Group: Specific Diets & Nutrition

Created: 2012/01/01, Members: 104, Messages: 22775

With so many diets and nutritional plans out there, you can get lost. Find out what works best for others and share your experiences!

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Sugar intake??

draco99_99
draco99_99
Posts: 5
Joined: 2003/10/15
United States
2003/12/12, 07:01 PM
I'm a 5'8 169 pound male who's fairly active. My main question is how much sugar is ok for me to have on a daily basis. I always hear all this stuff about getting diabetes and i must admit i've been a heavy soda and candy eater for the last few years. And I want to start decreasing as much as i can, but would like to know a limit not to pass. Any help would make me very thankful. Thanks all.
bb1fit
bb1fit
Posts: 11,105
Joined: 2001/06/30
United States
2003/12/12, 08:13 PM
Insulin resistance is a direct result from sugar abuse, thus too many insulin surges, thus insulin resistance. This is how it works. The cells in your body get the energy they need to survive from drawing sugar out of your blood and oxidizing it, along with fatty acids. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas, which speeds the absorbtion of blood sugar by these cells. So, insulin is secreted in response to increasing blood sugars for this and to regulate them back to normal. Over time with too much abuse, the pancreas will start to over produce, due to the fact it has too so many times to overcompensate for these excess sugars. When this happens(many more things happen also), but you become insulin resistant. Your pancreas secrete enough insulin for glucose uptake and absorbtion, but the cells are still unable to take sufficient sugar from your blood. This is what is called type 2 or adult onset diabetes.

In response to how much sugar is ok is a tough question. Actually the best answer to that is keeping insulin surges down totally. Drop the soda and candy bars, these are immediate surges. Limit all sugars(especially refined) to as little as you can take. For instance, a well designed diet should include no insulin rises whatsoever. Your goal is to become insulin resistant. This is accomplished with lots of veggies, whole grains, and fiber like beans. Add healthy fats, like flax oil and fish oil, and it will even further your insulin sensitivity.

Here is some research for you. Eating a daily dish of whole grains, like whole wheat and brown rice, can reduce your risk of diabetes. (AJCN 8/22/03). In a 12 year study of more than 40,000 men between the ages of 40 and 75, researchers found that those who ate 3 servings of whole grains per day cut their risks in half!

Ditch the soda and candy bars. Hope this helps.

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If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
bb1fit
bb1fit
Posts: 11,105
Joined: 2001/06/30
United States
2003/12/12, 08:17 PM
In the second paragraph, in the sentence starting with "Your goal is to become", that should be insulin sensitive, not insulin resistant, which is what you are trying to avoid. My train of thought as I was typing was ahead of my fingers..LOL!!

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If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
draco99_99
draco99_99
Posts: 5
Joined: 2003/10/15
United States
2003/12/13, 03:56 PM
Thanks for the help. Especially the whole grain part, I had never heard about that. Thanks again.