Very bad sugar reactions

[Flea]

For over a week now I've been really hyper-sensitive to sugar. I can't put any in my tea, and I even have energy crashes when I eat bread. I've been crashing up to three times a day. Yesterday I got a gift from a friend I hadn't seen in several months - a fudge brownie from a gourmet bakery. I took a courtesy bite, and it tasted indescribably foul. This situation is starting to make me nervous.

I feel like I don't know what to eat any more. I don't want bread at all. Every energy crash sends me deeper into the protein sector of my diet - lots of burgers and protein/green shakes. I've also made a lot of omelets. I do have a big bag of fresh spinach and lots of fresh fruit, and I take a multi. I have a big pan of brown rice that I've been using to pad out a couple of chicken stews from my freezer.

I mentioned all this to my MA teacher the other day, and he made the interesting point that the training has increased my own body awareness exponentially (no kidding!) So it may be that nothing has actually changed internally, but that I'm more able to discern signals that my body has been sending me all along.

Naturally I went to my doctor, and she's ordered some blood work to rule things out - anemia, hypoglycemia, a few other factors. My city YMCA has a nutritionist on staff, so I've scheduled a meeting with her too.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Especially on the "what to eat" conundrum.

Thanks in advance,

Shug

 

[jks9199]

Wait for the word from the docs. The "you're more aware now" is crap, from what you're saying. Or at least that's my opinion. We're generally hardwired to like sweetness, and you're not talking "can't stand the taste of artificial sweeteners" or "pastries are too sweet now." You're saying sugar is tasting foul, and just about any sugars send you into a crash. Get that bloodwork down; it may be something's off in your insulin production or something like that. (Recall, please, I'm not a doctor, so my guess my be wildly off! That's why I'm saying talk to the folks who do know! And, if you know any, maybe talk to a holistic type doctor, too...)

 

[Ken Morgan]

Finally you went to the Dr's!!

You can never go wrong with fruits, veggies and protein. Wheat products and sugars are not necessary, no matter how much we love them.

Yeah, I'd wait to see what the blood tests come back as. If everything is good, and you're eating enough calories, specifically good calories, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

If you so want, introduce sugars, wheat products or such into your diet in small amounts, and see how your body reacts to each, then act accordingly.

 

[CoryKS]

Wait to see what your doctor says because if this just started happening out of nowhere you could have something going on.

That said, if you have been hitting the eggs, burgers and spinach hard lately, is it possible that you've gone into ketosis?

Reason I ask is that I started a ketogenic diet last week, and that's pretty much what I've been eating. Eggs, cheeseburgers, fish, lots of spinach and other vegetables. 65% fat, 30% protein, 5% carbs. I'm intending to do a cyclic variation so I can keep my energy up for MA and other stuff, but I don't do the first refeed until next weekend so I can't say if that's what you are experiencing.

Disclaimer: IANA doctor or a nutritionist.

 

[Carol]

That said, if you have been hitting the eggs, burgers and spinach hard lately, is it possible that you've gone into ketosis?

That is what I was thinking as well.

 

[xJOHNx]

Although I respect MA's about the sometimes amazing facts they can do with their body and the equally amazing coordination/perception they have.. They are not doctors or nutritionist. So their advice should be taken with a mountain of salt.


I don't want to scare you, but diabetics also tend to crash when they consume too much sugar... Let your doctor check it out!

 

[girlbug2]

Yes what Ken said! Wheat and sugar are filler calories. I went grain free years ago and it's amazing the difference in my wellbeing. The few people I convinced to try going wheat-free reported similar results--more energy, joint pain all but disappeared. I want to find a bumper sticker that says "No grain, no pain"!

 

[Brian King]

Flea, how much breath work have you been doing lately?

Changing tastes:

It is not uncommon for people to develop taste reactions while and after doing intensive breath work. One of the Systema instructors…’the flying Dutchman’ was a real coffee drinker enjoying cups in the morning and the evening. After one of the breathing seminars in Toronto he no longer enjoyed the taste of coffee, still liked tea but no longer liked coffee. Another person really enjoyed wine; she was very knowledgeable about wine and had her favorites. When I say she had her favorites I am not saying that she just knew which vintage but actually had cases of each favorite stored for later enjoyment. After doing a bunch of breath work she no longer likes the taste of wine. LOL disliking coffee is bad but not that big of a deal but the wine was an investment and money and time already spent. Not sure what she did with all the wine she had. I myself hated broccoli and applauded loudest when then President Bush made his statement about being President now and not having to eat his broccoli. Do you remember that incident? Broccoli growers sent semi truck loads of broccoli to him after he mentioned he did not like broccoli. He thanked them and gave every piece to the homeless shelters. My line became if the President doesn’t have to eat this stuff neither do I. Even the smell of broccoli would make me gag. After Toronto I noticed that the smell no longer makes me react and some broccoli came with a after the seminar dinner with a bunch of friends…what do you know but I now like broccoli.


Body awareness “crap”:

Years ago I had a friend that in his middle or late twenties went into a coma and was in the hospital critical care for a number of days. Turns out he was diabetic and did not know it. He had zero body awareness and had no idea that anything was wrong but slipped into a coma and if his girlfriend had not come home from work and found him asleep during the day and calling an ambulance when she could not wake him he would have died. Body awareness is important and can be trained.

If you have been doing the ‘permutation’ type of breathing- tension/relaxation exercises Flea, (the most common one is the inhale suspend exhale suspend while tensing muscles tendons or nerves usually in waves from one part of the body to another) these type of exercises are a great way to learn how to use breath to control and help all seven of your bodies physiological systems. If you are practicing correctly you will develop body awareness that goes much deeper and fuller than you had prior. It is all a part of ‘Poznai Sebia’. As you train you will be learning how to pay some attention to your body, how your breathing is, what your pulse rate is (and be able to find it anywhere on your body), what is the condition of your psyche, what is the texture and taste of your saliva, what your own breath smells like as well as many other indicators and symptoms and sensations. Becoming aware of these things during training helps you to eventually become aware of them at all times. Awareness is the first step in learning how to positively affect your body’s physiological systems.

Energy crashes:

If I understand right you are trying to deal with the energy crashes by eating and diet. I do not know how deep the crashes are, or what combination of biological physiological and psychological that the crashes are from your writings. Any kind of diagnosis merely from the written word is sketchy at best. Being able to look at someone, see how they look, smell and act is major in diagnosing issues. But here is a slightly different perspective. That said there are many ways of dealing with low energy, depression, fatigue and injury and not all have to do with fuel or the act(s) of eating. People often (I am talking generically here Flea not about you personally) look to the outside to fix what is broken on the inside. Don’t feel ‘right’ they often self medicate with alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, cocaine and narcotics or excessive exercise. Others seek to supplement with dosages of vitamins or other health supplements in an effort to feel better. Some tear others down to make themselves feel better. Others will armor themselves with physical tools to make them feel better. It is interesting how many different ways people will address true or perceived weaknesses and illnesses. Oops sorry started to go off on one of those bunny trail things.

Back to energy crashes. There was an exercise that Konstantin had us do one time when we were all fatigued and distracted. To increase the energy level of the group he put one person in a center of a ring of their comrades. One person would come out and wrestle with the person in the center of the ring, after about a minute or two or three another person would join the two and also wrestle with the person in the center of the ring so now it was two against one, soon another joined then another. The job of the wrestlers was not to pin, not to submit the person in the center of the ring but to make them work, make them deal with fear, deal with pain and to deal with exhaustion and despair while having to deal with exhaustion and fear of their own. It could get up to five or seven people against one. Then right away switch the person in the center of the ring with another and repeat the process until every person in the group had a turn being in the center of the ring as well as multiple times being the wrestlers. When done with the drill everyone was enthused, energetic and chatting away like a bunch of school kids. The energy level was high and the group felt like they could conquer anything. Exercise along with proper breathing, pain and prayer changed the energy level completely. Flea if you don’t have a group of friends to beat you then experiment and do some Systema style push-up drills or do some of the breathing tense relax drills that you know. Also take a few moments to enjoy the energy crash (are they only happening when you eat), monitor what you are feeling physically mentally and spiritually, pay attention then address it which might mean food but it might not. Often food (even healthy food) is used to mask the true reason for the symptom we are trying to address. Hmmm Have you tried cold water dousing during the day?

Blood work:

Almost always a good idea and in this case with what little you have written I think it is a great idea. The glucose and PH levels in our blood change and this is good to know and be aware of (Did you know that breath work can change the PH levels). Along with the blood work pay attention and notice any changes in the smell of your breath, your sense of smell, your own body odor, notice any changes in your saliva (taste and texture), notice changes in your urine and stool, notice your skin tone and color and changes in acne and hair and finger nails. These changes can be indicators of health issues you need to be aware of and may need to address.

There is a danger with becoming more aware. People sometimes become hyper-aware noticing everything (which is good) but giving it all too much attention too much weight (which is bad) Again I am not saying this is you or what you are going thru Flea but speaking generically. It is often enough to note something to look at it with interest as a child examining something for the first time, then move on. It is not always necessary or even good to constantly try to fix things that might or might not be broken. It is often enough to note it and monitor it and enjoy the chance to learn some new sensations and then put it in its own small place in your mind and get back to enjoying a normal life. There is a healthy balance that must be maintained. Too much attention is bad not enough attention is bad LOL finding the middle is the trick. Our systems are cyclic; the key I think is learning to become aware of those cycles and enjoying them.

What to eat:

I eat what I wish but try to do so in moderation including my fasts and feasts. I try to avoid too much processed food. I try to eat food my great grandparents would recognize as food and am learning to enjoy food as food not merely fuel or something that must be consumed because I have a few minutes now and will be busy later. I try to make each meal have at least five different ingredients. In my admittedly unprofessional opinion many nutritionists are more chemists than chefs. Food should not (again my opinion) be merely broken down by chemistry nor on the other end of the spectrum should food be merely consumed by convenience. Doing so changes our relationship to food in my opinion. Take time to prepare a meal, enjoy each ingredient as God’s personal gift. That tomato grew in the sunlight I try to take a moment and see if I can smell the sun in it, the rice grew in water, if I cannot actually taste the fluid I can at least appreciate it, the avocado had a tough skin and a heart of stone yet the texture of the meat is smooth. Food can be more than fuel heck just look at all the unhealthy ways food is abused in our societies. In my opinion how you eat is almost as important as what you eat but is often overlooked and short changed. Diet is individual as everyone is a little different.

Good luck Flea and I hope that the changes are nothing major.

Regards
Brian King

 

[jks9199]

Let me clarify on the body awareness issue.

I wrote:

The "you're more aware now" is crap, from what you're saying. Or at least that's my opinion.

I was addressing the specifics of Flea's described issue: a sudden onset where sweet was tasting foul accompanied by major energy crashes. That doesn't point to awareness to me; it points to a potential problem. Had she said that the brownie was too rich, or that artificial sweeteners tasted chemical to her now... I'd give increased body awareness more credence here.

I do believe that you can become more aware of your body, and that training can change your tastes. I'm not so convinced on sudden changes solely as a result of breath training... but I won't discount another person's experience of taste for themselves. When they extend it to another person -- I get more skeptical. In other words, had you said "do this breath training, and you won't like coffee anymore", I'd be willing to say that you're full of it, but if you said "I did this breath training, and now I can't stand coffee anymore"... Hey, that's YOUR experience.

 

[Brian King]

No worries jks9199, you were expressing your opinion (as you wrote) from what Flea was saying and based on your limited experience. My main annoyance was not so much what you wrote but how you wrote it. They (the instructor and Flee) had a face to face (I am assuming) discussion that was likely much more involved than the brief description Flea provided. You have no experience with the type of training Flea has been doing, no idea of the level of training or experiences of her instructor or that she herself has had, yet still felt compelled to step between her and her instructor of over a year to tell her that her instructors opinion was “crap”. I vented that annoyance by merely including your chosen word “crap” that single time in my previous post. I was pretty sure you would see it and understand my annoyance, didn’t think it was worth the effort to explain further…my mistake and my apology to you. I should have been more direct with my criticism. I generally enjoy your posts and owe you that much.

Regards
Brian King

 

[Flea]

Thanks so much for the good thoughts everyone! There is so much information in your emails that I don't know if I'll be able to respond to everything, but I'll give it a try.

First, a paltry update: I dribbled into 4 test tubes yesterday. The doc said I probably wouldn't get the results back for about a week, and she understandably didn't want to give me any solid advice without that. But she took lots of notes on my situation, and then told me to follow basic common sense in my food consumption for the next few days. I've upped my protein consumption to ridiculous levels - omelets for breakfast, burgers for lunch, other meats for dinner, and it's been helpful. She cautioned me not to get too much into the protein, because it might set up a vicious cycle where i get too much protein and then crave too much carbs, and back again. To help get me back on track in the very short term I've gone to a steak buffet a couple times - they have a little bit of everything and it's relatively healthy, so it's a good way to idiot-proof when my diet gets off the rails.

I've made email contact with the nutritionist, but it only makes sense to wait until I can hand her the lab results too. In the meantime, I'm giving her the situation as I understand things so far myself. I've also started a food diary with what I eat, when I eat, and when I crash.

As for some of your feedback, there's no question that my body awareness is evolving. I've mostly been aware of external changes in movement and situational awareness so far. Ever since the first time I went vegetarian in high school I've had an expanding awareness of my internal climate. That, of course, is always a work in progress. Last night I tried a sip of my friend's Pepsi - it didn't taste foul, but it was obnoxiously sweet. I'm crossing my fingers that that represents progress.

Brian, you may want to tone down the "she doesn't like wine any more" thing - you might make me reconsider Systema! :uhyeah: With all the crashes I've scaled back my workouts for the time being - for the most part I take my dog to the park and supervise him playing. I hate exercising less, but it's temporary. And no Brian, I haven't been dousing (bad systema student! no borscht!!) It's been getting warm enough now that I'm not feeling quite so chicken about it.

JKS, I'm not offended by the Crap comment. As I read it, you felt that my teacher's interpretation of my problem was overly simplistic. For the most part I'd agree. He's a very smart guy with a deep knowledge base, but I don't agree with him on everything. But he's been spot-on enough times that I value his advice. I think he's on to something here with his view, but that it's one small part of a more complicated picture. And that's okay. Since I have no idea what's going on with this, I'll take any literate perspective I can get.

I got a voicemail from my doctor while I typed this, saying that my results are in. She didn't elaborate other than that there were a few irregularities she'd rather explain in greater detail. But I'll get back to this thread when I hear something, most likely tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks again to everyone for all your perspectives!

 

[Brian King]

Off topic
Flee wrote:

“but I don't agree with him on everything.”

Good for you Flea. I cannot think of a single serious Systema student (including the instructors as students) that does not question both everything their instructor believes and that they believe. There is processes learned where we question and test everything and decide what is ‘true or correct’ and then make it ours. The second part of that process is to take what we ourselves believe and now and then retest it to see if it still holds truth for us. Good for you Flea being well along in the process.
Back on topic sort of
No more Borscht …well I do not know Flea you would have to be pretty bad for that penalty LOL. No more wine…well there IS always Vodka.
I am glad that some of the test results have already come back. Good luck Flea and thanks for keeping us updated.

Jks9199
Hope that I did not come off as too harsh in my criticism that was not my intent.

Regards
Brian King

 

[jks9199]

Brian -- no problem. I realized what I wrote was open to some interpretation errors, which is why I clarified. While I'm very much not into the more mystical/new age stuff, I don't think that I know everything, either. I'm very solid, very direct, and very simple-minded, but I've seen and done some unusual things that I can't necessarily explain.

Flea -- sounds like you're on a solid track, in more ways than one. Keep us in the loop!

 

[Flea]

Off topic
Flee wrote:

Good for you Flea. I cannot think of a single serious Systema student (including the instructors as students) that does not question both everything their instructor believes and that they believe. There is processes learned where we question and test everything and decide what is ‘true or correct’ and then make it ours. The second part of that process is to take what we ourselves believe and now and then retest it to see if it still holds truth for us. Good for you Flea being well along in the process.

Brian King

Thank you. I'm new to MA, but I have yet to meet a dewey-eyed fangirl or -boy. I wasn't even that way at my first class. Of course, anyone with that mentality would have come to the right place - an environment where they're forced to think on their feet and be independent.

And now to bring this back to topic I'll gratuitously insert the word ...

SUGAR!!!



:fanboy:

 

[JWLuiza]

Whatever the case may be, I hope it resolves safely!

 

[shesulsa]

You didn't say where the "foul" taste is in your mouth nor qualify the "foul" (is it bitter? sour? metallic? generally disgusting?) but ... three things come to my mind that aren't really horrible:

1. Sinus infection/inflammation/irritation. Ask your doctor about irrigating your sinuses - it's really quite simple, though can be gross for some folks. Deeper, old infections can get change your taste drastically.

2. Gluten allergy. There are TONS of gluten-free foods now. My friends tell me this is a difficult allergy to test for medically and having listened to their stories, I think it's easier to try a gluten free diet to see if you get a good result. Gluten is not exclusive to the wheat grain and is in LOTS AND LOTS of foods, dressings, sauces, etcetera.

3. Blood sugar disorder. You're getting tested for this, so you should find something out soon.

I can think of others, but that would be speculation.

Hang in there, Flea!

 

[Bruno@MT]

Not related to sugar but to coffee: I drink 3 to 4 mugs of coffee per day (100% arabica ground beans, using a filter drip machine). The first thing I do on any given day is to make coffee. Every day, I am really looking forward to it and the first sip is the best.

However, when I am sick with something that upsets my bowels or stomach, I find the idea of coffee (and the taste) revolting. It doesn't happen often, luckily, but I've learned to recognize that if I really don't want to drink that first cup of coffee because it tastes foul, I am about to come down with something.

Therefore I would expect your situation to be somewhat similar.

 

[xJOHNx]

Good to see you are getting things checked out.

 

[Stac3y]

Welcome to my world. :vu: I have severe sugar crashes, too; and bread or other starchy foods can be the cause, not just sweets. I had bad gestational diabetes when I was pregnant, so I get my blood sugar tested about every six months, and do glucose tolerance tests periodically as well. I can keep my blood sugar pretty level by focusing on "good carbs" (fruits and vegetables) and proteins in my diet, but if I do something stupid like eat a bagel with honey for breakfast, I'm a mess.

I'm glad to hear you're getting this checked out, and I would encourage you to get rechecked periodically even if they don't find anything this time. Best of luck.

 

[Flea]

* sigh *

I got the lab work back, and it's squeaky clean. They tested for anemia, and for hypoglycemia. They tested my liver and kidney function and confirmed that I have both a liver and a kidney. The only thing that stood out was a low (but not alarmingly so) vitamin D level. They want to give me a prescription; I think I'd rather mail-order along with my other supplements.

This is very typical for me - I go to the doctor, and they never find anything wrong. Or if they do, they aren't telling me. It's really exasperating. (Yes, I am whining.) I guess I'll just have to keep shooting cheeseburgers, at least until I see the nutritionist. The high protein is helpful, and that at least is some consolation.