Complete Idiot's Guide to Conquering Fear and Anxiety

Page 118Stress, a time when your body burns up sugar very rapidly, can also quickly deplete sugar. As a result, your brain does not get enough sugar and you feel trembly,confused, spacey and anxious. You feel more anxious and agitated as well because your adrenal glands release adrenaline and cortisol to prompt your liver to releasestored sugar to stabilize your sugar level.If you suspect you may be hypoglycemic, your doctor can give you a glucose tolerance test. The following are signs of hypoglycemia:Anxiety, light­headedness, weakness, or irritability several hours following a meal, or in the middle of the night, that disappears soon after eating.An elevated mood after eating sugar that rapidly drops to depression, irritability or spaciness 20­30 minutes later.Anxiety, restlessness, and sometimes a rapid heart beat early in the morning, when your blood sugar is lowest, since you've fasted all night.If you experience anxiety or panic like symptoms three or four hours following a meal, but which go away when you eat, hypoglycemia may be the cause. In themajority of panic attack sufferers, however, low blood sugar does not necessarily correlate with panic reactions, though it can aggravate anxiety and panic reactionsfrom other causes.Fortunately, hypoglycemia can be easily overcome. To maintain a steadier blood sugar level, consume a snack between meals. Some recommend a complexcarbohydrate or protein snack, like nuts, a whole grain bagel with cheese, or a glass of orange juice. Others, like Barry Sears, recommend that to balance your insulinlevel, every meal should consist of 30 percent protein, 30 percent fat and 40 percent carbohydrates, snacks included.Your diet should avoid foods and substances that are quickly absorbed, resulting in rapid changes of glucose levels in the blood. These consist largely of:Simple sugars: candy, cookies, cakes, colas, ice cream, honey, corn syrup, molasses, high fructoseSimple starches: pasta, refined cereals, potato chips, and white bread