Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

[Bruunhilde]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

Great post Treya,

I didn't know the details of why food combining works, but I know there are books on it; I've gotten so many books on whole foods/diets (The Zone, the Eat Right for your Type, Protein Power, Dr Atkins Vita-Nutrient Solution, Body Clutter, The Healing Nutrients Within, Healing with Whole Foods, The Four Hour Body, blahblahblah....the list goes on. That I feel like I'm being sucked in to yet another food scheme when I think about buying yet another.

How do you know your pancreas is damaged? Do you have symptoms, did you have tests? How can you help it now? I'm so sorry to hear it.

[wanttobesober]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

Hi Bruun,

If you want to know more about food combining, check out this book.
It is old, but very good book:

Amazon.com: Fit for Life (9780446300155): Harvey Diamond, Marilyn Diamond, Kay S. Lawerence: Books

Cheers,

Brian

[Bruunhilde]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

I agree with you Otter, blood sugar levels are HUGE for us. All those years of abusing refined sugar/alcohol has got to mean that it will take time and extra care for at least some of us to manage to keep AF.

I'm certainly having challenges that way.

From RADIANTRECOVERY.COM:
Are you driven by cravings and need sugar, alcohol or excitement to keep you from feeling helpless or hopeless? You probably tell yourself things aren’t so bad and you can stop anytime. But you can’t and things keep getting worse.

You probably think your sugar addiction is about lack of willpower or discipline or motivation. It is not. It is about your biochemistry. You were born with a body that responds to sugar, alcohol and refined carbohydrates differently than other people. You are sugar sensitive. Sugar acts like a drug in your body. In fact, it affects the very same brain chemicals that morphine, heroin and amphetamines do.

[Kimberley]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

Hya,

Loving all this information. Re the pancreas, I had some tests done years and years ago when I was hospitalised with vomiting blood - I had duodenitis (sp?) and they checked my pancreas too and found I had only a third left. I can't remember what the exact tests were as I was pretty much in a daze throughout.

Not mixing carbs and fats, as far as I understand it is if you eat fat alone it can't be stored as fat. Whereas if you eat carbs with fat, the glucose in the carbs is transported into the cells to be stored as fat if it isn't used up.

I mostly eat meat, fish dairy, salad and low-carb veggies like green beans, cabbage, brocolli, that sort of stuff. My treats are almond butter (yum!), peanut butter (gotta watch myself with the quantities there) with sweetener and the atkins-style homemade sweet treats such as cream cheese and sweetener. But I try to eat clean as much as possible. Artificial sweetener isn't good for you and in some cases can affect your blood sugar too. Next thing I have to think about is limiting my caffeine a bit - thats not good for bs either (but I love it).

K x

[wanttobesober]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

Hi Bruun,

Bruunhilde;1158140 wrote:

I didn't know the details of why food combining works

Here is the deal:

If you eat acidic food, you need alkaline enzyme to digest it. If you eat alkaline food
you need your stomach secrete acidic enzyme to digest it. So if you eat acidic and alkaline food at the same time, you stomach secretes both enzymes and they neutralize each other.
So your food sits in your stomach for a longer period of time and you need more digestive enzymes. That takes a lots of energy and you are going to be tired.

What you can not combine is protein and carbs, Fat does not matter.

Protein requires acidic digestive enzyme.
Starches like bread, pasta, potato, rice requires alkaline digestive enzymes.

Just a short explanation, but that is the essence of it.

Cheers,

Brian

[Bruunhilde]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

Thanks WTBS,

So no steak with greens? Greens being carbs? What would a typical protein meal look like, and what would a non-protein meal look like? I'll look for Fit For Life but in the meantime, your info is very helpful. Have you found your body/cravings are changed at all? Thanks in advance!

Kimberly, sorry to hear about your pancreas. Is there any way to regrow it like the liver can? I think the liver is unique in its ability to regrow so I'm guessing the answer is no. Did the doctors give you meds for your pancreas or a special diet - or anything?

I have read about coffee and BS, I drink green tea instead. I wonder if you have fat with the coffee if it would help reduce the BS spike? I know cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar, but you'd have to have a teaspoon I think to make any difference. You might google that if you want to keep drinking coffee, or just switch to decaf.

Great info everyone, I think this thread will help alot of us.

[RingingCedars]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

Here's a fairly simple yet comprehensive chart and info on food combining.
Food Combining Chart – Official Reference Chart For Smooth Digestion | Alkaline Foods & Alkaline Diet
I have an even simpler one in store but I can't scan it.
I believe organic coffee-couple cups a day is pretty harmless. If you use decaf, then I would still use organic and swiss water processed. A lot of chemicals are used in growing coffee beans and in the decaf process.

I kept it very simple when I first practiced Food Combining. One night I had brown rice with green veggies and the next I would have protein(steak, turkey, lamb in my case)with green veggies and sometimes starchy veggies, like yams. Very little fruit, but if I did have fruit, it would be eaten alone. I normally have at least one whey protein drink a day. And never worry about copious amounts of flax, olive or coconut oil on anything.

[wanttobesober]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

Nice chart RingingCedars!

Bruun,

You mainly have to avoid starches like bread, potato, rice, pasta and these kind of things.
Veggies contain carbs but most of them has also high fiber content which is supposed to be deducted from the total carb content. If you take the fiber out you end up with the amount that is called "net carb". That is what counts.
Some veggies though have higher carb content like carrot and corn. You should not consume too much of those if you want to stay on minimum carbs.

Check out this website:

CalorieKing - Diet & Weight Loss Information - Calorie Counter and Nutritional Information

It is a great tool!

Cheers,

Brian

[RingingCedars]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

Thanks WTBS! Here's more glycemic index info. Note how foods are broken into Low(your allies); Moderate(limit consumption) and High (eat at your own risk).

[Treya]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

Good idea to take digestive enzymes too if you've been compromising your system for a long time-start slowly. Also a probiotic supplement to add healthy bacteria in the gut.
It's all griss to the mill.

[Bruunhilde]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

HI there,

I avoid all white stuff (except ice cream, my weakness, but I'm working on that) and all starches, I avoid all grains including glutens, I eat them maybe once a week. I've used digestive enzymes and in fact, heard things about papaya enzymes yesterday, what was it my friend said, I'll have to check back with her but I thought it was mood related.
The best probiotics I've ever had were Dr Ohira, but very $$$$.

[anne1232]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

Y'all might like the new book out by Jeff Connelly: "Sugar Nation"
He is diagnosed w/ pre-diabetes, as his father is dying from it. VERY detailed account on how he beats it

[RingingCedars]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

anne1232;1160418 wrote: Y'all might like the new book out by Jeff Connelly: "Sugar Nation"
He is diagnosed w/ pre-diabetes, as his father is dying from it. VERY detailed account on how he beats it

Looks good after 2 pages and the table of contents Anne....sugar nation, prozac nation, drug and alcohol nation(I made that one up), food inc, blue gold, super sized crap....we have to pay attention now.:thanks:

[Bruunhilde]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

Thanks Anne, I was looking for a recent book - Sugar Blues is outdated and has incorrect info on how the body works etc, so in spite of being ahead of its time, its now defunct in many ways. _Why We Get Fat_ by Gary Taubes also looks good.

[anne1232]

Metabolic Syndrome/Blood Sugar

Yeah; this guy wrote for "Muscle and Fitness" and "Men's Health" and is NOT a doctor (good thing) and very cutting edge. Takes on the ADA and everyone else responsible for mis-informing the public, and why they do it