"Glucose" for Comfort
Those that know me are keenly aware that for me, bread is
life. As a kid, when my friends snacked on the biggest candy bars they could
find, I would grab 2 pieces of nice, soft, white bread, peel off and consume
the crust first, and then I would roll the rest up in a ball and eat it (ok, I
still do that today. Please still be my
friend!) And fair warning—do not bring home Texas Roadhouse rolls tonight and
still expect them to be here in the morning.
Just sayin. I tell everyone that
I love bread more than sweets. But guess what? Both bread and sweets
(carbohydrates) are broken down into the same byproduct by the body, and that
is glucose. And to put in generally, glucose is…well…just sugar!
Sugar can’t be all bad, right? After all, glucose is the
body’s preferred energy source. In fact, our red blood cells can ONLY use
glucose for energy, and our brain and other nervous tissue primarily rely on
glucose as well. Have you ever felt irritable, shaky, and tired when you
haven’t eaten many carbohydrates for a while? That’s your neurons, or brain
cells, trying to tell you something (FEED ME!!)
But what about the popular diets that deny carbs and promote
fat burning? In reality, we rely on a combination of fat and carbohydrates for
energy. Fat is the predominant energy source during low-intensity
activities, like sitting, standing, and walking. But for running, swimming,
bicycling, circuit training, or doing any activity that causes us to work
harder and sweat, we NEED more glucose than fat. This stands to reason why
low-carb diet programs do not promote much exercise. If you are physically
active, you need carbohydrates, or glucose, to provide energy for your brain,
red blood cells, and muscles.
Add my name to the list of most Americans that pretty much
overdo it on a daily basis when it comes to sugar. I’m not just talking the
natural sugars in fruits and milk/yogurt. I’m talking the brown sugar on the
oatmeal sprinkling, 40 gallons of soda per person per year drinking, the honey
in the tea dribbling, and the cookies in the oven cooking kind of sugar! Yep,
we are gonna check out some complications…
Know what loves sugar more than you do? The bacteria in your
mouth. They THRIVE on sugar, and then they spit out acids that eat away at
tooth enamel. Grody. Higher intake of
sugar is associated with increased fat in the body—a risk factor for heart
disease (ever heard of those triglycerides? That lab level is often reported
with cholesterol results, and for good reason!) Straight up—increased sugars =
increased weight gain. Sugar absorbs rapidly, and studies show that this quick
processing actually increases appetite and food intake, promoting weight gain.
Sugar also increases dopamine, the body’s “feel good”
hormone, which is released as part of the body’s internal reward system. Nothing wrong with that, right? Well, guess
what else increases dopamine release? An itty bitty, addictive, illegal
substance by the name of COCAINE. Wait a minute…is she comparing a sugar
addiction to cocaine dependence? You bet I am. Someone who uses cocaine
frequently will develop a dependence on it, meaning they need to have it in
order to feel normal. Cocaine addictions occur when the dopamine levels are
abnormally increased in the brain, causing a surge of excitement and eventually
reprogramming the reward system. How many of you have found it really difficult
(if not impossible) to avoid sugar (carbs) from time to time? I cannot be the
only person raising my hand here. Sugar consumption can create a short-term
high and a spark of energy in the body, and it takes some serious effort to
“detox” from it. An actual withdrawal occurs, as you can experience
irritability, moodiness, fogginess, and low energy. The parallels between sugar
and cocaine consumption are too close for comfort!
How do we break the sugar habit? Try some of these methods:
Keep sugary foods away. Do yourself a favor and don’t stock
your shelves with cookies and candy. Keep plenty of fruit around to naturally
sooth that craving.
Sweeten foods yourself. Manufacturers put waaaaaay more
sweeteners into food than you ever would.
Get unsweetened iced tea, plain yogurt, and unflavored oatmeal, and be
cautious with what you add to them.
Watch for hidden sugars in foods. Companies that reduce the
fat in their products often add sugar to compensate. Avoid foods that list
sugar first in the ingredients.
Eat breakfast. I’m not talking a trip to Dunkin here! Eggs,
fruit, and steel cut oatmeal are filling and will help you not give into
cravings.
Let’s all be carb conscious, sugar smart, glucose
geniuses so we can…
Be Well!
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