Sugar
I am always fascinated on the effect of sugar in general and its effects on insulin and your immune system.
PS, is Agave as bad as they say it is?
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a.../Agave-A-Triumph-of-Marketing-over-Truth.aspx
I can sum sugar up pretty easily. Don't eat it in any from. This means even fructose(fruit sugar) is bad for your health. Simple Carbs as well in any form should also be avoided as they convert to sugar too quickly, This causes a heavy insulin secretion to then lower the circulating sugar levels. Carbs = sugar, complex carbs do as well but have a much slower conversion which allows the body to produce less insulin.
When we eat sugar a more that a couple bad things happen: #1-bad thing-sugar is treated by our bodies no differently than say a cold or and allergic reaction. Due to variables such as an instant yeast imbalance our bodies fight sugar every time we eat it. So to our immune system it's like fighting a cold 365 days a year-very taxing..
#2-bad thing-if someone regularly takes in too much sugar, the body constantly has to produce insulin to keep the bodies sugar levels regulated. What can eventually happen is type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which your pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or your body does not properly use the insulin it makes. Both a detrimental to health.
When you eat sugar, it actually causes negative changes to your genes that last for two full weeks! So indulge in a couple of sodas or splurge on a hot fudge sundae and not only do your genes turn off controls designed to protect you from heart disease and diabetes, but the impact lasts for 14 days!
Even more concerning, if you eat too much sugar for a long time, your DNA may become permanently altered, and the effects could be passed on to your children and grandchildren.
For most Americans, sugar is not only a regular part of their diet, but often the source of the most calories! On average, adults are eating over 22 teaspoons of sugar a day … which is way over the American Heart Association’s recommended limit of 6.5 teaspoons a day for women and 9.5 for men.
The only sweeteners deemed healthy are stevia and (sucanat in small amounts) that's it. I've read recently about palm sugar but it will most likely be put back into the bad column with everything else tasty.
If you really love sugar, be prepared to give up quality of life for it. As it is nearly impossible to cut all sugar out in all forms, it's best to exercise common sense and limit the intake as much as possible. The on;y time we should spike our blood sugar is after a heavy session in the gym to restore blood sugar and aid in muscle recovery through insulin secretions.
Now agave( mercola is a great site btw) is just another fructose fruit sugar. Don't believe the hype, aside from a little mineral content it has nothing to offer us. How many people still think drinking milk is good for you? Now tell me marketing doesn't work....
I couldn't talk about sugar without touching on artificial sweeteners. I'll post an article soon but bottom line. None are ok, in-fact in nutritional sciences we believe they are even worse than sugar as a negative influence on long term health. No diet pop(aspartame), no spenda, no sweet'n'low, nadda!
Even most protien powders are loaded in aceflame potassium( also methyl compound) potassium 6-methyl-2,2-dioxo-oxathiazin-4-olate. Companies like gaspari without integrity call it ace-k on the label.
I don't think i had to mention that sugar also causes weight gain and heart disease.
