Archive for the 'sugar cravings' Category

Dec 08 2008

Sugar Cravings

So, you thought Part II of my holiday
sugar series would be posted the
next day? Afraid not my friend.

Since I decided to indulge in my
favorite sweet for the holidays -
pumpkin pie – I went into a spot of
low energy and depression.

I am back up and running, though
it always takes a few days. Sound
familiar?

How in the world do you (and I) reduce
sugar cravings that have haunted
us our entire life? We can address
nutritional deficiencies, remove
barriers to healing and strengthen
our immune systems. I will briefly
discuss each strategy.

Address Nutritional Deficiencies

First it is important to acknowledge
that sugar cravings mean that you
are not giving your body the nutrition
that is necessary for it to function
optimally. We are certified body
abusers. The abused victim in this case
just happens to be our own body.  

You can approach this challenge in
two ways. First, you can set about
to determine what nutritional deficiencies
are contributing to the imbalance. Is it
too little of Vitamin D3, or B6, or B12 or
magnesium or …?

You can ask your doctor to order an
exhaustive series of tests that evaluate
nutritional deficiencies in the body.
Specific prescriptions of vitamin and
mineral supplements will remedy the
deficiencies in time and reduce the
cravings.

This approach works well for some
people. The downside it is expensive,
time consuming and time limited. The tests
have to be repeated again and again to
maintain the balance that is needed.

Second, you can focus your intent and
energy on giving your body all the
nutrition it needs to heal. This means
eating fresh foods that are free of
pesticides and additives.

With this strategy, what does it matter
today whether you are deficient in one
vitamin or mineral or another? If you eat
nutritious, fresh food every day, you
will eventually give your body all the
nutrition it needs to come back into balance.

Assess Barriers to Healing

What are barriers to healing? Certainly,
food allergies are at the top of the
list for most people. One of my most favorite
foods is whipped cream. I love eating whipped
cream. It makes me happy.

Whipped cream makes my intestines bloat.
My entire digestive system screams out
in pain. My spleen is not a happy camper.
I pay the price for my few minutes of
pleasure for the next 48 hours. And no, I
am not out of the woods yet from eating
pumpkin pie and whipped cream several days
ago. 

My body has a strong allergic reaction to dairy.
End of story. If I eat dairy, I pay the price. 

Toxins also pose fundamental obstacles to healing.
Many people do all the right things to heal the symptoms
of Parkinsons but see little result from their efforts.
This is because their bodies are swamped with too
many heavy metals, poisons, pesticides, cleaning
chemicals or other chemicals that rip up the integrity
of their body’s organs.

The solution is to identify the toxins. Then, 
adopt a program of cleansing to get rid of them. 
The cleansing program should work at a gentle
pace that you body can tolerate. Too much
scrubbing too quickly can create other worrisome
problems.

I have invited Dr. Ivy Faber to be my guest
in a teleseminar tomorrow (Tuesday) who will discuss
approaches for identifying toxins in your body and
methods for releasing them. Click on the link
below to find out more about my interview with her.
Ask your questions at the bottom of the page.

http://www.instantteleseminar.com/?preview=1&previewbar=1&eventid=4975707

Strengthen your Immune System

Finally, it very well may be that
your immune system has crashed. You will
never be able to fight off viruses and
bacterial infections unless you can get
your immune system back on track.

There are many very effective therapies which make
use of natural herbs and medicines that can help
build your immune system back up so that your body
will have the overall strength to heal.

Your body will not begin to address neural issues
if infections or viral threats are screaming for
attention. When the body becomes overloaded with
challenges, it prioritizes what problems need to
be addressed first. Infections are at the top of
the list. Neural abnormalities are toward the bottom
of the body’s priority ranking.

In summary, pay attention to the basics and your body
will heal itself. Sugar will no longer rule your mind
or your life. The problems of fatigue, depression and
sleeplessness will become memories of the distant
past.

Write any question you have for Dr. Faber. I will be happy
to ask it tomorrow time permitting.

http://www.instantteleseminar.com/?preview=1&previewbar=1&eventid=4975707
 

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

One response so far

Dec 03 2008

Sugar and Fatigue

The holiday season is upon us.
Are your sugar cravings up?
The holidays are a great excuse
for indulging yourself in sweats
and other pleasurable pastimes.

I always think so anyway. But
of course, sugar is just as deadly
to your neural networks during the
holidays as it is on your birthday
(unless your birthday falls on the
holidays. Then it is deadlier).

In most cases sugar cravings are
not eating disorders but rather a signal
of hormonal imbalances. If you regularly
answer the body’s call for more sugar,
your symptoms will worsen and you will
feel increasingly lousy.

Let me be clear about the logic here.

  1. Sugar cravings are triggered by hormonal
    imbalances.
  2. The symptoms of Parkinson’s are triggered
    by hormonal imbalances.
  3. There is very likely a connection between
    the intensity of your cravings for sugar and
    the severity of your symptoms.

Sugar cravings suggest that the signaling
system in the body has been short circuited.
When we are tired or depressed — sounds
like the holidays, eh? – our blood sugar
and serotonin levels are too low.

Serotonin is the perfect quick fix for 
feeling warm and cozy again. The body
lets us know it needs an immediate
serotonin boast. Sugars and carbohydrates
are the perfect quick fix. They release a
brief burst of serotonin.

Unfortunately, the burst of euphoria is
short lived. Sugar cravings always return.
We eat more sweets to get a serotonin hit.
Remember, this is a sure bet to fix the
problem of being down in the dumps.  

Over time, larger doses of sugar are needed
to sustain a tolerable level of serotonin
in the body. It is a downward slope headed
for the valley of depression, disease and
illness.

Why does this happen? The body begins to
produce more and more insulin in response
to the artificially high level of sugar
that is mainlined into the body from the
sweet cravings. As levels of insulin
rise, the body’s resistance to the effects
of insulin increases.

A vicious cycle is born. Increased insulin
resistance causes insulin levels to rise
higher and higher which in turn trigger
stronger and more frequent cravings for
sweets.

Another cause of sweet cravings is adrenal
fatigue which is created by sustained levels
of stress and trauma. Most people with the
symptoms of Parkinson’s have adrenal fatigue.
For some it is a chronic condition. Adrenal
fatigue also signals to the body that it
needs a sugar hit. 

I suspect that anyone with the symptoms of
Parkinson’s is especially susceptible to the
seductiveness of sugar and the attraction of
sweets during the holidays.

So you say, so what? What in the world do
I do about it? I have the answer, really.

Sugar cravings are a tough addition
to break.  It is not a question of
exerting will over desire. It is a
problem rooted in hormonal imbalances
in the body The solution involves
bringing the body back into balance. 

Before I say more, I must first eat my
pumpkin pie with whipped cream.
After all, it is the holidays. Check in
tomorrow for the answer since I
already know I will be too tired
and depressed after eating my pie
to write the second part of this article.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

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