Today, stressful events, such as family loss or problems at work, are known to be risk factors for high blood pressure cause the onset of diabetes6. In addition, studies have shown that traumatic experiences, family chaos and behavioral problems during childhood are also linked to diabetes7.
So what explains this connection? It turns out that the main stress hormone, cortisol, causes blood sugar levels to rise8. Technically, this is an evolutionary adaptation. When we try to fight or flee, we immediately need sugar in our blood to fuel our muscles and cells to get out of a dangerous situation.
It therefore makes sense that when we encounter a threat, our bodies do what they were designed to do: stopping digestion and other less critical bodily processes, such as repair and clean-up mechanisms, and funneling its resources to the heart, brain, and body. the muscles. The only problem arises when stress is chronic. Too much cortisol for too long can lead to chronically high blood sugar, which can contribute to diabetes and insulin resistance.
If you have a blood sugar problem, I am sure that your gut feeling plays an important role in your imbalance, and that healing requires an approach that addresses both the physical causes of blood sugar imbalances, such as microbiome imbalances and excessive sugar intake – and the emotional, such as chronic stress or the effects of trauma.
Excerpt courtesy of Gut feelings: Healing the shame-fueled relationship between what you eat and how you feel. Copyright © 2023 by Will Cole. Published by goop Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.