Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Staying Hydrated in the Summertime Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One of the downfalls of summer’s warm weather is dehydration. Being dehydrated is more than just feeling a little thirsty. When you are dehydrated you have used or lost more fluid than you take in. This …
Winter and Heart Health Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Wintertime, as we all know, can have negative effects on our immunity, mood and even our heart health. But how exactly can the cold of winter impact our heart health? What can you do to protect …
Hot Weather and the Impact on Blood Sugar?
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Everyone knows hot weather can make you feel hot and sticky and just plain old yucky! But what most people do not realize is that hot weather can also lead to fluctuations in our blood sugar. This means that hot weather can make it more difficult for those with diabetes to regulate their blood sugar levels. Let us get into it, shall we?
One way that excessive heat can affect our blood sugar is by triggering an increase in how much we sweat. This increase in sweating can lead to dehydration which in turn leads to an increase in our blood sugar! Extreme heat can also trigger our body to produce cortisol, the stress hormone! Among its many functions in the body, this hormone helps to regulate blood sugar levels. When you make more cortisol your blood sugar will be higher. In addition to affecting cortisol levels the stress of extreme heat can stimulate the hypothalamus and influence the way it affects insulin, thus affecting how well insulin works in our body. Sunburn, a common concern during these hot days, can also trigger the hypothalamus to change how insulin works. This can lead to insulin resistance and as a result the blood sugar will be higher. (2) Extreme heat not only affects how well we respond to insulin but can also affect the ability of our body to absorb any injected insulin! As a result, you will have higher blood sugar levels than expected. (3) In my years of working for Invite I have seen an increase in blood sugar levels in people during the summer quite often! In fact, in my clinical experience it is common for people to notice a change in their A1c or morning blood sugar readings during the summer. I have had plenty of people say Dr. Claire my blood sugar reading has been much higher than normal, but I have not changed my diet! What is going on?? I tell them it is simply extremely hot weather! I tell them how to adjust their supplements and that it will go back to normal when the weather does. And sure, enough, it does normalize as the weather cools down! So, if your blood sugar seems higher during extreme heat waves do not get upset, it is not something that you are “doing wrong” but is a natural side effect of the weather.
Now I know I have focused on high blood sugar but in some case extreme heat can lower blood sugar levels. While heat stress can increase blood sugar if a person’s blood sugar is already low or at the lower end of normal the heat can cause “the blood sugar levels to plummet.” (4) Studies have also found that heat can increase glucose metabolism in those that are overweight. (5) What this can mean for a diabetic is that the glucose will be metabolized faster than expected and your blood sugar may drop to low levels. Now remember how I said that extreme heat and sweating can affect our ability to absorb insulin leading to less medicine being absorbed? (3) Well, it is true HOWEVER in some cases the hot weather can increase insulin absorption leading to tooo much medicine and lower blood sugar levels. (6)
I bet I know what you are thinking, high blood sugar, low blood sugar which one is it? And just what type of diabetes is most affected by heat? Simply put, extreme heat just overall makes blood sugar harder to control. It can trigger either high or low blood sugar. The reason I have not talked about which type of diabetes is most affected by heat is because in my experience anyone with any form of diabetes is at risk for blood sugar regulation issues when there is extreme heat!
What can you do to help regulate blood sugar when there is too much heat?
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Dehydration Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One topic that seems to come up frequently is dehydration. This topic is important, especially in the summer weather because a common cause of dehydration is simply sweating. As we all know, the hot, humid weather that is typical of …
Aged Garlic Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Garlic is a nutrient that as a supplement or even spicy food enhancer can be found everywhere. The benefits of using garlic as either a supplement or even just as a spice to add to our food are numerous. …
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~HEALTH
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
HEALTH seems like a no brainer when discussing wellness and lifestyle. However, what does it really mean? Let’s break this down and I’ll go over what this means to me as it can be rather subjective.
When I think of health, I think of how to maintain my overall general health. This includes such areas as doctor visits and blood work, medications and supplements, and diet choices. While we know these are important, do we know why and are they necessary everyone?
Annual doctor visits for a physical is important to see your improvements, see where more focus needs to be, and to bring up any questions or concerns you may have for your doctor. During the visit you’ll have your physical exam, where the doctor will check such areas like blood pressure, listening to the heart and lungs, checking throat/lymph nodes and checking reflexes. Keep in mind that each doctor and patient has their own way of conducting these exams for the patient’s unique needs. This is also the time when the doctor will decide with lab work needs to be ordered or even make referrals for specialists based off of conversations with the patient, medical history and health concerns or goals.
So what lab work is commonly ordered? This lab work will usually start with a complete blood count or CBC. This is what most of us refer to as ‘routine blood work’. This is a great way for your doctor and other health and wellness professionals to see any improvements, establish areas of concern and monitor health markers. Some of these health markers include, but are not limited to A1C (blood sugar), CRP (inflammation), TSH (thyroid) and creatinine/BUN (kidney function). Often times these are looked at to see if there’s any fluctuation from blood test to blood test, which may help to notice a potential issue early to hopefully avoid future problems. Other test that may be recommended, may be stool test, urine tests or even a hormone panel. They are also used to help guide doctors and health professionals in recommending any necessary medications and/or supplements. Taking both prescribed medications, as well as any supplements, as recommended is incredibly important. They are recommended a certain way to help you to maximize your wellness and to help avoid possible interactions or further health problems. If you feel like something you’re taking isn’t right for you, speak with your doctor or health professional for guidance.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reminds us that a healthy diet is important for our overall general health. This is to help prevent malnutrition and help lower the risk of illness and disease. A healthy diet consists of lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, some dairy, healthy fats like avocado and plenty of water. As always, it’s recommended to avoid or lower the consumption of processed foods, sugar, salt and trans-fats.
Multivitamins are always my go-to as a baseline for a solid supplement regimen. Something like the Core Multi can offer a variety of essential daily vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They help to enhance our diets by not only supplying what we need, but also by giving he body what we may be lacking in our diet. I like to recommend taking a multi with a meal for maximum absorption and benefits. You may even notice and increase of energy from a good multi, which most are happy looking to increase.
Probiotic Hx is something everyone has heard of when it comes to supplements for general health. A good probiotic formula helps to add healthy bacteria to the gut, as well as balance out the flora within the body. Probiotics can also help to support a strong and healthy immune system.
Fish oil is an omega-3 fatty acid that’s made up of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). According to the The Mayo Clinic, studies have shown to be effective in helping those with heart disease. Fish oil has also been beneficial for those with elevated blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
As you can see, partnering with your doctor, and being open and honest about your diet, supplementation, goals and concerns, is a big key in your overall general health. Following your doctors recommendations is also important for health and protecting yourself against illness or disease, whether its medication, tests needed or any procedures that are recommended. Your holistic practitioner can help guide you and recommend complimentary strategies. I always tell people that the best wellness plan is diet, exercise, annual physicals and blood work, along with a combination of natural and traditional health plan.
health.clevelandclinic.org/why-you-need-an-annual-physical-and-what-to-expect
www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/annual-complete-blood-count-an-important-step-in-assessing-health/
www.nebraskamed.com/health/questions-and-answers/primary-care/what-blood-tests-should-i-get-at-my-annual-physical-and
www.aamc.org/news/why-don-t-patients-follow-their-doctors-advice
www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-of-multivitamins
www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-benefits-of-probiotics
www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-fish-oil/art-20364810
