Excessive Glycogen Availability with a Side of Collagen

I am eating a lot less sugar lately...but, of course, I am still surrounded by it.

#inktober2016

#MaybeYouShouldSeeADoctorAboutThat

There is more and more evidence that consuming too many easily digested carbohydrates can have serious health consequences that are neurological, cardiovascular and autoimmune. Most of the sugar we ingest is stored in cells in the  liver and muscles in the form of glycogen for future use. But we can only store so much at a time.

The Paleo community argues that we ought to eat more like our Paleolithic ancestors did. These hunter gatherers probably walked something like 11 miles a day in search of foods that were extremely low in highly processed sugars. If these people were hunting animals, they weren't looking for those manufactured by Haribo.

So, maybe a head covering made out a giant gummy bear might not be a good idea.

But Paleo folks are very much pro-collagen, with the strange result that there are many "Paleo" recipes for gummies.  And indeed, the gelatin in most gummy bears is made from animal skins and bones. (Google it if you doubt- it's one of those "frightening things you didn't know" sort of memes)

Sadly, both refined sugar and animal skin and bones have not been on my menu lately.  I have at least temporarily starved out much of my "appetite" for sugar. After a few days without food, something like romaine lettuce tastes remarkably sweet. But I was a lifelong appreciator of excessively sweet things, so future overconsumption of carbohydrates still seems like a strong possibility.

I can't really say, however, that I miss gummy bears.