August 9, 2020

Sugar

 

The Good….. Glucose             

The Bad….. Fructose

The ugly….. Sucrose

 

 

Glucose is essential for life, it is the fuel for every living cell. Sucrose is a toxin, which in excess will lead to all metabolic diseases. One gives us life, the other takes it away. Let’s dive a little deeper to understand why one makes us live and the other makes us…

THE GOOD

Glucose is the energy of life. Every living cell on earth burns glucose for fuel. Even if you don’t consume any form of glucose, the body will turn catabolic and start dissolving muscle and proteins to manufacture it. The Inuit’s who only consumed whale blubber months on end still produced Glucose.

Food, stress and lack of sleep will trigger the body to make more glucose even in a fasted state. Glycogen is the storage form of Glucose. It is either stored in the liver (100-120grams) or the skeletal muscles (300grams). Most foods contain an amount of Glucose but Complex carbohydrates like grains, vegetables and even dairy are an excellent source.

THE BAD

Fructose (fruit sugar) is used for energy storage, not for fuel. It will be stored as fat to be utilised for energy when needed. Animals will consume large amounts of ripe fruit (fructose) before going into hibernation knowing that the body will store it as fat. Fructose also causes the hunger hormone, Ghrelin to increase, this enables the animal not to get full and eat more when consuming large amounts of fruit.

Fructose can only be metabolised in the liver, increasing the risk of high blood pressure and non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD).

When there is fructose in nature it is always accompanied with fibre. So, always choose fresh fruit over fruit juice. Natural unheated honey is also an excellent source of fructose.

THE UGLY

Sucrose, 1 part glucose + 1 part Fructose = white poison! A common form of sucrose is HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS). This is the hidden killer that we consume unknowingly. It is commonly used to sweeten and preserve processed food. Soft drinks, sweets or anything packaged is the main culprits. A good guide to follow is that any food with a label on it is a warning, broccoli or fresh fish don’t have labels. Check your food labels 

Processed foods = high sugar low fibre

Natural foods = high fibre low sugar

A high sugar diet is really a high fat diet as the liver can not metabolise the sugar fast enough.  It gets overloaded and stores the sugar as fat. This is one of the highest causes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and can lead to obesity, metabolic syndrome, dementia, type 2 diabetes and premature ageing.

Sugar induced type 2 diabetes is the single most common cause of blindness in Australia. Sucrose also destroys gut bacteria and cancers feed of it.

You ferment sugar to make alcohol. They both have the same toxic affect on the liver. There are no nutritional benefits from sucrose.

Be careful how sucrose sneaks into your diet. Check everything you eat especially what’s on the labels and try to consume whole fruits that have plenty of fibre; kiwi, berries etc 

The body is very efficient at storing and making glucose.

Lettuce Leaf Tacos

By Zina Stone • February 20, 2025
LETTUCE LEAF TACOS  Prep Time 20 mins | Cook Time 20 min 4 serves INGREDIENTS 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons chicken stock (Optional) 1 pound ground beef 3 tablespoons taco seasoning 2 large roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped ½ teaspoon salt 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese 12 large romaine lettuce leaves METHOD Cook and stir green bell pepper and yellow onion in a skillet over medium heat with olive oil and chicken broth until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Place ground beef in a separate skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir with taco seasoning until beef is browned and crumbly, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain excess grease. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt in a bowl. Place Cheddar cheese into a separate bowl. Fill each lettuce leaf with about 2 tablespoons beef filling; top with 1 to 2 teaspoons green pepper mixture, tomato, and about 1 1/2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese. NOTES Measurements are approximate and can be adjusted to your taste. All ingredients can be customized to your preferred taco toppings. This could also work especially well with iceberg lettuce. NUTRITION FACTS (per serving) 550 Calories 39g Fat 14g Carbs 35g Protein

Mushroom & Chive Omelette

By Zina Stone • February 12, 2025
 Mushroom & Chive Omelette 1 serving | 15 minutes INGREDIENTS 1 tbsp Butter (divided) 2 cups Mushrooms (sliced) 1 tbsp Chives (chopped) 4 Egg METHOD Heat half of the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for five to seven minutes until the mushrooms have softened. Add the chives and transfer to a plate to set aside. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl. Heat the remaining butter in the pan. Add the eggs and cook until almost set. Place the mushrooms on one half of the omelette and fold the other half over top. Remove from heat and enjoy! NOTES Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days. Dairy-Free: Use oil instead of butter. Additional Toppings: Add cheese and/or fresh herbs. Make it Fluffy: For a fluffier omelette, whisk the eggs with milk or water. More Veggies: Add spinach or kale. More Flavor: Add garlic, onions, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, and/or salt. Nutrition Facts ​ ( Amount per serving ​) 431 calories 31g fat 8g carbs 2g fiber 5g sugar 31g protein 775mg cholesterol 295mg sodium 5mg iron

Egg & Chorizo Wraps

By Zina Stone • February 6, 2025
Egg & Chorizo Wraps 2 servings | 15 minutes INGREDIENTS 6 ozs Chorizo (casing removed) 4 Egg 2 ozs Cheddar Cheese (shredded) 2 Brown Rice Tortilla 2 tbsps Cilantro (roughly chopped, optional) METHOD In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add the chorizo and break it apart until crumbled. Cook for about seven to nine minutes, until cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon, set aside, and lightly wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and add the cheese. In the same pan over medium heat, add the egg mixture and cook, stirring often with a spatula until fluffy and cooked to your liking. Divide the egg mixture into the tortillas and top with chorizo and cilantro. Enjoy! NOTES Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days. Serving Size: One serving is one tortilla. Dairy-Free: Omit the cheese or use nutritional yeast or dairy-free cheese instead. Additional Toppings: Salsa, avocado, black beans, onions, tomatoes, and/or bell peppers. Nutrition Facts ​ ​( Amount per serving ​) 538 calories 27g fat 38g carbs 5g fiber 5g sugar 32g protein 399mg cholesterol 686mg sodium 5mg iron
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