Quality Materials and Supplies: PART 1

Protein/Amino Acids, Fat/Lipids, and Sugar/Carbohydrates

Remember, your “consciousness”, your “soul”, has taken permanent residence, with completely independent and operational control, inside of an innately intelligent, intricately designed, self-healing, and complex avatar- your physical body. We’ve covered how many dis-ease processes can remain unresolved when the communication from the foreman (CNS) has miscommunication or missing communication with the body/avatar.

Once you have 100% successfully restored communication, your avatar will continue to undergo a system wide healing and recalibration process, directed by your CNS and your Immune System.

In order to start successfully rebuilding and regenerating your avatar, you will need materials and supplies to build with. If you wanted to build a home you’re going to need lumber, concrete, rebar, etc. This is no different—healing = we are rebuilding your body!

Your body is like a very nice sports car you transport yourself around this world in—a Bugatti, a Ferrari, a McLaren, a Rolls Royce etc. Instead of just buying another one when the one you have wears out, you can’t just do that—so, you had better take care of the one you have. Your avatar makes these cars look like chump change and can do much better as your CNS and immune system will regenerate, repair, and improve your body, and keep you functioning at top notch as long as you provide it with QUALITY materials and supplies. You don’t build nice things with cheap materials, and if you expect it to last you best use the highest quality materials and supplies.

Would you put diet sodas and cheap and rancid vegetable oils in your fancy sports car and expect it to perform and function efficiently?

Would you be disappointed if your fancy sports car was made from shoddy materials and fell apart the second you use it with any stress?

This should be common sense, but the majority of people either don’t care or choose to eat for pleasure, vanity, entertainment, and convenience— instead of for their health. Then they become desperate for help when disease occurs.

If you are going to successfully rebuild your avatar you will need to consume food items filled with what your avatar is made of. Everyone’s human bodies are comprised of 11 main elements, each essential to life and listed in order. About 99.15% of the mass of the human body is made up of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. Only about 0.85% is composed of another five elements: potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium. All 11 are necessary and essential for life. Different structures within the body have different molecular combinations, different formulas that perform different chemical reactions and functions. Large and complex molecular combinations of these elements create building blocks also known as macromolecules.

There are four main building blocks that contain most of these elements are

1. amino acids (proteins)

2. lipids (fats)

3. carbohydrates (sugars).

4. nucleic acids (DNA/RNA/ATP)

For the purpose of this article we will only discuss protein, fat, and sugar, as nucleic acids are synthesized in the body using the other macromolecules and micronutrients and it is not necessary to consume nucleic acids for health.

These macromolecules contain combinations of the majority of the elements we are made of. The rest must be consumed through the whole foods that we eat containing the minerals of the earth, and mineral rich water. Mineral rich water comes from within the Earth, where it has filtered through the layers of the earth’s crust that contains these minerals, picking up a few soluble ones along the way such as: potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorous.

By understanding what these macromolecules are, and how they can be used to build and operate in the body, we can understand what needs to be done to regenerate from dis-ease.

Proteins are combinations of molecules called amino acids. Amino acids have several biological and chemical functions in different areas of our body, including:

1. Rebuilding, repairing, and regenerating the tissues

2. Provide the physical structure and support of the cells of all tissues.

3. Formation and function of enzymes:

   1. Control the function of a cell or protein

   2. Help create ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which is what the body uses for energy

   3. Perform chemical reactions through the immune system including phosphorylation, oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, etc. to eliminate pathogens, cancer, toxins, and other non-nutritive substances from the body.

   4. Control the concentration and movement of atomic ions in order to properly run the Nervous System, Muscular System, and Cardiovascular System.

   5. Catabolic break down of large molecules to small ones

   6. Facilitating chemical reactions

4. Break down food during digestion

5. Transporting of macromolecules

Our body can make certain amino acids it needs, however the rest, called “essential amino acids”, have to be supplied through the protein-rich foods we consume.

Functions of Essential Amino acids

(YOU MUST CONSUME THESE)

1. Valine prevents the breakdown of muscle, greatly promotes skeletal muscle growth, and boosts the immune system’s functions.

2. Leucine is involved in promoting protein synthesis, promoting skeletal muscle growth, speeding recovery and healing times, and producing growth hormones.

3. Isoleucine is involved in the formation of hemoglobin, promoting skeletal muscle growth, stimulating the pancreas to produce insulin, and transporting oxygen from the lungs to the various parts.

   1. Valine, Leucine, and Isoleucine, all essential, make up 70% of all amino acids in the body and play the largest role in the anabolic (building/regenerating) process.

4. Phenylalanine is a precursor to Dopamine. It increases mental alertness and acuity of the CNS, as well as improves and promotes cognition/memory. It promotes the formation of Tyrosine and when combined again with phenylalanine it helps create epinephrine/adrenaline and norepinephrine/noradrenaline— the acute stress hormones and neurotransmitters released from your adrenal glands and CNS.

5. Threonine supports the CNS, the cardiovascular system, proper fat metabolism of the liver, thymus gland growth, and immune system functioning. It also promotes the synthesis of two other amino acids glycine and serine which promote and produce enamel, collagen, skeletal muscle, increases the speed of wound healing, in particular the GI tract, and boosts the immune system.

6. Tryptophan is required to produce and regulate niacinamide and the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin controls your positive mood, appetite, sleep, and perception of pain.

7. Lysine helps regulate calcium absorption, promotes skeletal muscle growth, aids in recovering from injury or catabolism, and helps produce hormones, enzymes, and antibodies.

8. Histidine is involved in many enzymatic processes and in the synthesizing of both red blood cells and white blood cells, regulates and uses essential trace elements such as iron, copper, molybdenum, zinc, and manganese, and helps form metal-bearing enzymes and compounds, such as the body’s own super powerful antioxidant “superoxide dismutase”, which assists in protecting the cells from heavy metal toxicity amongst other oxidative stress.

9. Methionine, one of the few amino acids that contains sulfur, is used in the production of another powerful antioxidant “glutathione”, treatment of kidney stones, balancing out estrogen imbalances, maintaining healthy skin, and is also used by the immune system in controlling invasion of pathogenic organisms .

Functions of Non-Essential Amino acids

(YOUR BODY CAN MAKE THESE IF NEEDED, BUT REQUIRES PRECURSORS AND CAN GET BACKLOGGED IF ONLY LIMITED SUPPLIES ARE AVAILABLE)

1. Alanine functions by helping the liver remove toxins from the body, and in the production of energy from glucose and fatty acids, as well as prevents the breakdown of skeletal muscle and increases energy in the CNS.

2. Cysteine acts as a powerful antioxidant by itself, is needed for the production of the super powerful antioxidant “glutathione”, affects the texture and elasticity of the skin, boosts the immune system, speeds wound recovery, as well as promotes and maintains the integrity of the GI Tract. It acts therapeutically in brain injuries, hemolysis, and drug/alcohol toxicity.

3. Glutamine protects and promotes healthy brain and gut function, and is necessary for the synthesis of nucleic acids – DNA and RNA. It can be converted into glucose to be used for energy should glucose levels and carbohydrate intake be low, can help balance blood sugar levels, removes metabolic waste like ammonia, and is considered vital to immune function. Glutamine is a building block for the production of both excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters (glutamate and GABA), and is also an important source of energy for the nervous system. Glutamine may become a conditionally essential amino acid during certain chronic catabolic (dis-ease) states.

4. Glycine is helpful in maintaining the proper cell growth, and its function, and it also plays a vital role in healing wounds. It acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, helps the gallbladder regulate the production of bile acid used to digest fats. Glycine is used to construct DNA and RNA, prevents the breakdown of skeletal muscle, boosts creatine levels, and promotes integrity and elasticity of connective tissue like the skin, GI tract, tendons, and ligaments. It is considered essential when it comes to wound healing and tissue regeneration.

5. Arginine helps in promoting the production of proteins and hormones, detoxification by removing ammonia and other nitrogenous metabolic waste products, healing wounds, and maintaining a healthy immune system. Taking additional arginine combined with RNA and EPA will speed recovery time and prevent/defend against infections. It also helps create nitric oxide which opens up the blood vessels.

6. Tyrosine helps in the production of thyroid hormones—T3 and T4, in the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine, improving alertness and cognition/mood, and in melanin which is the pigment in our skin. Promotes the health of the thyroid, pituitary, and adrenal glands.

7. Serine helps in promoting muscle growth, the digestion of proteins, creation of phospholipids (cell membranes), helping in the absorption of creatine, and in the production of immunoglobulins and antibodies.

8. Asparagine is mainly involved in the transportation of nitrogen into our body cells, formations of purines and pyrimidine for the synthesis of DNA, required for the development, regeneration, and maintaining the equilibrium of the nervous system, as well as preventing exhaustion and improving muscular stamina. It is an essential component of cell signaling, nerve development and function, and liver function.

9. Aspartate plays a vital role in the production of energy/ATP, regulating metabolism, promoting nervous system health and function, producing immunoglobulins and antibodies, and in promoting the synthesis of other amino acids. This amino acid also plays a large part in the detoxification process as well as neutralizing ammonia.

10. Proline is mainly involved in the repairing of the tissues in the formation of collagen, preventing vascular damage and dysfunction, and in the regeneration of new skin, joints, tendons, and ligaments.

Deficiency of Amino acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and proteins play a fundamental role in almost all life processes. Therefore, it is necessary to include adequate amounts of all nine essential amino acids in our daily diet to maintain a healthy and proper function of our body. The deficiency of amino acids can directly lead to a whole host of dis-eases.

Where can you find them? Amino acids are found in almost all food sources but they are only found in “complete profiles” (containing all of the amino acids) in certain foods.

Complete Amino Acid Profile Foods:

• Animal and Bird Meats

• Dairy Products

• Eggs

• Fish

• Soy***

Incomplete Amino Acid Profile Foods:

• Nuts

• Seeds

• Legumes/Beans***

• Peas***

• Potatoes

• Green Leafy Plant Vegetables***

• Grains***

***largely genetically modified, full of indigestible cellulose, made for animals to eat, covered in chemicals such as glyphosate and atrazine, promote estrogen creating hormone imbalances, and otherwise cause gastrointestinal distress and body fat gain when consumed as a staple in human diets.

While some of these incomplete amino acid profile foods do contain amino acids, they contain significantly less per gram of food than animal based foods requiring great knowledge, intention, and consumption of amino acid profiles and caloric needs in order to meet the minimum daily requirements of amino acid intake. More on this later in the article.

Alternatively, animal based protein, and in particular, minimally processed and preserved red meat from pasture-raised, ruminant animals is an incredible, nutritionally-dense powerhouse having substantial amounts of complete protein (amino acids), healthy fats: omega 3’s and conjugated linoleic acid, and also contains many other critical super-micronutrients:

• vitamin B3/niacin

• vitamin B6/pyridoxine

• selenium

• zinc

• phosphorus

• vitamin B12/cobalamin

• vitamin D

• vitamin A

• vitamin E

• iron

• potassium

• vitamin B5/pantothenic acid

• magnesium

• vitamin B1/thiamin

• vitamin B9/folate

• copper

Lipids are carbon chain molecules with associated molecule/atom attachments that alter their function/energy potential/content. Lipids are an essential component of the homeostatic function of the human body and contribute to some of the body’s most vital processes.

As foods, we consume them as:

1. Saturated fats- these carbon chain fatty acid have all “single bonds”. The term “saturated” means the carbon atoms are completely filled/bonded (saturated) with hydrogen atoms

   1. Lauric Acid- found in coconut oil, palm oil, dairy, and breast milk

   2. Myristic Acid- found in dairy

   3. Palmitic Acid- found in palm oil, and animal meat

   4. Stearic Acid- found in animal meat, and cocoa butter (chocolate)

2. Monounaturated fats-these carbon chain fatty acid have one (mono) “double bond” and the rest are all “single bonds”. The double bond removes one of the hydrogen bonds and binds it twice with the next carbon in the chain instead.

   1. Oleic Acid- aka Omega 9’s - found in high concentrations in olive oil.

3. Polyunsaturated fats- these carbon chain fatty acids have two or more “double bonds” and the rest are all “single bonds”. The double bonds remove multiple hydrogen bonds and binds it twice with the next carbon multiple times in the chain instead.

   1. Omega 3’s

      1. Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)-found in fish oils, algae, seaweed, kiwi, hempseed, chia seed, grassfed animal meats, and figs

      2. Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)-found in fish oils, algae, seaweed, kiwi, hempseed, chia seed, grassfed animal meats, and figs

      3. Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA)-found in fish oils, algae, seaweed, kiwi, hempseed, chia seed, grass-fed animal meats, walnuts, chia, flax, and figs

   2. Omega 6’s

      1. Arachidonic Acid- Grass-fed and grain-fed Animal fats, eggs yolks, and dairy.

      2. Linoleic Acid-found in soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, pecans, and grain fed/corn fed animal meats and dairy.

ALL fats are useful fats and have a purpose, minus trans fats which are chemically altered through human intervention and are extremely dangerous/unhealthy. Some fats are “healthier” than others. However, it is the variety that makes you healthy, you need and can make use of all types of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats, and only when eating the same fats all the time do you run into problems because then you start missing certain building blocks.

Arachidonic acid is one of the most abundant fatty acids in the brain, and is present in similar quantities to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The two account for about 20% of its fatty-acid content. Like DHA, neurological health is reliant upon sufficient levels of arachidonic acid.

When cells are damaged by oxidation, eicosanoids are formed from the arachidonic acid.  Examples of eicosanoids are prostaglandins, prostacyclins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes.  These eicosanoids have numerous important roles in our body in our inflammation response, generating fever, and regulation of blood pressure, blood clotting, immune system regulation, reproduction control, tissue growth, and our sleep cycle.

***Remember, inflammation is A GOOD THING, NOT A BAD THING. This is how your body heals itself. Only when you are missing some of the necessary communication from the CNS to the body, missing materials and supplies, missing parts and tools, have a low immune system, latent infectious processes, or are loaded with toxins/heavy metals will you be unable to fully regenerate resulting in long term inflammation and thus long term pain and symptoms.

Depending on the molecular shape and design of the lipids, they can be referred to as:

• Fatty acids and oils (triglycerides): Triglycerides store energy, provide insulation to cells, and aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Fats are normally solid at room temperature, while oils are generally liquid.

• Phospholipids: Protect the inside of the cell, and are an essential component of the cell membrane which controls the passage of molecules in and out of the cell. Lipids also make up extensive portions of the myelin sheath which allows for the rapid conduction of action potentials (signals) along axonal fibers (nerves) and provides physical and nutritional/regenerative support to nerves.

• Waxes: serve as external barriers of protection to the inside of the body, like ear wax.

• Steroids:

  • Cholesterol→produced in the liver from fat metabolism, and is the precursor of many other steroid hormones, such as estrogen, testosterone, pregnenolone, DHEA, progesterone, vitamin D, and cortisol. It is plays a vital role in the structure and function of the cellular membrane (protection), and is also an antioxidant, particularly to lipid-soluble free radicals, toxins, and other oxidative compounds.

  • Mineralocoriticoids→namely aldosterone and progesterone.

    • Aldosterone is made from cholesterol, acts on the kidneys to provide active reabsorption of sodium and an associated passive reabsorption of water, as well as the active secretion of potassium. This in turn results in an increase of blood pressure and blood volume. Similar to how ADH works however the movement is of sodium, not water.

    • Progesterone is made from cholesterol, and contributes to pregnancy, breast development, and increasing the collagen content of connective tissue, amongst many other things discussed shortly.

  • Glucocorticoids→made from cholesterol, it’s produced in the adrenal glands and helps turn off inflammation, turn on anti-inflammation, development and homeostasis of T cells (immune cells), transport proteins not in the liver, stimulates fat metabolism, and preserves glucose uptake (fasting/high cortisol).

  • Sex Hormones:

    • Progestogens→made from cholesterol, they help create:

      • Pregnenolone →made from cholesterol, it enhances nerve myelination and serves as a neuroprotectant, it controls formation and stabilization of the structure of nerves and affects both neural development during prenatal development, as well as neural growth and reorganization during aging.

      • Progesterone →made from cholesterol, it contributes to embryo development, pregnancy, and the menstrual cycle. It’s also a neurosteroid, and can be metabolized within all parts of the central nervous system, enhances the function of serotonin, has a protective effect on damaged brain tissue, and contributes to nerve tissue healing and myelination. It also has a role in skin elasticity and bone strength, reduces spasm and relaxes smooth muscle. Bronchi are widened and mucus regulated, as well as acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, regulates the immune response, improves glucose homeostasis, and increases beta-cell proliferation (insulin secreting cells of the pancreas). This isn’t an all inclusive list of its functions.

      • Allopregnanolone→made from cholesterol, it has strong anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, stress-reducing, rewarding, pro-social, anti-aggressive, increased libido, sedative, pro-sleep, cognitive, anti-pain, anti-convulsant, neuro-protective, and potent neuro-regenerative effects.

    • Androgens→made from cholesterol in the gonads (testes and ovaries) and also in the adrenal glands. The testes produce a significantly higher quantity than the ovaries. Conversion of testosterone to the more potent DHT occurs in prostate gland, liver, brain and skin, they help create testosterone, build skeletal muscle, drive libido and aggression, mediate sperm production, and promote the development of masculine secondary sexual characteristics. DHT is the molecule primarily responsible for male pattern baldness.

      • Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)→made from cholesterol, it is a superhormone with potent anti-aging effects, it improves physical and psychological well-being, muscle strength and bone density, increases sexual satisfaction and insulin sensitivity, and reduces body fat and age-related skin atrophy stimulating procollagen/sebum production. It is the primary precursor of both the androgen and estrogen sex hormones. It also exerts an immunomodulatory action, increasing the number of monocytes, “T cells” and “natural killer” cells to fight infection, cancer, and kill dysfunctional and altered cells.

      • Testosterone→made from cholesterol, it is the main sex hormone in males. It plays a key role in the development and function of the male reproductive tissues such as testes and prostate, as well as promoting increased skeletal muscle and bone mass, decrease body fat mass, lowering of the voice, development of the Adam’s apple, and the growth of body hair. In addition, testosterone in both males and females is involved in health and well-being, including moods, behavior, and, alongside parathyroid hormone, aids in increasing bone density. Increases in testosterone accompany increases in libido and aggression.

    • Estrogens→made from cholesterol, it is responsible for the development and function associated with the female reproductive organs and is responsible for developing female sexual attributes—breast development, body fat increases. It is involved in both female and male reproduction, as well as numerous other biological systems including the neuroendocrine, vascular, skeletal, and immune systems.

  • Neurosteroids→made from cholesterol, include modulation of neural growth and reorganization, learning and memory processes, behavior, as well as responses to stress, anxiety, and depression. Neurosteroids regulate both regeneration and repair systems in the nervous system, and “allopregnanolone” has been identified as the most significant for its role to promote regeneration in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Neurosteroids also play an important role in various gender-specific behaviors and emotional responses.

Since your blood is water soluble then in order to transport triglycerides, lipids, and cholesterols in the blood they must be attached to a water soluble component—oils and water DO NOT MIX. These transporting molecules are called lipoproteins.

Some lipoproteins you’re familiar with, I’m sure:

• VLDL: Very Low Density Lipoproteins transport triglycerides (energy) and are made in the liver. VLDL is a large, triglyceride-rich lipoprotein secreted by the liver that transports triglyceride to adipose tissue (fat) and muscle. The triglycerides in VLDL are removed in capillaries (super small blood vessels) by the enzyme “lipoprotein lipase”, and the VLDL returns to the circulation as a smaller particle with a new name, “intermediate-density lipoprotein” (IDL).

• IDL particles have lost most of their triglyceride, but they retain cholesteryl esters (necessary chemical shape and function). Some of the IDL particles are rapidly taken back up by the liver; others remain in circulation, where they undergo further triglyceride hydrolysis by hepatic lipase and are converted to LDL. 

• LDL: Low Density Lipoproteins can transport anything—cholesterols, triglycerides, and lipids both to the liver from the tissues, and from the liver to the tissues. Notably, LDL particles are thought to act as a major transporter of cholesterol; at least 2/3 of the circulating cholesterol resides in LDL to the peripheral tissues. Conversely, HDL molecules are thought to do the opposite. They take excess cholesterol and return it to the liver for excretion.

• HDL: High Density Lipoproteins, made in the liver, bring cholesterol from the cell (bound to free radicals, toxins, and waste) back to the liver for processing, as well as cholesterol (precursor building block) from the liver to the adrenals, ovaries, and testes. It also provides anti-oxidative support to LDL and to the cells.

Read this next paragraph:

Current emphasis on cholesterol as agency, if not cause, of human atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular disease ignores the essentiality of cholesterol in life processes. Additionally ignored is the ubiquitous presence of low levels of oxidized cholesterol derivatives (oxysterols) in human blood and select tissues, oxysterols also implicated in atherosclerosis. Whereas such oxysterols may be regarded putatively as agents injurious to the aorta, an alternative view of some of them is here proposed: that B-ring oxidized oxysterols of human blood represent past interception of blood and tissue oxidants in vivo by cholesterol as an ordinary aspect of oxygen metabolism. Such interception and subsequent efficient hepatic metabolism of oxysterols so formed, with biliary secretion and fecal excretion, constitute as in vivo antioxidant system.

Lay translation: cholesterol also serves in an antioxidant capacity with its ability to protect tissues and remove lipid soluble toxins, free radicals, and other oxidative molecules away from the cells to be discarded through bile and then your stool—your body helps clean itself out using cholesterol. Having higher amounts of cholesterol is a sign that your body is doing its job when there is oxidative damage, disease, or in need of more hormone production.

So is cholesterol a good thing, or a bad thing?

»GOOD THING. Having a disease or high oxidative damage indicates you will have higher blood cholesterol levels as your body is trying to REPAIR YOU.

You may have heard of LDL being “bad cholesterol”, and HDL being “good cholesterol”.

First, LDL is not itself cholesterol, it carries cholesterol, and it is certainly NOT “bad” like you have been told. LDL and HDL, along with VLDL and IDL, are lipoproteins. They function solely to transport triglycerides (energy) and cholesterol (essential building blocks) to and from all parts of the body.

LDL is necessary for your cells to make steroidal hormones from cholesterol. It is also a major contributor to the healing pathways where it not only protects your cells from harmful molecules, but also contributes to the rebuilding, structure, and functioning of your cellular membranes.

Your body is incapable of functioning without LDL. Your body is also incapable of functioning without HDL, VLDL, and IDL.

Since cholesterol is a primary building block, antioxidant, and free radical scavenger, LDL levels will increase in response to toxins, free radical activity, and cellular damage being present and elevated in your tissues—NOT the cause of. This is part of the innate healing, regenerative, and protective processes.

Deficiency of Fats/Lipids through low and inadequate fat intake, or inhibition of cholesterol production through medication/drug:

Lipids are the building blocks of cellular membranes, hormones, energy, and cholesterols and play a vital role in almost all life processes. Therefore, it is necessary to include adequate amounts of a variety of healthy fats in our daily food intake to maintain health and proper function of our body. The deficiency of lipids in our diet can directly lead to a whole host of dis-eases.

Now that we know and understand all of what cholesterol and the lipoproteins do, ask yourself why do doctors want us to decrease cholesterol through statin medication again?

What would the intake of statins (that reduce cholesterol synthesis in the liver) result in as it pertains to healing, health, hormone levels, immune function, CNS/PNS regeneration/protection, and system wide homeostasis?

Taking a statin to reduce your cholesterol levels means you will significantly decrease your body’s:

1. energy production

2. mental and physical ability and drive

3. sex hormone production

4. immune function

5. ability to heal and return to homeostasis.

Each of those will have its own progressive and compounding physiological consequences resulting in furthering your dis-ease process.

Once you have the large and raw building blocks necessary to build, you need energy in order to perform the necessary chemical reactions to rebuild and regenerate. For this, your body will need/want carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates: Also called “saccharides”, named so because they contain carbon (carbo-) bound to water molecules (hydrates), but we know these as simply “sugars”. As our body digests carbohydrates, the objective is to break them down into a “glucose” molecules (C6H12O6) that can enter our body’s energy churning machine known as the Kreb’s Cycle and Electron Transport Chain in order to create our functional energy known as ATP (adenosine triphosophate). Glucose often enters the body in isometric forms (same chemical formula but different shape) such as galactose and fructose (monosaccharides), lactose and sucrose (disaccharides), or starches (polysaccharides).

Some examples of carbohydrates, based upon how many sugars are present in the molecule, include:

1. Glucose (monosaccharide)- is a 6-carbon structure with the chemical formula C6H12O6. It is a ubiquitous source of energy for every organism in the world and is essential to fuel both aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration. Our body stores excess glucose as glycogen (a polymer of glucose), which becomes liberated in times of fasting. Glucose is also derivable from products of fat and protein break-down through the process of gluconeogenesis. Considering how vital glucose is for homeostasis, it is no surprise that there are a plethora of sources for it. 

2. Fructose (monosaccharide)-another single molecule of sugar, different than glucose in 3D chemical shape, but has the same chemical formula (C6H12O6). Fructose does NOT cause insulin secretion, and instead can be converted into glucose and/or triglycerides to be used for energy later, and glycogen to be stored in muscles.

3. Sucrose (disaccharide)- what most people think of when you say “sugar”, this is found in sugar cane and is a two-sugar combination of one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule. In nature, sucrose is present in many plants, and in particular their roots, fruits and nectars, because it serves as a way to store energy, primarily from photosynthesis. Sucrose is broken down in the body using the enzyme sucrase into glucose and fructose where it’s readily absorbed into the bloodstream in the small intestine and taken to the liver.

4. Galactose (monosaccharide)- another single molecule of sugar, different than glucose and fructose in 3D chemical shape, but (again) has the same formula (C6H12O6). Humans can not convert galactose directly into energy and must follow enzymatic pathways in the liver to convert it into glucose first. Galactose is also a component of the antigens (chemical markers) present on blood cells that distinguish blood type within the ABO blood group system. In O and A antigens, there are two monomers of galactose on the antigens, whereas in the B antigens there are three monomers of galactosesucrose (disaccharide).

5. Lactose (disaccharide)- a combination of a molecule of glucose and a molecule of galactose, it is the prominent source of “sugar” in milk and all dairy/breast milk products. Infant mammals nurse on their mothers to drink “milk”, which is rich in lactose, amongst other macronutrient building blocks. The intestinal villi secrete the enzyme lactase (β-D-galactosidase) to digest it (break it down). Undigested lactose acts as dietary fiber. It also has positive effects on absorption of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium.

6. Maltose (disaccharide)- a malt sugar, which is combination of two glucose molecules connected in the way starches connect many molecules of glucose together.

7. Starch (polysaccharide)- large repeating molecules of glucose connected together, serves as energy storage for plants. The enzyme amylase, secreted by the pancreas, breaks down starches into individual glucose molecules.

8. Cellulose (polysaccharide)-large indigestible molecules of hundreds or thousands of repeating glucose molecules, insoluble in water, it serves as the cell wall for plants and is completely indigestible by humans. Only ruminants and termites, can digest cellulose with the help of symbiotic micro-organisms that live in their guts.

9. Chitin (polysaccharide)-large indigestible molecules of hundreds or thousands of repeating glucose molecules, where one of the hydroxyl (-OH) groups is replaced with an acetyl amine group (nitrogenous base) allowing for greater number of bonds to be created, increasing its strength and integrity. Chitin is the main component in the walls of fungi, and the exoskeletons of helminths (multicellular parasites), arthropods, insects, and crustaceans. Chitins are said to create an immune response, and only recently have acidic mammalian chitinase (enzyme used to break down chitin) been found in several human tissues and their role has been associated with innate immune defense against intestinal parasitic infections and to some allergic conditions—NOT for food purposes.

See Part 2 for what to eat, and what not to eat, and why!