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Hi Samantha,

I am sorry that you have been so frustrated and unable to eat so many things. I would like to start by advising you to see a qualified Naturopathic Physician in your area, www.naturopathic.org is a good place to find one. I think it is important to be evaluated in person and it seems as if you have had quite a bit of lab work done and this also need to be fully evaluated.

All of the foods that you listed being sensitive to have a high glycemic load, which means that they are broken down into glucose or sugar very quickly. This in turn spikes your insulin levels in an attempt to deal with the sudden influx of glucose. Insulin is responsible for helping glucose get out of the blood and into the cells where it can be used for energy. Those high insulin levels remove the glucose quickly from your blood and thus you can experience a hypoglycemic crash. It is very hard on your body to eat high glycemic foods and over time this can contribute to insulin resistance, which can further contribute to the development of type II diabetes.

Here is a website that has some good information on the glycemic index and glycemic load of common foods.

http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm

It seems clear that you are having some problem with your blood sugar, and your symptoms sound like you are having a hypoglycemic reaction. You said earlier that your fasting blood sugar was 72, which is low normal in terms of an average.

There is a test called an oral glucose tolerance test, which looks at how your body responds to glucose or sugar. It looks at your fasting glucose and insulin levels and then at those same markers over 4 hours after you eat a load of glucose. It is the best way to determine whether you are having an appropriate response to the sugar you are eating. I think it is a good idea for you to do this if you have not already had this test.

I also think it is worthwhile checking your adrenal glands, which produce cortisol. Cortisol and glucose levels are intricately connected and can impact one another when there is an imbalance. It sounds like the foods you are eating are in some way becoming a stress on your system and this can sometimes be reflected in your adrenal function.

Another thing to consider is a that you are having a food sensitivity reaction to sugar. Sugar is one of the more common foods that people are sensitive to. Food allergy testing can be confusing, but a good naturopathic doctor should be able to guide you through this as a possibility.

It sounds like you have a good sense of what is happening in your body, but are really searching for the cause of the problem, which is not always as clear as we would like it to be. Naturopathic medicine is interested in finding immediate solutions to symptoms so that you can feel better. It is also interested in finding long term answers that can help you attain balance in your body.

Keep us posted on your journey and take care.

January 15, 2010 - 4:46pm

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