by Marcel Hernandez, ND
We’ve listened to a lot of gabble in recent years about miraculous “carb” diets – starting with low-carb Atkins, high-carb NIH, and every shade and variation in between.
But who’s got the real, genuine scoop on carbs?
Dr. Marcel Hernandez
In the world of cancer research, a new study at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston has everybody talking.
We’ve known for a long time that diets high in sugar and simple carbs stimulate inflammatory pathways that are absolute anathema for cancer patients. But the Anderson Center study raises the ante.
It turns out that high-glycemic index foods increase the risk of cancer more than lower-glycemic carbs. In other words, a bag of “innocent” chips will place you at much greater cancer risk than a cheese sandwich with pickles, tomato, and mayo on whole grain bread.
No surprise there. The real news is how much worse the chips are than the sandwich.
The Anderson Center study indicates that people who frequently consume high-glycemic foods have up to a 49% greater risk of developing lung cancer — even if they’ve never smoked!
It isn’t the quantity of carbs that counts, it’s the quality, as reflected by the glycemic index.
Here’s a helpful short article from Harvard Medical School that includes a list of typical high- and low-glycemic foods.
As a rule, “white foods” (white sugar, baked potato, white bread, corn) and processed foods are much higher on the glycemic scale than other foods.
To protect yourself against the cancer-promoting risks of high-glycemic foods, a good first step would be to increase your intake of organic veggies. While a bowl of stark-naked greens might not sound terribly appealing, they quickly become surprisingly scrumptious when you chop them fine and add your favorite garnishes – croutons, olives, small peppers, beans, dressings made with healthy oils, and so on.
An exhaustive survey of many decades of food research conducted by Joel Fuhrman, MD revealed that carbohydrates are addictive – the more you eat, the more you crave. Pass the chips, please!
That’s because empty carbs fail to give the body the nutrients it needs to function properly – so it uses the appestat to keep begging for more. It’s why you can stuff yourself with carbs all day long, and you’ll still feel hungry.
The flip side is that whole, fresh raw organic veggies give your body a super-abundance of everything it needs – and it’s why a big bowl of salad at lunch will turn off your appetite like magic.
By switching from empty carbs to wholesome salads, beans, fruit, grains, and lightly cooked veggies, Dr. Fuhrman’s patients routinely lose up to 20 lbs or more in just six weeks – and keep the weight off – without the health risks attendant on high-carb, high-fat, or high-anything diets.
Click HERE for a connection to our favorite Bay Area Community Supported Agriculture Co-op, and have a big box of organic veggies delivered weekly.
Interested in learning more about the adjunctive cancer treatments offered at the Hernandez Center? Please use the contact page, or phone us for an appointment: 650-917-1121
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