A Time for the AGEs

A Time for the AGEs

by | Apr 28, 2021 | Blog | 1 comment

AGEs, or Advanced Glycation End Products, are harmful compounds that occur when proteins or fats bind to sugar. They accumulate with age and are increased with diets high in sugar as well as food cooked using dry, high heat such as grilling, broiling, frying or even toasting. Our bodies have mechanisms to help dispose of AGEs but when our diet tips the balance and we have more AGEs than we can eliminate, then AGEs accumulate. They have become a bio-marker of aging, an index of biological decay. The more AGEs, the more aging.

AGEs are now linked to most chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, cataracts and dementia. AGEs lead to increased oxidative stress and thus inflammation. They are responsible for the stiffening of arteries, clouding of the lenses of your eye (cataracts), gumming up the neural connections in your brain and hinder the filtering process in your kidneys. AGESs are responsible for the complications of diabetes: blindness due to retinopathy, neuropathy, cardiovascular disease and kidney failure. In fact, diabetics are 2-5 times more likely to have heart disease and heart attacks and 20-25% more likely to have impaired kidney function.

AGEs and Glucose

We can consume AGEs through our diet, but we create them endogenously as well. AGEs occur when sugar, mainly glucose, binds to proteins or fat. The higher the number of glucose molecules available to bind to protein and fat, the higher the number of AGEs. In addition, the longer glucose levels are elevated, the more AGEs are created and accelerate the aging process. In addition, AGEs can bind to each other leading to “AGE polymers.” Once bound they typically accumulate and are resistant to the bodies normal clearing processes.

AGEs still form at normal blood sugar levels but at much slower rates. Therefore elevated glucose levels in the blood accelerate aging. You don’t have to have diabetes to increase AGE formation.  People with pre diabetes or those who frequently consume high sugar/carbohydrate meals, increase AGE buildup more quickly.

Grains and sugar are two categories that spike blood sugar quickly and contribute most to the development of AGEs. Of all of the grains, wheat and its cousins, barley and rye, are the worst. Though yes, oatmeal also raises blood sugar significantly. Wheat, and other grains, contain a starch known as Amylopectin A. Amylopectin A has the ability to spike blood sugars and keep them elevated for long amounts of time thus increasing the exposure time of proteins and lipids to glucose.

It’s important to note that fructose, the sugar found in fruit, increases AGEs 10 times more than glucose but plays less of a role in AGE formation because it is much less prevalent in the bloodstream compared to glucose. Fruit juice and high fructose corn syrup, typically found in soda and energy drinks, and table sugar are common sources of fructose.

Exogenous AGEs

Food vary in their AGE content but animal products cooked at high heat are a common source. Cooking meat at dry, high heat such as broiling, frying and grilling can raise the AGE content by one thousand fold. The amount of time the meat is cooked also increases AGE content. The longer the cooking time, the higher the AGE content in the food. Meats cured with sodium nitrate, like bacon, hot dogs, salami, pepperoni, also have higher AGE levels. Meat in and of itself isn’t bad for you, rather it’s how it’s prepared.

A Measure of Glycation (and thus a measure of aging)

There is a simple test to measure the rate of glycation occurring in our body: A hemoglobin A1C (HGA1C.)  A HGA1C is blood test used to screen for diabetes and monitor glucose levels in diabetics. HGA1C is a test measuring the percentage of glucose molecules bound to hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in our red blood cells that carries oxygen. People with normal insulin sensitivity and low carbohydrate diets typically have HGA1C measurements that range from 4.4-4.9.  The average non-diabetic’s HGA1C ranges between 5.0-6.4.  Whereas diabetics range anywhere from 7-12%. Glycation doesn’t just occur at higher HGA1C levels. In fact, at normal HGA1C readings, every 1% increase in HGA1C levels is associated with an increase in heart attack risk and 28% increase in mortality.

How to Minimize AGEs

Limit Consumption of Sugar (and anything that turns into sugar)

Since sugar is the substrate to bind to proteins and fat and form AGEs, less sugar equals less glycation. It’s that simple. The number one step to reduce AGE formation is to decrease sugar, and anything that breaks down into sugar in your diet. Table sugar, honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup agave syrup and candy are common sources of sugar. Essentially anything with the word “syrup” is sugar. Another common sugar is fructose. Fructose is the sugar found in fruit, and items like fruit juice, soda, energy drinks and high fructose corn syrup spike fructose levels in the blood. You can occasionally use some natural sweeteners such as stevia, inulin, monk fruit, erythritol and allulose, but best to keep sweet foods and drinks to a minimum. A good rule of thumb, don’t drink your calories.

Grains compose the majority of calories Americans consume. Grains include wheat (white and whole grain, it doesn’t matter), rice, corn, oats, barley, rye, millet, spelt, kamut, durum, triticale and semolina. Grains are essentially complex forms of sugar. Grains not only increase glucose levels but they keep them elevated for longer amounts of time, wheat being the worst due to its high content of Amylopectin A. Amylopectin A is the starch found in most grains and has the unique ability to raise blood sugar quickly and keep it elevated. Sources of grains include bagels, muffins, bread, pasta, rice, oatmeal (yes, oatmeal), cereal, corn, tortillas, corn chips, breakfast bars, crackers and cookies, just to name a few. To minimize AGE accumulation, slow the aging process and prevent and reverse chronic disease, ditch the grains and limit sugar intake. Think twice the next time you want one of those bagels sitting in the break room at work, better to have an apple with some unsweetened almond butter.

And this isn’t about being gluten free. Don’t replace grains with “gluten free” products as they are typically made with starches that will also spike glucose levels, even more than wheat. The elevated glucose will lead to increased AGE formation, defeating the purpose of why we eliminate grains in the first place.

Eat Whole Foods

Because the food industry maximizes the amount of sugar and wheat in every product, it’s hard to escape, unless you chose to eat whole foods. Foods without labels. Incorporate protein, healthy fats and plenty of vegetables in your diet. It will decrease glucose intake, AGE formation and slow the aging process. Replace those calories with whole foods like avocados, extra virgin olive oil, green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, and healthy proteins like eggs, chicken, fish and beef. If you are vegan or vegetarian, fermented soy is a good source of protein. See the recipe section for delicious meal ideas. You will not miss out on taste by giving up grains and sugar. In fact, once you eliminate grains from your diet, your taste buds will wake up to the rich taste of real whole foods.

Tip: Always have healthy whole food snacks with you at all times so you won’t be tempted to eat grains and sugar at times when you’re hungry and on the go.

Limit Dry, High Heat Cooking

Animal products cooked at high heat for long amounts of time increase AGE formation. Better to cook at low temperatures, sous vide or boil your meats. If you are cooking at high heat, limit the exposure time of the meat to the heat. Also meats processed with nitrites like bacon, hot dogs and salami also have higher AGE levels. The issue is not the meat, but how it’s prepared.

Vitamin C, E and B6 (Pyridoxamine)

Vitamins C, E and B6 have been shown to decrease AGE formation through their antioxidant properties. Though vitamin C is most abundant in citrus fruits, they are also high in sugar so limit consumption of these fruits and avoid citrus juices. Other good sources of vitamin C, that won’t spike your blood sugar, include peppers, strawberries, broccoli and brussels sprouts. A daily supplement of 1000 mgs/day will also provide the needed amount. Sources of Vitamin E include sunflower seeds, almonds, almond butter, pumpkin, red bell pepper, spinach, collard greens and beet greens. Peanuts and peanut butter are a good source but contain phytates which inhibit the absorption of calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron. Better to obtain Vitamin E through other sources. You can supplement 400 IUs daily. Vitamin B6 is found in pork, poultry, fish, chickpeas and dark leafy green vegetables. Supplementing vitamin B6 is most likely safe, but too much can lead to side effects so best to obtain B6 through your diet.

Herbs and Spices

Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, marjoram, rosemary and tarragon can also lower AGE levels but not to the extent of the vitamins listed above. Incorporate them in your cooking.. Not only will they enhance the flavor of your food, they will lower your AGEs as well.

How To Boost Your Immune System

How To Boost Your Immune System

by | Apr 15, 2020 | Blog | 0 comments

Now more than ever people are realizing the importance of maintaining good health.  It was just a few weeks ago that “wellness” was motivated by people wanting to lose weight, but now it literally can be the difference between suffering a moderate respiratory illness versus being hospitalized, being placed on a ventilator and possibly dying. Studies are starting to emerge showing evidence of what we already knew to be true: Obesity, heart disease and diabetes weaken a person’s immune system and thus decrease their ability to protect themselves from this novel virus. In fact, a person is 3 times more likely to die of COVID-19 if they are obese, 10 times more likely if they have heart disease and 7 times more likely if they have diabetes. What saddens me most is that typically these risk factors are preventable.

50% of Americans now have prediabetes or diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is almost always related to how a person eats. Food plays a central role in how well your immune system functions and thus how well you can protect yourself from disease. The best way to protect yourself from COVID-19, or any infectious or chronic disease, is to support your immune system. And the number one way to do that is to chose the right foods.  Yes there are supplements and the practice of regular physical activity, but food has the strongest impact. As the saying goes…”you can’t out exercise a bad diet.”  Now is the time to maximize your nutrients, or as we say at FASST… Eat With Intention.

There are steps you can take to support your immune system; however, there are some foods that can either limit the function of your immune system or lead to systemic inflammation and both leave your body already in a vulnerable state. Here are some basic steps you can take to support your immune system.

1.  Limit your intake of sugar and anything that turns into sugar. This would include table sugar, honey, maple syrup, flour, grains, bread, pasta, rice, crackers, chips, cookies and candy just to name a few. I am sure you know what I’m talking about.

2.  Remove refined oils from your diet. This includes soybean oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil, corn oil and canola oil. Each of these oils is produced at high heats and use solvents to help extract as much oil as possible. These oils are already unstable and thus your cells cannot function optimally and more prone to suffer damage. If this occurs to the cells of your immune system, they will have a limited ability to fight infection, again leaving you more vulnerable.

3.  Protect your organisms in your gut or what we call the microbiome. We now know many diseases start with inflammation secondary to leaky gut.  Leaky gut is the process in which undigested food particles and bacterial toxins leak into your bloodstream from your gut.  This leads to the immobilization of your immune system and systemic inflammation.

Eat Real Food

Eat nutrient rich foods

1.  Vitamin C serves as an antioxidant and reduces cell damage and boosts your immune system. Foods high in vitamin C include guavas, bell peppers, snow peas, strawberries, oranges, papayas, broccoli and tomatoes.

2.  Vitamin A helps boost your immune system and is important for vision.  Vitamin A is found in sweet potatoes, cod liver oil, mangoes, kale, tomatoes and spinach.

3.  Zinc helps boost your immune system and is found pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, cashews, grass fed beef, lentils, spinach, avocados, chickpeas and mushrooms.

 4.  Selenium is found in brazil nuts, tuna, oysters, chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, oysters, beef and pork

5.  Vitamin B6 is found in chicken liver, fish, beef, sweet potatoes, bananas, avocados and pistachios.

Eat foods high in phytonutrients

Phytonutrients are compounds found in plants and concentrated in fruits and vegetables.  In fact, phytonutrients are what provide pigment so foods with deep hues of color are typically rich with phytonutrients.  Phytonutrients help to prevent disease, slow aging and decrease cell damage. To obtain an adequate amount of phytonutrients, we recommend 6-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. It is important to have a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables on your plate. So eat the rainbow (and I don’t mean Skittles).

Include spices that boost your immune system

These include turmeric, ginger, garlic, paprika, rosemary and quercetin.

Increase pre and probiotic foods that will support a healthy gut microbiome

1.  Prebiotic foods include garlic, onions, leeks, artichokes, asparagus, bananas, barley, apples, flax seeds, jicama root and seaweed

2.  Probiotic foods include sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, non dairy plain yogurt and kefir

Ensure you are getting adequate protein

Your immune system needs protein to perform basic functions. A good rule of thumb is to eat 1/2 of your body weight in grams of protein per day

Supplements

1.  Multivitamin – one per day

2.  Vitamin C – 1,000 – 2,000 mgs daily

3.  Zinc Citrate – 30 mgs/ day

 4.  Vitamin D3 – Minimum 2,000 IUs daily for adults and 1,000 IUs for children.  However you should consider having your levels checked to help set dosing. Optimal levels are at 50-70 ng/ml. 

5.  Omega 3 Fatty acids DHA and EPA – 1 gram per day

Regular Physical Activity

There were concerns in the 1980s that vigorous exercise could weaken a person’s immune system and leave them more prone to infection, but more recent research has debunked this theory. People who exercise regularly have been shown to have less sick days. In addition, studies in mice have shown the immune cells are better able to target pathogens in mice that have been physically active compared to sedentary mice. lth and immune function.  Exercise serves to:

  1.  Increase T-cell production in your body.  Some types of T cells are “cytotoxic” meaning they can kill virus infected cells and even cancer cells. 
  2.  Reduce the level of stress hormones. Stress hormones result in decreased production of certain types of immune cells, including cells that produce antibodies. 

The good news is physical activity does not need to be markedly strenuous to positively affect the immune system. A brisk walk 20-30”per day has shown to improve cardiovascular and immune health.

Quit Smoking! (nothing else to say)

Sleep

Multiple studies have shown that getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night allows your body to regenerate and function more properly. Sleep deprivation can decrease the levels of cytokines that are used to help your immune system fight infection. If you are having issues with insomnia, contact your health provider to see what you can do to improve the quality of your sleep

Stay Connected

Isolation can lead to increasing stress and depression, both of which can depress your immune system. Now more than ever it is important to stay connected with family and friends. Fortunately that is easier now with all of the virtual platforms like Facebook, Instagram, FaceTime and Zoom. Here are a couple of ideas.

1.  Set up a workout time to do yoga with a friend over videoconference

2.  Have a virtual happy hour over FaceTime or Zoom

3.  Create an online book club

4.  Write an old fashioned letter and … mail it! Remember how much you loved to get a letter in the mail.  Make someone’s day.

5.  Make a virtual lunch or dinner date.  You can even grab some candlelights

6.  Take up a hobby. Now is a perfect time to learn that hobby you have always wanted to do.

7.  Have a virtual dance party!

8.  Go to a virtual movie with your besties

9.  Get outdoors with a friend, just remain 6 feet apart

10.Start a virtual Gratitude Journal.  Post daily about something you are grateful for

How to Lower Your Triglyceride Levels

How to Lower Your Triglyceride Levels

by | Apr 5, 2020 | Blog | 0 comments

Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your bloodstream, much like cholesterol. In fact, triglyceride levels are often found on the same lab panel as total cholesterol, LDL and HDL. More than 1/3 of adults in the US have high triglycerides, but many people don’t understand the significance of their numbers. Though high triglycerides can increase your risk of stroke and heart attack, they can typically be a sign of other issues, such as diabetes or even metabolic syndrome.

What Are Triglycerides?

Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. When you eat more calories than you burn, especially from high carbohydrate foods, then you will typically have high triglycerides. When you have excessive calories that you don’t need right away, your body turns them into triglycerides. The triglycerides are then stored in your fat cells. Triglycerides can later be used as fuel if needed.

What Levels Are Considered Normal?

Normal — Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)

Borderline high — 150 to 199 mg/dL

High — 200 to 499 mg/dL 

Very high — 500 mg/dL or above 

Why do High Triglycerides Matter?

High triglyceride levels have been thought to contribute to stroke and heart attack by contributing to plaque build up in the arteries. However, some people have a hereditary condition that can lead them to have extremely high triglycerides yet they don’t seem to have a higher incidence of heart disease  But very high triglycerides can cause inflammation of the pancreas or what we call pancreatitis.

High triglycerides caused by diet are typically associated with other conditions that can increase one’s risk of stroke and heart attack, including diabetes. Because excess glucose molecules in the blood are turned into triglycerides it’s common for diabetes and high triglycerides to go hand  in hand.  High triglycerides are also associated with low HDL levels. In fact, high triglycerides can be a sign metabolic syndrome, a condition defined by high blood pressure, obesity, low HDL, high triglycerides and insulin resistance.

Metabolic Syndrome is a condition of 5 cardiovascular risk factors that places people at increase risk of stroke, heart attack, cancer and other disease states. The underlying cause of metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance. Though triglycerides are a fat, they are associated with a diet that is high in sugar and refined carbohydrates.  Many times, when we see high triglycerides on a patient’s blood panel, we ensure that we also check a HGA1C (a measure of blood glucose levels for the prior 3 months) to ensure they don’t have prediabetes or diabetes. Regardless, we counsel them on sugar and carbohydrate intake.

How To Lower Your Triglyceride Levels

Regular aerobic exercise: Regular exercise helps to lower blood glucose levels and increase HDL. Even a 30” brisk daily walk can make a significant difference in your triglyceride levels.

Low carbohydrate, low sugar diet:  The average American consumes 22 tsp of sugar per day. Sugar comes in all shapes and sizes including soda, fruit juice, high fructose corn syrup, cereal and coffee creamers  Limiting sugar in your diet not only decreases your triglyceride levels, it will help with weight loss and decrease systemic inflammation, an underlying contributor to many chronic diseases.

Insulin resistance: IR is associated with chronically high blood sugars and thus high triglycerides. Insulin resistance is the underlying cause of Diabetes. Controlling blood sugar levels either through diet and exercise or with the assistance of medications will result in lower triglyceride levels.

Weight loss:  Studies have shown that losing even 5% of your body weight can lower your triglyceride levels by up to 30 mg/dL.

Increase Omega-3 Fatty Acids in your diet:  Eating 2 servings per week of fatty fishes like salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel can result in lower triglyceride levels and decreased risk of stroke and heart attack. Also increasing olive oil in your diet can decrease triglyceride levels.  See our blog posts on “How to Pick a Good Olive Oil” and “How to Increase Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Your Diet.”

Limit alcohol intake: Alcohol contains a lot of calories, 9 calories per gram, as compared to carbohydrates which contain 4 calories per gram. Excessive alcohol intake results in excessive calories that are then turned into triglycerides. 

Fructose…Friend or Foe?

Fructose…Friend or Foe?

by | Mar 1, 2020 | Blog | 0 comments

Fructose can be both, friend and foe. It all depends on how you consume it. Be it the whole fruit, fruit juice or in the form of high fructose corn syrup, the from and amount of fructose you consume defines whether it will be healthy or toxic to your body.

Fructose

Fructose is the source of sugar in fruit. You can find it in fruit, fruit juice, maple syrup, honey, table sugar and of course High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).  HCFS is a liquid form of sugar and the most common form is HCFS 55 which means it is 45% glucose and 55% fructose.  To give you an idea of how sweet fructose is, if table sugar is listed at 100 on the sweet scale, glucose is a level of 73 and fructose is at 173. That means fructose is 75% more sweet than table sugar. Surprisingly, in the standard american diet, the most common sources of fructose are not fruit, but processed foods.  HFCS is a cheap alternative to sucrose (table sugar) and is used in almost every processed food. It is found in non-diet soda, candy, most yogurts, salad dressings, granola bars, juice, breakfast cereals, baked goods and coffee creamers just to name a few. In fact the food industry has created something called the “Bliss Point” that essentially maximizes the amount of sugar that is put into every processed food. The more sugar in a product, the more likely you are to buy it again. That’s just how our brain is wired.

Fiber

It’s important to touch on fiber in regard to fructose. Fiber has a number of benefits, but one of them is, when combined with sugar, it results in less sugar being absorbed into your bloodstream. There are 2 types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber remains unchanged as it passes through the colon and provides food for the bacteria in your gut, the microbiome. Insoluble fiber also remains undigested throughout the digestive tract, however it can’t be digested by the microbiome. Instead, this type of fiber attracts water and is responsibile for…keeping you regular, if you know what I mean. Fiber helps to slow down digestion and decreases the amount of sugar that is absorbed. This helps to keep blood sugar levels more stable and helps you to feel full longer. Processed foods typically have most of the fiber removed so eating these types of foods lead to blood sugar spikes and crashes.,

Fruit

Fruit contains both fiber and fructose. When you eat a piece of fruit, the fiber in the fruit slows the absorption of the fructose. It’s important to know that fructose is processed by the liver. Your liver can process only so much fructose at one time, such as that from a piece of fruit. However, it can become overwhelmed by a sudden boost of large amounts of fructose. The more a fruit is processed, say into juice, the more fructose that is delivered to the liver. For instance, one 12 oz glass of unsweetened orange juice has about 150 calories including 9 tsp of sugar… the same as a 12 oz can of coke.  If a person drinks a 12 oz glass of orange juice every day that would equal 3,285 tsp of sugar per year, that is close to 70 cups or 53,000 calories. An orange only has about 60 calories which means there is 3 times more calories in a glass of orange juice than in an orange. In addition, the fiber in the orange will help lower the amount of sugar absorbed from that piece of fruit, whereas almost all of the sugar in the juice will hit your bloodstream.

Fructose and Fatty Liver

Unfortunately, almost every processed food has some form of sugar in it, most commonly, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Because HFCS is easily absorbed, large amounts of sugar are delivered to the liver all at once.The glucose will cause a spike in your blood sugar and insulin will then be released from the pancreas to help move the glucose out of the blood and into your cells. Unfortunately, fructose doesn’t partner with anything and so it is processed directly by the liver. For a long time fructose was considered to be a healthy alternative to glucose because it didn’t affect blood glucose or insulin levels. However we now know that isn’t the case. 

Because the liver can’t process that much fructose at one time, it packages it up and stores it as fat in the liver, what we now call Fatty Liver (FL). The same is true for alcohol so high levels of fructose essentially have the same effect on your liver as alcohol. Chronic fatty liver can lead to inflammation of the liver cells, what is known as Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH). Steato means fat and hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Chronic, long term NASH can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver. There are multiple studies that show a diet high in HFCS results in higher levels of fatty liver and NASH. Therefore, eating highly processed foods that are loaded with high fructose corn syrup can damage your liver just as alcohol does.

When it comes to any kind of sugar it’s important that you Eat With Intention.  Every time you consume sugar or any type of carbohydrate, you must consider how it will affect your blood sugar levels. If you eat something that contains sugar, best to combine it with fiber so less of the sugar is absorbed. Always try to eat sugar in its most natural form, such as fruit, and not extracted in the form of juice. So a couple of good rules of thumb, always try to consume sugar with fiber and NEVER, and I mean NEVER, drink your calories.

Hooray For Carbs…Not All of Them!

Hooray For Carbs…Not All of Them!

by | Feb 23, 2020 | Blog | 0 comments

Carbohydrates are essentially sugar that come in different forms such as simple sugars, starches and fiber. Though they have other functions, the main job of carbohydrates is to provide energy. Carbohydrates come in all shapes and sizes and though most people think of bread and pasta as the main source of carbs, it’s important to remember that most people, like 99.9%, can get all of the carbs they need through whole fruits and vegetables. Carbohydrates are broken down into simple and complex, the difference being how many sugar molecules they contain. Simple sugars only contain 1-2 sugar molecules which means they can be broken down and absorbed very quickly. Complex carbohydrates have 3 or more sugar molecules so they take longer to digest. 

Simple Sugars

Simple sugars are divided into monosaccharides, meaning they only contain one sugar molecule, and disaccharides, which contain 2 sugar molecules. Monosaccharides can’t be broken down any further and so can be absorbed into the bloodstream quickly, except for fructose (see next weeks blog on Fructose…Friend or Foe?). There are 3 types of monosaccharides:  glucose, fructose which is the primary sugar found in fruit, and galactose which is the primary sugar found in dairy products

Disaccharides are made up of 2 monosaccharides. The bond between the 2 molecules has to be broken down before the sugar molecules can be absorbed. There are primarily 3 types of disaccharides: sucrose (glucose + fructose),or table sugar which is derived from sugarcane or sugar beets. Lactose (glucose + galactose), the sugar that is found in milk, and maltose (glucose + glucose), which is found in malt beverages such as beer and malt liquor.

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are made up of sugar molecules that are linked together to form long, complex chains. They are typically found in peas, beans, whole grains and vegetables. Because of the complexity of these carbs, they take longer to digest and don’t spike your blood as high as simple sugars. Complex carbohydrates are divided into starch and fiber.

Starch

Starch is made by plants and is made up of chains of glucose. It is soluble in water and is typically used as a thickening agent in many processed foods because it is tasteless and odorless. The 4 major resources of starch in the US are corn, potatoes, rice and wheat. Starch that is absorbed from the small intestine will raise your blood sugar. However, some starch doesn’t get absorbed and continues to the colon, this is called resistant starch.  Resistant starch functions like soluble, fermentable fiber. When it reaches the colon, it provides food for your microbiome, otherwise known as a prebiotic. When the bacteria digest the resistant starch, they produce short-chain fatty acids, especially butyrate, that have been shown to decrease rates of colon cancer. Some good sources of resistant starch are seeds, whole grains, legumes and green (unripe) bananas.

Fiber

Fiber is the part of the plant that your body can’t digest or absorb. It passes unchanged through your digestive system.  Soluble fiber is fermented by the bacteria in your colon and so acts much like resistant starch.  Sources of soluble fiber are beans, greens and potatoes. Insoluble fiber can’t be fermented by the bacteria in the colon but it does retain a lot of water so it’s known for promoting normal bowel movements. All food derived from plants will have some of each of these types of fiber, but at varying amounts. True whole grain is 90% insoluble fiber while oats are 50/50. There is no doubt that people with high fiber diets have less digestive issues and a lower risk of colon cancer. 

So why are carbs so bad?

Carbs aren’t bad for you, in fact they are essential for life. They provide energy for your cells as well as perform other vital functions in your body. The problem lies in the type and amount of carbs you consume. Simple carbs will release a large amount of glucose quickly and will lead to a spike in your blood sugar. The problem is that your blood sugar levels will then come crashing down. The glucose levels will drop so low that you may feel shaky and fatigued. Your brain will then direct you to eat more simple carbs to stabilize your blood sugar level and the whole cycle starts all over again. Complex carbs will also increase your blood glucose levels but not as high or quickly as simple carbs.

Though complex carbs can contain high levels of vitamins and minerals, the extensive processing typically done to these foods leaves them fiber and nutrient depleted. Even worse, they have been so highly processed, what we call refined carbs, that they behave like simple sugars causing rapid glucose spikes in your blood. Refined carbs are typically found in many grab and go foods such as chips, crackers, sweet treats and breakfast cereals. However, even whole, starchy foods, such as potatoes, can also quickly drive up blood sugar. For instance, a medium sized baked potato has about 37 grams of carb with 6 grams of fiber.  This means that 31 grams of glucose can be absorbed into your blood stream. The total carb minus the amount of fiber is the net carb amount in a food and the amount that will most likely affect your blood sugar. Ask any diabetic, what happens to their blood sugar level when they eat a potato.

Carbs and the FASST Plan

Two of the three pillars of the FASST Plan is to “fuel your body without spiking your blood sugar” and “to provide fiber to feed your microbiome.” It is this balance that is so important. You want to find foods that will provide some carbohydrates but are loaded with nutrients and fiber to address all of the needs of your body.  So let’s say you want to increase fiber in your diet. You could chose to have a slice of wheat bread that has 128 calories, 24 grams of carb and 3 grams of fiber. This means there are 21 grams of net carbs that your body can turn into glucose and raise your blood sugar. Also there is no significant nutrient value. Compared to a cup of broccoli that has 31 calories, 6 g of carbs and 2.4 grams of fiber, leaving a net carb of 3.6 grams. And broccoli provides 135% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C! That’s what I called nutrient packed. Some may argue that grains are a good source of fiber, but at the risk of spiking your blood sugar. Whole grain bread provides more fiber than white or wheat bread, but only 2 more grams of fiber per slice and again, with no significant nutritional value and 14 grams of net carbs. In the end, everything is a trade off, but if you are trying to increase fiber in your diet, it’s best to add foods that won’t spike your blood sugar at the same time.

If you want to know more about foods that won’t spike your blood sugar but provide you with plenty of carbohydrates, download the FASST Plan Quick Start Guide and play close attention to the “Core Four.”

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