As if the preparations for parenthood and changes happening to the body aren't enough for a mother-to-be and her partner, there are many risks one runs throughout a pregnancy. I was recently asked by a follower about the low blood sugar she endured throughout her pregnancy which resulted in the baby being placed in the NIC unit to stabilize his low blood sugar. Often, this external stress is compounded by the internal stress of 'Was this all my fault?' Stress at this time for a mother who is nursing and caring for a child is the last thing her body and child needs. No pregnancy is perfect and fortunately she has a happy, healthy baby now. Hypo and hyperglycemia during pregnancy is a battle for a lot of women. For those unfamiliar, this takes place when either a drop (hypoglycemia) or spike (hyperglycemia) in blood sugar happens before or after eating. This can cause dizziness, fatigue, nausea and low appetite. The most common link I see between women with blood sugar issues is the morning sickness, vomiting and loss of appetite. Let's talk about how this web is woven through Chinese medicine terms.
First, let's begin with why you even have nausea and vomiting when pregnant. In Chinese medicine, the baby is said to reside in the Lower Jiao. This is a protective area where qi and blood flow abundantly for the mother and is an ideal place to nourish a baby. Because of this location, in Chinese medicine, the baby is said to 'block the free flow of the Stomach qi' which can cause the symptoms of nausea, vomiting and appetite loss. When we eat, the Spleen and Stomach work together to digest your food, transform the nourishment to create blood (very important for mothers!) and qi and carry it on its way, separating the 'clarity from the turbidity' as we say. Stomach qi moves down to send the food further along its course while Spleen qi moves up to send the clear qi to the Lung to disperse throughout the body, warming the skin and organs. When Stomach qi "rebels" or goes the opposite direction of where it's supposed to, we encounter problems like nausea, vomiting, belching, hiccups etc. This is seen sometimes when we eat too much food- that food is creating an obstruction, blocking the free flow of qi which is why it is recommended to eat small amounts of food and eat until you are 2/3 full. Well, babies are no different to the body in terms of being an obstruction in the path of qi. This is how morning sickness, nausea and vomiting are explained in Chinese medicine.
But how does low blood sugar relate to morning sickness? In Chinese medicine, it is said that 'Women are ruled by blood; Men are ruled by Qi.' Women have their monthly cycle, can support a pregnancy (abundant qi and blood are necessary) and produce breast milk, all of which require abundant blood (it is thought is that breast milk is transformed from blood). Going back to the Spleen being able to create blood from the nourishment and qi it transforms from food- if one is not able to keep food down, this creates a troublesome cycle. How am I supposed to nourish my baby if I can't take in any nourishment? In Chinese medicine and herbs, we have gentle acupuncture treatments that we use to calm nausea and correct the flow of stomach qi as well as herbs such as fresh ginger (sheng jiang) and perilla leaf (zi su ye) to calm morning sickness. Setting a reminder for yourself every couple of hours to eat small amounts of cooked (nothing raw) nourishing foods is also a good way to help resolve not getting essential fats, vitamins, sugars and minerals. The etiology or cause of this though is Counterflow of Stomach qi and we correct that by regulating the flow of the Stomach qi.
Blood sugar issues normally resolve themselves for the mother and baby after the delivery. This was such a terrific question because it illustrates another example of how Chinese medicine is able to take an issue and shine a different light on it and provide possible solutions.
As a student of Chinese medicine, I welcome any and all questions. Thank you- Collin
Collin, I was wondering, do you get the same effect in blood sugar levels, when you eat honey vs sugar? I would like to know if it's ok for me to still eat honey, as I am trying to get rid of table sugar over all. Also, is honey a good alternative to use for weight loss?
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good question because we see so many different sugars out on the market right now and there are a lot of debates as to the whether sugar is healthy or not. Just like fats, I feel that sugar should be a part of a healthy diet. The answer to your question about consuming honey vs. table sugar lies in the digestion and their enzymes. In sugar, glucose and fructose are bound together to form sucrose, which comes from sugar beets or sugar cane and is more commonly known as table sugar. In honey, fructose and glucose are primarily independent of each other. One tablespoon of white, granulated sugar contains 49 calories, while one tablespoon of honey has 68 calories, which is the cause of honey having a higher density and weight than sugar. (Reference: The Food Processor® SQL Nutrition Analysis and Fitness Software, ESHA Research, Salem OR)
DeleteSucrose (table sugar) passes through the stomach without any digestion happening because of its disaccharide (a sugar composed of two monosaccharides) composition. This means that the enzymes in the stomach cannot break down the glucose-fructose structure of table sugar until it reaches the small intestine. Then the liver utilizes a few enzymes to convert the molecules into glucose that is able to enter the bloodstream for further use.
Honey is different because of the enzymes that are added to the nectar by bees that divide the sucrose into two simple sugars, fructose and glucose. These sugars are directly absorbed by our bodies and are easier to digest.
Diet and exercise are the two keys one needs to make changes to their health. Weight loss is inevitable when you begin to exercise and make positive changes in your diet. Substituting honey for table sugar is a start in the right direction. -Collin