“Can something I like so much be so bad for me?”
“Can something that has such a pungent taste be good for me?”
The answer to both is a resounding YES.

Babies generally have a strong preference for sweet and a moderate aversion to bitter – other tastes such as sour, pungent and salty are learnt from social or cultural conditioning. Avoiding certain tastes creates an imbalance and a tendency to eat too much sweet – not difficult with all the “nice” sugar-rich food tempting the taste buds. Neither the recommended 9-portions-a-day intake of fruit and vegetables nor the 11-portions-a-day of whole grains, often perceived as “not-so-nice” foods, are generally achieved.

The inclusion of too much sugar, refined carbohydrates and fats hampers the correct functioning of the beta cells in the pancreas. The body develops insulin resistance and the beta cells are over-burdened and can “wear-out”. Research suggests that beta cell function declines significantly before diabetes is diagnosed.

Keeping blood sugar levels in the safe zone is critical in controlling diabetes. In addition to a near constant demand for insulin on the Glycemic Roller Coaster (blood sugar too high or too low) two other signals are sent out. The first causes the body to go into fat storage mode and the other stops fat utilisation. This is known as the Insulin Trap and affects the ability to lose weight and control diabetes.

Glycemic index

Studies have shown the correlation between type 2 diabetes and a long- term diet intake of high-glycemic index carbohydrates. Changing to low-glycemic index carbohydrates has definite benefits:

1. foods are converted to glucose and enter the bloodstream more slowly

2. they provide a greater amount of sustained energy

3. less insulin is secreted

4. blood glucose levels stay within “safe” zone

5. longer period of satiety before hunger signals return

Using a guide of what to enjoy and what to avoid helps to identify high- and low-glycemic response foods as well as instil proper eating habits by including snack and meal suggestions.

A healthy nutrient rich diet that results in weight loss, combined with a daily exercise programme, is essential to decrease the risk of diabetes.

Good nutrition begins at cellular level and nutrients must work together for optimal health. Whilst carbohydrates are necessary to produce energy they form only one of the links in the “Chain of Life”. Other nutrient groups include lipids and sterols, vitamins and phytonutrients, proteins, minerals and enzymes and must be presented in sufficient quantities and in the right balance to develop a strong chain.

With today’s busy lifestyle few people have the knowledge or time to ensure proper nutrition – so have no way of knowing how strong the links are in the “chain of life”. Despite the best intentions, dietary gaps are a fact of life and weaken the “links”.

Supplementation formulated to strengthen all the links in the “chain of life” can help to fill the nutritional gaps and assist in achieving and maintaining optimal health and vitality. The glycemic response control programme assists in re-balancing macronutrient intake, re-programming the biochemical signal network and re-energising the body.

Controlling diabetes and other related diseases through a sound, scientifically based nutritional programme makes good sense.

Contact me for more information on the nutritional programme.