On November 13th 2013, the online Gluten Free Summit took place. It was a gathering of health professionals, researchers and doctors to freely share their knowledge with the public about often misunderstood and pertinent topics. For a complete list of the talks given at the Summit visit their website. Mark Haman, MD., gave a forthcoming interview for the Summit that covered a number of topics. Dr Haman has written four books, was nominated to the President’s Advisory group on Prevention, Health Promotion and Integrative and Public Health, and has crafted health legislation. That is just a handful of the many notable works and research that have made him a national leader in functional medicine. A topic of particular interest discussed was the consequences of fluctuating blood sugar levels. Kay’s Naturals believes that understanding the effects of blood sugar and its stabilization is critical for health and wellness for a number of reasons that will be discussed in this article.
According to Dr. Hyman, bloods sugar levels that are unstable have numerous health consequences. Diabetes occurs when blood sugar is too high and hypoglycemia is when blood sugar is too low. Both have the capacity to be life threatening. Most individuals lie within these two extremes but are still affected by imbalances of blood sugar levels. This imbalance can cause the rise of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, dementia, depression and even cancer. It is because of these risks that having stabilized blood sugar levels is so important.
Blood sugar imbalances is causing a crisis in ‘diabesity’, a pre-diabetic condition. Half of Americans have diabesity. Ninety percent of individuals with diabesity are unaware they have it because most doctors do not know how to diagnose or treat it, even though it is curable. It is apparent that the imbalance of blood sugar levels is causing a crisis in our nation's health. This endemic is causing an economic crisis as well. One out of every three Medicare dollars is spent on type 2 diabetes, and “probably 1 out of every 2 [dollars] is spent on pre- diabetes.” Dr. Hyman argues that there are two things driving this endemic: sugar and wheat flour. On average every American consumes 152 pounds of sugar and 146 pounds of wheat flour each year. Combined that means that every man, woman, and child eats a pound of sugar and wheat flour- everyday.
An explanation for the giant influx of wheat flour and sugar consumption is the belief that low-fat diets lead to weight loss. Foods like pasta and bread were favored because they are low in fat. Recent research has shown that the exact opposite is true. Dr. Hyman said that, “Fat makes you thin. And sugar makes you fat.” In todays food market, flour is one of the greatest sources of sugar because of way it’s processed. For example, two slices of whole wheat bread today will raise blood sugar levels more than two tablespoons of table sugar. It is widely believed the whole grains are healthy, but often they are not and can have a high glycemic load. If we are to lower the percentage of individuals afflicted with diabetes and diabesity, as well as dementia, cancer, stokes, etc., we must as a nation become better educated about what foods are causing blood level imbalances and avoid them.
This research should cause us to pause and reflect on our eating habits and what we consider to be healthy. Kay’s Naturals is a proud supplier of natural foods that do not cause an imbalance of blood sugar levels. We provide convenient snacks and cereals that have historically caused spikes in blood sugar. Through meticulous study we are able to provide savory and sweet protein-rich and gluten-free snacks and cereals that keep the body fueled for hours without altering ones blood sugar levels or utilizing artificial sweeteners. Sounds to good to be true? See for yourself. Visit us at kaysnaturals.com