Eat Minimally Processed Foods as Little as Possible

Whole organic fresh fruits are better than skinned, jarred fruit. Raw nuts are better than roasted. Whole grains (barley, quinoa, wild rice, and oats) are better than products made from flour (such as breakfast cereals), even if some of the flour is whole grain flour. This is because most processed foods made from flour (bread, cereals, crackers, and so on) contain a mixture of refined and whole grain flour. If you check the ingredients labels, you’ll see that nearly all of these supposedly whole grain foods are much lower in fiber than you may realize.

Can we handle sweeteners as we age?

As you grew to adulthood, sugar and other sweeteners probably became a dietary staple. Americans today are now consuming 14 percent more sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and other sweeteners than they did in 1965, with most of us eating more than 20 teaspoons a day. We’re eating more sugar than ever before in history, but our bodies have not evolved to handle the increase.

It used to take 15 to 20 years for steady consumption of sugar and other sweeteners to trigger conditions such as type 2 diabetes. That’s why we used to call type 2 diabetes “adult onset” diabetes: It only affected adults. Now we’re seeing type 2 diabetes in children as young as age 6.

Mercury and Other Environmental Pollutants

Our rivers and oceans absorb the mercury produced when we drive cars, burn coal to fuel power plants, and incinerate household wastes. They’ve also become toxic waste dumps for many other industrial pollutants, such as PCBs and dioxin. These harmful chemicals are absorbed into algae and plants that are then eaten by fish. The pollutants become more and more concentrated as they travel up the food chain. Once one of the world’s healthiest foods, all wild fish and even some farm-raised varieties are contaminated with disease-promoting chemicals. To reduce your risk of consuming more of these toxins than your body can clear, consume only fish that have been shown to have the lowest levels of mercury.

Is it safe for a person with diabetes to eat sweets?

Diabetes is a chronic condition that causes a person’s blood glucose levels to become too high. Although people with diabetes often need to carefully manage their diet, incorporating the occasional sweet or sugary food into a healthful diet can still be okay.

There is a popular misconception that people with diabetes must avoid all sweets and sugary foods. Carefully monitoring the carbohydrates and sugars a person eats is vital because of the impact it can have on blood glucose, or sugar, levels. However, it is still possible to eat sweets or sugary food, as long as it is part of a healthful diet plan.

The amount of carbohydrate and sugars a person with diabetes can eat depends on factors, including:
– their activity levels
– whether they are trying to lose weight or maintain a heavy weight
– whether they are tying to lower their blood glucose levels

According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes can still have sweets, chocolate, or other sugary foods as long they are eaten as part of a healthful meal plan or combined with exercise.