Alcohol and Carbohydrates
Did you know that food that is essential for human consumption does not make you fat? Probably a very bold statement to make but hear me out. Protein and fats are essential for their nutritional content. Proteins’ first role is to assist in making hormones, muscle, and other proteins, but can also be used for energy. Fats are broken down into fatty acids to be stored and used as energy. Carbohydrates, which are turned into glucose, are essential for brain and body functions. Since the body can create its own glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis, dietary carbohydrates are not needed. This means that you do not need to digest them. The body can survive off of proteins and fats alone.
Our eating habits are controlled by two things, hunger, the desire to eat, and satiety, which tells us to stop eating because we are full. It is a starting point and a stopping point. When we eat carbohydrates, we are not selecting them for their nutritional value. Carbohydrates and alcohol are powerful activators of our endorphin system. Endorphins are also released by laughter, sex, meditation, exercise, and playing music. It is our body’s natural painkiller producing a feeling of well-being. This is also the same as nicotine and some illegal drugs, like methamphetamine and heroin. When we consume carbohydrates we get, to some degree, a “high”. For example, think of the “All you can eat breadsticks” at Olive Garden or not being able to stop eating through a big bag of potato chips. In days past going back one hundred years, carbohydrates had value to fatten you up for the long harsh cold winters when food was scarce. In the spring, the fruit trees bloom, and planting season is here. In the fall, the crops are collected, and the fruit trees bear fruit. Preparation for the coming winter. By fattening up, we have access to our fat stores to survive through the scarce months ahead. Animals, like bears, will consume a lot of food prior to winter in preparation for hibernation.
With the industrialization of farming, we figured out that we could produce massive amounts of carbohydrates, wheat, rice, grains, and fruits and vegetables. Therefore, we took this farming advantage to produce carbohydrates occasionally for survival and exploit it, unknowingly, producing massive amounts of carbohydrates. As the manufacturing and processing industry increased, these carbohydrates became readily available to provide that feeling of well-being.
As with alcohol, having a glass of wine or a beer to relax at the end of the day is okay. It is bad when these are taken out of moderation. If you are using alcohol to suppress emotional needs or stress without addressing the underlying issues or problems, the problem is still there, and it is more of avoidance than a fix. Building up all this emotional tension. It is the same with carbohydrates where people will take their stress out on eating carbohydrates because of the endorphin factor. Now, I am sure that people reading this are saying, “Well, that’s not me, I eat carbs all the time and I am not obese. The degree of addiction and other factors are very similar to alcohol. Some people can drink a lot of alcohol and not become addicted while others struggle with addiction.
Now I am not saying that you should have no carbs whatsoever. But what needs to be understood is that the added sugars and carbohydrates of the standard American diet are not taken in moderation. Just like an orgasm during sex or drugs, these are instant gratification or pleasure. It is a way to deal with our stress or problems without working on the root cause of our issues. The healthy and natural way to use the endorphin system is by relieving our stress gradually instead of relying on sugars and starches.
The additional insult to injury is that we have the USDA and FDA stating that this is healthy. Carbohydrates, whether they come from simple sugars or starches, are treated the same by the body and converted to glucose. Our need to snack is brought on by the euphoria that comes from eating carbohydrates. If we are gaining weight because of the snacking and overeating of carbohydrates brought on by stress, what do you think the emotional response will be in addition to the weight gain? This can lead to depression and anxiety without taking care of the emotional issues. This results in the same as alcohol, drugs, and nicotine. Obesity is an addition. An addition is where you use a substance to manage your emotional needs to the point of harm while ignoring the harm to continue fulfilling the emotional need. Essentially losing control of the relationship. This is why diets don’t work. It is like asking an alcoholic to drink less.
Once you can see carbohydrates as an addition, you will be on your way to better health.
By David Komin
Makes perfect sense !!!