Anti-Stress Nutrition Programme to Improve Mood,
Health, Behaviour and Learning
By Brenda Sampson
LOW BLOOD SUGAR (HYPOGLYCEMIA)
Since glucose is the only food the brain can use, it is important to the body to keep the glucose in the blood at a fairly steady level. There are two hormones to do this. The adrenal glands secrete adrenalin to try to keep the level high enough, and the pancreas secretes insulin to try to keep it low enough. Too much glucose in the blood is very harmful.
We have been told that we need to eat sugar to give us energy; but this is not true. The body makes it own sugar from the starch and proteins that we eat, and it makes it slowly and in the right quantity. When we eat sugar, it goes into the blood quickly, and sets up a kind of tennis match or fight, between the pancreas and the adrenal glands; and in the process the pancreas seems to get the upper hand and excess insulin forces the blood sugar level too low. This is what makes people perpetually hungry for sweet things with a craving for sugar. All the time the glands are taking a thrashing. It is as if two tennis players were trapped in an advantage match that had no tie breaker but went on endlessly day in, day out, year after year.
The adrenal glands are the body's shock absorbers. When they wear out, people lose their ability to cope with life, and become allergic; but the glands can recover in time if the people change their diet and feed the body less junk food, fewer toxic chemicals, more vitamins and minerals (either in their food or as supplements), and no sugar. Also no tea, coffee, alcohol because these stimulate the adrenals to release sugar, which stimulates the pancreas to suppress it, and so the fight goes on.
The remedy for sugar craving is to eat small frequent meals of non-sweet food. Sugar craving usually occurs when one is hungry, tired or depressed. When trying to lick the sugar habit, do not let yourself get over-hungry. Instead of three meals a day with tea or coffee in between, books recommend a nourishing snack mid morning and mid afternoon; or in other words, small meals every two and half hours. Use protein foods and whole grain carbohydrates to sustain yourself and to avoid that sinking feeling that causes sugar craving. Eat them with raw fruit or raw vegetable such as carrot or celery sticks as they provide vitamins and minerals for overcoming stress. If garlic is tolerated, use it to reduce thrush, which is a likely cause of sugar craving; see note below about garlic oil capsules.
Children say that the time of day when they are hungriest is after school. One mother had a pot of meat and vegetable stew ready at 3.30 pm. Another mother who lived on a hillside, used to put meat or peanut butter sandwiches in the letterbox for her son to eat as he climbed the steps; by the time he reached the house he was in a good temper.
SUGGESTIONS FOR SMALL MEALS OR SNACKS
Whole grain breads: Baked without sugar, and with wholegrain or legume flours, wheat, rice, millet, soy, lentil, chickpea, buckwheat, etc.
Cereals: Cooked millet, brown rice, oatmeal, home-made raw muesli, any of these can be eaten with grated or chopped raw fruit.
Protein: A slice of cold cooked meat, fish or chicken; sesame, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds; salads made with cooked or soups made with dried beans, lentils or split peas; Flavour with onion, salt, pepper, grated kumara, coconut. Add a cup of flour, make a soft sloppy dough and bake in a glass casserole for an hour. (detailed recipes later in publication)
Raw fruit or raw vegetables: use any that are suitable. Some writers advise not to eat both raw fruit and raw vegetable at the same meal.
If you are trying to overcome sugar addiction, avoid eating allergic foods. Taking an allergic food causes first a rise in blood glucose level; then a sharp drop. Sugar craving is strongest when the blood glucose level is low.
Sugar craving is often a sign of yeast infection in the intestines. Garlic is an antidote to yeast infection. It can be taken either fresh or in garlic oil capsules obtainable from health shops; this remedy can help to control sugar craving.
IF YOU LOVE ME DON'T FEED ME JUNK FOOD
There are three main reasons for not feeding sugar or sweet foods to children.
1. It leads to malnutrition, since sugar contains no nutrients. Sugar metabolism uses up nutrients (vitamins, minerals and enzymes), but as sugar does not contain any of these, they are not replaced and this leads to a deficiency.
2. Eating sweets and sugar leads to a fluctuating, seesawing level of glucose in the blood, and when the level goes too low the person becomes either tired, fatigued, depressed and irritable, or aggressive or hyperactive or both.
3. Sugar is the chief food of yeast, and eating sugar encourages the development of Candida yeast infection or thrush. In large quantities the yeast can produce enough toxic wastes to poison any or all of the body's systems. When the nervous system is affected, the yeast toxins cause disturbed emotions and behaviour and learning difficulties. When metabolism is affected, food and chemical sensitivities develop.
SUGAR CRAVING AND GARLIC
A mother spoke to me with joy in her voice about the change in her school age son. He had a craving for sugar and she noticed that after eating sweet foods he became irritable, aggressive and difficult to manage. One November, his grandmother found a paperback in the Rebirth Health Shop called "Body, mind and sugar" by Abrahamson, which explains that sugar craving is caused by low blood sugar. The medical term for the condition is hyperinsulinism, meaning that the pancreas is over-reacting to sugar and producing too much insulin which forces the sugar level in the blood too low. Glucose is the main food that the brain uses, and when the brain is starved of glucose it generates negative emotions of fear, irritability, anger and aggression. The grandmother discussed the problem with Mr O'Flaherty in the health shop and he suggested that Hofel's garlic pearls might help. The boy began taking two a day, morning and evening, through the summer holidays. His sugar craving disappeared and his teacher said, "What a change in him this year! It is a pleasure to have him in the class!" Garlic is an antidote for thrush.
