Carbs are not the enemy
Glucose is essential for our most important biological functions. Pancreas, lungs, brain. All would shut down without it.
If carbs make you:
• fat
• depressed
• fatigued
Your metabolism is dysfunctional.
What you can do about it:
Glucose is essential for our most important biological functions. Pancreas, lungs, brain. All would shut down without it.
If carbs make you:
• fat
• depressed
• fatigued
Your metabolism is dysfunctional.
What you can do about it:
In layman’s terms, your Metabolism is what enables you to get energy from the food you eat.
It encompasses everything from Nutrient breakdown to hormone regulation to Detox & waste elimination
Disrupt your metabolism and you disrupt your body’s ability to function
It encompasses everything from Nutrient breakdown to hormone regulation to Detox & waste elimination
Disrupt your metabolism and you disrupt your body’s ability to function
Metabolism is complex. Its influenced by a wide variety of organelles working together to produce energy
• Liver
• Pancreas
• Adrenals
• Muscle
• Body fat
• Mitochondria
Mitochondria is what you need to hone in on here
• Liver
• Pancreas
• Adrenals
• Muscle
• Body fat
• Mitochondria
Mitochondria is what you need to hone in on here
So what causes Metabolic Dysfunction? A few culprits:
- Oxidative destruction of mitochondria
- Nutrient deficiencies (Riboflavin + Thiamine + Vit C + Vit E)
- Mineral deficiencies
- Environmental toxins (Heavy metals, pesticides, pollutants)
- Oxidative destruction of mitochondria
- Nutrient deficiencies (Riboflavin + Thiamine + Vit C + Vit E)
- Mineral deficiencies
- Environmental toxins (Heavy metals, pesticides, pollutants)
- Volatile, inferior fat consumption (seed oils)
- Prolonged inflammation (via production of ROS/RNS)
- Pathogenic microbes
Metabolism is a complex process requiring dozens of enzymes. Anything that interferes with these enzymes will interfere with overall metabolism
- Prolonged inflammation (via production of ROS/RNS)
- Pathogenic microbes
Metabolism is a complex process requiring dozens of enzymes. Anything that interferes with these enzymes will interfere with overall metabolism
So why focus on mitochondria?
Mainly because thats where 90% of your body's energy is produced, but also because they're the first thing to become dysfunctional
Mainly because thats where 90% of your body's energy is produced, but also because they're the first thing to become dysfunctional
Mitochondria are highly susceptible to oxidative stress.
They have limited antioxidant defense & their membranes are rich in fats highly susceptible to oxidative damage. Mitochondrial DMA is more easily damaged & difficult to repair
They have limited antioxidant defense & their membranes are rich in fats highly susceptible to oxidative damage. Mitochondrial DMA is more easily damaged & difficult to repair
Anything that damages your mitochondria will damage your ability to oxidize carbohydrates (& produce energy)
These aforementioned stressors accumulate, slowly damaging & even destroying your mitochondria. You need to reduce mitochondrial damage, yesterday.
These aforementioned stressors accumulate, slowly damaging & even destroying your mitochondria. You need to reduce mitochondrial damage, yesterday.
Now let’s talk sugar. Your body needs sugar. If you don’t get it your body goes through a complex and inefficient process of producing it endogenously (gluconeogenesis). Gluconeogenesis shouldn’t be relied on. Its catabolic by nature.
Sugar cravings are a sign of metabolic insufficiency. This either means:
1. You aren't getting enough
2. your body doesn't properly metabolize sugar once digested
If carbs are making you fat fast, your metabolism is ineffective. Let me explain:
1. You aren't getting enough
2. your body doesn't properly metabolize sugar once digested
If carbs are making you fat fast, your metabolism is ineffective. Let me explain:
Sugar should first go toward glycogen storage, then slowly released for oxidation/energy production. If this is functioning properly you won't be craving carbs. Your cells will have a steady stream of glucose.
Metabolically compromised people can't store glycogen properly & carbs are shuttled to fat storage instead.
So your ability to properly leverage carbohydrates is first dependent on your ability to store carbohydrates in a natural reserve (glycogen stores).
Glycogen is stored primarily in your MUSCLE CELLS (liver as well).
Glycogen is stored primarily in your MUSCLE CELLS (liver as well).
If you want to utilize carbohydrates better, gain more muscle.
Every ounce of muscle you gain improves your body’s ability to pull glucose out of your blood stream & safely store it for later.
Every ounce of muscle you gain improves your body’s ability to pull glucose out of your blood stream & safely store it for later.
The more muscle you have, the more carbs you can tolerate, the better your insulin response, and the more stable your energy release will be throughout the day.
I know I'm beating a dead horse here but the #1 thing you can do to improve mitochondrial/metabolic outcomes is to reduce consumption of inferior fats. PUFAs are shown to directly inhibit the kynurenine pathway
The Kynurenine pathway is responsible for a number of biological functions, but most importantly NAD+ (essential coenzyme for cellular energy metabolism)
I’m still on the fence about Omega 3’s, as I’ve personally found therapeutic benefits from DHA supplementation. I continue to eat occasional small fatty fish (sardines) but I’m unapologetic about disrespecting seed oils. No benefit whatsoever
Once cleaning up your dietary fats, the next step would be prioritizing B-vitamin (production & consumption)
B vitamins, particularly Thiamin & Riboflavin, are essential coenzymes for cellular respiration
B vitamins, particularly Thiamin & Riboflavin, are essential coenzymes for cellular respiration
Prioritize high-quality animal products: Nose to tail ruminants, seafood, pasture raised eggs. Consider brewers yeast with high carb meals.
A non-trivial amount of our B-vitamins come from microbes in our gut (B12, B7, K, B9), which leads me to the next action item:
A non-trivial amount of our B-vitamins come from microbes in our gut (B12, B7, K, B9), which leads me to the next action item:
Address pathogenic microbes:
Invasive bacteria in our gut compromise normal metabolic function. They suppress functioning of “good” bacteria (ones that create B vitamins) and steal nutrients for their own pathogenic growth.
Invasive bacteria in our gut compromise normal metabolic function. They suppress functioning of “good” bacteria (ones that create B vitamins) and steal nutrients for their own pathogenic growth.
Gut restoration requires its own thread, but if your gut is compromised, supplementing & prioritizing B vitamins is a short-term tool to maintain metabolic function (B1, B2, B3, B7)
Thiamine deficiency is the most significant culprit of poor sugar metabolism.
Without it, your body metabolizes sugar into lactic acid (instead of CO2). Lactic acid lowers your metabolic rate, causing further metabolic decline
Without it, your body metabolizes sugar into lactic acid (instead of CO2). Lactic acid lowers your metabolic rate, causing further metabolic decline
If supplementing with B1, avoid Thiamine mononitrate/hydrochloride.
Use unfortified brewer’s yeast, coenzymated thiamine, or Thiamine pyrophosphate
Take with carbohydrate-heavy meals
Use unfortified brewer’s yeast, coenzymated thiamine, or Thiamine pyrophosphate
Take with carbohydrate-heavy meals
Remember, our taste buds evolved to tell us what we should & should not eat. Sugar (especially fructose) taste so good because our body NEEDS it.
Our brain recognizes the molecule as something valuable to be acquired
Our brain recognizes the molecule as something valuable to be acquired
But also remember that this mechanism evolved in the more scarce food environment of our ancestors.
here was nothing to manipulate our satiety response nor our metabolic pathways like there are today.
here was nothing to manipulate our satiety response nor our metabolic pathways like there are today.
So stay rational with your sugar consumption.
Just because it’s good for you doesn’t mean more is better. Excessive carbohydrate consumption with a dysfunctional metabolism will still lead to negative health outcomes.
Just because it’s good for you doesn’t mean more is better. Excessive carbohydrate consumption with a dysfunctional metabolism will still lead to negative health outcomes.
When I was low carb, I craved sugar like mad.
I’d take those cravings as a negative, staving them off until I ate an entire sleeve of Oreos (further worsening my metabolic dysfunction thanks to seed oils).
The rush of glucose to my cells also caused unnecessary damage
I’d take those cravings as a negative, staving them off until I ate an entire sleeve of Oreos (further worsening my metabolic dysfunction thanks to seed oils).
The rush of glucose to my cells also caused unnecessary damage
My carb response has been recalibrated. I know when I need carbohydrates & know when I have enough. I’m more attuned to my body’s intuition
If you want to retune your intuition & relationship with food, stop confusing it with artificial sweeteners & food science abominations
If you want to retune your intuition & relationship with food, stop confusing it with artificial sweeteners & food science abominations
Your body craves sweet food because it anticipates a certain number of calories with said sweetness gauge.
You give it the sweetness without the calories (aspartame, Sucralose, etc), its going to recalibrate & think you need WAY more sweetness to get the same amount of calories
You give it the sweetness without the calories (aspartame, Sucralose, etc), its going to recalibrate & think you need WAY more sweetness to get the same amount of calories
But Noah, surely your source of carbs matter, right? Yes & no. sugar is sugar. But the context in which that sugar is bound up matters
There has not been enough research on the biosynergy behind sugars natural state. Fruit is, in my opinion, the best carb source.
Primates evolved to eat fruit. The other nutrients in fruit seem to have a pro-metabolic effect, namely vitamin C (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Primates evolved to eat fruit. The other nutrients in fruit seem to have a pro-metabolic effect, namely vitamin C (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
You should be maxing out your macro to micronutrient ratio in general. You only have so many calories you can eat per day. Might as well make sure those calories are accompanied by vitamins & minerals
The vitamin & mineral content of whole foods can not be replicated by supplements. Yes, nutrient content is not what it once was.
Not to mention pesticides poison us to the point where we can barely absorb these vitamins/minerals.
Not to mention pesticides poison us to the point where we can barely absorb these vitamins/minerals.
Some studies suggest that reduced fructose utilization or fructose deprivation may contribute to the pathogenesis of NAFLD (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
So the problem is not fructose, its the improper utilization of fructose
So the problem is not fructose, its the improper utilization of fructose
If fructose caused obesity/NAFLD, fruitarians would all be dead. Instead, fruitarians have some of the highest metabolic rates out of all dietary groups (they’re actually too high).
What about “bad” carbs? There’s no such thing.
Most inferior carb sources are inferior not due to the type of carbohydrate (it’s all the same), but rather whats accompanied with those carbs.
Most inferior carb sources are inferior not due to the type of carbohydrate (it’s all the same), but rather whats accompanied with those carbs.
• Wheat
• Gluten
• Bad fats
• Additives
• Food dyes
• Preservatives
• Fortified nutrients (garbage)
Cookies & candy aren’t bad because of the sugar, it's everything else required to make a hyper-palatable, shelf stable, low cost product using industrial byproducts.
• Gluten
• Bad fats
• Additives
• Food dyes
• Preservatives
• Fortified nutrients (garbage)
Cookies & candy aren’t bad because of the sugar, it's everything else required to make a hyper-palatable, shelf stable, low cost product using industrial byproducts.
Industrial enzymes, pesticides, heavy metals. All these have adverse metabolic effects.
General rule of thumb: don’t buy pre-made food. If you do, study the ingredient label like a textbook.
Also understand it’s likely contaminated with things not even on the label.
General rule of thumb: don’t buy pre-made food. If you do, study the ingredient label like a textbook.
Also understand it’s likely contaminated with things not even on the label.
In short, don't be afraid of sugar. Educate yourself on the kynurenine pathway & complexities of our metabolic pathways.
Stop poisoning yourself with toxins, pesticides, and inferior fats that inhibit cellular respiration.
Stop poisoning yourself with toxins, pesticides, and inferior fats that inhibit cellular respiration.
Weight gain is, in my opinion, a sign of metabolic stress. There is no reason you should be skinny fat.
If you are, your body is under stress & is storing fat as a survival mechanism. Sugar tastes good for a reason (I ate 6 mangos while writing this thread)
If you are, your body is under stress & is storing fat as a survival mechanism. Sugar tastes good for a reason (I ate 6 mangos while writing this thread)
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