SUGAR! SUGAR! SUGAR!!
HOW SWEET IT IS!
Ok. Who loves SUGAR? Raise your hands high!!
Ok. Who prides themselves in not eating SUGAR? Raise 'em up! (Are you positive you're not eating SUGAR?)
The funny thing about SUGAR is that it's like a chameleon. We may think we're not eating it, but we really are. SUGAR is a carbohydrate. SUGAR, in one form or another (which we'll get to) is added to more food products than you can ever imagine. It has been scientifically proven and documented to play a huge part in many, many diseases (not to mention joint inflammation, cataracts and wrinkles!). SUGAR promotes insulin production, which, depending on the glycemic index (GI) of the food, can unleash this hormone, insulin, into utter chaos in our bodies. Insulin promotes fat storage. Did you know that? And to top it off, SUGAR isn't even a nutritional food (GI=This is the scale used to measure which substances have the most impact on blood glucose levels. The lower the GI the healthier the substance. In effect, it is measuring the rate of absorption into our bloodstream. Low GI substances are absorbed slower and are therefore assimilated into the body in a more controlled and healthy way). So, a plate of veggies (sorry, no ranch dressing to dip it in!) or a plate of cinnamon rolls, both carbohydrates....which would our bodies absorb more slowly? And which do you think would be absorbed quickly and make us feel good for about 20 minutes, then put our bodies into the notorious "sugar coma" which would tell our brain to eat more rolls to get us out of the coma.........understand the cycle? Same goes for pasta, rice, potatoes, all of the wheat and whole grain foods that we believe are so healthy: they are insulin promoters and fat storage masters! Ya. Buzz kill, I know. And you wonder why you can't lose the weight, or feel better, or sleep better, lower your cholesterol, avoid pre-diabetic tendancies, stop showing signs of Metabolic Syndrome....or just be in a better mood...
(Read the book by William Davis, M.D., "Wheat Belly").
So, here's a list of SUGAR names. This is by no means an exhausted list, but it's a start. Read your food labels. If you find these names, especially first or second in the ingredients, put the food down and move on. The more the product is in its natural state, the lower the GI (ie: organic turkey breast vs. processed turkey):
Barley malt, beet sugar, brown sugar, buttered syrup, cane juice crystals, cane sugar, caramel, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, confectioner's sugar, carob syrup, castor sugar, date sugar, demerara sugar, dextran, dextrose, diastatic malt, diatase, ethyl maltol, fructose, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate, galactose, glucose, glucose solids, golden sugar, golden syrup, grape sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, icing sugar, invert sugar, lactose, maltodextrin, maltose, malt syrup, maple syrup, molasses, muscovado sugar, panocha, raw sugar, refiner's syrup, rice syrup, sorbitol, sorghum syrup, sucrose, sugar, treacle, turbinado sugar and yellow sugar.
And here are some high GI wheat products that aren't as obvious as rice, pasta and potatoes, that you may want to eat very little of, if at all:
Bran, bulgar, couscous, durum, farina, focaccia, gnocchi, matzo, modified food starch, orzo, ramen, rye, semolina, soba, strudel, tart, wheat germ, wraps, beers, bloody mary mixes, flavored coffees, flavored teas, wine coolers, bran cereals, corn flakes, muesli, oat cereals, puffed rice cereals, clif bars, power bars, slim-fast meal bars, gatorade nutritional bars, cream of wheat, oatmeal, salad dressings, cake frosting, candy bars, jelly beans, granola bars, ice cream, pies, trail mixes...
Are you depressed yet? Well, like anything, moderation is our best weapon. If you really want some pasta, don't have a huge plate full - just have a small portion, like a cup size. Fill up on and eat more veggies (carbohydrates), eggs, chicken, turkey (proteins) and avacodoes, walnuts, olive oil (good fats - but don't get crazy. Fat is fat). Remember, the more we eat foods that are in their natural state and not processed or genetically engineered, the better off our mind and body are! We've only got one body. Let's treat it with love and respect.
