Cookies and Other Monsters

We know that everyone has heard plenty about how bad sugar can be for you.....that it is a poison to the body....more addictive than many drugs.....cripples your immune system..... But there is another scary side to the sugar equation you may not have thought a lot about.

It isn't just the sugar in cookies that makes them less than an ideal breakfast choice. Come on, many cereals are really just cookies in a box....Cookie Crisp anyone? It is the simple carbs, like bleached white flour, that really make cookies doubly frightening. Simple carbs quickly become elevated blood sugar (also called glucose) when you consume them. That means there are other breakfast monsters like bagels, toast, pancakes, waffles....all before you add the jelly and syrup. It continues through the rest of the day with things like crackers, rice and pasta.

The thing that you need to pay attention to more than if something tastes sweet or not is the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a system that assigns a number (1 to 100) to carbohydrate-containing foods according to how much each food increases blood sugar. Sugar would rate 100. Low glycemic foods rate 55 or below. The glycemic index is a very helpful tool when you are trying to figure out which foods may be raising your blood sugar too much. You can't always judge the glycemic index by how sweet something tastes. For example, berries are often sweet but have a fairly low glycemic index.

You can find a lot of information about the glycemic index of foods online. Here is one resource to get you started: https://glycemicindex.com/

In addition to being aware of what you are eating, consider using  supplements that are helpful with blood sugar balance. Inositol and Gymnema both help curb sugar cravings. Cataplex GTF is a chromium product that helps with sugar metabolism. Pancreatrophin PMG and Country Doctor Pancreas both support healing of the pancreas and healthy insulin levels. Diaplex is a great digestive aid for anyone working to lower elevated blood sugar levels. Glucose Assist is a brand new product from Standard Process that comes in either chocolate or vanilla to make healthy low-glycemic protein shakes. We even have Inositol Powder that can be used as a sweetener replacement in baking, shakes, etc. Please let us know if you have any questions about these products and blood sugar balance.

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