Take Control Now By Patrick DeFrancesco, DC
one’s health. To stay fit is not only expensive but challenging as well. We are bombarded with a plethora of diet plans, exercise regimes and health practitioners who promise us the world. It is now that we must get back to the basics and use our common sense especially with food choices. Foods today are more con- taminated than ever before. We must select only the highest quality foods possible. Even then, we must read the ingredients and make sure manufacturers haven’t added harmful, untested chemicals and additives. When you start to focus on ingredients, it seems as though high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is in every- thing. High fructose corn syrup has become the sweetener of choice because the government subsidizes corn, and production quotas and import tariffs on sugar, have made it less expensive. It can also be made sweeter than sugar, making it more appealing. This dangerous additive is approved by the FDA, even though it has been implicated in numerous inflammatory dis- ease processes such as eczema, psoriasis, arthritis, gout, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease. It has also been linked to autoimmune diseases like
N
ever before has it been more challenging to restore and maintain
rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis, systemic lupus, and insulin-de- pendent diabetes. HFCS is danger- ous to your health and is found in many refined-carbohydrates. These foods are consumed by many Americans and it is no wonder most of our population is over- weight and unhealthy. The time is now to transition
to a low carbohydrate diet, mainly consisting of high quality fats and proteins. The average American diet is mostly carbohydrate based (pastas, breads, sweets, chips),
which when ingested, are the easiest foods for your body to di- gest. They provide quick energy. When you reduce these in your diet, the body must then look for another source of energy. This leaves either protein or fat, which are more difficult to assimilate. The body prefers fat and leaves the protein for repair and build- ing. Thus, when you reduce your carbohydrates the body slowly transitions to burning its own fat for energy, this process is called ketosis. This is why diets that restrict carbohydrates in fact work. The
body is an amazing machine and will always attempt to restore balance and function. When we reduce our carbohydrates, the body has withdrawals and the urges to consume carbohydrates become intense. During the transition of going from a high
28 Natural Nutmeg January 2012
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