Podcast Episode -Dr. Jerrod Brown -Blood Sugar Dysregulation
Kathleen Guire: Hi, Kathleen Guire here. Welcome to this episode of Trauma-Informed Parenting. Dr. Jerrod Brown is back today. Welcome, Dr. Jerrod.
Dr. Jerrod Brown: How are you doing? Thanks for having me back. Honored to be here.
Kathleen: Glad you’re here with us. He is going to talk about blood sugar dysregulation. Now, I am really excited about this topic, because I’ve definitely seen a lot of this in my kiddos and in other kiddos that I’ve worked with. I’m just going to let you take over, and I am ready to take notes.
Dr. Jerrod: Absolutely. So, everything I share today, just make sure, if you’re wanting to maybe start really looking at this in your child’s life, consult with your healthcare provider first. Because this is a pretty heavy-duty topic, first of all. But I’ve been doing a lot of work in this area, in terms of developing more trainings, going on different podcasts, and really talking about blood sugar dysregulation through multiple lenses. We all deal with this on some level.
So, when you think of disruptions in one’s blood sugar, it could be hyperglycemia, our blood sugar goes too high. It could be hypoglycemia, where it goes too low. Or it could just be up and down fluctuations of your blood sugar levels throughout the day. I think a lot of people always think that maybe this only applies to people with diabetes, but if you skip a meal, if someone has a tendency to always skip breakfast, that can have an impact on blood sugar levels. It absolutely can make it go lower.
If you’re someone who has a lot of soda through the day or lots of candy, just lots of food that’s loaded with carbs and sugars and things like that, that can spike your blood sugar, and then it can crash you. So, it can have a profound impact on your mood, on your energy.
There are a million things that can impact blood sugar levels. Stress…if you’re dealing with a ton of stress. So, think about COVID-19 the last few years. There are several studies that point to the fact that COVID-19 related stress, the lockdowns, all of these things, have contributed to more sugar intake, more fast food, more problems with mood swings. Think about the person you’re working with. What was their stress level like before COVID, during and after? So, stress is a big part of this.
Chronic sleep deprivation can absolutely negatively impact your blood sugar levels. If you are dealing with someone who just eats the Western diet consistently, basically someone who has a tendency to really, maybe, eat a lot of fast food, a lot of processed foods… Maybe it’s a lot of gas station foods or lots and lots of microwavable foods. That can have a profound impact on blood sugar levels.
Rich Willey
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