Sugar & Side Effects
I have been preaching this for almost 15 years now that if there is one single thing anyone who is looking to prevent disease or improve their health could do would be eliminate processed sugar from your diet and only consume natural fruit sugars from select foods. So what is the big fuss all about and is sugar really evil? Let's explore what sugar does to your body.
Sugar suppresses the immune system. According to the Health Services at Columbia University, when you eat 100 grams of sugar which is equal to a liter of soda, your white blood cells are 40% less effective at killing bacteria. This cripples your immune sytem for up to 5 hours after eating this amount of sugar. Linus Pauling also discovered back in the 1970's that your body requires Vitamin C to fight off viruses, however, Vitamin C has to compete with sugar for the same space in your immune cells as Vitamin C and sugar are similar in molecular structure. The more sugar in your system, the less Vitamin C. Sugar creates a breeding gound for bacteria and viruses.
Cancer cells have over 6 times the number of insulin receptors that healthy cells do. This means that cancer cells are feeding on glucose, an when reducing blood glucose has been shown to correlate to cancer remission or stablity. Have you ever wondered how a PET scan detects cancer? The PET scan detects the radiation given off by the radiotracer that they give the person. The radiotracer is called fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) wich is very similar to the natural glucose occuring in our bodies so the body treats it the same way. Since cancer cells have more receptors, it is no mystery as to why these scans can detect cancer. There is a lot of debate on glucose and cancer cells and what role it really plays, but the fact remains that when you restrict sugar, the cancer loses its fuel source. The ketogenic diet is the best around when it comes to fueling your body and your brain. In the absence of glucose (sugar), your body will turn fat into ketones and while your body can use ketones as a fuel source cancer cells can't use ketones as an alternative fuel source, therefore they die.
I could write a book on the copious negative side effects sugar has in the body. There is a lot of science and research that shows how sugar does not serve your body and why you should avoid it. There is a lot of cookbooks and books that discuss ketogenic diets. I am going to give you a list of low carb fruits, nuts, vegetables, and the best fats & proteins to choose.
Low carb Fruits: Blackberries, boysenberries, gooseberries, rasperberries, strawberries, and lemons.
Low Carb Vegetables: Aparagus, avocado, artichoke, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, green beans, beet greens, brussell sprouts, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower cabbage, celery, and chard, chives, collard greens, cucumbers, eggplant, endives, fennel bulb, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, olives, peppers, radishes, spinach, tomatoes, napa cabbage, savoy cabbage, sauerkraut, scallions, taro leaves, turnips, watercress and zucchini.
Low Carb Nuts: Almonds, english and black walnuts, brazil nuts, pecans, hazelnuts, macadamia, and coconuts.
Fats: Coconut Oil, MCT Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Hemp Oil, Grass Fed butter, Ghee, and Olive Oil.
Protein Sources: Eggs, wild caught fish, and organic poultry are all good sources of protein. When eating beef make sure it is limited to no more than once a week and that it is grassfed, and add some extra digestive enzyme supplements to aid your body in breaking it down. Also it important in using the right source of protein supplements so make sure you choose supplements that are organic, GMO & soy free, undenatured whey or vegan (hemp and pea are best) sources that have a dense amino acid profile and low carbohydrate profile (I prefer stevia and xylitol).
