The Physical Aspects of Asperger's Syndrome
6. Other Digestion Problems: Low Appetite, High Metabolism, and Hypoglycemia
Low Appetite
Those with Asperger's seem plagued by health problems. I will list a few on this page that are not mentioned elsewhere in this report. However, it is my understanding that all of the problems listed on this page have but one solution: a diet free of foods that that particular Aspie can't digest, process, or otherwise tolerate.
Many Aspies are usually pretty content to skip a meal, or three. Being highly focused on our interests and jobs, it's easy to forget about the body's physical needs. However, for some of us, it's even worse than that. Some of us are eating foods that we can't digest, those foods then go on to make us sick and alter our body chemistry in negative ways. It can get to the point where eating can feel like it's doing more harm to the body than good. In addition, digestion slows incredibly due to lack of enzymes, probiotics, and a proper intestinal environment, constipation occurs, and the whole system comes to a grinding halt. It's no wonder a body in this condition signals its owner to stop inputting new processing material.
High Metabolism and Lack of Enough Digested Food
For some reason that I'm not aware of, some people with Asperger's appear to
have really high metabolism rates. Perhaps it's because our body is
working so hard to try and get energy from the food we are eating, who knows.
I took a metabolism test at an Endocrinologist's office last year. The
test results surprised all that saw them. My metabolism was incredibly
fast, almost at the extreme end of fast as the test registers it, faster than
most of the nurses I spoke with had ever seen.
The effect of this fast metabolism is that I use up any energy I receive from
food very quickly. To be in this condition, and to be eating a diet
in which a majority of what I ate was gluten or dairy, and therefore,
indigestible, left me with very little food to use. I was tired, showed
signs of malnutrition, had weak muscles from lack of glycogen storage in my
muscles, and
presented with hormonal problems (energy and hormone problems to be discussed in
future portions of this report). To put it simply, I wasn't getting enough
food. I was like an overweight anorexic.
Fortunately, I found the GFCF diet. Modern medicine clearly does not
know about autistic bodies, or else this Endocrinologist would have checked for
gluten intolerance. I wish she had. I also went to this
Endocrinologist's office to address many endocrine and hormonal problems.
She couldn't figure any of them out, and sent me home, saying I was fine.
She actually told me that some people just stay broken, with endocrine systems
that never work correctly, and that it was alright. I've never spotted a
lie so easily in my life. It was heartbreaking to hear! Later
research taught me that Celiac Disease, another disorder in which a person must
stop eating gluten, commonly presents as (looks like, has same symptoms as)
endocrine disorders. They should've known. They didn't. This
is one reason I'm writing these things for you, so that you can skip the
fruitless and expensive doctor appointments and get right to the healing.
Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)
One major problem I have had my whole life is hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is when blood sugar drops too low. Often, when I say the words "blood sugar", people immediately ask if I am talking about diabetes. It's the only blood sugar disorder they've heard of. While diabetes (hyperglycemia) is a disorder in which blood sugar goes too high, hypoglycemia is actually quite the opposite.
The standard treatment for hypoglycemia is to eat. Eating raises the blood sugar, because you're literally adding carbohydrates and sugars to your body. This is normal and is a good thing. While my visits to the Endocrinologist did prove that I officially have hypoglycemia, all they told me to do about it was to eat more. They did, however, give me a nifty little blood glucose meter, which has helped me a lot in learning to eat on time.
Blood Glucose Meters
If your blood sugar drops a lot, you might want to look into getting one of these. I have the OneTouch UltraMini. OneTouch is a great, reliable brand. It is a small, high quality, and cheap meter. The only difference between it and the more expensive versions is that they keep track of results over time. This is for diabetics who have to take their levels at set intervals every day. I don't need that function, so it's not worth the money. The only trick to this whole thing is that the testing strips are expensive, about a dollar per strip. They are available over the counter, at any store, near their pharmacy section. I was able to get a doctor's prescription for them, making them really cheap with insurance.
Hypoglycemia is more than a temporary awful feeling. When blood sugar is too low, the body will then try to save the brain. It will take glycogen, stored sugar energy, from the muscles and give it to the brain in order to keep it working. The result of this is that after a "drop", as I call it, you will feel tired, lethargic, and have very sore muscles for the next 2-3 days. This hurts muscle mass, prevents muscle growth, encourages the body to store fat, and just plain ruins your life when you don't have enough energy to move or think. In addition, blood sugar drops can signal the body to become infertile, probably as a safety measure. More about this in the Hormones section of this report.
My hypoglycemia problem was very serious. I could go from safe levels, 80-120 mg/dl, to dangerous levels, 60 or lower, within an hour. I still can if I accidentally eat the wrong foods or I wait too long between meals. For me, the meter was essential in teaching me to eat often enough. However, I'm guessing that for most people, just eating regularly and eating the right food is enough to solve hypoglycemia problems.
Eating Regularly and Supplements for Hypoglycemia
Miraculously, my hypoglycemia is a problem that has been all but alleviated since the second day I was on the gluten-free, casein-free diet. Somehow, following the GFCF diet, and parts of the Feingold diet, allow me to keep my blood sugar at normal levels for up to four hours. I suppose it's because I now eat foods that my body can actually digest and process as food.
I recommend learning to eat regularly, in whatever way works for you.
For some, set alarms on your watch to tell you when to eat. You may also
benefit from using the chart I included at the bottom of
Section 3 in this report.
It is recommended by nutritionists that those with appetite and blood sugar
problems eat small meals every 2-3 hours. This, it is hoped, can best help
the body maintain its blood sugar level, and balance its metabolism.
In addition to eating properly, there are two supplements that I highly
recommend for hypoglycemia. Chromium works well to help balance blood
sugar. I recommend Chromate, which is a type of chromium that is prepared
for best absorption. I was also very low in one part of vitamin B3.
Vitamin B3 is a mix of niacin and niacinamide. For hypoglycemia, you need
more of niacinamide. You won't need any more niacin than normal, and
too much isn't good. You will, however, need a B-complex vitamin, such as
B-50. The other B vitamins help the niacinamide do its job. Be sure
it's niacinamide, 500mg for an adult, not niacin. Niacinamide has done
wonders for me in helping me keep my blood sugar from falling.
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