Carb Chaos

Why do we seek carbs like unstoppable and insatiable carb seeking beasts, especially when we are tired, hungry, ill or hormonal? 

I know I’m not alone when I say I will often fantasise about my favourite toasted sandwich on the way home from work, the supermarket, at school pick up, or when I’m just too hungry to wait for dinner.  Whilst the filling of turkey, avocado, mayo, dijon mustard, tomato, lettuce and a good pinch of celtic sea salt are great ingredients, they’re defo not what my brain tells my body to get excited about - it’s the bread! Albeit it’s now sourdough bread, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t crave the nutty seedy brown processed fare I have been conditioned to love and led to believe is good for me. But why? Why does my brain tell my body, on occasion, that I need and want shop bought bread opposed to my clean and homemade sourdough loaf when I know what I know? Well, it’s not necessarily the bread I want, it’s the chemicals in the bread that I, and probably you, are addicted to.  I’m controlled by Big Food’s bread and they like that! I, on the other hand, have come to resent this control and I want you to as well.

At WillPowders, our mantra is to count chemicals and not calories, and this couldn’t be more true when it comes to your carb intake.  Many shop bought, carb heavy foods have been laced with preservatives, veg oils, additives and synthetic ingredients that have been used to hook you and keep you hooked! But the reality is, whilst carby foods are often marketed to you as “health” foods, they are riddled with a laundry list of ingredients (ironically, they actually use veg oils in laundry products) that don’t come close to food, and their sole purpose is to keep you going back for more - all the while, they are slowly, but surely, wreaking havoc in your biological processes and functions. 

Carbohydrates are the body's preferred and quickest source of energy. Why? Because carbs convert into glucose (sugar) and, therefore,  consuming carbs results in a rapid increase in blood sugar levels (and we know that’s bad), offering us a much needed surge of va va voom as we trudge through life’s treacle (but also triggering our snack seeking spidey sense), and also because we have been conditioned to want and crave them by Big Food!  Why would Big Food do anything other than provide us with nutrient dense offerings, I hear you cry?  Well, it’s so that you keep going back for more, you keep lining their pockets and they keep you in their tight, money grabbing grip. 

It’s time to get wise, adorn your savvy WillPowders’ hat and start realising that it’s all just one big scam to keep you addicted, to keep you eating and buying and to keep you under their control.  I know what you’re thinking…you’re not under anyone’s spell, but you are, and here’s how they do it. 

Many ultra processed foods present themselves under the guise of carbs that are good for you - oat and protein bars, whole wheat/ seeded bread, multigrain wraps - the list goes on.  The truth is, these ultra processed ‘carbs’ have a high glycemic load which, granted, provide your body with an energy fix, but also a longer lasting spike, meaning you are out of fat burning mode for longer, sharply followed by a crash, creating unstable blood sugar levels which can lead to a whole host of hideousness. 

Cue neurotransmitter chaos and as a result mood swings (like we need more of them) that completely devastate your emotional landscape; more cravings that trap you in a sugary whirlwind, contributing to overeating and weight gain; brain fog,  jeopardised cognitive function and mental fatigue. But that’s not the worst of it!  Within regular spikes and crashes, you run the risk of insulin resistance and maybe, down the sugary brick road, type 2 diabetes, as well as inflammation so damaging that it could contribute towards heart disease and a cardiovascular nightmare. I wish I was done… There's a flip side and that is unstable blood sugar levels which can lead to episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), especially if insulin or diabetes medications are overused. Hypoglycemia can cause dizziness, confusion, and, in severe cases, unconsciousness. So the next time you find yourself reaching for some energy, perhaps think twice and check out our fat blogs for some better options, For Fat’s Sake #FFS.

Not only this, we have been made to believe that the likes of brown rice and whole wheat pasta is the safer and healthier option, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. White rice has had the husk, bran and germ removed making it far easier to digest, whilst its browner counterpart could have fallen foul of cross contamination, is prone to fungus, prevents the absorption of minerals like magnesium and zinc, and may have traces of heavy metals. 

In a world where oats and grains are forced down our throat like Foie Gras, it's time to reconsider if they should always be our default food choice, not just because of the rapid blood sugar spikes but also because of the risk of leaky gut.  That’s right…your gut can leak into your bloodstream, causing havoc in your biology.  Say hello to gas, bloating, diarrhoea or IBS; food allergies or sensitivities; brain fog and even the perpetuation of conditions like ADD, ADHD, acne, rosacea, eczema or asthma; depression or anxiety and hormonal imbalances like irregular periods, PMS or PCOS. If there was ever a reason to nurture your gut, right?

Over the past decade or so, the Gwyneth Paltrows and the Kourtney Kardashians of the world have ditched gluten and convinced their followers to do the same. But should we be listening to these business Empresses and their “faddy” advice, or could it be that modern diets have made us intolerant? Maybe, yes, on both accounts!

Gluten can literally be some people’s worst nightmare, people who suffer with conditions like chrones and celiac disease.  But where did these conditions come from? Celiac disease and Crohn’s disease are both autoimmune disorders that involve inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, research suggests that the gut microbiome plays a role in these diseases and an imbalanced gut microbiome may contribute to the development of these diseases or exacerbate symptoms. Whilst I realise that these conditions are often associated with genetics, and I also understand that they are incurable, my question is: where along the genetic code did it go wrong and is remission possible? 

The rise in gluten intolerances and sensitivities has indeed been linked to changes in our modern diet. Take the hybridisation of wheat, for example.  Over time, wheat varieties have been selectively bred for higher yield and better baking properties and these modern wheat strains may contain different proteins which could trigger an immune response. In addition, modern food processing techniques  have altered the structure of gluten and bread-making processes, which now involve rapid fermentation, which can affect gluten digestibility.  Not to mention the use of pesticides and glyphosate, used to literally kill small organisms, which is sprayed all over crops which could end up in your bread, affecting your gut permeability and contributing to gluten sensitivity. These processed grains are susceptible to contamination by mycotoxins, toxic substances produced by moulds. These mycotoxins can harm our health, affecting the liver, immune system, and overall well-being. Evidently, there’s a reason why we are told not to introduce gluten too early (before 6 months) because it is widely argued that it can impact the immune system of our little ones, which just goes to show that our bodies were never really ready for the gluten onslaught. 

Our diets, unlike our ancestors, now include more gluten-containing food than ever before - processed, baked and convenience products that have forced our bodies to say ‘whoa! What hell is going on here?’ The reality is, whilst our bodies can adapt to modern scenarios and new ingredients, this normally results in an auto-immune response, which equals inflammation - the body’s cry for help! In addition, many people who think they are gluten intolerant are actually just intolerant to the way it is processed - just another reason to stay away from ultra processed fare.

However, we know that swearing off carbs completely can feel unrealistic, undesirable and down right impossible, and whilst we do champion a ketogenic lifestyle, finding those surges in va va voom from good fats, we, like you, still crave the doughy yumminess of bread.  So… what now? 

Here are our top carby tips:

• Support your gut health and microbiome by supplementing with collagen and protein powder.  Use these products to stave off the carby crave during the day and find that satiety sweet spot without spiking your blood sugar.
• Opt for naturally and slow fermenting yeasts - swapping out your shop bought bread for sourdough is a great way to avoid the nasties and inflammation inducing gut hell. 
• Save your carbs for night-time. That all too familiar carb coma can be helpful when you’re ready to sleep. 
• Try not to eat sugar or carbs as a snack, for breakfast or on an empty stomach. See our reset for the perfect way to eat throughout the day. 
• Put clothing on your carbs, a term coined by the Glucose Goddess - when you eat carbs on their own, they break down to glucose molecules.  When you eat them with proteins and fats, digestion will happen more slowly and your glucose spike won’t be as harsh. 

It’s simple! If you keep it paleo, keep it as natural as possible and join us in our boycott of Big Food, your body will thank you!