The Good Food Campaign

“Dirty” skin is a commonly missed medical condition.

The skin is hyper-pigmented, in a smooth, yet irregular, shape. It can be found in the “folds” of the skin.. at the neck, axila, navel, knees, elbows, ankles, and groin.

It is called Acanthosis Nigricans, and the main cause is Insulin Resistance.

Insulin Resistance is a pre-cursor to diabetes (pre-diabetes) and the main symptom of Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS.)

Type-2 (Adult-Onset) diabetes used to be something only adults needed to be concerned about..

But, many children are now being diagnosed with diabetes.

Insulin is a regulatory hormone, in the body.  It works with Glucagon, to tell the body when to store and not store the fat that we consume, in our diets.  It is triggered by carbohydrates or “sugars.”

When insulin levels are high, the body stores fat (converted “sugars”,) to use, later, for energy.

Glucagon is a regulatory hormone that pulls “fuel” from the body..  It is a reaction hormone and dependent on  insulin levels lowering, to react, to burn stored energy.

When we constantly consume “sugars” and junk food, we over stimulate our insulin production.  We burn out this imaginary switch, that tells the body to start producing Glucagon.

It doesn’t matter, to the body’s functioning whether we are not producing any insulin (Type I Diabetes) or if we have a constant supply of high levels of Insulin (Type II Diabetes.)  All that matters, is that Glucagon is not being triggered..

The body is constantly storing fat.  The “sugars,” being consumed, are being converted to fat, and also being stored.

Insulin Resistance is the main cause of obesity.

(Nothing in this article is intended as medical advice. Nothing in this article is intended to diagnose or cure disease.  It is purely for informational purposes.  Please allow your medical doctor to diagnose your illnesses.  Seek the advice of a medical professional, if you feel that you have a medical problem. This article was not written by a professional medical doctor.)

“Sugars” are any carbohydrate that is consumed.

“Sugars” include sweet substances like table sugar (sucrose,) fruit sugar (fructose,) milk sugar (lactose,) etc. (Look for words ending “ose” on labels.)

These sweet-tasting sugars can also be known as honeys, molasses, syrups, candies, and nectars.

“Sugars” also include non-sweet-tasting carbohydrates, including:

• Breads
• Crackers
• Rice
• Pasta
• Potatoes
• Cereals
• Other Starchy veggies, including peas, corn, beans..

All “sugars” raise insulin levels in the bloodstream, when consumed.  When insulin levels are high, sugars are converted to fat, and all fats are stored in the body.

The trigger of insulin production is to the flavor “sweet” and although “sweet” can have differing degrees of response, please note that sugar-substitutes are also “sweet” to the brain.

It is possible to eat a low/no-fat diet and gain weight, that is stored as fat.

(photo credit)

(Nothing in this article is intended to diagnose, treat, or cure disease. It is for informational purposes only.  Always seek  and follow the advice of your professional medical doctor.)

Ever heard of it? TGFC suspects that many people haven’t. It’s been used as a zero-calorie sweetener for many years in other countries, but the US FDA has taken its time on approving it, on the grounds of safety.

Perhaps, it was more a case of the food processing giants not wanting to make a switch from products such as Equal and Splenda?

Coca Cola and Pepsi are ready to include it in some of their drinks, and it’s now been given approval for use.

What is Stevia?

It comes from the Stevia plant. The leaves are naturally sweet, and the products derived from these leaves are highly concentrated.

The jury is still out on what effects existing artificial sweeteners have on the body, and of course there is, of yet, no long-term data available for Stevia.

TFGC’s take on it is still the same, use natural cane sugar, and use as little as possible. Work towards cutting sugars and/or sweeteners from your diet.

Quit drinking soda of all kinds, and drink more water instead. Watch out for restaurant items, and eat fresh and not processed food.