Photo: Erin, me, Denise, Lindsey, Bron & Claire enjoying a slice of Hanya’s zero-sugar chocolate tart
Have you watched Don’t Look Up yet? In this Netflix movie two scientists try to convince humanity that a civilization-destroying comet is on a collision course with Earth, but most people don’t believe them, even when they look up and see it for themselves.
I’ve got my own version of this blockbuster: Don’t Look In. In my blockbuster, even though the evidence exists in a person’s blood panels and symptoms that sugar (and insulin resistance) is leading to rapid, premature aging and all the resultant diseases – including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, and stroke – they continue to eat refined sugar and processed carbohydrates.
In other words, most people are in denial of the large sugary comet, instead blaming their symptoms (central obesity, cardiovascular disease, pre-diabetes, persistent gut issues, brain-fog, moodiness, and fatigue) on everything else under the sun.
Here’s what I want you to know: The research shows that hacking your blood sugar and insulin is the best way to increase your healthspan, which is defined as the number of years that you live free of chronic disease. In fact, by eliminating refined sugars and processed carbohydrates, we can start to reverse aging.
Many of my patients have been acknowledging the sugary comet in the room and, together, we co-create a step-by-step personalised plan to transition to a sugar-free, mostly plant-based diet that is high in healthy fats. And the anti-aging benefits show themselves almost immediately.
I’ve also been using glucose monitors to help my patients understand what foods are spiking their glucose levels. Our motivation to change goes up hugely when we get this kind of real-time feedback, allowing us to link how we are feeling with what we are eating.
Bottomline: If you want to live a happier, longer life, start looking in and realising the immense damage that sugar is doing.
Dr. Rav James is one of a handful of medical doctors in South Africa with an Advanced Fellowship in Nutritional, Metabolic and Functional Medicine through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. She is also a member of the North American Menopause Society. As a Functional Medicine specialist, Dr. Rav is interested in “root causes” and her most recent research focuses on peri-menopause and menopause, food as medicine, insulin resistance, metabolic health, integrative oncology, cardiovascular health, and holistic, whole-being approaches to mental health. Dr. Rav offers Functional Medicine consultations, DNA and gut microbiome testing, and various forms of IV therapy treatments. To get in touch, email admin@hanya.house.
