There is some debate about the role of artificial sweeteners. On the face of it, artificial sweeteners contain no calories, so they appear to be an ideal substitute for those with a sweet tooth.

The first problem is that the pancreas may start to produce insulin to reduce blood glucose BEFORE the levels are elevated, simply as a reaction to a sweet stimulus. As no glucose enters the blood stream, glucose that is already there is removed for storage as fat. Blood glucose levels are driven down, and the result is hunger and increased food intake.

Secondly, it is true that eating foods containing any kind of sweetener maintains the taste for over sweetened foods. It is much better to eliminate the use of sweeteners until the natural sweetness of food tastes right for you.

Experiments show that our bodies are very sensitive to fat and as soon as they have had enough, they switch off the appetite. Try to eat loads of fat- at some point you will feel completely sated. Carry on and you will feel nauseous and will stop. There is a proviso – If you disguise the fat with a sweetener or starch, this dulls your body’s ability to recognise the fat. This means that you can eat a sweetened fatty food and still gain weight.

Myths and Truths About Soy

Here we dispel the myths and reveal the truth about soy products.

Myth: Use of soy as a food dates back many thousands of years.

Truth: Soy was first used as a food during the late Chou dynasty (1134-246 BC), only after the Chinese learned to ferment soybeans to make foods like tempeh, natto, and tamari.

Myth: Asians consume large amounts of soy foods.

Truth: Average consumption of soy foods in Japan and China is 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day. Asians consume soy foods in small amounts as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.

Myth: Modern soy foods confer the same health benefits as traditionally fermented soy foods.

Truth: Most modern soy foods are not fermented to neutralize toxins in soybeans, and are processed in a way that denatures proteins and increases levels of carcinogens.

Myth: Soy foods provide complete protein.

Truth: Like all legumes, soybeans are deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine. In addition, modern processing denatures fragile lysine.

Myth: Fermented soy foods can provide vitamin B12 in vegetarian diets.

Truth: The compound that resembles vitamin B12 in soy cannot be used by the human body. In fact, soy foods cause the body to require more B12.

Myth: Soy formula is safe for infants.

Truth: Soy foods contain trypsin inhibitors that inhibit protein digestion and affect pancreatic function. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors led to stunted growth and pancreatic disorders. Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D, needed for strong bones and normal growth.

Phytic acid in soy foods results in reduced bioavailabilty of iron and zinc, which are required for the health and development of the brain and nervous system. Soy also lacks cholesterol, likewise essential for the development of the brain and nervous system.

Megadoses of phytoestrogens in soy formula have been implicated in the current trend toward increasingly premature sexual development in girls and delayed or retarded sexual development in boys.

Myth: Soy foods can prevent osteoporosis.

Truth: Soy foods can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, both needed for healthy bones. Calcium from bone broths and vitamin D from seafood, lard and organ meats prevent osteoporosis in Asian countries—not soy foods.

Myth: Modern soy foods protect against many types of cancer.

Truth: A British government report concluded that there is little evidence that soy foods protect against breast cancer or any other forms of cancer. In fact, soy foods may result in an increased risk of cancer.

Myth: Soy foods protect against heart disease.

Truth: In some people, consumption of soy foods will lower cholesterol, but there is no evidence that lowering cholesterol with soy protein improves one’s risk of having heart disease.

Myth: Soy oestrogens (isoflavones) are good for you.

Truth: Soy isoflavones are phyto-endocrine disrupters. At dietary levels, they can prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Eating as little as 30 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of soy per day can result in hypothyroidism with symptoms of lethargy, constipation, weight gain and fatigue.

Myth: Soy foods are safe and beneficial for women to use in their postmenopausal years.

Truth: Soy foods can stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors and cause thyroid problems. Low thyroid function is associated with difficulties in menopause.

Myth: Phytoestrogens in soy foods can enhance mental ability.

Truth: A recent study found that women with the highest levels of oestrogen in their blood had the lowest levels of cognitive function; In Japanese–Americans, tofu consumption in mid-life is associated with the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease in later life.

Myth: Soy isoflavones and soy protein isolate have GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status.

Truth: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) recently withdrew its application to the FDA for GRAS status for soy isoflavones following an outpouring of protest from the scientific community. The FDA never approved GRAS status for soy protein isolate because of concern regarding the presence of toxins and carcinogens in processed soy.

Myth: Soy foods are good for your sex life.

Truth: Numerous animal studies show that soy foods cause infertility in animals. Soy consumption enhances hair growth in middle-aged men, indicating lowered testosterone levels.

Myth: Soybeans are good for the environment.

Truth: Most soybeans grown in the US are genetically engineered to allow farmers to use large amounts of herbicides.

Myth: Soybeans are good for developing nations.

Truth: In third-world countries, soybeans replace traditional crops and transfer the value-added of processing from the local population to multinational corporations.

Soy Dangers Summarized

• High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting, and long, slow cooking, but only with long fermentation. High-phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
• Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals, soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
• Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
• Soy phytoestrogens are potent anti-thyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
• Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B12.
• Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for Vitamin D. Toxic synthetic Vitamin D2 is added to soy milk.
• Fragile proteins are over-denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
• Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
• Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods to mask soy’s unpleasant taste.
• Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum, which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

Some are vegetables are higher carb than others so mix and match as often as possible. Variety is key.

Weight loss – If you are trying to lose weight, then a ketogenic lifestyle is one of the most effective ways as it helps to access your body fat so that can be used to give you energy.

Anti – inflammatory – Fat is preferred as a fuel source because it is a cleaner, healthier way of running your metabolism. It releases fewer reactive oxygen species and secondary free radicals. By eliminating sugar you are decreasing the risk of developing chronic inflammation throughout your body.

Reducing appetite – A constant hunger can cause you to eat more calories than you can burn. This can cause you to gain weight. Reducing carbohydrate intake can reduce hunger symptoms. Studies have shown that participants given a low carb diet had reduced appetites, helping them lose weight more easily. Fat in the diet also gives a richness to the food and contributes to a feeling of fullness.

Lowering Insulin – Eating carbohydrates causes a rise in your blood sugar, which leads to a spike in your insulin;this can lead over time to insulin resistance and ultimately type 2 diabetes. In a study published in Nutrition and Metabolism researchers found that diabetics who followed a ketogenic way of eating significantly reduced their requirements for diabetic medication even reversing it in some cases as a direct result of lowering their blood sugar.

Other benefits can include:

• Lowering bad cholesterol and triglycerides
• Improving memory
• Stabilising mood swings and improves overall emotional state
• Helping IBS and digestive problems
• Resetting a sick or damaged metabolism
• Reducing the need to snack
• Assists in the management of epilepsy (under medical supervision)

When you maintain a minimum carbohydrate intake, your body adapts from burning glucose for energy and readily releases fat from fat cells. The fat (triglyceride) is broken down into 3 fatty acid molecules and one glycerol molecule.

 Most of the cells in your body can, and do, burn the fatty acids for fuel. Through further metabolism, the liver creates ketones, which your cells use for metabolism. This process is known as nutritional ketosis. Nutritional ketosis is fine — it just means that your body is burning fat. (Ketosis is commonly confused with ‘ketoacidosis’- a serious condition that can occur in individuals with diabetes.)

 Ketosis is a completely normal mode of metabolism when carbs are restricted. Your body flushes the excess ketones from your system via respiration and urination. Your hunger will go away, and if you have extra weight on your body, you will eat less and lose weight.

 If you are curious, you can measure your urine or blood ketones at home with urinary or blood ketone test strips. Not everyone has measurable ketones in the urine even when they are successfully fat-burning and losing weight. So if there are no ketones in the urine, it does not necessarily mean that you are not burning fat. The most efficient way to test is with a breath monitor but none of this is necessary, although a very lucrative market for them has become available with the success of ketogenic living.

IN THE ABSENCE OF CARBS, THE BODY SWITCHES OVER TO NUTRITIONAL KETOSIS AND USES FAT AS FUEL INSTEAD.