Sue Hardman

Nourish + Rejuvenate

hormones

Prevent osteoporosis and increase bone density

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Stop osteoporosis and strengthen your bones as you age – the 6 Do’s and Don’ts

This blog was inspired by my grandmother.

After my grandfather died my granny lived for many years on her own with her dog for company, doing everything for herself, well into her late 80’s. She really cherished her independence until the day she slipped and broke her hip, her life was never the same again. She had osteoporosis.

She was moved to an old age home so she could be taken care of. Her hip never really fully recovered and she struggled to walk properly again. She was kind of happy and cared for, but she’d lost her independence and she had to stay in the home for the rest of her life. Not an uncommon story, but I wanted to dedicate my article to her and to you, so you have essential knowledge about keeping your bones strong and healthy as you age.

When it comes to the health of your bones from the age of 35 your bone mass declines. Adopting the right strategies to prevent low bone density or osteoporosis needs to start before you get a diagnosis. In the article I’ve given you a few essentials to consider, that will help keep you strong and stable as you age.

Strong Bones – 6 Do’s and Don’ts!



The health of your bones is instrumental to your health and longevity. Bone formation peaks between the ages of 20 and 30. After the age of 35 you begin to lose bone mass unless you take action to prevent it!

We all seem to have it in our heads that we only need calcium to build healthy, strong bones. However there’s far more to the story to giving you fracture free strong bones, both now and down the road. There are other essentials components for better calcium absorption and stronger bones.

1. Physical activity – your bone is a dynamic living tissue that gets stronger when stressed and weaker when not used. So the best way to improve your bone mass is with weight-bearing exercise, strength training and improving your coordination and balance (with yoga or Tai Chi).

Weight-bearing exercise includes walking, running, dancing and stair climbing. Strength trainer-718x581ctraining (lights weights or using your own body weight) has been found to prevent falls—the most common cause of hip and wrist fractures— when you get older. Swimming and cycling are less effective for maintaining strong bones because they are not weight-bearing.

Try to get 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity daily, including weight-bearing exercise, strength training (at least twice a week), and activities that improve balance to help prevent falls.

2. Calcium – You need 1,000 mg under the age of 50 and 1,200 mg over the age of 50.

700mg a day = eat a handful of almonds, an orange or a serving of broccoli. Other good sources include sardines and sesame seeds.

3. Key nutrients or co-factors are necessary to support the absorption of Calcium into your bones.

a) Vitamin D – is essential.  If you’ve not had much sunlight exposure you might be deficient. You can also get it from foods such as oily fish and egg yolks. About 400IU/day

b) The support of probiotics. A recent research study found women 48 and older who took a probiotic supplement for at least eight weeks improved their bone density by 36%, compared to those who didn’t take a probiotic.

c) Omega 3 – found in flax, oily fish and chia seeds increases the absorption of calcium plus omega 3 is anti-inflammatory. To much inflammation stimulates the bone dissolving cells (osteoclasts).

d) Vitamin K – is a fat-soluble vitamin found in broccoli, cauliflower and green leafy veg. It’s needed to make a protein that’s essential for your bone formation. A study found that those who consumed moderate or high amounts of vitamin K from vegetables had a 30% lower risk of hip fractures than women consuming little or none. Only 100-150mg per day is needed, 500mg of kale gives you your daily portion.

e) Magnesium intake regulates calcium absorption into the bones and approximately 50% of total body magnesium is found in your bone. Calcium and magnesium work together like 2 sides of a coin. If you consume a 1,000 mg of calcium per day, then you need at least 500-800 mg of magnesium.

4. Mediterranean diet – latest research shows your skeleton needs a wide range of nutrients to stay young, several studies have found that higher intakes of fruits and vegetables, particularly those rich in potassium, are associated with lower risk of fractures.

Eat a minimum of 7 servings of a variety of different coloured fruits or vegetables daily. Olive oil can raise your blood levels of osteocalcin a marker of strong bones. The antioxidant Lycopene found in tomato can help reduce fractures.

5. Another reason to eat your vegetables – is your diet acidic or alkaline? Calcium is stored in your skeleton and is used to neutralise acids in the body. 

Dr Susan Lanham-558985_570293236324447_1832435506_nNew, professor at the University of Surrey, completed an analysis of clinical trials of the alkaline diet and its potential benefits. ‘An alkaline diet would be beneficial to all women as it appears to help conserve calcium and benefits muscle, heart and bone function.’ 

Acid forming diets are rich in grains, proteins and diary will leach calcium from your bones, fruit & vegetables are classed as alkaline and reverse this process in your body.

6. What to drink? Try to reduce caffeine as it’s diuretic effects increases the amount of calcium you excrete for several hours after we drink it. 

Research also shows that caffeine may interfere with the absorption of Vitamin D. Since Vitamin D is necessary for the body’s absorption and use of calcium. 

Avoid fizzy drinks, they contain phosphoric acid which interferes with calcium absorption.

The good news for wine lovers – Oregon state University suggest a small glass of wine with dinner may be good for bones, but that’s in moderation of course go – overboard and it has the reverse effect.

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If you’re struggling with any kind of  imbalance, tiredness, low energy, hormonal or wanting to lose your excess weight. I’ve  put together a FREE guide for you, so you can start to learn how and why specific foods, and drinks, can help you have more energy and lose weight naturally. 

You’ll find it is easy to add these ingredients into your diet on a daily basis – get your downloadable guide here

In fact, at the end, I’m going to share one simple recipe you can make in under five minutes that incorporates all of these foods.

5foods-loss-weight

Get your copy of the FREE guide:
5 Foods that will help boost Your Energy Levels and Lose Weight Naturally.

 

HERE

 

Glowing Skin Is An Inside Job

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The Essential’s To Having Healthy, Glowing Skin

We’ve all heard the expression “you are what you eat”, and your skin is no exception. Glowing skin isn’t just an outside job.

As a Naturopath, I’ve had first hand experience with acne in my teens and twenties, along with bad skin pigmentation when I was pregnant.

I also believe that we can do a lot to reduce the effects of ageing and actually regenerate our skin. I’ve seen first-hand that your skin is a mirror of your internal health. The right nutrients can make all the difference; especially as we age…they’re essential to glowing skin.

Simple Fact:  Your skin is your largest organ. It’s your protective covering and your first line of defence to fight illness and disease. It is also a passageway to your bloodstream. That being said, what you apply topically on your skin, as well as what you eat, will affect the overall health & appearance of your skin.

So let’s get started from the inside out.

A quote from a well known skin doctor: “Certain foods have powerhouse ingredients that keep skin supple and smooth and help fight age-related damage”, says Nicholas Perricone, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and author of “Ageless Face, Ageless Mind”.

First off, we need to HYDRATE the skin. That means drinking plenty of water. You need at least the recommended 6-8 glasses/day. If you are physically active, live in a warm climate, or feel thirsty, you may need to up your daily intake. Also, as we age, skin tends to become dehydrated a lot more quickly, causing it to wrinkle, so ample hydration is key.

Eat your superfoods! If it’s good for your health, it’s good for your skin too! Some examples:

  • Stress relieving foodOmega-3 fatty acids are found in fatty fish, such as herring, sardines, and salmon. Other sources of omega-3s include flaxseeds & walnuts. Omega-3s are known to decrease inflammation and may reduce the risk of acne and other skin problems.
  • Vitamin C helps produce collagen & prevents cells from damage caused by free radicals. Great sources are oranges, pineapples, tomato, strawberries, & bell peppers.
  • Vitamin E helps limit sun damage & signs of aging. Avocados and Almonds are a terrific source of Vitamin E.
  • Vitamin A revitalises skin by increasing cell production and rebuilds tissue. Eggs and dark leafy greens are good choices.
  • Beta-Carotene is needed for growth & repair of tissue. It is found in abundance in orange foods like carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, and cantaloupe.
  • Other fabulous foods to include to boost your skin health:  dark leafy vegetables, avocados, mushrooms, berries, and, surprise, surprise dark chocolate.

Did you know that your skin is a “breathable” organ? 
Up to 60% of what you apply topically on your skin will be absorbed into your bloodstream, and children absorb even more than that!!!!

Imagine that products you’ve been using for years actually contain harmful ingredients and could damage your health. If so, your first instinct would be to find a healthier alternative, pronto!

Heightened awareness and potential dangers have caused consumers to take a closer look at what they put on their skin and demand safer alternatives.

Many cosmetic companies do NOT list their ingredients, aka toxic chemicals, because they are not required to do so. Several of these toxic chemicals are linked to a host of problems including:  allergies, skin rashes, cancer, headaches, fertility & reproductive issues, birth defects, hormone inhibitors, and more.

Some toxic chemicals that should be avoided:

  • Parabens – often found in many personal care products. parabens are hormone inhibitors & believed to accelerate tumor growth
  • Artificial fragrance & color – may trigger allergies, asthma, and some colors contain lead & harmful dyes
  • Toulene – found in nail polish, hair color products, and some fragrances, this chemical is linked to kidney & liver damage, which may affect fetal growth
  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate/Sodium Laureth Sulfate – a foaming agent found in shampoos and body/facial washes, it dries out the skin & is linked to eczema, hair- loss, rashes, and dry and scaly skin. (not to mention the effect on fish that are exposed when it ends the water system)
  • Formaldehyde – used as a preservative, formaldehyde is known by several different names & should be avoided at all costs, as the side effects are numerous
  • PEG’s – found in numerous skin & personal care products, this is anti-freeze and should be used in for your car, not your skin!
  • Paraffin/Mineral Oil/Petrolatum – clogs pores, causing toxic build-up ( favourite in baby oil and found in vaseline!)
  • Phthalates – found in plastics, it is a known hormone disruptor
  • Triclosan – used in anti-bacterial products, it is a pesticide, harmful to the environment, and a suspected carcinogenic
  • Sunscreens –Google some of those ingredients and you will see that they cause possible damage to DNA and many are known carcinogens

*****Of course, there are more, but you get the point. If you wouldn’t EAT it, it doesn’t belong on your SKIN.*****

 

If you’re struggling with any kind of hormone imbalance, tiredness, low energy or wanting to lose your excess weight. I’ve  put together a FREE guide for you, so you can start to learn how and why specific foods, and drinks, can help you have more energy and lose weight naturally. 

You’ll find it is easy to add these ingredients into your diet on a daily basis – get your downloadable guide here

In fact, at the end, I’m going to share one simple recipe you can make in under five minutes that incorporates all of these foods.

5foods-loss-weight

Get your copy of the FREE guide:
5 Foods that will help boost Your Energy Levels and Lose Weight Naturally.

HERE

Health and happiness,

Sue

Stress, Cortisol & Weight Gain

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Do You Need To Flip Off The Cortisol – Stress Switch?

Over the last 40 years rates of depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia have soared and the World Health Organisation is saying that these problems are the biggest threat to our health.

Stress releases cortisol in your body, and of course cortisol has both a positive and negative effect on your body.  We wouldn’t survive if it wasn’t for the positive effect of cortisol.Reduce stress

Cortisol is the main stress hormone that is made in your adrenal glands and it’s designed to get you out of danger, you feel the positive vibe of cortisol and adrenalin– releasing extra energy, getting you focused, it raises blood sugar (to feed muscles fight or flight), raises blood pressure, and modulates your immune function.

Unfortunately many of us live with chronic daily stresses and so live with constantly high cortisol levels and your body ceases to experience the positive aspects of cortisol and if these high levels are sustained this is when the problems start occurring.

Stress is triggered by a huge range of psychological factors and external events. We can become stressed by relationships, by work, by finances, and by our thoughts of what we think may or may not have happened.

Daily stress of any sort sends your bodies into the “fight or flight” mode, releasing adrenaline and cortisol.

Cortisol releases extra energy for us to deal efficiently with the physical effort involved in fighting or fleeing, but when that effort doesn’t come, the extra energy (in the form of glucose and fat) just gets re-deposited as fat – around the middle.

Why there?  It’s close to the liver where it can quickly be converted back into energy when needed.

A lean man or woman of normal weight can even have to much fat around the centre of their bodies as a result of the stress hormone – cortisol.

Fat cells in the belly have four times more cortisol receptors compared to fat cells elsewhere.

A study done by Nuffield Health found that women with thicker waists are at higher risk of various cancers as well as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

If you have a high level of stress then you will be particularly at risk of the dreaded muffin top and stress keeps feeding the muffin top as your cortisol stays high.How-To-Get-Rid-Of-Muffin-Top-In-2-Weeks

Increased abdominal fat, is associated with more health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body.

There’s another hormone that is released due to stress. High levels of blood sugar released by cortisol, trigger the pancreas to release the hormone insulin.

This tells your body to store fat and triggers a craving for something sweet and fatty like chocolate.  So rest assured that it is
not just weakness that draws you towards the fridge – it’s physical urge.

Abdominal fat cells have many receptors for cortisol, if you’re very stressed and have high levels of cortisol, your abdominal fat cells will be calling out for it, encouraging your body to store more fat there, which explains why fat accumulates so readily in that part of the body.

For a start you can control your blood sugar roller coaster and this will help reduce the amount of stress hormones that are being released and helping you feel calmer in yourself.

High or Excessive cortisol levels can create a broad range of undesirable side effects:

Physical Signs

Emotional 
Signs

Additional

Signs

-Muscle weakness

-Chronic fatigue

-Obesity

–Digestive problems

-Excess belly fat

 – Nervousness
– Anxiety
– Depression
– Irritability
– Craving carbs
– Insomnia
– Difficulty falling asleep

= Emotional over-eaters

– Illness after completing a project
– Sick on vacation
– Mental preoccupation with a  stressful event

6 things you can do straight away to support yourself and balance your cortisol levels

Stress relieving food
1) Eat fresh, healthy food as close as possible to the original source. Loads of veggies. Avoid refined carbs and sugar.

2) Find out which supplements can support you –

Certain nutrients such as the B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium and essential fatty acids can be extremely helpful if stress is a problem as they will help boost the functioning of your adrenal glands.

You should be getting these nutrients from your healthy diet but if you are under stress you might want to add in more B vitamins, found in nuts and whole grains, essential fats found in oily fish, nuts and seeds, and plenty of vitamin C found in vimages-15eggies & fruit.

When you’re stressed you use more vitamin C and magnesium than at any other time, and it is vital for keeping your immune system strong.  Women who are deficient in the antioxidant mineral selenium, also experience feelings of depression and anxiety.  Selenium if found in fish and shellfish, whole grains, avocados.

3) Use natures’ own plant medicine –  nervine and adaptogen herbs like Scuttelaria, Passiflora, Ginseng or Rhodiola.

4) Get your cortisol levels tested. Know your levels and measure – where are they to high or to low? These can easily be addressed with the proper support.

5) Exercise –  is good and changes the levels of hormones in the blood and it can elevate the mood, affecting brain chemicals. Find time to do simple exercise daily.

6) Deep, long  and restful sleep is essential for recharging your energy levels. A proper sleep relaxes both your body and the mind. It will improve your mood and give you the ability to deal with daily stress.

7) Spending time in fun, positive environments to boost your ‘feel good’ hormones – with your family and friends, spend some time close to nature.

8) You need to get out of the sympathetic mode (fight or flight and stress) and as often as you can into the parasympathetic mode (rest and digest i.e. calm, relaxed). Try breathing exercises, meditation, pilates, walking in nature, yoga and prayer. There are several scientific studies that provide solid information about the physical and psychological health benefits of meditation and prayer.

Stress and relaxation

Dr. Herbert Benson, a cardiovascular specialist at Harvard Medical School and a pioneer in the field of mind/ body medicine discovered what he calls “the relaxation response,” which occurs during periods of prayer and meditation. At such times, the body’s metabolism decreases, the heart rate slows, blood pressure goes down, and our breath becomes calmer and more regular.

The body responds with slower brain waves, and feelings of control, tranquil alertness and peace of mind. This is significant because Benson estimates that over half of all doctor visits in the U.S. are prompted by illnesses, like depression, high blood pressure, ulcers and migraine headaches, that are caused at least in part by elevated levels of stress and anxiety.

If you are still scratching your head, don’t let it discourage you!!! It can take time to learn and get in the swing of things.

 

If you’re struggling with any kind of hormone imbalance, tiredness, low energy or wanting to lose your excess weight. I’ve  put together a FREE guide for you, so you can start to learn how and why specific foods, and drinks, can help you have more energy and lose weight naturally. 

You’ll find it is easy to add these ingredients into your diet on a daily basis – get your downloadable guide here

In fact, at the end, I’m going to share one simple recipe you can make in under five minutes that incorporates all of these foods.

5foods-loss-weight

Get your copy of the FREE guide:
5 Foods that will help boost Your Energy Levels and Lose Weight Naturally.

HERE

Flax Seeds – Why You Should Use Daily

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A daily dose of Flax Seeds – provide you with Omega 3’s and help to balance your hormones

Why are flax seeds so good for everyone – in particular helping women balance their hormones?

Flax seeds are very high in lignans or phyto-oestrogens and bear a strong resemblance to the female hormone oestrogen in shape, structure, and some functionality. Phyto-eostrogens are plant compounds that have very mild oestrogenic effects that can be used to modulate the influence of the body’s excess oestrogenic hormones on body tissues. Phyto-oestrogens help with hormone imbalance and may help prevent many types of cancer, such as breast, colon and prostate cancer The flax seed plant contains a higher concentration of photo -oestrogen lignans than any other food.

Aside from the lignans flaxseds are loaded with the best source of vegetarian essential fatty acid Omega-3 (or ALA) essential to our health and wellbeing.  More than that, our bodies can’t produce these fatty acids on their own. So you have to get them as part of your diet.

Flaxseed contains a perfect balance of omega-3’s and omega-6’s which work to form the membranes of every cell in your body and play a vital role in the active tissues of your brain.

Flaxseeds can also improve the quality of your hair, nails, and skin, as well as helping you to lose weight or bulk up, and it lowers cholesterol, blood pressure and prevents arthritis and cancers.

Flax seed also really helps the digestive system creating an ease of bowel movement combatting constipation. One of the great benefits also is the help flaxseed can bring during the menopause.

What else do Flax seeds Help You With?
– Contain complete proteins  (it has all the essential amino acids your body needs)
– High in minerals like potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc and B vitamins
– Important role in the metabolism of fat
– Full of both soluble and insoluble fibre (you need both types),
– Flaxseeds contribute to an alkaline pH balance in the body

Research Backs Flax Benefits
Recent research indicates that flaxseed may have the ability to reduce blood pressure, lower level of harmful cholesterol, offer both estrogen-like and anti-estrogenic effects, and is being studied for its ability to protect against cancer.

Follow up studies show that just 2-3 tablespoons of flax daily can help up to 2/3rds of severely depressed women bounce back within eight weeks. Flax, says Udo Erasmus, PhD, has a mood boosting ingredient: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that is essential for the proper function of brain cells, yet up to 85% of women aren’t getting enough of it.

How to store flax seeds
The best way to keep a fresh supply of flaxseeds either ground or whole is to store them in an airtight container in the freezer and use them as you need them.Flax seeds

How to use flax seeds
For both hormone health and general health, it’s a good idea to have 1-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds a day, preferably added to other foods like breakfast cereals, soups, salads, yoghurt.

Here are some ideas:
1. Add to cereals, oats or porridge, topped with fruit and cinnamon
2. Sprinkle on salads, along with ground/whole pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds
3. Add to your soup (add at the very end, so that heat doesn’t destroy the essential fatty acids)
4. Sprinkle on baked peaches, custard, rice pudding or fruit and yoghurt just before serving
5. Add to fruit smoothies or green / vegetable smoothies

If you’re struggling with any kind of hormone imbalance, tiredness, low energy or wanting to lose your excess weight. I’ve  put together a FREE guide for you, so you can start to learn how and why specific foods, and drinks, can help you have more energy and lose weight naturally. 

You’ll find it is easy to add these ingredients into your diet on a daily basis – get your downloadable guide here

In fact, at the end, I’m going to share one simple recipe you can make in under five minutes that incorporates all of these foods.

5foods-loss-weight

Get your copy of the FREE guide:
5 Foods that will help boost Your Energy Levels and Lose Weight Naturally.

 

HERE

Broccoli essential for hormones and your liver

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You’re Liver Will Love You If You Eat More Broccoli (and Brassicas)

What’s it with this tradition of having Brussels sprouts ( same family as broccoli) at Christmas? Love them or hate them? It seems you can’t have a traditional Christmas dinner without them, at least in many parts of the world.

There is a reason that they are a great addition to a meal – read on!

So if you’re not partial to Brussel sprouts, include other members of the Brassica family – broccoli, kale, cauliflower, rocket and cabbage (basically means cabbage) family.

So, why eat brassicas anyway?
Brassicas contain good substances (I3Cs – indole-3-carbinols, DIM and glucosinolates) which help boost the liver’s ability to eliminate and deal with unwanted toxins that we consume – including alcohol and chemicals. Even unwanted hormones!

Liver support
Your liver is your waste disposal unit – it works hard to process and metabolise toxins and hormones, thereby making them safe to be eliminated. The liver needs good quality fuel in the form of nutrients to work efficiently.

Brassicas are nearly unrivaled as a food source for activating glutathione (the mother of all antioxidants) and supporting detoxification of many chemical substances through your liver.  Also, be sure to also include plenty of antioxidants from brightly coloured, fruit and vegetables with the brassicas.

What’s The Role of Brassicas in Hormone Balance
For women the reason these veggies are so vital is that they can help do amazing things in for your body. They actually help promote healthy levels of ‘good’ oestrogens and help remove ‘bad’ oestrogens from the body.

It’s the livers critical role to keeping your hormones in balance, by eliminating the excess oestrogens. The liver uses the I3C’s and diindolylmethane (DIM) in this process.

The wrong kind of oestrogen could be the reason you’re having problems like migraines, food cravings, PMS, infertility, heavy periods, fibroids, endometriosis and other issues related to the female reproductive system.

Nutrient Rich
The brassicas are powerhouses of nutrients including vitamin C, vitamin K, all the B vitamins and carotenoids. Those in the know will say that one could hardly consume enough of these veg in one day to reap all the health benefits, with evidence in both cancer research and liver detoxification.

Brassicas are also very beneficial for the immune, digestive and cardiovascular systems due to their high volume of fibre.

Anti-ageing and Metabolism Boost [Hot off the press]
Scientists have discovered a natural compound NMN found in broccoli, cabbage (edamame, avocado, and cucumber) that has “fantastic anti-ageing effects in mice” – and  that could work on humans. (They’ve now started trialing this with humans)

So far, they’ve seen numerous positive effects on mice – their level of physical activity increased, bone density and muscles improved, the immune system and liver performed better, their eyesight improved and they even lost weight.

As animals get older, they produce less NAD which is involved in energy production in the body. They gave mice NMN to see if this would boost levels of NAD and have a rejuvenating effect.

Asked if this worked, lead researcher Professor Shin-ichiro Imai, of Washington University in St Louis, said: “The answer is basically yes. As a matter of fact, NMN has remarkable anti-ageing effects in mice.”

So watch this space and all the more reason to keep eating broccoli!

Try this delicious Red Cabbage Salad Recipe
My suggestion is to have your fill of brassica veg this Christmas and support your liver. It might be working harder than usual.

A Word For If You Have Thyroid Issues

In the past those with thyroid issues may have been told that the goitrogens, found in the brassicas, can do their body more harm than good.

A recent assessment published in Nutrition Review looked at the evidence and found – that the usual daily intake is far lower than what could ever negatively affect your thyroid.

This is especially true if you cook them, as it de-activates the goiterogen.
Many doctors, including the most renowned thyroid experts, would say that it’s nearly impossible to consume enough goitrogens to become a real problem. This is true unless the foods highest in this plant chemical ie. Russian/Siberian kale, some collards, and Brussels sprouts, turnips and rutabagas – are eaten daily, as a staple and in the presence of iodine deficiency.

In fact, you’d have to consume over one kilogram of un-cooked or raw vegetables every day for several months before you developed symptoms.

So, yes you can safely enjoy Brassica vegetables, which is good news for you as they really are associated with a wide range of health benefits.

Is The Blood Sugar Rollercoaster Impacting Your Energy Levels?

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Isn't it remarkable that every choice we make, every habit we cultivate, contributes to the grand masterpiece that is our health? True, some days are tougher than others, but remember, health is a symphony, not a solo.
 
Each part plays a role in creating harmony. With that said, let's uncover one piece of this symphony today—your blood sugar levels.

Understanding and addressing how this influence on your energy can help you compose a beautiful score for your health journey.

Blood Sugar Spikes and Energy Levels - The Hidden Connection

Have you ever been hit by a sudden wave of exhaustion, despite a full night's rest? It's possible that your blood sugar levels are playing a significant role in this energy depletion.Let's dive into how fluctuations in blood sugar can impact your vitality and leave you feeling fatigued.


The Energy Rollercoaster


Sudden spikes in blood sugar followed by rapid drops can lead to hypoglycemia - a state of low blood sugar.

 
This sudden plunge can leave you feeling weak, fatigued, and even dizzy.

It's as if your energy levels are on a rollercoaster ride and the end station is exhaustion.

The Toll of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

When blood sugar isn't well-regulated, it can lead to chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress within your body. These conditions disrupt cellular functions and interfere with the pathways that produce energy, often resulting in feelings of lethargy and fatigue.

Sleep Quality and Blood Sugar

High blood sugar levels can compromise your sleep qualit

High blood sugar levels can compromise your sleep quality by interfering with the body's natural sleep-wake cycle. This disturbance can cause frequent awakenings during the night and leave you feeling drained the next day.

Nutrient Absorption and Energy Production

Imbalances in blood sugar can hinder your body's ability to absorb and utilise essential nutrients like B vitamins and magnesium, both crucial for energy production.

Without these nutrients, your body struggles to generate and use energy effectively, which can result in fatigue.

Hormonal Imbalances and Energy Levels

Disruptions in your blood sugar regulation, especially with conditions like insulin resistance, can offset the delicate balance of hormones in your body. This imbalance can affect cortisol, the stress-regulating hormone, and your sex hormones, both of which play crucial roles in energy regulation.
 
By maintaining balanced blood sugar levels, you're taking a significant step towards banishing fatigue and embracing a more vibrant, energetic life. 

If you need support in managing your blood sugar levels and overcoming fatigue, book a free discovery call – send me an email tosue@suehardman.com We're here to help you on your journey to health and vitality.

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Here are some benefits of B Vitamins for energy support:

Boost Energy Production: B Vitamins are essential for converting dietary nutrients into ATP, the energy currency of the cells.

Support Nervous System Health: These vitamins support the health of your nervous system, which directly influences energy levels.

Promote Heart Health: By reducing homocysteine levels, a risk factor for heart disease, B Vitamins contribute to overall cardiovascular health and endurance.

Enhance Mood and Cognitive Function: Adequate B Vitamins intake is associated with improved mood and cognitive function, influencing your overall energy levels and well-being.

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