Sugar Solution author links Depression and Diabetes

The Sugar Solution is designed to help people with high blood sugar including those with diabetes, prediabetes, metabolic syndrome and hypoglycaemia.

The book included a lot of interesting information about sugar and the links with poor memory, fatigue and mental fuzziness.

In particular I was interested in the links between high blood sugar and depression. It turns out that the two often go hand in hand and that depression may lead to increased sugar consumption and ultimately depression.

Researchers found that people who were diabetic were more likely to have been
treated for or diagnosed with depression BEFORE they were diagnosed with
diabetes.

No surprise there! Using sugar - in particular chocolate - as a mood enhancer is a known remedy for those of us that are feeling tired, grumpy or sad. And what better to drown your sorrows than a sugar laden glass of wine?


According to The Sugar Solution there may also be a link with mood hormones:

Experts also believe there may be a relationship between the regulation of
glucose and various hormones responsible for depression, such as catecholamine
and serotonin.

Although The Sugar Solution is not original in its approach to sugar imbalances it is well written with an easy-to-understand plan.

In essence the authors advocate low glycaemic index (GI) foods, reduced calories and regular exercise. This is backed up with recipes, exercise programs together with the latest scientific research.

There is some advice on finding balance in your life and finding joy in your daily life, but the book does not provide comprehensive advice for people who struggle with food cravings and emotional eating. The book suggests that following the diet will reduce cravings. While this is technically correct it overlooks the fact that many people will be unable to resist fatty and sugary concoctions in moments of stress and will therefore never stabilise their blood sugar.

The book will be helpful for people looking for an exercise and eating plan to help stabilise blood sugar levels and lose weight.

Note: The photograph is of the American version of The Sugar Solution. I reviewed the English version.

20 Great Reasons Why you should be Dancing (Guest Post)

Today’s guest post is from Chris' blog

Emotional

1. Endorphins give you a natural high


2. Forget life’s pressures for a moment or longer


3. Feel gracious as you bow to your partner and escort her off the floor


4. Catch the rhythm of different music styles. Know your tango from your rhumba


5. You can dance in your head and in your heart when it’s not possible to dance on the floor


6. It feels good when a woman asks you to dance


7. Novice dancers melt in your arms as you gently but firmly lead


8. It feels three times better than it looks


9. Physical contact without getting your face slapped!

Physical

10. Improve posture


11. Burn calories


12. Tighten leg and thigh muscles


13. Create new patterns in the brain and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s


14. You drink plenty of water

Mental

15. Lifelong learning? Learn to dance. No-one lives long enough to learn them all


16. Dance is an international language that you can speak anywhere


17. As a competent pilot and navigator, you engender trust in your partner


18. Thinking about and recognizing the rhythm is a prerequisite to ‘feeling’ it


19. Those smiles of appreciation from a dance partner get embedded in memory

Spiritual

20. Everything in the world is connected. Dancing builds connections


21. From East to West, dance is a spiritual expression

That makes 21, but who’s counting??

Chris Mitchell
Director, Dance Tours
www.dancetours.co.nz
www.dancetours.blog.com

December is US Seasonal Depression Awareness Month

Lucky me! It's summertime here and I'm looking at the window at all that wonderful light bathing my garden. But for people in the Northern hemisphere December is a time when many start to experience symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Winter Depression.

The symptoms include persistent feelings of sadness, lack of motivation and lack of interest in the things you normally enjoy. People with SAD may also experience feelings of hopelessness and withdraw from social activities. Changes in eating and sleep patterns are another indicator. For me SAD leads to increased eating - I find myself fondling the cakes in the supermarket and making trips to the local pizza joint - but some people will be the opposite. They may lose their appetite and feel listless and sad.

According to the Georgia Department of Human Resources eight in every hundred people experience Winter Depression but most are misdiagnosed.

The National Institute of Mental Health recommends treating Winter Depression with light box therapy first thing in the morning or melatonin pills to realign the night-day body clock.

Resources:
You can take a free Seasonal Affective Disorder quiz here
Read more about depression here