"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less". - Marie Curie
Hello dear snowflakes,
Apologies around for the late newsletter, I did spend some significant time researching this week's topic, and it spiraled into other subjects that are just as critical. So let's jump right into it.
I know we have been discussing nutrition quite a bit lately, and using the Paleo Diet as a source of reference. As a stalwart believer in the model, as I know many of you are, I think its important to discuss the why behind the need for this style of nutrition, by getting, well, pretty technical. So this is going to be a little geeky, but at the end, I think you will all find it understandable and extremely useful.
YOU AND YOUR CORTISOL
I know that I rant constantly about the abuse of carbohydrates and the fact that its detrimental on several levels. Well, let me explain exactly why.
I am going to make up a mythical person here to use as our example as to the dangers of carbohydrates and how it relates to a critical hormone that we all produce - Cortisol. Our mythical person - John E. Moron, is your typical American, high carb, low fat and low protein diet, lots of processed food. He represents about 95%, literally, of America and how we eat. And this is why Mr. Moron and most of America suffers severe health issues.
*Geek note 1. - Cortisol is something that our body produces in response to stress. We need some cortisol, as it critical for us to handle the stress that our bodies experience. Mental, emotional or physical stress releases cortisol in the blood stream to prevent inflammation. However, when we are low on sleep, or we haven't found a way to control mental and emotional stress, we release more cortisol, wayyyy more than is needed, and this can lead directly to weight gain.
So, Mr. Moron, wakes up, eats his bagel and cream cheese, then heads off to his desk job. On his way, he either is on the train, or in traffic, either way, he's experiencing some stress. He probably didn't sleep well, staying up with indigestion, or some form of carb based insomnia, While at work, he consumes coffee, pretzels, or chips, eats a heavy carb lunch, leaving him sleepy in the afternoon, and with a false sensation of low blood sugar, thus causing him to drink a high carb energy drink, and of course, eat some sugar, b/c his body "thinks" its suffering from low blood sugar. Then he heads home, train or car, traffic either way, and adds to his stressed state where he sits down to consume,a huge carb dinner of pasta, and maybe rice and bread, and washes it down with ice cream. Then, while watching tv, he consumes some chips, or dry cereal, b/c again, his body is going through the feeling of "low blood sugar" so he eats to supress it.
Now you are wondering, what the hell does this have to do with cortisol? Well, let we tell you -
In the case of Mr. Moron, his cortisol levels, which were raised by stress, b/c heaven forbid he work out, and lack of sleep, are now in overdrive. And this is where the real party starts.
As the cortisol levels go up, they have the nifty ability to shut down your insulin receptors. Meaning, your body's sensitivity to insulin drops, leaving you with the "low blood sugar feeling", which leads to step 2 -
The cortisol continues on its rampage, by breaking down muscles, converting protein (amino acids) into glucose, via glucogenesis. - THIS IS VERY BAD. Your muscles start to deteriorate, b/c your body is "sensing" low blood sugar, thus it starts producing glucose any way it can to save the body. Of course, the insulin receptors aren't firing properly so this happens, but once the glucose is produced, it has to be stored. Insulin, usually stored in the liver, is already full from the constant carb barrage, so the insulin spills into - the blood stream! And guess where it goes? To your ass, your stomach, your thighs, all the big muscle movers, and becomes FAT. That's right - your fat ass is literally eating away your muscles b/c you've train-wrecked your insulin receptors so the body is in overdrive to keep it going.
But why should the fun stop there? With your cortisol rocking, its time to get that liver of yours to work overtime. See, once Mr. Moron's liver has finally had it, (which probably took place years ago) it has now become, wait for it, insulin resistant!!! Fan-damn-tastic! Now, your liver is just a valve where carbs just run through and head out right into blood stream into muscles which are now hit both ways - from the cortisol breaking down all the protein and then the addition of extra glucose from his nasty eating habits. Now the muscles are over-loaded with blood sugar. This is super awesome b/c your fat cells, which we all have, can't do anything to process this waterfall of glucose, so the fat cells become insulin resistant!!! That's right, once your fat cells are insulin resistant, grab yourself a big old loaf of bread b/c your body has become, drum roll please - INSULIN RESISTANT. Your entire body literally your entire body, is now insulin resistant.
And yet, we aren't done. Now that Mr. Moron has become completely insulin resistant, he goes into the over-feeding stage. This is really cool b/c he has effectively destroyed any receptor that tells his body he is full, that his insulin is topped off, and his body literally thinks its got low blood sugar. How insane is that? You are completely full, you have eaten more than enough, but your body can't tell your brain that, so you keep eating. And eating. And eating. And this cycle, is what leads directly to - type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, increases the likelihood of Alzheimers, and dementia. Mr. Moron who is really 30, just added 15 years to his life. He looks like he is 45. He's bloated and constantly in pain. So he takes pain killers - ibuprofen, eats more comfort food, and within 3 months, will have Type 2 diabetes. Yes it happens that fast. Someone who is sedentary, slightly overweight, but keeping a high carb diet, can get diabetes before 35. Men and women. And its not obesity alone that causes it. Mr. Moron, according to statistics, is 5'10, 180, not really bad numbers. But without muscle mass, and with his diet being garbage, he is 96% likely to get diabetes in 3 months. This is not a joke. Nor is it conjecture. This is real.
I know some of you are thinking - but I eat vegan or very little meat, I eat a ton of vegetables! You're just as screwed. If you avoid meat, congrats - you are encouraging the cortisol to break down the muscle faster into glucose and making you weak, tired, and sore. Without even doiing anything. Personally, I think vegetarians are completely odd and way too smug about how they eat. They are so positive that eating vegetarian will ensure a long life, without any science to support that theory. How does eating vegetarian control cortisol? Answer - it doesn't. So by all means, eat more soy - also increases inflammation, more tofu - you are one step closer to the grave.
Is this harsh? Hell yes it is. And it has to be. B/c if you can't see in this simple example what overloading your body with carbs does, then you are helping the gene pool by removing yourself sooner than later. Cortisol is no joke. But you can control it. So, its decision time, are you going to control your cortisol or are you going to let your cortisol control you? If you enjoy living without the need of several meds, think hard about it.
I'm OUT.
