There is a lot of confusion about sugar and what kinds of sugars are bad for us. There are two ways to simplify the issue:
- Processed foods are less desirable than raw, unprocessed foods; so fruit is better than fruit juice and honey is better than sugar. This is common sense.
- It is not necessarily how sweet something is that determines its’ effect on the body. It is how much and how quickly glucose levels increase in the blood.
Glycemic load accounts for how much each gram of carbohydrate in food raises the blood glucose levels.
Glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how quickly blood glucose levels rise after eating a particular type of food. Glucose has a scale from 1 to 100 based on their effect on blood-sugar levels.
Here are a couple of charts that show which foods are safe and which raise blood sugar. There may be a few surprises for you, for instance potatoes. They have one of the highest glycemic values of all. For those that are diabetic or pre-diabetic these charts are important.
Carey O’Rielly DDS has been a practicing dentist for 35 years. He went to USC Dental School and Duke University for his undergraduate degree. He grew up in Laguna Beach and now lives in La Costa with his wife Victoria, who runs his office.
He began his career by owning and operating a network of six offices in the San Francisco Bay Area. Presently he owns a private holistic practice in North County San Diego’s Encinitas.
Dr. O started looking for solutions to his health challenges that resulted from the stress and environmental toxicity that built up over a ten year period running his dental network. He has dedicated himself to learning about oral systemic problems and how dentistry can affect your health. He has applied what he has learned over the last twenty years to ensure he, his staff and his patients are protected from the chemicals and toxic materials found in most dental offices. He has produced an environmentally friendly office that is also peaceful and calm.
He is an expert on dental materials having looked at hundreds of biocompatibility lab tests over the years. He has identified the most bio-friendly materials to use in his practice and which dental materials can be used to replace metal fillings and crowns, including BPA free and fluoride free ‘white’ fillings. He also uses metal-free Zirconia or ceramic implants and PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) grafting materials which come from the patient’s own blood.
Dr. O’Rielly teaches C.E. courses on the systemic effects of gum disease. He is an expert in using phase contrast microscopy for analyzing dental infections, where he shows patients what kind of microbes, i.e. bacteria, amoeba, and yeasts like candida are populating the mouth and affecting the body as a whole.
He has an educational blog and is writing a book on dental health called ‘Hidden Dental Infections: Healing Root Canals and Infected Teeth with the Erbium Laser’ where he discusses dental nutrition, toxic dental materials and the effects of old root canals on inflammation and overall health.
