Maintaining good diet in the holidays

You can have a good time without eating sugar

Author

Betterdo
December 20, 2023

Robert Lustig, M.D., neuroendocrinologist, professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), came on the pod yesterday. He shared how sugar communicates with our bodies.

Meanwhile, I had a huge pint of Häagen-Dazs 🍨🫠. Sorry, not sorry.

Fructose inhibits three separate enzymes necessary for normal mitochondrial function. Your mitochondria have to work at peak efficiency. That's what metabolic health is. Well there are three enzymes that are inhibited by fructose. Number one is AMP-kinase. It's the thing that tells the liver to make more, fresher mitochondria.

Because if your AMP levels are high that means means you've dephosphorated a bunch of ATPs and you have to regenerate them. So you need that AMP. But a metabolite of fructose called methylglyoxal MGO sits in the active site of the Gamma sub-unit of that AMP kinase and actually binds to arginines in that active site… rendering the enzyme (AMP) now dead

Robert Lustig

It’s so cool when you see the science. Like, oh, a tiny particle (fructose) comes and sits in the chair of another enzyme (AMP). So the mitochondria stop functioning properly. And your metabolism becomes less healthy as you age.

There are a bunch of other mechanisms like how it produces triglycerides, spikes insulin, creates a leaky gut, and increases appetite.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you. If you want to limit the unhealthy stuff, these are habit tips that will help in the holidays.

  1. Eat everything else first. Eat the protein, salads, turkey, etc., and leave dessert till the end.

This works because you’re already full. So you don’t want a lot of sugar. If all you need for dinner is ice cream, you’ll eat 5 jars. If you have ice cream after dinner, you eat 1 scoop.

Bonus tip: Eat some fruit before dessert. It gives you the fiber and tells your gut you don’t need more sugar. So you might skip dessert altogether.

  1. ‘Unhealthy foods give me joy’ is just a thought that can be rewired

90% of the time, not eating the sugary stuff will literally have 0 effect on the situation.

You don’t need to eat the extremely saucy burger or melting chocolate lava cake. You’ll have just as much flavor joy from steak and a pinch of salt.

There’s nothing in your brain that is hard-wired to excuses like ‘I can’t help myself, I love cookies’. You have agency .

You don’t need that type of food. Right?

  1. Recall your goals. Motivation is important.

Why do you want to limit intake? Is it for losing weight, having more energy, or just challenging yourself?

Know why you want it. For me, it’s because I want to live till 120.

Check, is the dopamine hit more important than the goal?

You can decide what to do. You have agency. Sugar and alcohol are not stronger than you.

There was a time when I was known for never putting a gram of sugar in my mouth. No matter the time or occasion. But I’m too flexible these days. Let’s get back to the healthy lifestyle.

So , when you’re eating

  1. Eat the healthy things first

  2. Check if you need the substance to have a good experience

  3. Remind yourself of the end goal

Bonus: Visualize it.

, imagine you’re at the dinner table this week or you’re checking a food delivery app - deciding what to eat.

🎄🎄📱📱🤔🤔🥐🥐🥗🥗😋😋

Which foods will you go for?

Yep, the healthy stuff! Good job.

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