Blog, Science
Shoanne Seijas
Part 3 - Sugar, Immunity & Glycemic Control ...

What if you are not diabetic? Glycemic control is still really important to overall health. But before you say ‘sugar is bad’ consider that this doesn't make sense unless you also consider what your overall diet looks like. Context matters.

Part 3 - Sugar, Immunity & Glycemic Control (Continued)
Breakfast, beverage
Diane Melano
Pumpkin Pie Atole - cozy nutrish beverage

An atole that tastes like pumpkin pie. Here is New Jersey it’s the season of crisp cool mornings and chilly afternoons. Or as we like to call it, it’s the season of Atole! Nothing says fall to me like a big cup of creamy atole. Especially Atole de Calabaza or Camote (Pumpkin or Sweet Potato) lightly sweetened. Cozy!

Pumpkin Pie Atole - cozy nutrish beverage
beverage, Breakfast
Diane Melano
Atole de Arroz (Rice Atole) Beverage

Atole de arroz, a warm, hearty, creamy and drinkable cousin to rice pudding. Atoles are hot drinks that are usually thickened with fresh masa harina or cornstarch, sometimes amaranth and as with this recipe for this warm rice drink, arroz! This drink is a portion of the daily diet for many people living in rural areas of Mexico, where it is consumed for breakfast or dinner. Since pre-Hispanic times, the atole has often been considered more of a meal than a drink.

Atole de Arroz (Rice Atole) Beverage
fermentation, Recipes
Diane Melano
Fermented Carrot Sticks

Fermented carrot sticks are a kid-friendly recipe that for many can be a gateway into fermented food. They are crunchy and super convenient. Just pull them out of the jar and serve with hummus, guacamole, as a side with sandwich.

Fermented Carrot Sticks

Sugar

PART 1: Does Sugar Really Hurt Our Immunity?

A much- requested post so I am going to split it into two. #Sugar might be the nutritional demon du jour but there is a lot more to the story.

Now I don’t know about you but I don’t know anyone who eats just sugar. Generally, we eat food & this is your first clue: diet is the sum of its parts. If I eat a tablespoon of white sugar right now is it bad for me? Will it harm my immune system? Without looking in context of my overall diet, it would be impossible to say.⠀

Sugar comes to us not just by way of what we traditionally think of as white table sugar, but from any starchy carbohydrate food which gets broken down into simple sugar molecules in our digestive tracts. This is the second critical point: carbohydrates, like other macronutrients, cannot simply be classified as good or bad despite whatever fad diet comes about: context matters.

The idea that sugar can weaken the immune system came about several decades ago when studies showed that neutrophils (a type of immune cell) in test tubes were less good at doing their job in the 5hours after a person had eaten sugary foods. But this hasn't been replicated with direct scientific evidence to suggest that consuming sugar will directly weaken your immune system. Because context matters & (to reiterate) diet is the sum of its parts.

BUT sugary foods ARE easy to eat, hitting that bliss point, making them easy to overconsume. We do know that consistently eating TOO MUCH can adversely impact immune function.

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Sugary foods also tend to be LOW IN fiber & phytonutrients (a broad name for a wide variety of compounds produced by plants. Like:antioxidants, flavonoids, phytochemicals, flavones, isoflavones, catechins, anthocyanidins, isothiocyanates, carotenoids, allyl sulfides, polyphenols), which are key to nourishing your immune system & keeping it functioning well for the long game. Too many sugary foods can crowd out the good stuff.

Emerging research into the microbiota that support your immune system also hints that eating too much sugar, in lieu of healthier foods, might have a negative impact on immunity.⠀⠀⠀⠀

But you know this is not the end of the story. More to come in my next post. Let us know any questions you have in the comments below!