Happy New Year's Eve

It’s New Year’s Eve and all through the house,

The music that’s playing is by Johann Strauss.

No stocking still hangs from the mantle with care,

Unwise to go ‘round with a foot that is bare.

It’s hard to believe a whole year is past,

Including events that left one aghast.

Thick smoke in the air from fiery fog,

Made going outside one bad travelogue.

For some it was truly an up-and-down year—

Some creative work will never appear.

But there were also things that left one awed,

And good experiences to applaud.

Tomorrow the New Year will be observed,

With family-of-choice and a dinner served.

The dishes of carefully chosen fare,

Will provide such wonderful smells in the air.

Take time to pause, reflect, and renew.

It’s a brand new year for the you-who-is-you!

Be thankful for getting another chance—

Your health and longevity to enhance.

My Present

May you have a rewarding and happy time—today and during the remainder of 2018. My present to me this year is spending a week of precious time with family members and family-of-choice, free of writing anything (smile). I’ll see you in 2019!

Glucose, Fructose, and the Brain

Kathleen Page and colleagues at the University of Southern California, studied the effects of glucose and fructose on the hypothalamus—the appetite control center, which responds to hormones such as Leptin that tell the brain you are full. When study participants consumed a drink containing only glucose, blood flow and activity in the hypothalamus decreased and they reported feeling full. When the same participants were fed a fructose drink, the hypothalamus remained active and they did not report feeling full. The brain still thought the body was hungry. Some studies suggest that the average person may gain between 1-3 pounds during a holiday season. Often people do not lose this weight after the holiday season has passed, which some believe is responsible for the slow,insidious, almost imperceptible weight gain as years go by—until one day the person realizes they are definitely overweight if not obese. The problem is that for most people it is much harder to lose the weight than it was to gain it. My strategy is to avoid sweets and deserts and if I REALLY want a special taste, I will take two bites only and eat them slowly. After that, my brain is only eating from memory anyway.

 

Glucose and the Brain

Glucose is the major source of energy for the brain, nervous system, muscles, and many other body’s processes. (Note: the body can get glucose from carbs, proteins, and fats—brain neurons appear to prefer and use almost exclusively glucose from carbs—so eating healthier carbs is essential). Too much glucose can be extremely problematic for individuals with diabetes. When glucose levels are low, decision-making, critical thinking, willpower, and self-control can be impaired. Go easy on simple carbs (especially white sugar, flour, rice, and processed foods made from them) in favor of healthier complex carbs, the preferred source. They can help you maintain your weight in an optimum range as you need smaller amounts to feel satisfied and feel full longer, as compared to foods containing simple sugars and high-fructose corn syrup). Foods that are healthier sources of glucose include whole ancient grains, legumes, and some vegetables. Examples of high-starch veggies include corn, zucchini, and squash. Low-starch veggies include tomatoes and onions, asparagus and celery, mushrooms, cauliflower, green beans, cabbage, cucumbers, and red and green peppers, etc.

Fructose and HFCS

Fructose is sometimes called called fruit sugar because of its presence in fruit. Fructose is a monosaccharide, meaning it is a single sugar molecule consisting of six carbon atoms, six oxygen atoms and 12 hydrogen atoms. It can be absorbed quite quickly into the blood stream from your small intestines. Absorption from whole fruits is less rapid because of the presence of fiber and other phytonutrients in fruit. In addition to fruit, fructose may be present in your menu as honey or syrup or as the food additive high-fructose corn syrup (found in many beverages, salad dressings, and so on). Fructose absorption can be very rapid if the source is high-fructose corn syrup. If you have been reading labels you may have noticed how many refined and processed foods contain this product. Food companies love it because it is a low-cost sweetener: in drinks, processed and refined food such as baked goods and sweets—often eaten to excess during holiday periods. There is ongoing controversy about the level of damage this product can cause because reportedly is it associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, overweight and obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. 

Glucose vs Fructose

As the holiday season approaches, it might be time for a reminder of how to be more likely to stay “well” and healthy for the rest of the year. For example, there is some confusion about the difference between glucose and fructose. Both have the same caloric value but the difference is in their chemical structure and how they are metabolized in the body. While fructose and glucose have the same calorific value, the two sugars are metabolized differently in the body. Fructose is a simple sugar commonly found in fruits and some vegetables. It registers lower on the Glycemic Index but higher on the Glycemic Load indexes (as compared with glucose). It is said to bind much faster to cellular proteins and releases high amounts of oxygen radicals (e.g., hydrogen peroxide). An excess of fructose can trigger health problems such as insultin resistance and liver disease. It is said to cause seven times as much cell damage as does glucose, because it binds to cellular proteins seven times faster; and it releases 100 times the number of oxygen radicals (such as hydrogen peroxide, which kills everything in sight). More tomorrow

The Brain and Seven Virtues, 2

Three theological (so called) virtues make up the Seven Virtues. These are:

·       Faith ¾ the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen; belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.

·       Hope ¾ an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large; an expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

·       Charity ¾ kindness and tolerance in judging others; voluntary giving of help to those in need, as a humanitarian gesture.

Periodically I find it helpful to review these seven virtues and evaluate their place in my life and whether I need to course-correct.