Dr. Brandy McCans, Peak to Peak.  My grandmother recently had a stroke. It’s so devastating. She’s like my mom; she’s the “strong one,” raising a big family, cleaning house, ironing clothes, you know how those Great Ones did it. I learned so much from her and do my best to cultivate her strength when I’m feeling insufficient.

She didn’t die, but the effects were detrimental. To see her decline with such intensity has been a struggle, and it has caused me to really look at what led her to such a deleterious outcome and how can I possibly avoid it.

An American has a stroke every 40 seconds and every 4 minutes someone dies of stroke, which means that most live through it, and the outcome is not one to be taken lightly, nor one I want to experience.

Oddly enough, one of the risk factors of stroke is high blood sugar. It seems so harmless! I remember as a kid eating Frosted Flakes with added sugar and drinking as many sodas as I wanted (the benefits of Dad owning the first arcade in our hometown). Today this isn’t my lifestyle, but I know I still have to watch it, as I can easily switch into a sugar-eating machine by making the wrong choices.

High blood sugar may seem like no big deal, but in it truth can result in nerve damage, tingling, numbness, pain in hands and feet, heart disease, kidney failure, vision problems, and losing your toes and feet… think amputation, the end result of advanced diabetes.

According to the CDC, in 2015:

9.4% of the U.S population had diabetes.

There were 1.5 million newly diagnosed cases .

24% Americans have diabetes and don’t even know it.

Diabetes ranks #7 on the list of leading causes of death in the U.S., which may be seriously underreported. The crazy thing is it’s completely resolvable.

If you are one of the millions of people who has pre-diabetes, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome, maintaining normal blood sugar levels can be challenging. The pancreas, liver and adrenals are the primary organs that help regulate blood sugar. If your liver is sluggish, or you have been under significant stress, then you may have a difficult time balancing blood sugar.

I’m a fan of looking at the emotional component of dis-ease. What is common in my diabetes patients is their inability to enjoy the “sweetness of life.”

Even for myself, when I get into those states of mind I tend to eat more sweet foods. It’s as if a void needs to be filled, and, like most of us, I turn to food to quickly find comfort. The problem is that it really never does the job. No matter how many cookies you eat, you will likely never feel the deep satisfaction you are trying to fulfill.

So, the real challenge is not using something outside of ourselves to balance blood sugar like insulin, or cookies to find sweetness, but to touch into that place within ourselves that holds the sweetness of life we are seeking. I believe all of our experiences offer opportunities to grow, which we can be grateful for, and beauty can be found even in the challenges if we are willing to look. There may be a bit more to it than that, but it is a great place to begin.

I specialize in helping patients overcome these types of neuro-emotional patterns through non-force chiropractic techniques and shamanistic healing work. It is amazing how things change when we let go of subconscious patterns! I do my work because it saved my life, but that’s a story for another day.

If you have blood sugar issues consider supporting your liver with things like nettle or dandelion tea, and eating organic, grass-fed liver. Eating liver supports your liver. Do what you can to reduce stress in your life to give your adrenals a break and see what you can find that makes you happy. How you feel is ultimately up to you and you have the power to make a new choice.

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