Day 357- Amylopectin- The Super Starch

We already know that for most of us gluten is not a good thing, but did you know that besides the gluten aspect of wheat it also contains what some call a “Super-Carbohydrate,” or “Super-Starch?” Wheat is made up of chains of glucose (sugar), which are called polymers. These polymers are made mainly of chains of branching glucose units called amylopectin, and a smaller amount of linear chains called amylose. Both amylopectin and amylose can be digested by the salivary and stomach enzyme, amylase, but amylopectin is more readily digested and broken down into glucose during this process than in amylose. Amylose can make it’s way to the colon undigested much more often, thus having less effect on the body’s blood sugar levels. Since amylopectin is broken down easily into glucose it raises the blood sugar in the body.

We also know that a lot has changed to the structure of grains over the last few years. Bread products have become more “fluffy.” Even bread labeled, “Whole Wheat,” is soft and gets stuck to the top of your mouth. So what has changed?

“We eat dwarf wheat, the product of genetic manipulation and hybridization that created short, stubby, hardy, high-yielding wheat plants with much higher amounts of starch and gluten and many more chromosomes coding for all sorts of new odd proteins. The man who engineered this modern wheat won the Nobel Prize -- it promised to feed millions of starving around the world. Well, it has, and it has made them fat and sick.” –Mark Hyman, MD

I came across a website created by Dr. Davis on the difference between the different forms of Amylopectin. Although I searched for more information and research on the different forms, I was unable to find a lot of information. To me what Dr. Davis is describing makes sense, but I guess my disclaimer is to take this information that I am presenting with a grain of salt.

According to what I learned on Dr. Davis’s website the starch that we now find in wheat is called amylopectin A. Amylopectin has various structures, which alter the amount of amylopectin that can be broken down by amylase, remember the more amylopectin that can be broken down affects the amount of glucose that the body will have to deal with. Amylopectin A, what is found in wheat, is the most digestible form of Amylopectin. Other forms such as Amylopectin C and B are less digestible. Amylopectin C is the lease digestible and is found in legumes. This is why many people experience gas or bloating after consumption of beans. The undigested amylopectin is able to make it’s way down to the colon, where bacteria loves to feast on the undigested starches generating lots of lovely gas. Amylopectin B is more digestible than the C form but less so than the A form, and is found in founds such as bananas and potatoes.

So the short, but not so sweet version of all this information is pretty much that wheat is making us fat. Regardless if it is white bread or whole wheat bread they are both raising out blood sugar. Two slices of whole wheat bread now raise your blood sugar more than two tablespoons of table sugar. Beware of labels advertising whole wheat or whole grain, many of those products are already loaded with sugar and they are trying to use those claims to mask that fact. Blood Sugar dysregulation is a huge issue that can lead to obesity, inflammation, diabetes, fatty liver, or other not so favorable things.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 338- It's That Time Again ... Girl Scout Cookies

It's that time of year again; you can't possibly resist the Girl Scout Cookies! I came across a funny article in the Huffington Post that shared 10 tips on how to not go crazy during this time of year. So if you are like the average person and love your samoa and thin mints then you might find these tips to be life saving this time of year. Enjoy!

10 Psychological Tricks for Eating Girl Scout Cookies Mindfully

1) Place your favorite cookie on a red plate. A study in the 2012 journal Appetite found that people ate less snack food when it was put on a red plate vs. a white or blue plate. Whether it is a traffic light or a plate, our brains think "stop" when we see red.

2) Take a bite of cookie with your non-dominate hand. Nibbling on snacks with your non-dominate hand can reduce how much you consume by approximately 30 percent. Using your "other" hand is inconvenient and disrupts the automatic stream of hand to mouth flow according to a study reported in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

3) Save the best for last. Afraid you are going to be unable to put on the brakes when you are eating these delicious treats? Pick a two or three. Then, eat your favorite cookie last. According to a 2011 study in the British Journal of Nutrition, eating the most enjoyable cookie last instead of first keeps the experience fresh in your mind. Thus, you may be less tempted to consume more because your mind hasn't filed away the experience. You think, "Oh yes, I had some really great Trefoils."

4) Don't fight it. If you want the Thank U Berry Munch cookie, it's better to think it through carefully than to try to ward off the craving. Suppressing your desire for treats actually makes it worse according to a study by researchers at St. George's University of London. In their study, subjects that actively tried not to think about chocolate ate more than those who intentionally thought about chocolate.

5) Eat them anywhere -- except in front of the TV. A study out of the Department of Psychology in Glasgow, Scotland found that you are likely to eat 14 percent more when you eat snack foods, like cookies, in front of the TV.

6) Eat a cookie by yourself. We tend to eat more when we are with other people. In fact, you consume 18 percent more according to a study published in Physiology and Behavior. In part, this may be due to distraction. However, mainly overeating with a buddy is related to social norming -- "If she has four Thin Mints, I can have four."

7) Put them far, far away. Placing a box of Dulce De Leche in the back of the cupboard or in the basement makes them much less accessible and cuts out mindlessly picking out of the box. A study in the journal of Psychological Health 2011 indicates that making food inconvenient helps to reduce the likelihood of overeating snacks.

8) Enhance your "cookie memory." Focus on your sensations. Tune into the crispy crunch of a Thin Mint. Pay attention to the gooey joy of a Samoa. A study in the journal of Appetite found that tuning into your senses when you eat something good will increase the probability that you will remember having eaten it. Keeping it fresh in your mind makes it more likely that you will eat less later.

9) Turn over the box. Did you know that two Samoas are roughly equivalent to eating five Savannah Smiles? Knowing the portion size is key. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association(2011) found that college students who read labels tend to be much healthier eaters. Before savoring your favorite cookie, pause for just a moment and peruse the box label.

10) Take a Brisk Walk. Do Tagalongs and other chocolate flavored cookies call to you more than the lemon or shortbread cookies? If so, a 2012 study in the journal of Appetite, indicated that a brisk walk reduces chocolate intake for those who love chocolate.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 319- 5 Food Labels that Don't Mean Anything

Here is an article from Huffington Post on 5 food labels that really don't mean anything. Just reading a label and taking it's word is not really enough in most cases. Make sure you take the extra step and really find out where your food is from and how your food was made. Companies are going to use labels that consumers what to read, and since many of these claims are not heavily regulated they get away with it.

5 Food Labels that Mean Nothing

Written by Shilo Urban

American consumers have grown more and more conscious of what exactly they are eating, and label reading is now de rigeur for any self-respecting grocery shopper that wants to be informed. Yet food companies are getting savvy to our need for information in this modern era - as well as to our obvious proclivities for certain psychological cues. Who subconsciously thinks that "green" = "fresh"?

While certain words and phrases such as "Low Sodium" or "Certified USDA Organic" are regulated and certified by government agencies, most are not - and it's up to the consumer to read between the lines in order to find something healthy to eat.

Don't be fooled! If you want to know what's in a grocery product, read the nutrition label and ingredients carefully, because the following food labels mean practically nothing.

"Natural" - A "natural" or "all-natural" product seems to imply that all the ingredients were plucked straight from nature with no interference from human beings, but in reality there isn't much on this earth that ISN'T natural. The FDA only regulates the word "natural" in meat and poultry products to include those that contain no artificial substances - although confusingly, genetically modified organisms are allowed. One could convincingly argue that even petroleum by-products, high fructose corn syrup and rat excrement are natural - after all, they all came from the natural world. Perhaps the biggest offender on this list, the tag "natural" on any item is basically meaningless and has been usurped by grocery manufacturers trying to compete with the certified organic food label.

"Local" - There are no legal standards for the word "local," so your grocer could put up oranges from Chile and call them "local" with no repercussions. How to avoid this conundrum? Shop for produce at farmers markets, visit local farms and get to know the people who grow your food.

"Free Range" - As far as the USDA is concerned, the only certifiable "free range" food items are poultry and eggs. The law states that chickens must be "allowed access to the outside," yet there are zero specifications as to how big this outdoor area must be. There might be one door that goes to a 4'x4' yard for 100 chickens or more that are all eating hormone-fueled, pesticide-drenched food. Your best bet is to purchase USDA Certified Organic eggs. Other "free range" meats such as beef or pork are not regulated at all, and you will just have to trust the manufacturer (or do your research).

"Made with Whole Grains" - This product might include 99.99% refined grains and .01% whole grains, but there's no way to know because the term is not regulated. The manufacturer could throw two grains of oatmeal into five tons of their product and assert that it is "Made with Whole Grains." Don't fool yourself into thinking you are eating healthier than you are!

"Lightly-sweetened" - Surely a food product that is "lightly-sweetened" contains less sugar than the norm, right? Not necessarily. Another unregulated term, "lightly-sweetened" is used to describe plenty of products that are loaded with sugar, corn syrup or other sweeteners. This food label means nothing!

Sources:

USDA Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms
FDA Food Labeling Guide

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP