Following the Herd: or The Nutritional Value of Ants

I spent the summer of 1965  recovering from Rheumatic Fever. I was fortunate to attend 4-H Camp for 2 weeks! It was a real sacrifice for my family, and a "treat" to literally help me get back on my feet. Most of those 2 weeks were a blur. The only clear memories I have of that time are the "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair" musical program we did in the pool, and the nature classes where I learned about eating ants. 

ANTS  

Very nutritious! The nature instructor informed us that the 2 main 'flavors' were lemon and cinnamon. 

For the next several decades, I enjoyed digging 

up ants and determining whether they 

were indeed lemon or cinnamon flavored, and eventually watched as my children enjoyed the same. 

Although not all ants are flavored, for those that are, the smell is unmistakable.  

Ants do have protein, up to 10 grams. (That would probably be larger than the ants I experienced) In many cultures ANTS and INSECTS are an appropriate food source. Am I promoting "ant eating?" NO... 

BUT I could! I bet with my editor daughter's help I could state a convincing enough case for ANT EATING!  Probably not a lot of negatives! 

Here I think about the FOLLOWING THE HERD mentality. I am DIABETIC, I say this once in a while and I choose (mostly) my foods and  lifestyle accordingly. It is VERY important for MY health to make the choices that will keep my body at MY best. 

Often we will hear about a new product or "DIET" that is going around and many will jump on to try it. A large percentage of the population is METABOLICALLY COMPROMISED, yes, like ME! Some aspects of this are still being "classified" but the FACTS are being seen. From multiple sources we are getting information. 

Remember, back in the day we did NOT have access to "all" the foods we do now. Seasons, for vegetables and FRUITS. I am going to talk more about FRUIT, and I am making NO CLAIMS but I can share MY EXPERIENCES.

We get TOO MUCH FRUCTOSE in our SAD diets *Standard American Diet*. Back in the "day" before High Fructose Corn Syrup in so many foods, we weren't  often inundated with more than our livers could handle. 

Fructose is only metabolized by the liver. The body can't use it for energy. The fat cells can sure use it though! (From the Paleo Diet Lifestyle)

10 reasons to limit fructose consumption

1. Fructose can only be metabolized by the liver and can’t be used for energy by your body’s cells. It’s therefore not only completely useless for the body, but is also a toxin in high enough amount because the job of the liver is to get rid of it, mainly by transforming it into fat and sending that fat to our fat cells.
2. Excess fructose damages the liver and leads to insulin resistance in the liver as well as fatty liver disease. In fact, fructose has the same effects on the liver as alcohol (ethanol), which is already well known as a liver toxin.
3. Fructose reacts with proteins and polyunsaturated fats in our bodies 7 times more than glucose. This reaction creates AGEs (Advanced glycation end-products), which are compounds that create oxidative damage in our cells and ultimately lead or contribute to inflammation and a host of chronic diseases.
4. Fructose increases uric acid production, which, in excess, can cause gout, kidney stones and precipitate or aggravate hypertension.
5. While most of your body’s cells can’t use fructose as a source of energy, the bacteria in your gut can and excess fructose can create gut flora imbalances, promote bacterial overgrowth and promote the growth of pathogenic bacteria.
6. In part because of the damage done to the liver, chronic excess fructose causes dyslipidemia, which means that your blood lipid markers tend to shift towards numbers that indicate a risk for heart disease.
7. Fructose rapidly causes leptin resistance. Leptin is an hormone that controls appetite and metabolism to maintain a normal weight. Leptin resistant people tend to gain fat and become obese really easily.
8. Excess fructose alone can cause all the problems associated with the metabolic syndrome (diabetes, obesity, heart disease, …).
9. Cancer cells thrive and proliferate very well with fructose as their energy source.
10. Excess fructose also affects brain functioning, especially as it relates to appetite regulation. It has also been shown to impair memory in rats.

Check out my MEDICAL CRUSH, Dr. Lustig! Some GREAT videos here!

From Natural News:  Not only is sugar the primary source of excess calories in the United States, but the latest research also shows that cancer cells lap up high-fructose corn syrup, adding yet another reason to avoid it.

A couple of years ago, researchers from the University of California-Los Angeles found that pancreatic tumor cells use fructose to divide and reproduce, debunking earlier assumptions that all sugars were the same.

Tumor cells that were fed glucose and fructose used those sugars in two different ways, the research team said.

'Major significance for cancer patients'

Their findings, which were published in the journal Cancer Research, could help explain earlier studies that have linked ingestion of fructose with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease.

"These findings show that cancer cells can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation," Dr. Anthony Heaney of UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center and colleagues wrote in 2010.

Learn more

THIS is me..... MY choices and what is OPTIMUM for my health. I have reasons for doing what I'm doing. I might choose CRAZY COLORS of nail polish, but I'm not jumping on any CRAZY TRAIN!

All I'm saying... be informed... be health... be SAFE and happy!

So, please, don't go eating ants, tons of fruit, or following any other diet fad without researching and determining the BEST for YOU and YOUR body. We're all different, but we ALL benefit from HEALTHY.