Until Your Next Fix: The Dangers of Sugars & Carbs

I want to talk about blood sugar and insulin resistance, and let's face it: Addiction. None of us want to believe that we are addicted to sugar, processed foods, and carbohydrates. The word addiction means that we have a problem. That is hard to face and hard to admit to. Admitting that we can't control our addiction is BIG. However, it may not be entirely our fault. We have been groomed since our first bite of solid, processed food. Since childhood, we have been set up and lured in with that first Lucky Charms commercial with all the bright colors, music, and fun!

I heard that the nicotine companies started putting their resources into Big Food when they were forced to downsize. Is that a shocker? The hundreds of chemicals that are not required to be placed on the label are embedded in the words "enriched," "natural flavors," or even "seasonings." These terms are just a catch-all for added chemicals.

Bread, bagel, doughnut, and pastry companies get their mixes from a chemical company. They tell the chemical company what they want their bread or doughnut to FEEL like in their mouth, taste, and how addictive they would like it to be. The chemical company then creates the bread, doughnut, or bagel mix, lacing it with addictive chemicals so you keep coming back.

I remember hearing a story about Nabisco, and in their Oreo factory, they conducted an experiment on their staff. They set out several bowls of Oreos and asked select groups of their workers to try different bowls of Oreos to determine which addictive chemical was the most powerful in keeping them coming back for more. Ultimately, they decided to put ALL of the experimental chemicals in the Oreos. Why do you think you "can't eat just one"? Why are you seeking them out again after just 2 or 3 days? It's not just about the sugar.

However…

Sugar IS one of THE most addictive substances on the planet, reaching akin to heroin in studies. It's a poison. And a drug. We are slowly poisoning ourselves to death. It'll take time, for sure. You're not going to die tomorrow. But the more sugar and processed foods you eat, sooner or later you'll be confronted with heart disease, cancer, diabetes, thyroid problems, MS, arthritis, gallstones, kidney stones, hormone imbalances, joint and muscle pain, digestive issues, … There are so many symptoms I could list here. You name a disease or a symptom, and I bet you I can relate it back to sugar and the chemicals in processed foods.

You might say, "Oh, I'll just take a drug to counter it." Alright, if that's how you want to live. In my mind, it's all about quality of life. I want to live a long, HEALTHY life, not encumbered by my knees giving out, a heart attack, or having to take insulin to get through the day and not die. I don't want to have any surgeries!

Every bite of sugar and processed food is like taking a hit of a drug. You'll come back for more; I guarantee it. And you might say, "I'm not addicted," but I'd like you to prove it to me. Go off all sugar, fruit, artificial sweeteners, and anything in a package, bag, or box, and tell me how you fair for the next 5 days. If you want any of those foods, or if you go back for even 1 bite, you are addicted.

You also might say, "I don't crave sweets, but I like my bread." Anything that breaks down quickly into sugar is like eating the actual thing: bread, pasta, a bagel, a bowl of popcorn, cereal, granola, oatmeal, tortilla chips, crackers, corn on the cob, potato chips, or a straight-up potato for that matter. If you are wanting these foods, then you are addicted to sugar.

Sugars, grains (most of the foods above), and other carbohydrates ferment in the gut, producing alcohol and a lot of gas. How do you think hops turn into beer? Fermentation. Recovering alcoholics have a problematic relationship with carbohydrates because sugar turns into alcohol—yet another reason why we keep going back to it.

Anything with fiber or carbohydrates ferments in the gut. That's how herbivores extract nutrients from plants. Herbivores ferment their plants. If we were herbivores, we would have a mechanism and a gut cavity to handle these processes. We might have a higher stomach pH like they do. But we don't. The pH of the human stomach is between 1.1 and 1.5. A buzzard is 1.0. Herbivores are 4.5-7.5. So we were not meant to eat these foods all the time. Maybe a raspberry bush in season. Not every day, 365 days a year. Not even every other day. And that raspberry bush once a year will make you bloat. You'll know it's going into it. And I doubt in our hunter-gatherer days that one person ate the entire bush. We probably shared it with the community. And back in our hunter-gatherer days, we were primarily hunters, eating meat and fat because they were the best fuel source and the most nutrient-dense. If we were starving, we would have plants and roots, but that was rare.

Our bodies are not made to handle all of these carbohydrates day in and day out. The cells become resistant to insulin, causing blood sugar to spike and crash. Getting shaky or irritable between meals is a blood sugar imbalance. The inability to lose weight is a hormone imbalance caused by insulin resistance and toxins on the cell wall. We shouldn't be forced to eat protein every 2 hours just to handle our insulin levels.

Coffee also interferes with blood sugar regulation. Have your coffee after a meal and with plenty of fat to slow down the blood sugar trigger.

Artificial sweeteners are a biggie, as are Xylitol and Stevia. Stevia has been used in some cultures as a birth control. Think about that for a second, and ask yourself why we would ingest it if it throws off our hormones. Insulin is a hormone.

There are differing levels of carbohydrate intake when considering balancing your blood sugar, as I've indicated below. As the Stage number increases, the amount of carbohydrates decreases, increasing the likelihood of healing your imbalance. If you want to lower carbs to balance blood sugar, take Stage 1 as Step 1, and move your way down the list until you've reached your blood sugar goals. Get a blood glucose sugar monitor (finger prick device) to track your fasting glucose - you want below 100. Fasting glucose is usually the first thing in the morning for most people. I purchased the Keto Mojo when I started Carnivore because I wanted to make sure I was also getting into ketosis.

Stage 1 – In this stage, you take in around 72 grams of carbs daily. This would include eating meat, vegetables/salads, and a little bit of starchy vegetables or fruit occasionally. Limit grains, refined sugars, and processed foods.

Stage 2 – Low carb. Keep your carbohydrate intake below 40 grams of carbs per day. Most of your carbohydrates will come from vegetables.

Stage 3 – Keto. Keep your carbohydrate intake below 20 grams of carbs per day. Eat higher fat, usually at least a 50:50 fat/protein ratio. Some tolerate a 70:30 fat/protein ratio. Ask me how to get your gallbladder and liver functioning better so that you do well with this. Most of your carbohydrates will come from cheese (if you tolerate it), avocado, or lower-carb veg.

Stage 4 – Modified Carnivore. Mostly animal-based. No fiber, grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, or plant/seed oils means no veg or fruit. Carbs are very low, usually under 5 grams. Some people do coffee and spices at this stage if they tolerate them. Have your coffee after a meal and with plenty of fat. Cheese if tolerated. Redmond's Real Salt.

Stage 5 – Full Carnivore. All animal. No plants. Low-carb dairy, such as cheese, is allowed if you tolerate it. Raw cheese contains enzymes that help to digest it - this is preferred. No coffee or spices. Salt allowed (Redmond's). Red meat daily is ideal.
Additional note: Anecdotal studies from medical doctors recommending Carnivore to their patients with alcoholism and nicotine addiction – these patients are getting over their addictions. That's HUGE!

Stage 6 – Full Carnivore. No plants. No dairy. Carbs at Zero. No coffee or spices. Salt allowed (Redmond's). Red meat daily is ideal.

Stage 7 – Lion Diet. Red meat, salt, and water.

I put together these stages so you can start with stage one on your healing journey and keep progressing until you begin healing. This can work for any type of disease, but it definitely works for blood sugar. I found that in order to get my glucose below 100, I had to cut out the plants and fiber, which required Stage 6. Anecdotal studies from medical carnivore doctors have found that an autoimmune condition requires Stage 7. I have an Hashimoto's, so we'll see if it heals with just Stage 6. I have other factors at play as well.

If you have a blood sugar imbalance, eat protein every 2-3 hours, and move through the stages, doing a new stage each month until you settle into normal blood sugar. You may need supplementation at Stages 1 and 2 to balance blood sugar fully. Personally, I would like to be off most of my supplements and use food as my medicine, but if you're not quite ready for Carnivore, some of the supplements I use for this purpose include:

• From Standard Process: Metabol, Chromium Complex (formerly Cataplex GTF), Diaplex, Inositol (sugar cravings – it's sweet from honey, suck on or chew)
• From Systemic Formulas: Synulin, P-Pancreas, Ps-Pancreas

I often recommend a combination of a couple of these, plus Cataplex B or Beef Liver and Methylfolate Plus (Biotics) to handle methylation and B-vitamin absorption. When you take in a higher amount of carbohydrates, B vitamins are depleted, which in turn can make you crave them. A vicious cycle. Taking in these damaging foods will disrupt the methylation pathways at a DNA level, which hinders B-vitamin absorption and phase II liver detox.

Red meat is high in Vitamin A, B vitamins (a lot of B12), Vitamin C, Vitamin D (hormone), Vitamin E, Phosphorous, Sulphur, Magnesium, Zinc, Iron, Copper, Carnitine, Omega 3's (DHA/EPA), Taurine (for the brain).

Don't forget the egg yolks! Egg yolks are high in Selenium, Vitamin A, Riboflavin, Folate, Choline, phosphorus, other vitamins, and trace minerals. It's kind of like a multivitamin if you buy a pastured egg; make sure the yolks are orange. The whites are not just protein; they are immune-boosting and antimicrobial.

If you get to Stage 5, ensure you keep a lot of variety in for the first few months. This will help you stick with it. You also may find that in the first couple weeks or 1-2 months, you might be pretty hungry because your body is finally healing and taking in nutrients. Fiber and the toxins in plants block nutrient absorption, so when you ease into Carnivore, your body will begin giving you that signal so that you keep taking in nutrients. It will subside when you've filled up the stores of building blocks you'll need to rebuild your house. You're buying supplies.

If you decide to move into Stage 5, please text me every day for the first two weeks so I can help you through the transition period if needed. Bowel change, microbiome changes, and detox can happen at a high level if you move too quickly into Stage 5. This may require salt and/or electrolytes until your body is finished flushing out the inflammatory fluid. Some people call it Keto-flu. It's SO worth it to get over that hump! You'll feel so much better.

You got this! I'll be your cheerleader and your coach. We can get through this withdrawal together, and I'll help you heal. I want to feel GREAT for a long time, don't YOU?

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