Podcasts & New York Times article re sugar, insulin resistance, fat storage, and health risks

Before you listen to the podcasts listed below, I suggest that you read this New York Times article of 13 April 2011 – Is Sugar Toxic? – to understand why so many sugar and fructose researchers don’t eat sugar!  Could it be that sugar is linked to obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and even cancer! What do these MD/PhDs know that you should know?!

All of the following programs with Robert Lustig, MD, are about the research showing why some carbs are “safe carbs” and some are “not safe carbs.” And ALL of these programs are worth listening to, so here are some thoughts on the order in which you might want to listen:

• If you are a detail-oriented person with a science background, start with #1.  And then listen to #2, 3, 4, and 5. Then re-listen to #1.
• If you want more of a high level summary of the key points, listen to #2, 3, 4, and 5, in that order (chonological) and then listen to #1. Then you may want to re-listen to #1.

Before you listen…caution… you may never want to eat sugar — in any form – again!

1. • Sugar – The Bitter Truth – an in-depth Mini Medical School talk by Dr. Lustig as shown over the University of California TV (UCTV).
2. • Sean Croxton of Underground Wellness does a great interview with Dr. Robert Lustig (May 13, 2010): The Bitter Truth about Sugar and Fructose. (Go to the blue box for blogtalkradio; interview starts after Sean’s opening remarks.) Note: In this interview, Sean and Dr. Lustig refer to Sean’s short video summarizing some of the key points in Robert Lustig’s Mini Medical School lecture (#1 above). Sean Croxton’s video summary.
3. • Robert Lustig as interviewed by  on July 5, 2010 on the La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore. (Note: Don’t let the pop nature of this show keep you from listening to it. It’s a great interview that helps explain some of the more difficult concepts.)
4. • Robert Lustig as interviewed on January 3, 2011 on the La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore.
5. • To hear an interview with Dr. Lustig on the People’s Pharmacy radio program, February 12, 2011, click on the second of the two arrows that you see at this link. Robert Lustig, MD, is Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, University of California, and Director of the WATCH Program (Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health) through the University. Note: Six weeks after a presentation first airs on the People’s Pharmacy radio show (a great show by the way!), you have to pay a nominal fee to download the program or buy the CD – but it’s worth it!

I know I’m recommending that you take a lot of your time to read this article and listen to these programs, but honestly, this is IMPORTANT information that can help you prevent and also reverse major metabolic diseases – obesity, heart disease, type II diabetes, gout, high blood pressure, and quite possibly help to prevent cancer!

By the way, listening to these programs has had a major affect on my thinking and behavior. I used to think of sugar as something that was OK in moderation…but I don’t think so anymore. Besides I don’t want to eat food that’s moderately good for me; I want to eat food that great for my heath– and absolutely delicious!

Here is a list of the dietary changes that I have made since listening to these programs:

• I threw away the bottle of crystallized honey that had been languishing on my shelf.
• I don’t add “just a little” sugar to my tea anymore.
• I don’t use maple syrup to sweeten my yogurt anymore; I add fruit (fresh, dried, or defrosted frozen) and my yogurt is not as sweet but that’s fine, too.
• I plan to return my agave nectar to Costco. I used to think agave nectar was a healthier choice than table sugar, and I even wrote a post about agave nectar on this blog. But now I realize that agave nectar and table sugar have roughly the same amount of fructose and glucose – and so they have essentially the same effect on blood sugar – so there’s no advantage to agave nectar.
• Even though I drank very little juice before, I now drink even less juice, and then only if it is diluted with water and sipped slowly. Whenever possible, I eat delicious whole fruits instead.
• I make sure to eat lots of high fiber foods – including a lot of beans with a low glycemic index such as, chana dal and kala chana. Beans and greens (like kale, collards, spinach, and other greens such as parsley, cilantro, mint) are the foundation of a healthy diet.
• When I have a high carbohydrate food like oatmeal with raisins, I add plenty of ground flaxseed which adds more fiber and helps to slow the absorption of carbohydrate and insure that the breakdown products of carbohydrate digestion are absorbed in different parts of the gi tract. (Listen to the presentations to understand this nuance.)
• I try to consume whole fruits with my meals, instead of separately as snacks.
• I used to have a cup of regular green tea (with caffeine) when I got up and then later in the morning I would have some decaf green tea. (I can’t tolerate more caffeine than what’s in one cup of green tea.) But now I have decaf green tea when I get up and with my breakfast  or right after lunch I have a cup of green tea (with caffeine).  This has nothing to do with fructose; I don’t add any sugar to my tea. It has to do with the fact that caffeine raises your blood sugar less when consumed with a meal than when consumed alone — something I was reminded of when listening to this talk.
• If I have a sweet dessert after a meal occasionally, I choose a very small portion of an absolutely wonderful dessert. In other words, it has to be worth eating!  (I don’t like to feel deprived, so I do eat desserts occasionally.)

Also….

• I am trying to learn more about the glycemic index and how it should be interpreted. It apparently has some limitations about which I was unaware. As far as I understand now, it is not a good index to use to compare foods that are mainly simple sugars such as table sugar (beet or can sugar) vs. fructose vs. honey.
• While a vegan diet is higher in carbs than a standard American diet (aka SAD!) and a vegetarian diet with eggs and dairy products may also be higher in carbs than the standard American diet, I still think a vegan or vegetarian diet is ideal — as long as you choose WHOLE foods (not refined carbs) and better yet, emphasize the low glycemic index complex carbohydrates (whole foods such as chana dal) and lots of healthy veggies.
• But I must admit that since starting a vegan diet in January, I have found it hard to eat enough to keep the weight on. So I am starting to add back a little grass-fed diary and omega-3 eggs for now. (I know a lot of people reading  this would like to have my problem! )

In conclusion, diet is a lot like life – both are works in progress!
Live and learn! Learn and live – longer and better!

Enjoy and be healthy!
~Leni

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