One of the cornerstones of eating a healthy diet revolves around maintaining blood sugar balance. When your blood sugar is out of balance there is a host of negative consequences that follow. The primary culprit to a rapid rise and fall of blood sugar is the ingestion of high glycemic foods. High glycemic foods include refined carbohydrates and processed sugars, such as white bread, candy, soda, etc. When we consume a heavy dose of sugar from these foods, the pancreas releases the hormone insulin. Insulin is the hormone responsible for removing sugar from the blood and putting it into cells to be used for energy. The problem is that when the energy is not quickly utilized, the sugar is stored as fat.

Okay, so a little extra fat stored up is probably not the worst thing in the world… but what follows can be. What people don’t often pay attention to is the relationship between glycemic stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance. When we constantly bombard our bodies with sugar and nutrient void carbohydrates, we actually put a lot of damage on our blood vessels. When blood sugar gets incredibly high, there is actually a lot of free radical damage that ensues, thus making it even more difficult for insulin to do its job.

The combination of glycemic stress and inflammation provides the opportunity for insulin resistance to take place, the precursor to type 2 diabetes. Thus, when blood sugar is constantly elevated, insulin receptors on cells lost their efficiency, cascading into a whole host of problems (type 2 diabetes is the result of the pancreas losing its ability to produce insulin entirely). In summary, the cascade is as follows: 1. glycemic stress (eating too many sugar laden foods; hypoglycemia, feeling shaky after a high glycemic meal, inability to lose weight, fatigue, intense carbohydrate cravings), 2. insulin resistance (elevated triglycerides, low HDL, high blood sugar, cardiovascular disease, risk for diabetes), 3. Metabolic syndrome/ type 2 diabetes (central obesity, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, sleep apnea, PCOS, depression, risk for colon & breast cancers, risk for cardiovascular disease & stroke).

What to do: I’m here for you! The standard American diet (aka SAD) sets the stage for disease. It’s saddens me, as most people don’t even know that they are harming their bodies, and sugar is hidden everywhere! You must eliminate refined carbohydrates. If you find yourself far along the cascade I described above, you must make a commitment to get rid of these foods entirely… But first, find your why. Why do you want to do this? Do you want to live longer? Do you want to feel better and be free of health complaints? Less trips to the doctor? Cut medical expenses? Improved quality of life? Whatever it is, write it down and put it up in bold right on the fridge or somewhere you will see constantly throughout the day… Once you reach this step we can focus on what to eat & when… (to be continued in part 2).