Howard Stephen Berg: Is It Your Diet or Blood Sugar?

It’s important to take care of yourself so you can take care of your business. If you have vitamin or mineral deficiencies that are causing you to feel fatigued, sluggish, depressed and irritable, how do you expect to run a successful business?

I learned about the power of diet over mood years ago while attending college.  Like many students, my diet was unhealthy and consisted primarily of carbs. Lots of carbs. What I didn’t know at the time, was that I was hypoglycemic, and the more carbs I ate the worst I felt. In this article, let’s take a look at diet and your state of mind.  You will learn some powerful strategies for getting into a more positive state by making better food choices.

Did you know that eating pancakes and eggs is not the same meal as eating eggs and pancakes?   Really.  Whichever food group you ingest first will determine your state of mind for the next several hours.  If you eat a high-carb food first in the morning, then your brain is going to produce a lot of serotonin, and you will feel tired and sleepy.  On the other hand if you ingest protein first, your brain will stay awake and alert for the next several hours.  This has some very serious repercussions you need to think about.

How many times have you felt tired a few hours after lunch?   You know that 3 PM drooping time?   What did you eat for lunch?  Most people start off their lunch with a glass of sugary beverage, fries, potato chips, bread or some other high-carb food.  By the time they start eating the protein, the damage is already done.  As a result, the mid afternoon is often a time when you feel tired.  And if you have kids, this applies just as much to them.   Many of them are making the same poor eating choices at school, and feeling tired while going to their afternoon classes.  Tired enough to affect their performance and yours.

The solution to this part of the problem is simple.  Make sure you eat your protein portion of your meal first to keep your brain active and alert for the next few hours.  Actually, there are a number of things you can do to fight dietary causes that can drain your brain power.

Folic Acid Deficiency

A lack of folic acid can create the same symptoms as senility and several nervous system diseases.  Yet, the average American only eats about 60% of the amount of folic acid their body actually needs.  There is a strong correlation to the intensity of your depression and a folic acid deficiency.

Just how much folic acid is enough?  A healing dosage is around 800 mcg, and then you reduce your intake to 400 mcg for maintenance.

Riboflavin (B2) Deficiency

When the riboflavin levels of over 170 individuals in a mental hospital were measure, almost 25% of them had low levels of riboflavin. It is recommended that you have at least 40 mcg of riboflavin daily.

Thiamine (B1) Deficiency

This vitamin is so important that even healthy people who developed a deficiency started exhibiting irritability, fearfulness and  depression.  In fact, the symptoms can become so severe that placement into a mental hospital has sometimes been required.  Studies done on patients admitted to mental hospitals often find that up to 30% of them have a thiamine deficiency.  The recommended dosage is 40 mg each day.

Pyridoxine (B6) Deficiency

This vitamin plays a vital role in your body.  It helps your body to convert an amino acid called L-tryptophan into a neurotransmitter called serotonin.  Low levels of pyridoxine have been linked to depression.  This is often the type of depression that comes from within rather than as a response to something that is occurring in the patient’s life.  A lack of serotonin is linked to this condition.  The recommended dosage for pyridoxine is 40 mg per day.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Almost 5% of individuals admitted to mental institutions were found to have a Vitamin B12 deficiency, and up to 10% had levels that were lower than normal.   A low level of this vitamin can also cause you to feel fatigued.   It is recommended in the literature that you get 1,000 mcg by intramuscular injection once a week by a physician, if you have a deficiency.   This is only necessary to treat a deficiency.

Vitamin C Deficiency

C is the vitamin you get from eating citrus fruits.  Low levels of vitamin C are associated with tiredness, depression and irritability.  The recommended dosage is 2 gram daily in one gram increments around eight hours apart.