Combat Cravings And Sugar Swings

If Dr Gillian McKeith bursting onto your TV screen in a bid to rid people of their poor eating habits and excess weight is making you think twice about your diet and health, it's worth remembering she recommends Spirulina ‘to help control blood sugar swings and food cravings’ in her book The Ultimate Health Plan.

What is spirulina?

Spirulina is nature’s richest whole food source of complete protein. It is a blue green alga that grows naturally on fresh water. The most potent strain of spirulina comes from Hawaii and MicrOrganics Hawaiian Spirulina is readily available in the UK.

Spirulina contains the entire anti-oxidant spectrum, is low in sodium and cholesterol and contains 18 of the known 22 amino acids, including all eight essential amino acids. It also contains vitamin E, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6, plus 14 minerals including iron, selenium, copper, manganese, magnesium and zinc. All these vitamins and minerals are bonded to the amino acids, making them easy for the body to assimilate.

How does it combat cravings and sugar swings?

Spirulina has shown in independent tests to be effective in controlling blood glucose levels. This helps avoid sugar ‘highs’ and, more important, the ‘lows’ that send you off in search of sugar when your blood glucose levels drop. It is also thought spirulina stops sugar swings because:

It has high magnesium content: magnesium deficiency is known to produce intense cravings, especially for chocolate sweets (which contain magnesium). By giving your body magnesium, it won’t feel compelled to eat chocolate to get it this way.

It is 60% protein that, like any other protein, provides steady levels of blood sugar. This counteracts a hypolglycemic (sugar ‘high’) response that, quickly turns to a sugar ‘low’ – which sparks a craving for sweet foods. Put another way, the high quality protein found in spirulina blocks the hypoglycemic appetite response.

It has GLA and other oils that are known to promote steady blood sugar levels through their slow digestion. GLA, in particular, helps regulate the insulin response of the pancreas. This response kicks in when you have too much sugar in your system but it creates the dreaded sugar ‘low’. So spirulina takes away the primary cause of sugar cravings before they even occur.

How do I take spirulina?

Swallow the tablets whole with water or fruit juice. Six tablets will give you the minimum daily dose of 3g. Or take Spirulina powder – a heaped teaspoon a day is ideal. Add to smoothies or shake into fruit juices: citric works well, citric and sweet even better.

How do I buy it?

MicrOrganics UK’s Hawaiian Spirulina range is available in powder and tablet form from independent health food stores and online at microrganics.co.uk. The powder costs from £11.95 for 110 grams and the half-gram tablets cost from £8.95 for 110, post and packaging are free on all size orders to UK addresses.