Is it possible that my problem and potentially others too was caused by hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) the whole time?

(Important bits in bold for those who can't be assed to read this mammoth post!!)

I keep coming back to this. Because I know that SOMETHING changed which is why my body is so horrifically out of balance now, something that isn't anxiety or diet but something that I can't shake, which sat in the background and led to what I suspect to be candida, and subsequently hair loss and other issues.

But... I actually hypothesised that maybe as people age, the most significant change that happens that leads to MPB is a reducing ability to manage one's blood sugar. So, either you become overweight or consume too much fat, meaning that your blood sugar cannot regulate properly, or you may have adrenal issues caused by stress, etc, which apparently can also lead to blood sugar management issues.

I hear many stories of systemic Candida being brought under control in a matter of DAYS merely by an approach to diet that allows better blood sugar control. What if all this is merely caused by the body struggling to regulate it's blood sugar as it ages leading to hyperglycemia, and subsequent candida, or possibly even other bacterial or fungal imbalances (it seems that sugar fuels the vast majority of these microorganisms).

Blood sugar just seems to be something that my journey keeps coming back to over and over again. When I first had a couple of blood tests when all this started, the only things that stuck out were low-ish haemoglobin count (probably due to low iron due to low meat consumption) and high-ish fasting blood sugar (5.6 mmol/L and 5 mmol/L in the two tests. Apparently the average is more like 4 mmol/L.

When I come on IH, the FIRST parallel that's drawn is MPB and insulin resistance / blood sugar. When I go on 30 Bananas a Day (the website) about candida, the first thing they say is it's caused by high blood sugar (in their opinion usually due to excess fat in one's diet).

Nearly every success story I've heard regarding diet would have led to superior blood sugar control. Cutting out simple sugars and junk food (leading to a smoother regulation of blood sugar), cutting dietary fat (leading to the body handling blood sugar better), lowering overall carbs and increasing fat (less blood sugar due to the intensely low amount of carbs consumed), more exercise, etc etc.

Now, I know this is something that people like CS have been talking about for a long time and so is consequently a bit of a "duh!" moment haha

But... I had to just report all my findings on this and express how many times this seems to echo around me.

I've ordered a blood glucose meter off the web (a fairly good quality one but only cheap) and will from now on modify my diet principally for blood sugar control. I am also taking berberine (as advised by CS) which is supposed to be the most powerful natural remedy for high blood sugar (it helps to push it into cells where it belongs, a bit like insulin I guess?).

Erm... that's about it.

And wow... I can't believe the mean normal blood sugar (it didn't even say FASTING) is 4 mmol/L and mine was 5-5.6. 5.6 is the lowest one considered pre-diabetic

If anyone else gets any time, would you consider grabbing a cheap blood glucose meter off ebay or somewhere (they're like $10 with postage) or getting a blood test, and letting me know what your level is?

Here are some appropriate vids:








Later peeps

Interesting, thanks

JxN wrote:Interesting, thanks

np man

I know my posts and that always look sloppy but a hell of a lot of thought and research does go into stuff I do... just.. it's not quite as tightly knit or organized as most people that's all!

Just wanted to bung this here as well as it's relevant:

"2. Dandruff

Josh Says: Since starting Paleo I noticed my dandruff problems have come back. When I was vegan and fruitarian this issue resolved and so did many others. Could it be that im eating to high fat or possibly inflammation from something. I did a juice fast (fresh vegetable juice with very small amounts of fresh fruit juice) last week and the dandruff started going away, i was not eating anything else, just juice. Then I went back to eating Paleo and instant dandruff. So bummed. Im gonna go to this new functional medicine Doctor, only one in Birmingham, AL, and check some other issues im having and maybe they are related. Im having some weird pressure, sometimes slight pain, on my lower left side of my abdomen and weird pressure in my neck also in certain positions, and some weird clicking/popping in my middle chest area, im hoping its not serious. Any advice or direction would help, just trying to get some possible ideas to run by the Doctor."

It's from here:

http://robbwolf.com/2011/09/06/the-paleo-solution-episode-96

Additionally I believe this could also explain the fact that stressed out people seem just as susceptible to early balding as overweight people appear to be. Look:

http://www.diabeteslibrary.org/View.aspx?url=Article671

Worn out adrenals apparently affect it too, as they are involved with blood sugar regulation.


My point is that... maybe a very common pathway to MPB is:

High fat & high carbs / stress -> high blood sugar -> Candida -> hair loss


Definitely not the only path, but maybe a very common one!

I will get a blood sugar device , I've been meaning to get one in some time, all you need is $20 in the US.. the cost lies in the strips you need not in the device itself.

My last checkup also showed a slightly higher than normal fasting glucose.

The best way to know how your body handles glucose (if you are pre-diabetic) is to do a glucose challenge test IMO.

I agree with you on sweets, junk food, and carbs.. but I think good fat is essential. I used to eat a ton of banana and bread, now i eat one a day if any because bananas upset my stomach and make my tongue feel weird also give me bad breath. I only eat less-sweet apples... most other fruits like watermelons and mangos peaches are too sweet for my taste.. banana also can be too sweet. I usally eat 1/2 a banana, and i limit my bread intake. i totally avoid junk sweets, potato chips and all store-bought juices.

When I eat fried foods or sweet things my scalp becomes very oily. that's my sign these foods are bad.

One thing to add/support your theory is this point: Building muscles helps regulate sugar.. and most men loose muscle as they age thus are less able to regulate glucose.

Edit: glucose and hypoglycemia hyperglycemia and pre-diabetes are all bad for hair, they might not be the ONLY cause but they are one cause. IMHO

Another edit: I saw the video! what?? low fat high fruit diet ? i'm not buying it.. You are sounding like Mister E now hoppi.

Why is that that all these fruitarians are super hyper and seem angry or look crazy most the time in their youtube videos... too much carbs maybe? hehe

But to be fair.. I will get the meter,
I will start in the AM (fasting)
i will eat 10 banans and take my blood sugar levels over the next 3 hrs to see how it goes.. Then on a different day i will eat a ton of coconut and olive oils and measure the blood sugar

I want to get to the bottom of this... is fat good or bad?

how about that for a experiment?

EDIT:
I like to observe what works for people and find COMMON factors.. i see people thriving on a high protien and high good fat low carb diet and I see people thriving on high RAW fruit carb diets... and they both work?? so what is in common here, haaa?

I gotta wonder.. if it is the fruit vs. the fat and protein or if it is that most the fruitarians love the outdoors and they eat raw food, they walk barefoot, are shirtless .. get get "grounding" and they get "sun" and they eat "raw" ....

Maybe the secret is in getting sun, grounding (bare foot) and eating raw and being outdoors active not indoors ... not in the fruit vs fat debate.. Have you considered that?

I am saying maybe good fats, good fruits, good protein all are good .. but what makes or breaks the deal is being outdoors, barefoot, get sun on your skin, and eat raw!

I have to say, in Chinese medicine they discourage eating sweet fruits because its not good for the liver... so this high fruit diet is not in line with TCM.

I hope CS would chime in with his opinion on this low protein no fat no oil approach to health.

So, I am still confused about the good results people get from the different diet approaches. You might argue it is their metabolic type that determines which diet works. What i took away from these videos is a reminder to get sun, ground, eat as much raw as possible. I not convinced to quit eating my good fats and protein though.

Before you go vegan (which is what the frutarians and anti good-fat people are) please educate yourself with good knowledge, read these informative well-written articles here:

http://www.westonaprice.org/search/search?q=vegetarian

I don't think being vegan necessarily has a connection with low fat - it's what you make it really. A LOT of raw vegans are actually quite high fat (whether that's good or bad may depend on the type of fat, and on the amount of carbs they consume).

I don't really ever intend to go completely vegan though.

Recently, I've been trying to focus 100% on low glycemic fruits, and veggies.

So I'm eating carrots, strawberries, raspberries, grapefruits, etc! Basically, anything low on here:

http://www.lowglycemicload.com/glycemic_table.html (under fruits/veggies)

and/or here:

http://www.southbeach-diet.info/low-carb-fruit.php

or similar places, excluding high fat foods... so basically I'm on a low GI very low fat diet O.O

So... I can expect to lose a fair bit of weight I know.. I mean I can't keep this up FOREVER.. but it might at least lead to some more dependable blood sugar management especially when berberine is thrown in the mix. Veggies are mega nice but... obviously you can't live on them as they don't have enough carbohydrate. The amount you would have to eat would just be ridiculous O.O

But yeah! ^_^

Vegans have a more difficult time consuming enough amino acids to produce sufficient neurotransmitters (for calming).

CausticSymmetry wrote:Vegans have a more difficult time consuming enough amino acids to produce sufficient neurotransmitters (for calming).

I don't plan on going totally vegan anyway. I love having the freedom to consume anything I like - I hate having a label slapped on me! I just work it out as I go along really.

Anyway erm, I'll stick to this, and let you guys know if it leads to any positive improvements on the dandruff/candida/hair front!

Oh, and if anyone wants to check their blood sugar levels please do! Try to get your fasting level, which is after 8 hours with no food. Of course, the most painless way to do it is obviously to do it in the morning as then you've been sleeping for at least most of the 8 hours anyway!

Ok, later duuudes! I hope this works! ^_^

Keep use updated Hoppipolla!