Total Health Breakthroughs: Free Natural Health Newsletter and Alternative Health Articles

In this Issue:

Sugar as a Health Food?

By Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS

Sugar’s about to show up on food labels, all dressed up as a new “natural ingredient”and a better alternative to the demon du jour, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

Never let it be said that there are no “second acts” in the marketing of junk food.

OK, in case you haven’t been paying attention, HFCS has gotten quite a whipping in the press. The Corn Refiners Association tried fighting back, most notably with a series of commercials showing a clueless mother unable to explain why the stuff was so “bad,” but even the best PR campaign wasn’t able to put out the fire. And the death blow was delivered recently by Michelle Obama who declared any product with high-fructose corn syrup to be off-limits at the White House.

So now sugar — plain old white table sugar, the poor little guy that got displaced by HFCS, is being reinvented… this time as the “natural” healthy alternative to HFCS.

Oh, brother.

Let’s recap for a moment. Sugar is one part glucose and one part fructose (50/50). HFCS is very close to the same formula, marginally higher in fructose — 55% fructose, 45% glucose — but probably not enough to make that much difference (or at least that’s what the proponents of HFCS claim).

But the point is moot and the argument about which is “better” diverts our attention from the real problem, which is this: The more damaging half of this dastardly duo of glucose and fructose — regardless of whether it occurs in table sugar or HFCS — is clearly fructose.

Numerous studies have shown fructose raises insulin resistance, raises triglycerides in the bloodstream and contributes to fatty liver disease. Pure refined fructose is bad news, whether it comes from HFCS or from sugar.

The big problem with HFCS is the fact that it’s so cheap and widely available that it’s now in products that were never sweetened before. And the fact that it’s so cheap means that manufacturers can use a ton of it, sweetening everything in sight. The result is that we now consume more fructose than we ever did when manufacturers used plain old white sugar.

Going back to “natural” (give me a break), white sugar accomplishes exactly nothing. Refined fructose is metabolic poison, and whether we get it from the old-fashioned sugar or the cheap and abundant HFCS matters not a whit. We’re eating too much of the stuff.

And lest there be any confusion, let me add that I’m quite aware that fructose is found naturally in fruits. But fructose in fruits — surrounded by fiber, vitamins, phytochemicals and other good stuff — is a very different “animal” than refined fructose — as different as an animal’s fur is from a fur coat in the store window.

You don’t need to avoid fructose when it occurs (in small amounts) in whole foods.  When it occurs in refined sweeteners — be they “natural” sugar or high-fructose corn syrup — run the other way.

[Ed. note: Dr. Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. He is also a life coach, motivational speaker, former personal trainer and author of The Seven Supplements You Need Now.   His new book, The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Energy Naturally is available now.  For more information, click here.]

Nutrition & Health:

The Glycemic Index: A Powerful Tool for Optimum Health

By Dr. David Kamnitzer

Did you know that you can help reduce stress on your body just by making sure thatmost of the carbohydrates (carbs) you eat are they type that keep your blood sugar from rising too fast?

All carbs are broken down into simple sugars and then this sugar circulates in your blood.

Unless you are exercising at the time, when you eat carbs, your body requires insulin to get that sugar from the blood into the cells.

A rapid rise in blood sugar triggers more insulin release.  Sugars leave the blood and enter the cells (unless you have developed insulin resistance … but that is a story for another time).  Blood sugar drops rapidly as well.  It’s a “roller coaster” ride that stresses the body’s balancing mechanisms in many ways.

One way to reduce the rate of release of sugar into the bloodstream is by eating foods that lead to sugar entering the bloodstream more gradually — over a longer period of time.  The Glycemic Index (GI) is a powerful tool for selecting these types of foods.

I encourage you to visit the official website of the Glycemic Index and the GI Database http://www.glycemicindex.com/.  Here you can find the GI of just about any food (the lower the better for our purposes, especially if you are not engaging in strenuous activity).

You’ll also learn why no two carbs are alike, the benefits of eating low GI foods, and tips on switching to a healthier low GI diet.

Remember, when you are looking up the GI of a particular food, lower is “better” with respect to helping keep blood sugar stable.  Below 55 is best.

In addition, here is a tip:  If you are going to eat a food higher on the GI, eat another food at the same time that is low in carbs and higher in protein and good fats.  For example, add a few almonds, or an egg.  The fat will slow down the release of sugars into the bloodstream, and the protein will trigger the release of the hormone glucagon that counteracts the effect of insulin release and helps to keep blood sugar levels more stable.

Once you work with the charts, you’ll quickly get the “hang of it” and you’ll find yourself easily selecting foods that keep your blood sugar more stable.

Of course, if you really “pig out,” even a lower GI food can lead to a significant blood sugar rise (so there is a section of the chart called Glycemic Load (GL) to help keep you on the straight and narrow!

One final word … Just because a food is low on the GI, does not mean it is necessarily good for you.  A couple of examples:

Peanuts have a low GI, but you could have an allergy to them, or they could have too much salt for you, or the oils they were roasted in may not be good for you.

Milk is fairly low on the GI, but again, you could have a sensitivity to dairy, or be lactose intolerant.  Most Americans drink pasteurized milk in which the enzymes have been destroyed by the heat involved in that process.  The lack of enzymes could place a stressful demand on your own enzymatic production processes.

Nevertheless, the GI is a useful tool that, when combined with other understandings about nutrition, can help you reduce physical stress and have an improved quality of life.

[Ed Note:  David Kamnitzer, D.C. is an expert at helping people achieve high levels of health and well-being -- far beyond what is available simply through drugs and surgery alone.  He combines his 20-year clinical experience and extensive knowledge in structural, nutritional, and energetic balancing to offer individuals cutting-edge approaches to healing.  To learn more, click here.]

Healthy Recipes:

Buffalo Cherry Burgers

By Kelley Herring

Adding organic cherries not only kicks up the flavor in these savory-sweet burgers, but guards against free radical damage too. Researchers at Michigan State University found that adding cherries to ground meat prior to cooking reduced cancer-causing heterocyclic amines (HCAs) by 69 to 78%.¹ Now that’s how you build a better burger!

Time To Table: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

The Benefits
Excellent Source of: Protein, Selenium, Zinc
Good Source of: Iron, Potassium
Preferences: Low Carb, Low Saturated Fat, Gluten Free

Ingredients
16 ounces organic, grass-fed buffalo
1 cup frozen organic tart cherries, thawed
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 clove organic garlic, minced
1 Tbsp organic balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt

Preparation
First, finely chop cherries and drain. Place ground buffalo in a large bowl and gently mix in cherries, garlic, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until combined. Divide into 4 equal portions and form into 1/2-inch-thick patties. We suggest using a FlavorWave for cooking (this will further reduce the formation of HCAs noted above).

Cook in the FlavorWave at 400°F for 10 minutes. Alternatively, grill or broil 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Nutrition Information
147 Calories, 2 g Total Fat, 1 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 1 g Monounsaturated fats, 0 g Polyunsaturated fat, 69 mg Cholesterol, 227 mg Sodium, 6 g Carbohydrate, 1 g Fiber, 4 g Sugars, 25 g Protein

Reference

1. Balogh Z, et al. Food Chem Toxicol. 38.5 (2000):395-401.

[Ed Note: Who says dessert can't be healthy? Nutrition expert Kelley Herring's brand-new recipe e-book, Guilt-Free Desserts, reveals 40 easy-to-make, mouthwateringly delicious, 100% healthy dessert recipes you can make at home. Order today and you'll receive the e-book Healthy Holiday Hors d'Oeuvres for free.]