GI, like apples and blueberries. Even though these fruits are still high in sugar (blueberries have a whopping 15 grams of sugar per cup!), because of their fiber content, the natural fruit sugar is released slowly into the body and won’t cause any unhealthy sugar spikes. According to the research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, blueberries can actually help normalize blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of diabetes by 23 percent. Another great option is an apple. It’s chock-full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and lots of fiber. This fiber, called pectin, buffers out the apple’s fructose, keeping you from having an insulin spike. However, you should never peel apples because most of that sugar-buffering fiber comes from the skin.”
What about GMOs. Should we avoid them?
“Yes, I believe we should avoid genetically modified (GMO) food. The New England Journal of Medicine published research showing an increased allergic reaction to nuts after people were exposed to GMO soy. Several animal studies have shown many health risks associated with genetically modified food consumption including infertility, lowered immune system, accelerated aging, dysfunction of the liver, kidney, spleen, and gastrointestinal system. On Dec 16, 2013, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, urged physicians to consider the role of GM foods in the nation’s health crisis, and advise their patients to avoid all GM foods whenever possible. Unfortunately, the U.S. still does not require food manufacturers to identify products produced with genetically modified crops. This means consumers need to take control of what they eat by doing their own due diligence.
Here are a few tips:
The PLU (Price Look Up) stickers on produce you find at the grocery store indicate how the food was grown. For example, organic produce has a 5-digit PLU code beginning with the number 9. If you see the code starting with an 8, it means the produce is genetically modified. An easy way to remember this is, “The eight isn’t great but the nine is fine!” If you see a 4-digit PLU code, this means the produce was conventionally grown. In addition to the PLU stickers, look for Non-GMO Project verification or a USDA Certified Organic on the label to ensure the product doesn’t have any genetically modified ingredients.
Another way to avoid GMOs is to eliminate all processed foods that contain corn or soy that is not labeled 100 % USDA Certified Organic. Avoid vegetable oil, vegetable fat, and margarines (made with soy, corn, cottonseed, and/or canola.) Instead use organic sources of grape-seed oil, virgin coconut oil, hempseed oil, and olive oil. Stay away from ingredients derived from soybeans: soy flour, soy protein, soy isolates, soy lecithin, vegetable proteins, and soy-protein supplements.
Avoid ingredients derived from corn, which includes corn flour, corn starch, corn syrup, cornmeal, corn gluten, and high-fructose corn syrup. Keep in mind, the food industry often tries to hide high-fructose corn syrup on the labels by using deceptive names like maize syrup, glucose syrup, and crystalline fructose.”