Sugar Alert – The Right Pair of Shoes
By Dean L. Jones, C.P.M.
Commonly, people lean toward the concept and/or practice of taking something to help them feel better or ingesting what the doctor prescribes to remedy their discomfort. In opposition, seldom do we practice avoiding things that may be the cause of illness and/or uneasiness. Planning on what is best to eat for the brain in order for it to function at optimum efficiency is a rarity. In contrast, we think about selecting the right shoes for our feet, which implies that the brain is working fine, or is it?
Science specifies that Glucose (sugar) is the principal food for the brain and that it alone influences our psychological processes. Our body creates glucose from the carbohydrates we eat and it then enters the bloodstream so that our muscles and organs can use it for energy. Glucose is the only source of energy for the brain, and the brain needs a steady supply of energy that will last until more energy comes along. Sugar-highs followed by sugar-crashes are spikes in this supply and are dangerous to good health.
The sugar from whole fruit goes get into the bloodstream at a steady rate and digests in the stomach. Fruits also provide great sources of
vitamins, minerals and fiber, making it a great food source for our brain and body. Complex carbohydrates such as starch also break down in the stomach and liver to form sugar, although they take longer to break down, this source of sugar works well with the brain in much the same way as fruit. In addition, complex carbohydrates provide energy for hours without diminishing, however, unlike fruit; they do contain appetite enhancers and can cause you to overeat.
The USA’s general food culture consumes a considerable amount of packaged food products that chiefly contain chemically manufactured processed sugar consisting of sucrose and/or saccharose. This is unfortunate, as eating processed sugar harms brain cells because it causes the body to increase its blood sugar signals for the pancreas to start pumping out large amounts of insulin. Once the insulin gets into the bloodstream it soaks up the sugar to store for later use, depriving the brain, other organs and muscles of energy.
The dysfunctional situation in children and adults is without a doubt partly resulting from poor diets. Plus, constantly eating processed sugar will develop a diabetic condition and reduce mental sharpness. There are increasingly more people diagnosed as depressed and those having problems with their memory. Seniors who suffer from diabetes have a 65% higher incidence of Alzheimer’s disease than those who are not diabetic. Hence, when thinking about the right pair of shoes for the feet, give some comparable thought to the right brain food to eat.
Dean L. Jones is a marketing strategist with the Southland Partnership Corporation, a public benefit organization. He has published a series of consumer alert articles based on his view of barefaced mismanagement of food/beverage products.