•  Fatigue
•  Moodiness and Cravings
•  Weight Gain
•  Headaches
•  Hyperactivity/Attention Problems
•  Allergies

If so, your body might be telling you it is having a problem metabolizing sugar. Sugar, as it is used here, means any food or beverage that gets metabolized by your body as sugar. This includes not only refined sugars, but also pastas, breads, potatoes, cereals and others.

Sugar Metabolism

Sugar metabolism can be dysfunctional in three ways: hypoglycemic, which means blood sugar levels tend to be too low; hyperglycemic, where sugar levels are too high; and oppostic, in which sugar levels fluctuate very rapidly showing no tendency toward one level. Medical tests are very effective in determining the body's gross ability to handle sugar at the time of testing, but not as effective in measuring how the body deals with sugar from day to day and taking into account the vast diversity of individuals' diets. It is for this very reason that many of the above signals are dis­missed, and their origins never determined.

If you look at the diet fads of the last five to seven years, the general theme has been Low fat/No fat. If this was the ultimate answer to obesity then why are obesity levels higher than ever today? Why has the rate of adult onset dia­betes increased? And why do an increasing number of people suffer from chronic fatigue syn­drome and fibromyalgia, which is the adult onset of allergies that can sometimes be debilitating in nature, and even progress to an asthmatic state in some cases?

How It Works

As stated earlier, blood sugar levels can either be high, low; high and low; or normal with mild fluctuations. Several organs are responsible for maintaining a healthy level of sugar in the blood: the liver acts as the coach of the "team;" the pancreas is responsible for lowering blood sugar levels; and the adrenals, glands on the kidneys, raise blood sugar levels.

When we consume food, digestion begins immediately in the mouth where a series of reactions start to break down the food. If the food consumed is a sugar (any of the foods listed at the beginning of this article), then blood sugar levels will begin to rise, and the liver in conjunction with the pancreas will release substances to lower the level before it gets too high. Likewise, if sugar levels go too low, the adrenal glands, through a series of reactions with the liver, will release sugar from storage to raise blood sugar levels

When Things Go Wrong