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Foods and Factors that Contribute to Inflammation: Part 1
Health is like money, we never have a true
idea of its value until we lose it. America loves its sugar. Most of us are sugar babies; we’ve been raised on this stuff. From snacks and soft drinks to breakfast cereals and desserts, we just can’t get enough of it. But the sweet side has a downside. Our addiction to sweets is slowly killing us. We’re seduced with added sugar in processed foods, sauces, dressings, snacks, and beverages. This is doubling our chances of heart-related premature death, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Sugar and other foods with high-glycemic value spike insulin levels and place the immune system on high alert. When blood sugar spikes, we crave more sweets, starch, refined flour goods, salt, and junk food. In response to an inflammatory diet, the body produces more cortisol, which causes further inflammation, more cortisol production, higher insulin levels, more cravings— and on and on it goes in an unending cycle. As a result, high insulin levels activate enzymes that raise levels of arachidonic acid in our blood. Arachidonic acid is a natural fatty acid found in certain foods and is also made in the body. It is essential to life in small amounts, but it is also the building block of inflammatory hormones. We do not want it in abundance. Consuming large amounts of sugar, fructose, artificial sweeteners, and lowcalorie sweeteners such as sugar alcohols cause your gut bacteria to adapt in a way that interferes with your satiety signals and metabolism, according to a paper published in Obesity Reviews. The sweeteneradapted bacteria thrive and become more efficient at processing large amounts of sugars, and they produce more and more short-chain fatty acids. The short-chain fatty acids promote inflammation in the lining of the gut. Sometimes inflammation can be present and you will not even know it’s there. This type of chronic, low-grade inflammation is known as silent inflammation, and we know from studies that excess sugar intake is associated with the silent type. To break this cycle, it’s imperative to avoid sugar, fructose, artificial sweeteners, low-calorie sweeteners, corn syrup, dextrose, pancake syrup, maltose, sorghum, and sucrose. Many people are addicted to sweeteners, so it takes some effort to avoid sweets. Take heart. After about two weeks the cravings go away. Here’s what to avoid:
The Skinny on Diet Sodas Artificial sweeteners are hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than regular sugar, activating a person’s preference for more sweet foods over any other substance. They trick your metabolism into thinking sugar is being consumed. This prompts your body to pump out insulin, the fat storage hormone, which promotes belly fat that sticks around like caramel on an apple. It also confuses and slows your metabolism; you will burn fewer calories. It makes you hungrier, and you crave even more sugar and starch such as bread and pasta. In animal studies, rats that consumed more artificial sweeteners ate more, their metabolism slowed down, and they gained 14 percent more body fat in just two weeks, even though they ate fewer calories. In population studies there was a 200 percent increased risk of obesity in diet soda drinkers. Say No to Refined Grains Refined grains are devoid of fiber and vitamin B and loaded with starch. This makes them similar to refined sugars—both are empty calories. Like refined sugars, they also have a higher glycemic index than unprocessed grains. When consistently consumed, they can hasten the onset of inflammation and degenerative diseases such as cancer, coronary heart disease, and diabetes. Wipe Out Wheat The main problem with wheat is gluten. Gliadins, components of gluten are proteins found in wheat (durum, emmer, spelt, farina, farro, and kamut), rye, barley, and triticale; they are responsible for the elastic texture of dough. Starting in the 1960s, we have been manipulating wheat to obtain fluffier bread. Some varieties of wheat contain more gluten, so that’s what they manipulate to get more gluten. Gluten comes from the Latin word for glue. Its adhesive properties hold bread together. However, this glue interferes with the breakdown and absorption of nutrients, including the nutrients from other foods in the same meal. As a result we get a “glued-together,” constipating mix in the gut rather than a nutritious, easily digested meal. The undigested gluten then triggers the immune system to attack the lining of the small intestine and causes symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea, bloating, and abdominal pain. It can lead to serious problems for some people, such as celiac disease. We eat far too much gluten today. Just take a look at the typical American diet—a bagel or toast for breakfast, a sandwich or hamburger for lunch, and rolls, pizza, or pasta for dinner. That’s a lot of grain (and gluten) in just one day. Even larger amounts are consumed if we take into consideration common snacks such as crackers and chips made with grains, and desserts such as cookies and cakes. Additionally, commercial grain-based products that line grocery store shelves and are served at restaurants such as breading and fillers are commonplace. These products produce mucus, raise blood sugar levels, and increase inflammation. Plus, breads are often filled with ingredients that are not food, such as the chemical azodicarbonamide that is also used in yoga mats, synthetic leather, and shoe rubber, along with dough conditioners, potassium bromade (interferes with iodine absorption), artificial flavorings or coloring, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and L-cysteine, an amino acid that extends shelf life and is often made from human hair gathered off the floors of Chinese hair salons. Refuse Refined Table Salt Table salt is a manufactured form of sodium called sodium chloride. It is a highly refined, man-made substance produced by taking either natural salt or crude oil flake leftovers and cooking it at 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the salt is heated to this temperature, it loses the majority of the minerals. Then they add iodine and harmful chemicals such as:
These additives and food preservatives can contribute to serious health problems. This salt is also highly acidic, which can contribute to chronic inflammation. You should use only natural sea salt, gray salt, or pink Himalayan salt.
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