Glycemic Stress

After going on about the benefits of chocolate, I thought I should warn you about the dangers of sugar. Actually, not just sugar, but all refined carbohydrates, which include white flour, pasta, white rice, corn syrup, fructose, glucose, etc. There are a few problems with a diet rich in refined carbs, but today I’ll focus on glycemic stress.

What happens when sugar enters the blood stream? First, the body pumps out lots of insulin to deal with the sharp rise in blood sugar, that we never get from eating natural foods. The insulin so quickly deals with the sugar that we end up with low blood sugar, which makes us hungry, grouchy and spacey. It also causes inflammation in the arteries, leading to cardiovascular disease. If we do that several times a day for a long period of time, we develop insulin resistance, a problem on it’s own that will also lead to diabetes.

Other conditions that can arise out of this abuse to our systems are high blood pressure, increased blood clotting and a poor balance of HDL and LDL, the “good and bad Cholesterols”.

A little sweet now and then is not a problem, our bodies are very adaptable. However, if you are consuming sugar every day, especially if you use it as your energy booster, several times a day, you are going to develop serious health problems along the way.

So enjoy life, be sweet, but consume your sweets in moderation.