yogini Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 I'm always trying new diets I see on The View. So one of them I saw a couple of weeks ago talked about using almond butter at night to manage your blood sugar in the morning so you don't wake up tired and hungry. I usually get tired and hungry until mid-day, so I decided to play around with this and eat almond butter in the morning. This actually helped me feel a lot more energetic. THEN I decided to add some cinnamon to the almond butter (I had this from a prior "cinnamon tea" diet also to manage blood sugar. I couldn't handle the tea). So the cinnamon/almond butter combo has been even better. I've barely felt any dips in my energy. To give an example, a coupel of weeks I had to take a day trip for work 1 hr away. Well, by 3 oclock that day I felt so tired I couldn't concentrate. I had to sleep for the next 2 full days to recover. Mon and Tues of this week I made the same trip 2 days in a row and today I feel "normal". In my 7 years of having POTS, I have never made it through anything like that without being wiped out. I am amazedI used to come of my yoga class feeling so hungry I couldn't see straight. That isn't happenign anymore. (I'm not a diabetic,by the way. My blood sugar test always come back normal. I always wonder if I have a blood sugar issue that isn't showing up on the tests.) I am craving sugar and caffeine less. And I have lost a couple of lbs to boot. And it's only been a couple of weeks!Don't get me wrong - I still have rapid heartbeats and POTS symptoms, but I am feeling more energetic. I am almost scared to post it for fear of "jinxing" the way things are going. Just wanted to share in case any of you wanted to try. The best part is that this is really easy, tastes good, natural, etc. You can use peanut butter instead of almond butter and it works the same. I've been swtiching between the two so I don't get bored. Make sure you use real (Ceylon) cinnamon, which you can order online or get at an indian grocery store. Most cinnamon is Cassia cinnamon which doesn't work as well, taste as good and may also cause cancer. I hope this works for some of you the way it has for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sue1234 Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 That's great that something is helping you! It must feel amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noreen Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 Do you put it on anything or do you eat it off a spoon? How much?I am all for trying anything that will help with energy levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yogini Posted February 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 Sue, thanks, I'm pinching myself, but so far so good.Reen, I've had it with toast, steel cut oatmeal and celery. But usually I mix it in a little bowl and just eat it w/ a spoon. Either 1 or 2 tablespoons of almond/peanut butter mixed with a little pinch of cinnamon - maybe 1/8 teaspoon or less. In the morning and then sometimes again at night. Let me know if it helps you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmorgen Posted February 3, 2011 Report Share Posted February 3, 2011 Wow, that's great that its really helping. I will try it. I didnt know that any cinnamon cased cancer. I looked up the cinnmaon I have and it's from sri lanka, so I'm pretty sure it's cinnamon not cassia. I also read that it was the cassia(Chinese cinnamon) that was good for insulin stability. Hmm, I guess I'll have to look into that. Glad your feeling better and have more energy. Is there anything else your doing or just the nut butter and cinnamon?Natalie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yogini Posted February 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2011 Natalie, I've been doing yoga for 3 1/2 years, and take CoQ10 and Garden of Life Perfect Food vitamins. All these things help a lot. The peanut butter is the only thing I've added recently, so I'm pretty sure that's what's giving me that extra boost. It sounds like you have the right kind of cinnamon. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianne.fraser Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 YoginiGood news that you've found a simple way to boost your energy levels! Trust your instincts re blood sugar - normal blood sugar findings don't necessarily mean that all's fine with your carbohydrate metabolism. After limiting my carb intake over many years to manage my fatigue, last year I did a carb challenge over a number of days which showed abnormalities (despite normal findings on annual blood sugar checks over six years). My GP and I had agreed to a week-long carb challenge to check for reactive hypoglycaemia. I was provided with a practice glucometer, and training/support from the practice nurse, and told to challenge myself with big carb meals, take 'regular' blood sugar readings and report back after a week. I took hourly blood sugar readings from waking. My blood sugar failed to swing either high or low in response to carbs, even though I felt increasingly disabled, BUT I woke each morning with blood sugar that was higher than the morning before. On day four, my GP stopped the challenge because I woke with blood sugar in the diabetic range. I had thought that nothing measurable was happening in response to carbs because of my normal results on the usual blood sugar checks but, really, there was nothing measurable happening in the standard timeframe for a glucose tolerance test or a 'moment in time' assessment of fasting blood sugar.After seeing an endocrinologist before Christmas last year, its now queried whether a genetic metabolic disease might have caused my dysautonomia - I've been referred on to an adult genetic metabolic diseases unit, and my appointment is on 3 March.Meanwhile, I've cut back my carbs even further, and my fatigue levels are now lower than ever before. Unfortunately, it hasn't mean't that I can be more active, but losing much of the fatigue has improved my quality of life dramatically.With best wishesDianne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noreen Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 YoginiGood news that you've found a simple way to boost your energy levels! Trust your instincts re blood sugar - normal blood sugar findings don't necessarily mean that all's fine with your carbohydrate metabolism. After limiting my carb intake over many years to manage my fatigue, last year I did a carb challenge over a number of days which showed abnormalities (despite normal findings on annual blood sugar checks over six years). My GP and I had agreed to a week-long carb challenge to check for reactive hypoglycaemia. I was provided with a practice glucometer, and training/support from the practice nurse, and told to challenge myself with big carb meals, take 'regular' blood sugar readings and report back after a week. I took hourly blood sugar readings from waking. My blood sugar failed to swing either high or low in response to carbs, even though I felt increasingly disabled, BUT I woke each morning with blood sugar that was higher than the morning before. On day four, my GP stopped the challenge because I woke with blood sugar in the diabetic range. I had thought that nothing measurable was happening in response to carbs because of my normal results on the usual blood sugar checks but, really, there was nothing measurable happening in the standard timeframe for a glucose tolerance test or a 'moment in time' assessment of fasting blood sugar.After seeing an endocrinologist before Christmas last year, its now queried whether a genetic metabolic disease might have caused my dysautonomia - I've been referred on to an adult genetic metabolic diseases unit, and my appointment is on 3 March.Meanwhile, I've cut back my carbs even further, and my fatigue levels are now lower than ever before. Unfortunately, it hasn't mean't that I can be more active, but losing much of the fatigue has improved my quality of life dramatically.With best wishesDianneThat is fascinating Dianne. Please let us know how your appointment goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yogini Posted February 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Hi Dianne. Thanks for the info. I think managing blood sugar, carbs is linked to POTS for many of us and tht drs haven't made the full connetion. I'm definitely curious to see how your dr's appt goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianne.fraser Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 I agree Yogini - if the autonomic nervous system is malfunctioning, it stands to reason that it might not be properly regulating carbohydrate metabolism. I think that doctors are often staring so intently at our hearts, that everything else is secondary, or not considered at all, or considered to be unimportant or imaginary. I was diagnosed with dysautonomia by a cardiologist based on the post-exercise collapse of my blood pressure - I had no idea that I was also supposed to have an endocrine assessment, and neither did my cardiologist. Until I joined this forum, I didn't know about the endocrine aspects of dysautonomia, and I didn't know that dysautonomia is considered largely a secondary disorder for which a primary cause can sometimes be found. According to my endocrinologist, given my family history and my own medical history, my dysautonomia could have been caused by any of a number of rare metabolic disorders. I'll let you know how I go at my upcoming appointment. With best wishesDianne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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