May 2019

VOLUME 23, ISSUE 5 ·MAY 2019
“Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.” — Oscar Wylde
BALANCING BLOOD SUGAR
by Sara J. Pluta
Do any of these sound familiar?
• If you miss a meal, you are irritable
and even a little shaky.
• You feel much better after eating.
• You crave sugar or processed
carbohydrates often.
• You find it difficult to lose weight.
• You find it challenging to concentrate
and stay focused.
• You feel fatigued, especially in the
afternoon.
• You constantly feel thirsty.
• You feel jittery, nervous, or moody
for no real reason.
• You have trouble sleeping
through the night.
If you answered, ‘Yes, that’s me!’ then
your blood sugar may be out of balance.
While it takes some effort, it’s
totally possible to regulate your blood
sugar which will help to up your
IN THIS ISSUE
Natural Support for the Irritable
Bowel Syndrome
US ON
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energy level, revitalize your mood,
increase your productivity, and reduce
sugar cravings.
Blood Sugar Basics
Blood sugar or blood glucose is sugar
that is found in the bloodstream and
is carried to the cells to supply them
with energy. Blood sugar is lowest
in the morning before you eat and
fluctuates throughout the day. After
food is eaten, insulin is secreted by
the pancreas as a reaction to sugar
in the bloodstream. Insulin is a vital
part of metabolism and without it you
would not be alive.
Insulin plays a role in managing
how the body uses digested food for
energy and enables glucose to be
absorbed by the cells. It’s important
we don’t overburden the pancreas by
eating a diet high in sugar, processed
carbohydrates, and sweetened beverages,
requiring it to secrete insulin
in excess. Too much sugar in the
bloodstream on a regular basis can
eventually lead to insulin resistance,
which can progress further to
pre-diabetes and eventually type 2
diabetes.
Normal Numbers
According to the American Diabetes
Association, blood sugar is measured
in terms of milligrams of sugar per
dL of blood.
Healthy, fasted at least 8 hours –
70-99 mg/dL
Healthy, eaten in the last 2 hours –
less than 140 mg/dL
Until recently, sugar was a small
part of the diet, mostly coming
from natural sources like fruits and
starchy vegetables. According to the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
sugar intake has increased drastically,
with added sugars accounting for an
estimated 14 percent of total energy
intake. This is not a sweet situation!
When we eat foods high in sugar, a
release of dopamine occurs. Dopamine
Continued On Page 2
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BALANCING BLOOD SUGAR — Continued from Page 1
Developing Healthy Habits
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is the neurotransmitter that controls
reward and pleasure. The more
sugar you eat, the more your body
needs to have the same pleasurable
sensation. This can lead to a vicious
cycle of sugar addiction. Another
reason (aside from how delicious
it tastes) quitting sugar can be so
challenging.
And yet with millions of Americans
suffering from some form of insulin
resistance and with diabetes now
affecting one in three Americans,
it is vital we start making changes
now. Fortunately, we do have control
over our lifestyle choices, particularly
nutrition, an important ingredient
in balancing our blood sugar.
How to Maintain Normal Blood
Sugar
1. Avoid foods and beverages that
spike blood sugar. These include
processed sugar, breads, pasta,
white rice, crackers, cookies,
candies, soda, fruit juice and
dried fruit. Choose unprocessed
foods in their whole form.
2. Eat balanced meals that contain
protein, fat and some complex
carbohydrates with fiber. These
help to encourage the glucose
from the meal to enter the
blood stream more slowly. Think
sweet potatoes with the skin on,
grass-fed meats, wild-caught
fish, eggs, full-fat dairy, nuts
and seeds, legumes and most
vegetables.
3. Rather than eating one or two
big meals per day which can
cause bigger shifts in blood sugar,
smaller, more frequent balanced
meals help to maintain steadier
blood sugar levels. Snacks like
a handful of almonds, a hardboiled
egg, a piece of beef jerky,
or half of an apple with peanut
butter are ideal. Try not to get
too hungry, however, there is no
need to eat constantly.
4. Eat breakfast. With all the hype
on fasting, skipping breakfast is
becoming more popular. While
fasting has its own benefits, for
someone looking to balance
blood sugar, it is smarter to eat
a breakfast with protein and fat
within an hour of waking.
5. Make sure you are getting
enough protein. When we eat
protein at every meal, it helps to
slow the release of glucose into
the bloodstream. Protein is vital
to cellular repair and muscle
growth.
6. Fats are your friend. Eat healthy
fats like coconut oil, butter, avocado
oil, nuts and seeds at every
Continued On Page 7
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The statements and products in this newsletter
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2 May 2019 • www.DHH.health

NATURAL SUPPORT FOR THE
IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME
by Michael T. Murray, N.D.
The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
is characterized by some combination
of abdominal pain or distension;
altered bowel function, constipation,
or diarrhea; hypersecretion of colonic
mucus; symptoms of indigestion such
as flatulence, nausea, or loss of appetite;
and varying degrees of anxiety
or depression. IBS is a functional
disorder of the large intestine. What
this means is that there is no disease
process per se or evidence of accompanying
structural defect. It simply
reflects that the digestive process is
not functioning as it should.
What causes Irritable Bowel
Syndrome?
There are four main causes of IBS
that have been identified over the
years: stress, insufficient intake of
dietary fiber, food intolerance/allergy,
and meals too high in sugar.
Stress, Sleep, and Digestive Function
Stress is a big factor in disrupting gut
function. It can disrupt motility, the
rhythmic contractions of the intestine
that propel food through the digestive
tract, as well as lead to abdominal
pain and irregular bowel functions.
Strategies to decrease stress, such as
physical exercise, meditation, yoga,
and tai chi have been shown to produce
significant improvements in IBS.
Getting enough sleep each night is
also helpful. Eating in a relaxed manner
with mindfulness and thoroughly
chewing your food also helps improve
overall digestive function.
Important Dietary Factors in
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The three most important dietary
factors that contribute to IBS are food
intolerances, sugar and low dietary
fiber.
• Food allergy, sensitivities and
intolerances are a major cause
of IBS. This link has been wellknown
since the early 1900s.
More recent studies have shown
the majority of patients with IBS
(approximately two-thirds) have
at least one food intolerance,
and some have multiple allergies.
The most common offending
foods are dairy products (forty to
forty-four percent) and glutencontaining
grains (forty to sixty
percent). Many patients have
noted marked clinical improvement
when using elimination
diets that simply eliminate dairy
and sources of gluten.
• Sugar consumption contributes to
IBS in many people. After a high
sugar meal, the normal rhythmic
contractions of the gastrointestinal
tract slow down and in some
portions of the intestines stop
altogether. A diet high in refined
sugar may be the most important
contributing factor to IBS being
Continued On Page 6
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IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME — Continued from Page 4
such a common condition in the
United States.
• Dietary fiber promotes proper
colon function. Patients with
constipation are much more likely
to respond to dietary fiber than
those with diarrhea. Increasing
intake of dietary fiber from fruit
and vegetable sources rather than
grains may offer more benefit to
some individuals.
Dietary Supplements for Irritable
Bowel Syndrome
Digestive enzymes can help breakdown
large food molecules into smaller
units. When digestion is incomplete,
it leads to lots of problems with gas,
bloating and indigestion, which are
also the key symptoms in IBS. A high
potency, multi-enzyme formula can
really help relieve these symptoms.
For specific food intolerance issues
like lactose, casein, gluten and other
food components, there are digestive
enzyme products available that are
tailored for these foods. Dosage: follow
label instructions.
Berberine is an alkaloid found in
many plants, such as goldenseal
(Hydrastis canadensis) and barberry
(Berberis vulgaris). Berberine can
really help in IBS, especially if it
is due to small intestinal bacterial
overgrowth (SIBO). Several studies
suggest berberine may be effective
in IBS. In animal models, berberine
improves intestinal motility.
This action is another key goal in
patients with IBS and SIBO. In a
2015 double-blind study published
in Phytotherapy Research, 196 patients
with diarrhea predominant IBS were
randomized to receive either berberine
(200 mg) or a placebo (vitamin C
200 mg) twice a day for eight weeks.
The berberine group, but not the
placebo group, reported significant
improvement in diarrhea and less
urgency and frequency in defecation.
The berberine group also experienced
a 64.6% reduction in abdominal
pain compared with initial scores
at the end of the study. Berberine
significantly decreased the overall
IBS symptom score, anxiety score
and depression score. Lastly, and not
surprisingly, berberine was associated
with an increased quality of life score
in patients while no such change was
seen in the placebo group. Berberine
has been extensively studied in
clinical trials for supporting blood
sugar and cholesterol levels as well as
blood pressure. Dosage: 500 mg two
to three times daily before meals.
Soluble dietary fiber such as psyllium
seed husks, guar gum, or pectin,
either alone or in combination, can
be quite helpful. Dosage: 3 – 5 grams
at bedtime.
Probiotic
supplements
supplying
Lactobacillus
acidophilus and
Bifidobacteria
species. Dosage:
take a product
that will
provide 5 – 20
billion live bacteria
daily.
Final Comment
Sometimes, the person with digestive
disturbances like IBS has to become a
bit of a detective in trying to find out
possible causes as well as solutions.
The key is to keep focusing on ways
to improve digestion and not just
suppress the symptoms.
Author’s Bio:
Michael T. Murray,
N.D., has dedicated
his life to educating
physicians, patients, and
the general public on
the tremendous healing
power of nature. In addition to his
books, which have cumulative sales of
over five million copies sold, Dr. Murray
has written numerous articles for major
publications and appeared on hundreds
of radio and TV programs.
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6 May 2019 • www.DHH.health

BALANCING BLOOD SUGAR — Continued from Page 2
meal. Fats also slow the release of
glucose and make you feel fuller
longer. They help prevent a blood
sugar roller coaster.
7. Exercise regularly. Exercise forces
cells in your muscles to use up
glucose for energy and repair
which lowers blood sugar levels.
Regular exercise makes cells more
responsive to insulin. Sweat it
out!
8. Sleep like a baby. A lack of sleep
can raise stress and appetite
hormones (cortisol and ghrelin)
which make us hungry. Have you
ever noticed that when you are
sleep deprived, you crave sugary
snacks and feel hungrier?
9. Hydrate. Thirst is often confused
with hunger. Sometimes a glass
of water is all it takes to stop the
cravings for something sweet. Try
it next time you are eyeing the
candy dish at 3:00 pm.
10. Manage stress. Excess stress can
actually raise blood sugar levels
due to an increased release of
cortisol, the ‘stress hormone.’
This increase in cortisol ups our
cravings for sugary foods and
interferes with our ability to get
quality sleep.
Armed with the do’s and don’ts, here
are a few of my favorite food hacks to
help balance blood sugar.
• Turmeric – use in cooking or
supplement form for blood sugar
stability.
• Cinnamon – antioxidant rich,
delicious, superfood that naturally
lowers blood sugar.
• Apple cider vinegar, lemons and
limes – acetic and citric acid help
control fluctuations in blood
sugar when taken with meals.
• Avocados – rich in minerals, fiber
and healthy fats, as well as a
special sugar molecule that may
lower insulin levels naturally.
It does take commitment, but by
actively working to balance your
blood sugar, you’ll feel more energized,
think more clearly, and be
ready to take on the day. And, you are
taking measures to prevent progression
of more advanced issues like
insulin resistance and pre-diabetes.
Sweet!
Author’s Bio:
Sara j Pluta is a certified
health coach, free-spirited
introvert, and enthusiast
of foggy Redwood groves. Whether she
is supporting her clients on their health
journey, savoring an avocado sprinkled
with sea salt, or sitting under the moonlight,
she's thinking. A wild mind and an
active spirit are at the core of her curiosity
for life. Sara strives to bring sunshine into
the world, one ray at a time. Shine Bright!
Visit her at: www.sjpholistic.com
Facebook: facebook.com/sarajpluta/
Instagram: instagram.com/sarajpluta/
Energy dragging?
Sudden mood changes?
Trouble concentrating?
Sugar cravings?
www.DHH.health • May 2019 7

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