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Carbohydrates are simply chemical compounds made up of glucose. Carbohydrates vary in glucose or sugar content. Grains and starchy vegetables are very high in glucose content, while low starch vegetables and many fruits have very little glucose. After eating carbohydrates the blood glucose rises as the sugar in the food enters the bloodstream. The rise in blood glucose (sugar) depends in large part on the amount of total sugar in the meal. Carbohydrates that contain large amounts of sugar are known as high-density carbohydrates. You can think of high-density carbohydrates as foods densely packed with sugar. During digestion of high-density foods, large amounts of sugar enter the bloodstream. This can result in a dramatic rise in the blood sugar. Carbohydrate foods that naturally contain small amounts of sugar are called low-density carbohydrates. When low-density foods are digested, a relatively small amount of sugar enters the bloodstream. This helps maintain better blood sugar balance. Balanced Nutrition Helps Maintain Blood Sugar Levels The primary goal of balanced nutrition is to keep blood sugar levels within the normal range?not too high and not too low. Normal blood glucose ranges from 70-110 mg/dl (3.8-6.1 mmol). Normal blood glucose levels allow the brain and body cells to function at their best. The body has complex chemical responses geared to keep the blood sugar within a normal range. One of these responses is the release of the hormone insulin, which is supposed to help reduce the blood glucose. Consequently, shortly after eating, the body works quickly to stabilize the blood sugar. Eating large amounts of high-density carbohydrates can prevent steady blood sugar levels and result in the release of the large amounts of the hormone insulin. High insulin levels can jeopardize health. For this reason, balanced nutrition helps the body maintain more stable blood sugar levels. Zone balanced nutrition recommends eating moderate to large quantities of low-density carbohydrate foods, while high-density carbohydrate intake should be limited. Blood Sugar Imbalance and Low Blood Sugar Low blood sugar can occur following high carbohydrate meals. Eating high-density carbohydrates can cause a high blood sugar spike followed by a low blood sugar crash (related to high insulin levels). Excess amounts of the hormone insulin, intended to return the blood sugar to normal, overshoot the target and drop blood sugar levels too low. Common low blood sugar symptoms vary from person to person and may include: sweating, fatigue, tremor (shaking), rapid heart rate, anxiety, hunger, nausea, irritability, poor mental focus, headache, dizziness, and blurred vision. Severe low blood sugar is a medical emergency and symptoms may include confusion, aggression, erratic behavior, seizures, unconsciousness and death, if untreated. Carbohydrate intake is a big factor in meal-related blood sugar control because carbohydrates are the main source of sugar in the diet. For this reason, looking at your body?s responses after eating carbohydrates can help you tailor food intake to predictably get good hormonal results. When an individual experiences carbohydrate cravings or low blood sugar that is related to the carbohydrate type or amount in food, I feel that this shows that they are carbohydrate sensitive. Carbohydrate Sensitivity Carbohydrate sensitivity is not a medical diagnosis, simply a descriptive term. I use this term to describe a less than favorable blood sugar response following meals. A working definition of carbohydrate sensitivity would be an individual who experiences blood sugar swings, with associated symptoms of low blood sugar, related to either high-density carbohydrates or a high carbohydrate meal. Evidence of carbohydrate sensitivity is blood sugar swings and signs of low blood sugar related to food intake, specifically carbohydrates. If a person has low blood sugar symptoms after eating high-density carbohydrates (sweet or starchy), this is a strong indication that a person may be sensitive to high-density carbohydrates. In those who are carbohydrate sensitive, high carbohydrate foods will cause a rapid blood sugar spike, which is soon followed by a low blood sugar ?crash.? This occurrence is often accompanied by significant symptoms of low blood sugar (see symptoms listed above). When an individual experiences significant low blood sugar in response to a high carbohydrate meal, I feel that this shows a moderate to severe degree of carbohydrate sensitivity. Carbohydrate sensitivity differs from insulin resistance in that insulin resistance is a recognized medical condition and is characterized by a specific group of symptoms and medical conditions. For this reason, insulin resistance is called Insulin Resistance Syndrome or the Metabolic Syndrome (also called Syndrome X). Insulin Resistance Syndrome will be discussed in more detail in a future article. A person with carbohydrate cravings or carbohydrate sensitivity may feel driven to eat high carbohydrate foods. When this person eats high-density foods, they seem to crave even more, almost uncontrollably. __________________