Martha H. Howard, MD, Dipl. Ac. NCCAOM

Sodas are one of the main reasons for the American obesity epidemic! How did it happen?
How did a drink that Mom used to let you have once or twice a week morph into something that people drink like water?

Part of the reason is America’s stressful, workaholic life style. Those drinks are a two-fer: a little break happens when you take a sip, or even stop to drink the whole thing; and then there’s the caffeine to pick you up from your afternoon slump.

Another part of our “fatal attraction” to sodas can also be laid at the feet of the usual suspects—the “madmen” ad men who dazzle us with visions of fun, friends, creativity and energy, all associated with soda drinks.

And part of it is our own craving for a reward, a sweet treat in a rough day, and our taste for the sparkle of a fizzy drink.

Why not just give in and drink soda?

If you drink non-diet sodas, you are adding to your belly fat with sugar. Metabolic syndrome—the combination of belly fat, high blood sugar, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and high blood fats—is our number one epidemic. Sodas, “vitamin waters”, juice drinks, “sports” drinks—any sugary drink that gives you nothing but calories and raises your blood sugar—are this epidemic’s main fuel.

Would you sit and eat 9 ½ sugar cubes? That’s what you are getting with a mere 12 ounce can of Coke, along with 140 calories that have absolutely no value, and of course, And a 32 ounce Big Gulp? 23 ½ sugar cubes, 364 calories! For more about this, and a view of the stacks of sugar cubes, check out http://www.sugarstacks.com/beverages.htm. By the way, while you are getting all that sugar, you are also trashing your teeth with the combination of sugar and acid, and leaching calcium out of your bones.

So you are going to switch to diet drinks, right? Wrong!

In 2004, Susan Swithers, PhD, A Purdue University behavioral sciences professor published a study done with rats, showing that no-calorie sweeteners like aspartame increase appetite. If you are trying to diet, that can’t be good!
More recently, in February of this year, epidemiologist Hannah Gardener, PhD of the University of Miami presented preliminary research results regarding diet soda and health risks at a health conference.
Her early findings revealed a 48% increase in heart attack and stroke risk among daily diet soda drinkers, compared to people who did not drink diet sodas every day, or did not drink them at all. Of course, as is always said, “this research doesn’t absolutely prove that diet soda causes stroke or heart attack.” There could be more associated causes that were not eliminated as associated variables in the research.
However, the aspartame-heart attack-stroke association has some logic to it.
• Aspartame breaks down into methanol and formaldehyde. Methanol is wood alcohol. That can’t do the lining of your blood vessels any good! People used to drink methanol as “absinthe” until it was banned because it is neurotoxic and caused people to go crazy and blind!
• The methanol then breaks down into formaldehyde. A number of studies done since 1973 suggest that as much as 30% of the breakdown products of aspartame are retained in your body as toxic products of formaldehyde and formic acid.
• Even if only 10% of the formaldehyde from the breakdown of aspartame is retained, the amount you are getting in two diet sodas a day is 20 (twenty) times the EPA allowable amount of formaldehyde in drinking water.
• For more about this see the “gold standard” book Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Russell Blaylock, MD, a neurologist recently retired from University of Mississippi Medical Center.
• Also check out http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/abuse/methanol.html for information about the junk science and scientific abuse that got aspartame on the market in the first place.
• If you really want to scare yourself away from diet drinks, watch the documentary film Sweet Misery.
No sugary sodas, no diet sodas, no vitamin waters, no “sports drinks.” What to drink?
Good old filtered water is the best drink. If you absolutely must have that caffeine lift, try macha green tea. Stay away from the bottled teas unless they are unsweetened, because they, too will have sugar, or corn syrup, or aspartame.
I have to admit, I am a huge fan of fizz. I want my drink to sparkle. I am now drinking flavored mineral waters. If I want to add a little extra flavor and sweetness, and not too many calories, I pour out two ounces of organic grape or cranberry or other 100% fruit juice into a glass, and fill it up with lime or lemon LaCroix. Delicious!

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Raymond G. Hatland DDS

Most parents take great care to monitor their children’s sugar intake, so when a dentist tells them their children’s teeth show signs of decay it comes as an unpleasant surprise.

Tooth decay is caused by frequent exposure to foods containing carbohydrates (starches and sugars).

Common culprits are soda pop, candy, ice cream, milk, cakes and even fruits, vegetables and juices. The problem with sugar is that it can lurk in the most unexpected places. There are sugars that appear naturally in many foods- even milk! For this reason we recommend parents don’t put their babies to sleep with a bottle of milk. Natural bacteria live in the mouth, and as the milk pools, the sugars mix with the bacteria to make a mild acid. This acid damages tooth enamel over time by dissolving, or demineralizing, the mineral structure of teeth, producing tooth decay and weakening the teeth.

Here are some tips to prevent teeth from the harmful effects of sugar:

• Read food labels carefully to identify sugars, which also come in the form of corn syrup, molasses, dextrose, fructose, glucose, sucrose and honey.

• Read medicine labels carefully too, as even medicine isn’t sugar free…remember Mary Poppins singing “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down? The pharma companies seem to have taken that to heart. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the ingredients of liquid cough syrup and other medications – sometimes they can recommend sugar free alternatives.

• When satisfying your candy cravings keep in mind that sticky sweets like toffee or hard candy that linger in your mouth compound the effects of sugar by offering a sustained food source for bacteria. Remember that it’s not necessarily the amount of sugar that can cause decay, but how long the candy stays in the mouth, which is why hard candies like suckers or sticky treats such as caramels and jujubes are poor choices from a dental perspective.

• If you’re trying to rationalize a chocolate craving, remember that popping a piece of solid chocolate in your mouth is better than choosing one filled with a gooey center, as the candy filling may stick to the teeth and provide a longer lasting food source for the natural bacteria to feed from in the mouth.

• Excess sugar can wreak havoc not just on your teeth, but elsewhere in the body too, so the wise thing for both your dental and general health is to make a habit of reading all the ingredients in all packaged foods before you buy them, being aware of low-sugar or sugar free alternatives in your daily diet and making healthy choices.

If possible, rinse your mouth with water and brush your teeth thoroughly after exposure to sugars. If you can’t do that right away, keep a supply of sugar free gum with xylitol on hand to help cleanse your mouth.

We encourage reproducing our articles as long as you link back to this page.

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Dr. Martha H. Howard, MD

Why do these two brilliant cancer research “rock stars” refuse to eat refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup -  now such  huge components of the American daily diet?

Craig B. Thompson, M.D., President of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center in New York
He has done ground-breaking research on a link between insulin “signaling” and
cancer.

Lewis Cantley, Ph.D, director of the Cancer Center at Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School, another top
researcher on the insulin-cancer connection.

And why does Dr. Cantley say “Sugar scares me.”

A recent New York Times article by Gary Taubes reports the history of, and some of the latest research on the connection between
increased consumption of refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup and the
dramatic increase of obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome in
the United States. His article also describes research by Dr. Thompson and Dr.
Cantley, that makes an even scarier connection between these two refined,
processed sweeteners and “the big C”—cancer—the reason why the two researchers
now do not eat sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

In his impressive nine-page article, Taubes carefully documents the following process:

• Large amounts of refined sugar-50% fructose and 50% glucose and corn syrup-
  55% fructose and 45% glucose—are mainly processed by the liver, and are turned
  into fat.
• This process causes high levels of insulin to be released to process the sugars, and
  eventually leads to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome—a combination of
  high blood sugar, high levels of fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) in the blood, high
  blood pressure, and abdominal fat. This combination is a source of diabetes, heart
  disease, and strokes.
• The high levels of insulin also trigger an insulin related growth factor—and this is
  the cancer connection–which increases tumor growth.

Now that we have strong evidence that sugar is an even bigger player that we thought in all
the metabolic diseases that involve high levels of sugar and fats in the blood, and in
addition, is a contributor to cancer (some people still say the jury is out but I will go with the
brilliant Harvard/Sloan Kettering researchers on this one) what do we do?

Here are my “Great Eight” recommendations:

• Stop drinking sodas and fruit juice—this kind of sudden, high sugar content, liquid
  “hit” of sugars is just what makes your liver turn it all into fat, and raises your
  insulin levels, creating insulin resistance. Eat whole fruits instead.
• Drink mostly water. Artificially sweetened sodas and juices are not a solution—
  aspartame, the most common sugar substitute in them, has been shown to be a
  neurotoxin. (See Russell Blaylock, M.D.’s Excitotoxins:The Taste That Kills. Dr.
  Blaylock is a board certified neurosurgeon.
• Stop eating candy, cookies and baked goods except on rare occasions. If you do eat
  them, do it as a dessert right after a meal. You will not have such a sharp rise in
  blood sugar.
• Eat a diet that is primarily whole, unprocessed, organic foods.
• Get regular exercise. It lowers blood sugar levels. A combination of aerobic and
  resistance exercise is good.
• Learn about “glycemic index” and “glycemic load” of foods. These lists, widely
  available on the internet, show how much different foods will raise your blood
  sugar. High, sudden raises in blood sugar are what triggers off high production of
  insulin, and then insulin resistance. Eat mostly foods that are low to moderate on
  the glycemic index list.
• Refined sugar, corn syrup, and corn sugars (dextrose, maltodextrin, etc.) are all
  chemically refined, and are increasingly being identified as allergens. They may be
  a reason why other foods are increasingly allergenic. This is another good reason
  not to consume them.

 Bottom line, if you really want to solve the problem, go with the “rock star scientist”
solution—do not consume refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup at all.

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National Diabetes Awareness Month — should it be a month, or should it be each and every day? Diabetes is rampant, and unless we win the wars on obesity and education, we cannot hope to win the war on diabetes. It is our country’s greatest enemy.

So, what is it, and why the concern?

Causes
Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar), resistance to insulin, or both. This is what happens when we eat:

People with diabetes have high blood sugar. Risk factors include:

Children…and our schools
The percentage of children who are obese has more than doubled, and among adolescents the rates have more than tripled since 1980. Obesity is a risk factor for diabetes and is associated with problems such as poor self-esteem. The good news is that schools can help students and staff adopt healthy eating and physical activity behaviors that are the keys to preventing obesity and avoiding diabetes.

What you can do…
You should work closely with your health care provider to learn how much fat, protein, and carbohydrates you need in your diet. A registered dietician can be very helpful in planning dietary needs. Exercise regularly to avoid complications and to keep your body moving. Follow your physician’s directives concerning diet and medication. And, take good care of your feet. Make each and every day Diabetes Awareness Day…begin your personal campaign now to live a healthy life and to manage your disease or prevent it!

References
Standards of medical care in diabetes–2007. Diabetes Care. Jan 2007;30 Suppl 1:S4-S41.
Caballero E. Prediabetes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Jan 2007; 92(1); 15A-16A.

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High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a sugar substitute which is made from converting corn starch into a combination of glucose (45%) and fructose (55%). It became widely used as a sweetener because it is comparatively less expensive to make, easier to distribute and can increase the shelf life of a product. It can be found in just about everything: soda, salad dressing, condiments like ketchup, yogurt, cereals, “healthy fruit” juices, cookies, any process food, etc.

The most prominent dangers of HFCS are its potential effect on weight gain and overall stress on the body. Initially it was thought that fructose would be a better sugar alternative especially for diabetics since it was found to absorb only about 40% as quickly as glucose. However further research on it’s affects on the hormonal system has found that fructose has to be metabolized in the liver, instead of all cells like glucose. This can lead to increased stress on the liver, high levels of body fat, challenges with cholesterol & triglycerides, increases in uric acid which stresses the kidneys and can create mineral deficiencies. A Princeton University research team found that rats gained significantly more weight on HFCS than on the same quantity of sugar. In 2001, the average American consumed almost 63 pounds of HFCS (up from zero in 1966). This is a serious issue for adults and children alike especially with children being a major consumer group of sodas & processed foods made with HFCS. These health concerns are reflected by the increase of childhood diseases such as obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, etc.

Some alternatives:
– Limit or eliminate sodas and other HFCS beverages and increase WATER
– Honey is a great natural whole food sugar & contains minerals, enzymes and a range of vitamin B
– Limit or eliminate processed foods; increase fresh fruits & vegetables
– Choose unrefined raw organic sugar and use minimally
– Read label and choose fruit juices which are made mainly from the fruit!

Sources:
“The Double Danger of High Fructose Corn Syrup”
“Scientific Evidence about the Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup”
“We are Winning the War on Fructose”
“Why the World’s Most Popular Sweetener is Enemy Number One to…”

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The amount of dietary sugar you consume is of vital importance to your overall health. Too much sugar consumption will typically cause your blood glucose levels to become elevated, which can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, premature aging, and an overall shortened life span. In an effort to reduce their risk of heart disease, millions of Americans have focused on reducing dietary fat consumption. Ironically, this may actually be making the problem worse. Many “low fat” foods, contain excessive amounts of added sugar in order to make them more palatable. A better approach would be to focus on eating foods containing health-promoting fats (as found in fish, avocados, nuts, seeds, and monounsaturated fats like olive oil), and limit the consumption of sugar and harmful fats such as saturated fats and hydrogenated oils.

So, for optimal health including prevention of heart disease I recommend that you avoid sugar as much as possible, and avoid artificial sweeteners and added sugars completely. Avoiding sodas, sweetened beverages of all kinds, and limiting your consumption of processed foods will make a big difference for most people, and is a great place to start. Generally, most adults should limit their fructose consumption to 25 grams per day, and limit your fructose from fruit to 15 grams per day. Fructose is generally considered more harmful than even regular sugar (sucrose), and high fructose corn syrup may be the most health-damaging form of fructose available. Honey and agave syrup both contain high amounts of fructose, so although natural, they should be used sparingly.

3 tips to reduce your sugar consumption and stay healthy:

Best of luck in staying sugar-free (or close to it), naturally!

Dr. Richard Ezgur is a chiropractic physician, homeopathic physician, and acupuncturist in private practice specializing in natural health and sports and spinal rehabilitation. His clinic, Progressive Chiropractic Wellness Center, provides chiropractic care, physical therapy services, homeopathy, acupuncture, and massage therapy. For more information:
www.ProgressiveChiropractic.com
Dr. Ezgur’s Twitter
The Progressive Chiropractic Wellness Center Facebook Page

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It’s killing our kids and killing us!

1 in 5 teenagers already have high blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides)

Americans eat an average of a whopping 240 pounds of sugar a year.
in 1990 it was 165 pounds a year. And it’s true, sugars do “turn to fat.”
When you eat sugars and refined carbs only a limited amount is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. The rest is stored as FAT.

2 main reasons for the fat epidemic:
1) high sugar/corn syrup content in foods
2) lack of exercise

METABOLIC SYNDROME is a name for a group of health problems that occur together:

INSULIN RESISTANCE IS A MAJOR FACTOR in METABOLIC SYNDROME
Insulin helps blood sugar (glucose) enter cells. If you have insulin resistance, your body doesn’t respond to insulin, and blood sugar cannot get into cells. As a result, the body produces more and more insulin. Insulin and blood sugar levels rise, affecting kidney function and raising the level of blood fats, such as triglycerides.

High sugar content in foods high blood sugar levels, causes high insulin response, and creates INSULIN RESISTANCE, which is increased by lack of exercise. Other contributing causes may be aging, genetic predisposition and hormonal imbalance.

A low glycemic diet and exercise can help to prevent and reverse insulin resistance. A low glycemic diet has fresh fruits and vegetables, proteins, good fats like olive oil, small servings of whole grains, very little refined sugar, and no high fructose corn syrup.

MAJOR HEALTH RISKS OF METABOLIC SYNDROME
Diabetes, High blood pressure, Heart disease, Stroke and other vascular diseases, kidney disease, non alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Treatment

According to the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, metabolic syndrome is present if you have three or more of the following signs:

Tests that may be done to diagnose metabolic syndrome include:

Prevention of metabolic syndrome

Info source: health.google.com/health/go

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Step Away from the Soda! – by Martha H. Howard, MD, Dipl. Ac. NCCAOM
Sweet deception: sugar lurks in unexpected places – by Raymond G. Hatland, DDS
Sugar – why and how to cut back – by Dr. Martha H. Howard, MD
National Diabetes Awareness Month – by Sharon M Weinstein, MS, RN, CRNI, FACW, FAAN
High Fructose Corn Syrup – by Dr Helen Lee
The Impact of Dietary Sugar on Health – by Dr. Richard Ezgur
FAT: It’s an Epidemic in America – by Dr. Martha Howard
Recent Concerns with Nutrasweet Pose a Serious Health Risk – by Dr Robert C. Scott DC, CCSP
Sweet on Sweets? – by Kristina L. Sargent, D.C.
The Truth about Sugar – by Melody Hart N.D., Ph.D.

Recent studies revive concerns with the artificial sweetener nutra sweet. Published in the Journal of Dermatitis 2008, researches found a correlation in allergic reactions with persons who ingested sugar free foods, particularly diet sodas . By history, five of the patients were noted to have developed migraines following aspartame consumption; the sixth reported dermatitis flares associated with diet cola consumption of ? 2 liters/day. All six patients had positive reactions to formaldehyde, and four had additional positive reactions to formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (FRPs)..


At their follow-up appointments (between 8 and 12 weeks), all the patients showed clearance of their dermatitis. Four patients (two inadvertently) resumed their consumption of aspartame and subsequently returned for an additional follow-up visit. Three of the first five patients had recurrences of both their migraines and their dermatitis; the sixth patient (who had no migraines) had a positive rechallenge dermatitis. These four patients were again counseled on avoidance regimen. Where as this is a small study numerous research believes that adverse effects of nutra sweet ingestion go largely unreported. These misdiagnosed cases are often referred to doctor after doctor at great expense to the patients and health care system. These patients are then treated with a host of other drugs, often adding additional side-effects, or banished to -psychiatry while the simple cause, NutraSweet(Tm), goes untreated..


Aspartame is a widely used artificial sweetener that has been linked to a multitude of ailments, particularly pediatric and adolescent migraines[1] ( Table 1 and Table 2 ).[2-4] Studies suggest that aspartame is a significant migraine trigger, especially when consumption is prolonged.[1] Upon ingestion, aspartame is broken down into aspartic acid, aspartic acid methyl ester, and phenylalanine in the gut wall.[5] The methyl ester is subsequently converted into methanol, which is oxidized to formaldehyde and formic acid in various tissues.[6] Formaldehyde is known to form chemical adducts with nucleic acids and proteins. These adducts have been found to be difficult to remove by normal metabolic pathways; hence, accumulation may occur.[6]

Table 1. Aspartame in Foods and Drinks

Table 2. Artificial Sweetener Brand Names

It looks like sugar, tastes like sugar , even feels like sugar. But it has virtually no calories, doesn’t rot your teeth, and, unlike saccharin, has not been proven to cause cancer. The advertisements say it’s as natural as a glass of milk and a banana. I always say if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.


NutraSweet(TM), the trade name for the sweetener aspartame, was developed by the B.D. Searle pharmaceutical company and is now consumed by more than 100 million persons in the United States several times daily. Searle’s 100 million per year advertising campaign, the largest ever for an ingredient, is clearly paying for itself and a whole lot more. During 1986, aspartame grossed-more than 750 million for the pharmaceutical company.


After entering the body, the components of aspartame are rapidly released into the blood stream. Methanol, a deadly metabolic poison, is apparently the first to be separated methyl alcohol is usually derived or produced from other substances. It can cause serious tissue damage, including blindness, and even death. One of the reasons methanol is so toxic is because the body lacks the necessary enzymes to detoxify it. One 12 ounce can of most aspartame-sweetened soft drinks contains about 10 mg. of methanol. The amount of methanol ingested by heavy consumers of NutraSweet(Tm) could easily exceed 100 mg. daily, 13 times the limit recommended by the EPA


The NutraSweet(TM) ingredient, phenylalanine, is known to be toxic to the -brain in large doses as a free amino acid. The amino acid can cause mental retardation and seizures in people with phenylketonuria (PKU), a genetic disorders typical adult who drinks about four or five aspartame sweetened soft drinks a day might introduce enough phenylal into the brain to affect the synthesis of brain neurotransmitters, possibly leading to mood swings, irritability, anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches, high blood pressure, increased appetite and even seizures.


July 28, 2005 — A study of rats links low doses of aspartame — the sweetener in NutraSweet, Equal, and thousands of consumer products — to leukemia and lymphoma. But food industry officials point out that many other studies have found no link between aspartame and cancer. The rats in the study were fed various doses of aspartame throughout their lives. In female but not male rats, lymphoma and leukemia were significantly associated with daily aspartame doses as low as 20 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight. And there was a trend toward these cancers at doses as low as 4 mg/kg of body weight.


To reach a dose of 20 mg/kg, a 140-pound woman would need to drink three cans of diet soda a day. A 180-pound man would need to drink four cans of diet soda a day. And diet soda isn’t the only source of aspartame. The sweetener is in thousands of products, ranging from yogurt to over-the-counter medicines.

NutraSweet (TM) Side Effects: Complaints from 551 reactors

If you must use a sweetener, a truly natural and healthful alternative to aspartame is the juice from the Brazilian shrub, Stevia, which is 30 to 40 -times sweeter than sucrose, has been used as a sweetener in South America for -several hundred years and in Japan for 20 years. Two drops of the liquid extract equals one teaspoon of table sugar and is less than one calorie. One teaspoon finely ground Stevia powder is equivalent to one cup of sugar.


References:
1. Millichap JG, Yee MM. The diet factor in pediatric and adolescent migraine Pediatr Neurol 2003;28:9-15.
2. The NutraSweet Company: statements. Available at: http://www.nutrasweet.com/articles/article.asp?Id=47 (accessed July 19, 2007).
3. Flintstones vitamins – the heading brand moms trust and kids love! Available at: http://www.bayercare.com/htm/flintfaq.htm (accessed February 6, 2007).
4. US Food and Drug Administration: artificial sweeteners: no calories…sweet! Available at: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2006/406_sweeteners.html (accessed July 19, 2007).
5. Murray TG, Burton TC, Rajani C, et al. Methanol poisoning. A rodent model with structural and functional evidence for retinal involvement Arch Ophthalmol 1991;109:1012-6.
6. Trocho C, Pardo R, Rafecas I, et al. Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds to tissue components in vivo Life Sci 1998;63:337-49.

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Does your sweet tooth get the best of you? Let me guess, about 10:30 in the morning and/or sometime between 2 and 4 in the afternoon, you’re feeling tired and in need of a pick up. Sometimes you even feel shaky or light-headed at those times. You may get downright mean and irritable when you don’t eat at a regular interval. You know that something sweet will usually make you feel better – at least temporarily. These and other symptoms may signal a problem with blood sugar control.


We call this the “vicious cookie cycle”. Basically, if you eat a carbohydrate – something with primarily white sugar, flour, chips and other junk food – this sends your blood sugar soaring. When your sugar is high your body produces insulin to bring it down, however, when there is excess sugar, your body takes it to the liver where it is converted to triglycerides – FAT! When your blood sugar drops too fast or from skipping meals, your body, in order to feed your brain, goes into compensation mode. Your adrenal glands make cortisol, which will increase your blood sugar, and also insulin and ultimately fat storage – right around your middle – where you don’t want it.


Fat stored around our waist has been shown to contribute to inflammation. Inflammation produces other disorders such as diabetes/metabolic syndrome, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, arthritis pain and some autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Your particular disease process is ultimately determined by several other factors, as well. Those factors include genetics/family history, hormones, stress, immune function, digestive health, vitamin D status and the liver’s ability to clear toxic substances.


The following are some easy ways to maintain your blood sugar throughout the day:
- Do not go longer than 4 hours without eating.
- Eat smaller amounts – no more that 3-400 calories per meal/snack.
- Add protein and fiber to your snacks – lean meats, almonds, walnuts or any nut butter. These foods will slow the release of sugar into your blood.
- Exercise 30 minutes 5 days per week. Muscle mass plays a direct role in blood sugar maintenance.
- Stay away from the “white foods” – sugar, flour – even whole wheat, potatoes, and rice. Good substitutes are agave nectar, high-fiber breads( >5 grams per slice), sweet potatoes and unprocessed brown rice.


Maintaining your blood sugar can have a significant impact on your overall health. Your sweet tooth will only serve to temporarily placate your brain’s need for sugar, but in the long run it may only serve to create preventable chronic disease.

For a clinically-proven blood sugar reduction and maintenance program contact us at Restor Medical Centre 416 East Roosevelt Rd, Wheaton, IL RestorNow.com

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We know that sugar offers quick energy, helps metabolism and provides closure for “digestive processes.” But sugars can be addictive, like a drug or alcohol, offering a false energy lift that eventually lets you down lower than when you started. Here are some educational tips about America’s favorite sweetener.

• Regular sugar intake plays a negative part in a host of common diseases like diabetes, hypoglycemia, heart disease, high cholesterol (triglycerides especially), high blood pressure, obesity, nearsightedness, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, gout, indigestion, yeast infections and tooth decay.
• Too much sugar upsets the bodies mineral balances, particularly draining away calcium and dissolving B vitamins overloading the body with acid residue that are responsible for much of the stiffening joints in arthritis, skin, nerve and digestive disorders.
• Sugar needs insulin for metabolism – a process that promotes the storage of fats. Metabolized sugar is transformed into fat globules, and distributed over the body where muscles are not very active, such as on the stomach, hips and chin.
• Glucose is the main sugar in the blood and the brain, and should be released slowly to maintain sugar at the optimum level. Diabetes (high blood sugar) and Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) have a common cause poor nutrition, both can be improved with a high mineral, high fiber diet, adequate protein, small frequent meals and regular mild exercise.
• Hypoglycemia is a direct effect of excess consumption of refined sweets, low fiber foods, and other processed carbohydrates. Excess sugar can cause the pancreas to flood the body with insulin, taking to much sugar from the blood and creating hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is marked by dozens of unpleasant symptoms, including fatigue, depression, confusion, anxiety, and often precedes diabetes.
• Diabetes is also a civilization disease resulting from too much sugar, refined carbohydrates and caffeine. When carbohydrates are not used correctly, too little balancing insulin is produced and blood sugar levels stay too high. The pancreas becomes damaged, so glucose cannot enter the cells to provide body energy. Instead it accumulates in the blood resulting in symptoms from mental confusion to coma.
• Aspartame (Nutrasweet and Equal) combines two amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid. These have been linked to seizures, high blood pressure, headaches, insomnia, ovarian cancer and brain tumors. Other chemical sweeteners that appear on food labels are dextrose, lactose, maltose sorbitol, saccharin and xylitol.

Some sugar substitutes are:
§ Stevia – non-caloric and 25 times sweeter than sugar.
§ Crystalline fructose has the same molecular structure as fruit and Gymnema sylvestre has a structure similar to sugar that can block up to 50% of dietary sugar calories.
Whole food sweeteners like agave, honey, molasses, maple syrup, fruit juice and barley malt.

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