If It Tastes Good, Spit It Out!

Let's be honest here. Few of us have ever been mesmerized and lost our frenzied taste buds to the savor of raw kale! Do you agree?  More often than not, we love eating foods whose taste is characterized by intensity, be it in the salty or in the sugary direction, or which give us that feeling of abandonment into the warm and cozy fullness of our stomachs. Surprisingly, some of our most cherished food products are experts at pushing all our culinary buttons. Many drinks do not only contain large quantities of sugar, but also salt. Just add some salt to your sweetened cocoa, for instance, next time you have it and see what happens. Hmm...this post wasn't supposed to persuade you to drink sweetened hot cocoa, but you know what I mean.

Most of the foods that have made it on my diet black list are there for one common reason: glycation. Glycation is a metabolic process in which a sugar molecule attaches itself to a protein or lipid molecule, impairing its function. In plain English, we'd probably call this hijacking. Glycation is usually followed by all sorts of reactions that culminate in the production of advanced glycation endproducts or AGEs. Such an appropriate name, as AGEs have been associated with many age-related chronic diseases, like cardiovascular diseases, cancer or Alzheimer's. Interestingly enough, glycation can be formed both outside, as well as inside of our bodies. 

Exogenous glycation is produced by cooking proteins or fats at high temperatures and/or for a long time. Think about grilling meat, baking cakes or roasting chicken. On the other hand, endogenous glycation occurs after the absorption of simple sugars in the bloodstream. That is, after dessert. If by now you don't hate glycation as much as I do, do not forget about wrinkles. Skin proteins like collagen and elastin are also threatened by sugar molecules and their glycation potential.

So, without further ado, let me present to you my food renegades:

• Added fructose 
• Glucose
• Starches
• Fried products
• Grilled meat
• Additives and preservatives

It's so hard to avoid those AGEs when it's summer, with its barbecue and ice-cream temptations. Ah well, I guess it must be equally difficult in the winter too, when in Budapest, for instance, mulled wine and kurtos kalacs (chimney cake, in a rough translation) are everywhere. The point is, nonetheless, that there are always occasions and there are always excuses for a cheat. But the good news is that cheats are OK every once in a while and as long as they remain that: cheats.