If event organizers, meeting planners, restaurants, hotels, schools, churches, civic meetings etc. would be more diligent when planning menus to serve up food that has no sugar (and I’m not talking about “sugar free” as in artificial toxins) as they are in serving up gluten free, we would be a MUCH healthier society! Why is there such an importance on serving up “gluten free” but not “sugar free?”
Is “gluten free” the latest unhealthy trend? I recall when I was working in a health food store, a customer came in and bought nothing but snack foods – carbs – gluten free — 50+ dollars-worth and quickly justified her “carb fix” because they were gluten free, as if they were healthier. She continued with her justification that her son also eats gluten free so she will be sharing with him! Really, if this conversation didn’t reek of “carbaholic” I don’t know what did! Folks, carbs are carbs are carbs. Which by the way, turns to sugar very quickly. THIS is the true problem. Not that there hasn’t become a gluten intolerance pandemic, but sugars are the hidden, unhealthy part of the gluten-free craze – so beware!
How did we get in this mess? Less than 25 years ago, grains were a healthy staple in the American diet. But over the years, the big agri-business has introduced genetically modified (GM) grains into our diet. Therefore, the real grains that we once knew are now replaced with the genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) – unless, of course, they are USDA Certified Organic. These grains are designed to grow bigger, faster which in turn grows us bigger, faster! It also grows the livestock that is fed the GMO grain/feed bigger, faster. And when we consume the meats and poultry that are fed the GMO feed, we indirectly consume the GMO’s as well. This is a BIG problem (pun intended!). Not only do these GMO’s grow us but they also cause the body to receive the grains in much higher quantities, which in turn can cause hidden food sensitivities and contribute to a cascade of other negative health ramifications like lowered immunity, auto-immune diseases, digestive disorders, hormone imbalances and so much more. But…
… that’s only ½ the problem! The other ½ of the detrimental equation is that these GMO grains are still carbohydrates! When carbohydrates don’t get converted into energy, they convert to sugar instead, which then gets stored in the fat cells and eventually converted to fat. They are not getting burned because 1) we have become a sedentary population and 2) they are the simple carbs, or sugar burning carbs – giving us that “crash and burn” effective. Another words, the wrong kind of carbs! And of course, too much of these wrong sugars leads to a host of symptoms and diseases as well – obesity, diabetes, hypoglycemia, cardio-vascular disease, adrenal stress and fatigue, anxiety, depression, insomnia, digestive disorders and the list goes on and on. Sugars also rob the body of its vital nutrients and make the body’s systemic pH very acidic. Cancers and degenerative diseases thrive in an acidic environment in the body, allowing these cancers and diseases to directly feed on the sugar – keeping them alive. And obviously, we do not want this!
Now back to the original observation. With gluten sensitivities raging out of control, the food industry, in order to continue to thrive, needed to shift their gears to keep their carbaholics continuing to come back for more – hence the “gluten-free” craze. To summarize, gluten sensitivity is only part of the problem, a diet high in these simple carbs and sugars (gluten free or not) is the bigger part of our health crisis. So, buyer beware! Don’t be sucked in by the gluten-free label thinking it is “healthier” when in actuality, it is not – it’s still carbs that turn to sugar!
Solution? Start transitioning your diet from these simple carbs to more complex ones like a wide variety of fresh (organic/non-GMO) vegetables, low glycemic, organic/non-GMO fruits, grass fed and free-range lean proteins and quality, healthy fats. And again, don’t be sucked in by the “bait and switch” labels, like “gluten-free” labels – a carb is a carb is a carb.
To learn more on how gluten and sugar affect our health and alternative solutions, check out my book “Are You Being Deceived About True Wellness” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C8RFBX87/ or go to my website at: www.jackiemckool.com