To: K-list
Recieved: 2003/03/11 14:11
Subject: [K-list] Hypoglycemia and panic attacks
From: J Ptarmigan
On 2003/03/11 14:11, J Ptarmigan posted thus to the K-list:
I see that Hillary asks about the relation of hypoglycemia and panic
attacks. This is a subject I have looked into.
Reactive hypoglycemia is the result of assimilating too much refined sugar
and carbohydrates into blood sugar (glucose) too quickly. The endocrine
system over-reacts by producing more than enough insulin, which lowers the
blood sugar so quickly that this sudden drop can trigger a panic attack in
the center of the brain that regulates blood sugar and oxygen. In response,
the body produces adrenalin and other hormones to raise the blood sugar by
triggering its release of stored glucogen from the liver. Caffeine helps
stimulate this release, at least until your adrenals get tired of this
circle. A sense of panic and general anxiety can also result if blood sugar
falls below the fasting level, the level you woke up with. It is at this
point that a snack is most helpful - a non-sugary one.
One way to assess whether you have hypoglcemia is to eat or drink something
with a lot of sugar and observe how you respond. Fatigue, headaches and
anxiety typically appear after 45 to 90 minutes. However, a response can
appear around six hours later, and may produce nightmares and insomnia.
All of these issues are addressed in the protein diet books, as well as the
Syndrome X books, such as by Burt Burkson.
What is not commonly addressed is the fact that similar symptoms of anxiety,
food cravings and fatigue can be produced in other ways by many of the same
foods. Grains such as wheat and oats can trigger "hidden" iGg food allergies
that resemble hypoglcemia. Some protein sources, such as soy, eggs and milk
can do the same. Systemic candidiasis can produce toxins from carbohydrates
that are absorbed if there is excess permeability in the lower intestine.
Food additives can create similar symptoms, particularly headaches,
including food colorings and nitrates/nitrites. Members of the nightshade
family - potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant - can do the same for
people who are sensitive - which some say is about 12 percent of the
population.
I can provide more details about these conditions and suggested reading, if
you like. What I find particularly interesting is that if you test these
foods in isolation while meditating, you can observe the effects of the
foods, such as increased mental activity and general anxiety, as well as
fatigue. While it is helpful to understand what is going on from a
scientific standpoint, the bottom line is that if a food is causing you
problems, you can try eliminating it for a while and see if this helps. IgG
food allergies can abate if you eliminate the food for six to 12 months.
However, some people have a genetic sensitivity to wheat and gluten that can
never be fully eliminated.
Another implication of these findings is that an unsuitable vegetarian diet
can interfere with meditation for some people. The excessive use of soy
particularly concerns me. People can develop an iGg allergies to foods they
are exposed to constantly.
I find that if you slow the oxygen metabolism in meditation through pranic
breathing you increase overall energy, and reduce some of the symptoms,
particularly the fatigue, from these foods. However, it seems the brain
continues to react, perhaps because the immune system is still producing
antibodies and cytokines. The result is that you may still have anxiety,
though it may be more difficult to pinpoint the dietary cause.
If people do not understand the role of food in triggering anxiety they seem
to project this feeling onto external sources, a tendency some political
demagogues and cult leaders instinctively exploit. I suspect this anxiety
can also contribute to an increased degree of suspicion, anger and even
paranoia in particular levels of meditation. Therefore, it is important to
identify problem foods early in your meditation, because it can be difficult
to isolate them during high levels of chi or kundalini.
One more point, taking aspirin and NSAIDs for headaches is not a
particularly good idea. Never exceed the recommended dose or take them for
longer than recommended on the label. Microscopic bleeding in the stomach
and intestines can begin within a day, I have been told by
gastroenterologists, and severe bleeding and even hemorrhaging can result
from exceeding the dosage. But the NSAIDs can reduce prostaglandin
production througout the body, which may contribute to an increased risk of
internal bleeding, not to mention increased intestinal permeability. I am
worried that this can potentially cause problems during or after pressure
headaches, perhaps contributing to a hemorrhagic stroke or aneurysm.
However, I have no proof of this. I understand that codeine-based pain
killers can also increase brain swelling - look at the PDR - and are not
recommended after a concussion. So they are out, particularly when combined
with alcohol.
But my feeling is the greatest overall danger is frequent, casual use of
NSAIDs. Don't use NSAIDs if you don't need them.
Hope this helps.
-jake
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