is not. For example, Subway subs, Yoplait
yogurt, and Gatorade are marketed as healthy and nutritious, even though
they are full of sugar!
During pharmacy school, we learned about nutrient requirements in our
first-year Biochemistry course. I was shocked to learn carbohydrates were
not a required nutrient, whereas fat was required for normal cell func-
tion! Based on my previous nutritional knowledge gathered from store