Sugar intake causes your insulin level to rise temporarily, which in turn signals your cell membranes to open up in order to imbibe the sugar. When this occurs, it's possible to sneak water-soluble nutrients into through the membranes as well. That's why we feel hydrated by fruit with water.
I have no problem with this hydration methodology, in principle. As long as one uses berries for hydration, or exercises sufficiently after eating some other fruit, the temporary rise in blood sugar won't have much impact on longterm health. I would also add that flossing and brushing are critical, shortly after the fact.
But wouldn't it be nice if we could hydrate without sugar at all? In principle, a vitamin pill taken with water accomplishes this feat. But vitamin pills are loaded with excessive iron and manganese, and intuitively it can't be a great idea to subject sections of your digestive tract to ultrahigh mineral salt concentrations. And without sugar, your cells will be less interested in admitting the nutrients. What we need is a fat-soluble vitamin pill that can effuse through the cell membrane -- mostly fat itself -- without requiring the havoc induced by insulin.
Such a pill is the holy grail of low-carb dieters. It means that we can avoid the hazards of sugar, yet fully nourish our cells by feeding them nutrients bound to fat-soluble molecules. The lack of such a pill has been the reason why I've worked so hard to figure out how to hydrate with fruit, in such a manner as to minimize the impact on diabetes and gingivitis. It can be done, but it is, truly, an art.
Recently, however, I found that there is a fat-soluble multivitamin already on the market. I just happened to run across it during my compulsive browsing of nutrition literature. It's called a "sardine"!
That's right, sardines are loaded with nutrients too numerous to mention. Have a look at this data from Nutrition Data. All with zero carbs.
They are also one of the few low-mercury fish, according to Got Mercury. Note that the region in which they're caught also matters, with Norwegian brisling being some of the cleanest on the planet. This is due to their low position on the food chain, and the pristine waters in which they are caught. (You can't avoid methyl mercury in fish entirely. It has permanently entered the food chain, thanks to centuries of coal burning.) My favorite brand, with exceptional processing hygiene and delicious flavor, is King Oscar. The taste is slightly smokey, which probably means that they've been lightly smoked. But I don't worry about such low concentrations of carcinogens, in light of the extraordinary nutrient density. For the paranoid, you can eat them with 300mg of alpha lipoic acid, which loves to bind with free radicals and presumably heavy metals. And -- why not -- some tumeric to add an Indian flair and protect your colon from cancer.
When I eat these particular sardines, which I enjoy with steamed organic spinach and organic shiitake mushrooms, my hunger ceases about 10 minutes later and stays down for hours. It's like my body is saying: "Thanks for the nutritional bounty. I'm loaded." Even when I eat healthy nuts, my hunger takes much longer to shut down. Therefore, I suspect that it's the nutrient diversity, and not merely the amount of any particular one, which accounts for such thorough satiation. Indeed, I like the taste so much that I often crave another can. But for the most part, I just can bring myself to eat more. I'm full.
Now, you may notice that sardines are loaded with cholesterol. "What a shame," you say. I'm not worried in the slightest. Why? Because it would appear that the cause of cardiovascular disease is, among other hazards, oxidized deposits of cholesterol-rich plaque on the artery walls, as opposed to cholesterol in and of itself. The best way to oxidize your cholesterol is to smoke and eat sugar. After all, how could the Okinawan islanders of Japan live well into their eighties, despite eating high-cholesterol seafood in such high quantities? And why aren't French cheese connoisseurs dropping dead in droves? For an exceptionally high quality analysis of the available data, and some other great superfoods, visit Cholesterol and Health.
Take care. I'm gonna have an egg. Meanwhile, take a moment to radically improve your cardiovascular health by learning about vitamin K2, which is found in high concentrations in some cholesterol-rich foods, and prevents arterial calcification that can kill you!
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