Greetings,

DID YOU KNOW that according to a study from Cardiovascular Diabetology, the lower your LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), the higher the risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) in individuals without a prior history of T2D and cardiovascular disease?

Baseline LDL-C levels of participants were: low (< 84 mg/dL), medium (≥ 84 to < 107 mg/dL), high (≥ 107 to < 131 mg/dL), and very high (≥ 131 mg/dL).

Overall, 13% of participants developed incident T2D. The incidence was 20% among statin users and 6% among non‑users. Lower LDL-C levels were associated with a higher risk for incident T2D, with participants in the low LDL-C group (< 84 mg/dL) having the highest risk.

Given that many physicians and cardiologists are pushing for LDL-C levels below 70 due to the ACC/American Heart Association Updated Guidelines, this is problematic.

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Steve: There are a plethora of foods in the grocery store marketed as healthy, but are not. "Natural" sugars, "sugar-free" products, and items with clean-sounding labels can all quietly derail blood sugar control.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that "natural sugar" or "sugar-free" means no glycemic impact, when in fact many of these products contain hidden starches and ingredients like maltodextrin, maltose, and dextrose that spike blood sugar just the same. Common offenders include flavored yogurts (up to 25g of added sugar per serving, despite "probiotic" or "low-fat" labeling), granola bars (7-22g added sugar), breakfast cereals (Honey Nut Cheerios has 13x the added sugar of regular Cheerios), energy and electrolyte drinks, and store-bought smoothies marketed as "100% natural juice."

Food labels themselves are part of the problem. They report total carbohydrates but tell you nothing about how quickly those carbs will hit your bloodstream. Two foods with identical carb counts can produce very different blood sugar responses depending on how processed they are, what else you're eating, your gut microbiome, your activity level, and your medications.

In the Dannon example provided in the image above, modified food starch, fructose x2, modified corn starch, and artificial sweeteners aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose all have high glycemic index and load, affecting blood sugar adversely.

Despite the obvious, which is not to purchase the Dannon product, a few strategies that can make a meaningful difference:

• Eat real foods. For example, choose plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt with fresh berries and raw nuts instead of flavored yogurts.
• Eating non-starchy vegetables and protein before/with starchy carbohydrates at meals to reduce post-meal glucose spikes.
• A 10-15 minute walk within 30-60 minutes after eating has been shown to significantly blunt blood sugar spikes.

To further understand which foods cause blood sugar spikes, you can always refer to our self-help Blood Sugar Balance Action Plan or make an appointment for more detailed management.

Amazon 57.25 (24 tablets)

Nutritional Concepts 37.89

Savings: 19.36!!

Amazon 87.00 (360 caps)

Nutritional Concepts 55.84

Savings: 31.16!!

Amazon 48.00 (60 caps)

Nutritional Concepts 29.00

Savings: 19.00!!

While Amazon is the frequent example, we found similar price disparities with many online retailers. We are authorized retailers of all of our brands while many online retailers are not. Our supplements come directly from the manufacturer and never encounter a third of fourth party.

PureInsight (formerly Genomics) harnesses the science of nutrigenomics so you can understand the relationship between your genes, nutrition, and wellness at the deepest level. Covering 72 genes in 11 trait categories, we've used Pure Insight since 2015 to help clients live longer with better quality of life.

How to Get Started

1. Order a genetic kit directly from Ancestry.com (AncestryDNA for $99) and send back your saliva specimen. When your results are ready, request that we set up a PureInsight account for you. We just need your full name, email address, and date of birth. You will receive an email invitation from PureInsight with a link to set up your account and instructions for how to upload your Ancestry data. You will receive a confirmation from PureInsight when your report is ready and we can then set up an appointment to go over your results.

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Bonnie, Steve, Lilo, Cindy, Diana, Marisa, and Sally

Nutritional Concepts Inc.

155 Revere Drive, Suite 11

Northbrook, IL 60062

Phone 847-498-3422

Text 847-497-0902

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