And welcome back. Today's lesson is going to be on carbohydrates. So, what is carbohydrates? Well, carbohydrates are essentially sugars. They're starches and sugars that consist of carbon atoms, hydrogen atoms and oxygen atoms. If you're looking at an ingredient list, you can identify something as a sugar if it ends in the letters.

Oh, so there are three main types of sugars. They're known as monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides. monosaccharides are single, ring shaped molecules, things like glucose, fructose galactose dye. saccharides are two of these ring shaped molecules put together. And common ones are lactose, sucrose, maltose, and polysaccharide. polysaccharides are chains of monosaccharides and they can be linked together in a combination in very different so the types of carbohydrates We consume affect our ability to digest them.

So what does this mean? So, for example, complex carbohydrates, things like wrapping those and stacking those, which are found in beans cannot be digested properly by humans, because we lacked the appropriate enzymes to do so. However, these, these are great for feeding our bacteria. And this is what's known as something that's called a prebiotic and feeding our gut bacteria properly will benefit our overall health. So humans on the other hand, instead of being able to break down the ones we talked about earlier, we are able to break down starch into the into something called glucose, that simple sugar and glucose is the body's preferred source of energy. In fact, the body craves glucose so much, we have mechanisms, intricately designed to convert fast and even proteins into glucose when we need once again Carbohydrates into the small intestine, they're broken down into glucose.

So what happens is these longer chains of complex carbohydrates get broken down into the single green molecules known as glucose where then they can then enter the bloodstream. And glucose is necessary for life. However, the body doesn't necessarily need to ingest a lot of sugar or carbohydrates for it to function properly. levels of low glucose or low glycogen, which is the storage form of glucose in the liver. What happens is when these get low, excess fat is converted into glucose. And this is a survival mechanism that humans have had for over many years since our earliest ancestors.

And then what happens when fat stores run out? In really, really dire, dire circumstances in times of starvation, then we start converting proteins into glucose which isn't isn't optimal for health at all. But we do have those mechanisms under really, really dire starting services. So, complex carbohydrates, or starches are broken down into simple sugars. And in humans, that's usually in the form of glucose. This, this is used to give us energy.

Complex carbohydrates are broken down slowly over time, which means there's a more gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream. On the other hand, simple sugars things like sweets, white breads, white sugars, candy, junk food, they're broken down really easily and are immediately taken up into the bloodstream. And this is what can wreak havoc with both our blood sugar levels. So over the last century, there's been a really dramatic increase in the intake of refined carbohydrates and refined carbohydrates don't provide us with adequate nutrients. In fact, in order to properly digest refined carbohydrates The body actually uses its own stores of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and enzymes, which depletes the body. So especially B vitamins, so we actually end up using the B vitamins just to break down the food.

Because they're so nutrient depleted. When you look at it from the other hand, when you're consuming fruits and vegetables and complex carbohydrates that have these vitamins, you can actually absorb them instead of using them just to digest the food in their natural state. Carbohydrates are linked together with proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, enzymes and fiber. And this is actually the best way for carbohydrates to get absorbed in conjunction with other types of foods. So if you're going to have some sort of whole grain or carbohydrate, make sure you're eating it with some sort of protein and fat as they all actually have a synergistic effect in eating and absorbing. So when you refined foods You stripped them of their vitamin and mineral contents.

And this is an effort to make them look more appealing. And you can see this many ways, packaging food using food colorings, things like that. And the things that are used are genetically modified organisms so that that becomes our genetically modified fruits and vegetables, pesticides and other additives to again make them look more appealing or bigger. And when you add these things, and you strip them of their vitamins and minerals, you end up consuming things that are what are considered empty calories, right. And these are founded things like candy, soda, ice cream, junk food, frozen foods, energy, energy bars, energy drinks, they have a negative impact on the body because the body needs to use these nutritional reserves just to digest them. So instead of taking in these nutrients from whose we're actually using them, just to digest them properly in the first place.

A good analogy here would be using a bank account. So it's essentially like you keep withdrawing funds, you keep using these vitamins and minerals just to absorb food without punishing, and eventually you're gonna run out. So carbohydrates and diabetes have been linked. And it's usually due to consuming these refined and processed carbohydrates always leading to this epidemic of diabetes. Now, as we can see, over the last 15 years or so, there's been a raging rise in diabetes in both adults and children. In some states, over 35% of the population could be diabetic.

And these numbers continue to rise. So it's really of the utmost importance that we start choosing the carbohydrates we eat more appropriately. So, blood glucose is actually highly regulated in the body, in under normal conditions. So insulin is secreted by the pancreas and this is triggered by other hormones that are released from the adrenal gland and the thyroid gland. So when you consume complex carbohydrates, the release of insulin is slowed because they take longer to break down. So when you have a slower stream of glucose entering the bloodstream, then insulin can be released at a more appropriate rate.

And then if you have extra glucose, it ends up being stored in the liver, and it's used as reserves if you go for a long time without eating. On the other hand, when you eat processed sugars, they enter the bloodstream rapidly because they're already broken down into simpler form. And this causes blood glucose levels to spike really quickly after eating. So an increased intake of refined sugars leads to what is known as insulin resistance and in a state of insulin resistance. Insulin is released at a lower than normal rate when you have normal levels of sugar intake. So what this means is the pancreas is going to have to release more insulin to get that same effect and store glucose in cells, and eventually the pancreas becomes unable to keep up with the barrage of glucose, and essentially, they're worn out and can't create enough insulin to keep up.

So let's talk a little bit about type two diabetes and hypoglycemia. So type two diabetes is considered when your blood sugar levels are too high or too high. hypoglycemia, on the other hand, is when blood glucose levels are too low. However, they both suffer from the same cause and it's eating too many refined carbohydrates. In the case of diabetics, they can eventually develop things like gangrene in the limbs, especially in beat blindness, heart disease, diabetic coma, deterioration of connective tissues, the cornea and the circulatory system. And insulin injections can prevent the risk potentially going into a coma but unless you change your actual eating habits, these problems are going to continue.

If you're hypoglycemic on the other hand, you may suffer from things like depression or seizures, allergies, headaches and chronic fatigue. Now it's important to note hypoglycemic patients are often told to eat something sugary to raise their blood glucose levels. And this is really misguided because usually these foods are empty in calories, you're not getting the vitamins and nutrients you need. And furthermore, you're depleting the body of the of more vitamins because again, you need to break down into simple sugars. So instead, even if you're hypoglycemic, it's really important to incorporate Whole Foods and unprocessed carbohydrates instead of just sugary foods just to raise your blood sugar level. Now, when we talk about processed sugars, one of the big ones is high fructose corn syrup, and it can be found in home Almost anything you can find grocery store shelves, and fast food and refined foods have ended up everywhere because people like sweet foods were genetically drawn to sweet foods.

As hunter gatherers, if you look back in history, we were never really sure where our next meal was coming from. And our ancestors would stock up on whatever sweet things they would find in nature. And usually that was in the forms of fruits. That's very different than how it is today. So the food industry has taken advantage of our genetic hardwire, which is kind of weird if you think about it, right? So these processed sugars, they're really cheap to make and obviously they're very pleasing and very pleasing taste.

Unfortunately, though, other chemicals are added as well and these increase the shelf life of these products almost indefinitely. And that's what makes them appealing as well. You can buy them And you don't need to eat them initially, and they'll stay for a while. And these all will have negative effects on our health if we keep choosing to eat them and research as they're coming out as early as 1933 was demonstrating that increased sugar consumption was correlated with an increase in multiple diseases in kids. And studies on high volumes of fruit, those Givens lab animals have been shown to shorten their lifespan. So this information has been out there, it's just a question of putting it into more practical terms.

In the 1950s, a British researcher began publishing findings that eating excessive amounts of sugar related to an increase in developing a variety of conditions. Things like arising blood cholesterol levels are rising triglyceride levels, increase in effectiveness and blood placement platelets, so this goes back to potential clot formation. Release of free fatty acids into the aorta and this leads to oxidative damage, increased gastric acidity, Creating an acidic pH which allows certain opportunistic gut bacteria to thrive that shouldn't increase corticosteroid levels a shrinking pancreas because again, you're having issues with the blood glucose levels and they're not working as as well as they should, and an enlarged liver because the liver is overtaxed and delivers main job is to detoxify things and when it's overworked, it's going to enlarge ultimately become less effective. In the 1960s, and 70s, researchers began to uncover a link between refined sugar intake and coronary artery disease.

A number of medical journals also linked upon sugars to things like kidney disease, liver disease, shortened lifespan, increased desire for coffee and tobacco so there's an addictive quality to it. And of course growth sclerosis. High processed sugar intake is also sodium associated with things like behavior for all problems. Correct. tivity and trouble concentrating. And when we look today, there's a major rise in things like ADHD, and autism.

And they children with these that with these conditions tend to have a lot of success when they go on gluten free and dairy free diets and cutting out many of the simple sugars. And there's really an established link that there's even more evidence growing over time linking these kinds of things. Now, sugar consumption also has a positive correlation with cancer in both humans and animals. Because why because tumors use glucose as an energy source to proliferate. fructose is especially harmful to developing children. And it's most commonly seen, I'm sure you've seen when you look at an ingredient list in the form of high fructose corn syrup, and these can be found in soft drinks, sodas, ketchup, candy, chips, fast food, all these things that are readily available and marketed to children.

So consuming high sugar foods is also associated with bonesy mineralization. Under normal circumstances, all calcium in the blood can be properly deployed. But when you eat a high sugar diet, phosphorus levels drop in calcium levels begin to rise. So what does this mean? blood calcium levels rise, because it is extracted from the teeth in the bone so it's actually leached from teeth and bones and goes into the bloodstream. The decrease in phosphorus diminishes our ability, the ability of calcium to be absorbed into bones and teeth.

So phosphorus and calcium actually have a synergistic effect and when calcium levels get too high in the blood, it actually becomes toxic. And your teeth are not the only part of the mouth that are going to be that's going to be affected by high processed sugar and the bolts that actually holds your teeth in place can be negatively affected by incorrect calcium phosphorus from issue as well. This could also have implications in oral bone pathology or even periodontal disease or gum disease. And now there is an established link, correlating high blood sugar levels with diabetes and periodontal or gum disease. So, if you have poor dentition, or for oral health in general, that might be a sign of too many carbohydrates or too many processed carbohydrates in the diet. Now, the relationship to bone might be a little bit more indirect but sugar can also have a direct relationship with and this is because of a bacteria known as streptococcus mutants.

Now, this bacteria actually metabolizes the simple sugars and acid as a byproduct. And when this acid is released, it gets onto teeth, and when that happens, it causes cavities. So, tooth decay tends to occur not necessarily from an overgrowth of bacteria, but a disruption Should have normal body chemistry due to high sugar. So when you're eating too many of these sugars, it's creating this more acidic environment where cavities can form and become more common. So tooth decay cavities and other oral issues are a good indicator as we said of normal body chemistry or disruption. So many people ignore the signs or you might just disregard them entirely, mostly because people want to avoid a trip to the dentist or don't want to get too full.

But But if you have 40 dentition, I'll say it again. It's really a sign of other things going on and you shouldn't take it lightly. So what I suggest is you should reflect on your own eating habits and see if you can make changes by incorporating more fruits and vegetables of the organic variety and taking up the refined foods, the fast foods for free packaged foods, these are all going to make a big difference not only in your own For all health within your oral health blog. So in the state of diabetes, there's also an impaired immune response. The immune system is not able or capable of fighting infections and other diseases to the same level and this increases this chronic low grade inflammation in the body. This allows pathogens to accumulate in the bloodstream, and potentially clogged blood vessels.

And when blood vessels are clogged, tissues don't get the oxygen they need from the blood and in all oxygen environments. This creates a thriving breeding ground for opportunistic bacteria that that again wreaks havoc on your teeth and now, in nature, the sweetness of the fruit and vegetable and the grain is actually an indication that they're ripe and ready to be eaten. It's also usually an indicator that the food in question has reached its max, maximum mineral and vitamin So naturally sweet foods are generally pretty high and B vitamins, chromium and magnesium is really important for controlling blood sugar and not getting those crazy spikes and lows. chromium and B vitamins and magnesium all play a role in that. So things like beets, sweet corn, cane sugar, they're all really high in their unprocessed, unrefined states. But what happens is when they are processed and refined and they're stripped of their nutrient value, and all you get is the sweet now if you want to eat them in their own process, wholesome whole states, you'll get fiber and fiber is great for your health.

Fiber isn't indigestible substance, but it's needed for proper digestion for proper gut health and elimination. But fibers removed in the refining process. And that means it could lead to poor gut health and issues with blood sugar control. So the take home message here is processed foods. Yeah, they're able to satiate us if you're thinking of Oh, I need to hit a certain calorie content, but the problem with them is, they're stripped of their vitamins and minerals that are necessary for a healthy life. And if you're not getting the vitamins and minerals you need, you're going to be more susceptible to chronic inflammation and certain autoimmune diseases and developing all these different comorbidities that could simply be eliminated if you're eating foods and their whole unprocessed.

Now, whole, whole grains and unprocessed carbohydrates things fruits, fruits and vegetables actually contain things like B vitamins, vitamins, and minerals that you need that are essential for healthy living. But refined products don't have these benefits. Some nutrients might be replaced, but at a cost. They're usually replacement synthetic varieties. And almost all the time, not all the nutrients are replaced at all. So thanks like white flour, for example, they might be fortified with v1 and v2, but not B six.

And this could lead to imbalances and many of the pathways, particularly energy pathways and other metabolic pathways that rely on B vitamins. So what now what can we do about it? How can you satisfy that sweet tooth? Well, for centuries, our ancestors have been able to to mitigate this by eating fruit. You can use natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup, coconut nectar. These things have higher mineral and vitamin content.

And they should be used in moderate to small amounts. But they're a great, great way to add sweetness where you can still get some health benefits. And it's just really important that you consume them in their least processed form. So again, so they don't, they're not stripped of their vitamins and minerals. And what's really important is you avoid these refineries. sugars, sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup.

They wreak havoc with blood sugar levels and should really be avoided if you're looking to make significant changes in your overall health. So what can we well Believe it or not, we're going to need carbohydrates from some source they're needed for a proper function. So you can get them from vegetables and fruits and whole grains. Now it's important to eat the rainbow as I like to say now the reason you want to eat all these different fruits and vegetables that are different colors is because each color kind of they contain different phytonutrients and micronutrients that are necessary for health. And the only way to ensure you're really getting all of them is that you're eating all the different colors. And what's important is you should be sticking to organically raised produce.

They're safer, they have higher nutrient contents, and they don't cause any habit going our guts which is an issue when you introduce pesticides or antibiotics. have found in in many of these conventionally raised foods. So I suggest you choose organically raised produce as often as possible. And if you can't, you can search the Environmental Working Groups website ew g.org. They have two lists the clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen. There are two lists that basically say if you're gonna purchase a fruit or vegetable that's conventionally raised, which ones are safest and which ones you should absolutely buy organic.

For those with gluten sensitivities, so not celiac disease, sprouting or salad 11, a leavening bread or fermenting whole grains, these are all these neutralized citric acid. citric acid is a substance that is also responsible for slowing the absorption of really important minerals like magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc. These methods make whole grains more digestible. But that being said, again, if you have celiac disease, you would not want to be consuming this So again, to go along with the organic plant we were talking about earlier, you want to avoid things that have been treated with pesticides and other sprays because if they're going to harm bugs or vermin, imagine what they're going to do to us as well. You want to be avoiding genetically modified grains, whether whole or refined, because they contain exotic protein proteins that aren't naturally found, and these can cause harm to the digestive tract.

And these are things again, like gluten and gliadin, which again, these are the things that can cause issues with people who have gut dysbiosis and things of that nature. You definitely want to be avoiding processed sugars, candies, and sodas, fast foods, energy drinks, junk foods, these should all be avoided. And especially anything you can't pronounce on the ingredient list or no is not a natural source. And remember, You can do this. This isn't something that's easy to do. It's gonna take time.

But what's important is you start making small changes and believe it or not, making a small change every day, eventually leads to big changes over time. And in the end, you're going to reap the rewards of much greater health, improved stamina and more positive outlook on yourself and your life. Just make sure that this is a journey. It's not a sprint, you need to be positive. And I'll be there along the way. So if you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

And remember, as long as you stay consistent, and are slowly making changes and sticking to those changes, you are going to reach your goal.