From Carbs to Clarity: Heal Your Body, Free Your Mind

Have you ever thought about how your life would unfold if you were not burdened anymore by your belief systems? How would you feel if you were completely focused on your purpose and passion? How would you feel if your state of being was not consumed by the needs of your physical being and if your mind were unburdened by physical reality?

Unfortunately, adults are at a disadvantage here, compared to children. Not just because of their deep conditioning compared to children, but they are largely affected by their nutritional deficiencies. Yes, I mean it. Most adults are unknowingly deficient in vitamins, healthy fats and other nutrients. The first thing we need to do is pay attention to our bodies and focus on adequate and proper nutrition. Our physical bodies are infinitely complex, striving for as much balance in their internal processes as possible, yet we unknowingly deny them the very tools they need to achieve their mission – which is keeping us alive on this world and to enable us to experience physical reality in the process, so that we learn the lessons that we have come to this world for. The tools they need are high quality nutrients in adequate amounts.

Unfortunately, we are subconsciously favouring flavour over necessity in our culinary habits, because we have forgotten how it truly feels to be content and happy. This leads us to try and compensate by having tasty food, which is not always the same as appropriate food. This practice is taking a toll on all our bodies, physical and subtle, because the physical body is the first one to become affected. We feel good while we eat the food that we like, yet nutritional imbalances that we knowingly or unknowingly expose ourselves to, can have vast implications on all subtle bodies and therefore on our psyche.

Our physical bodies are intimately connected to the physical world, functioning as our experiential sensors and our consciousness extensions. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to exist on Earth the way we do now. Just like cars have sensors that monitor constantly what’s going on within them and to a limited degree outside of them, so do our physical bodies.

However, our physical bodies have a vastly different range of sensing data, compared to cars. We are getting feedback from the physical world through our five physical senses, provided we are healthy enough. This sensory information is generating feelings within us, which, combined with our non-physical senses affect and constantly shape our state of being. We can feel when something is off so to speak. We also know when we feel fine and everything in between. The feedback that we get from the physical world is crucial, because we have forgotten that we are infinite, luminous being. We have forgotten that we are loved infinitely by Creation and in turn, we have forgotten how to love back the infinite aspects of Creation. Why? Because we are not healthy.

But let’s go back to feeding the physical body. Our body uses the nutrients in food to maintain itself and to sustain its energy requirements. Just like we’re mindful about our car having enough gas, we similarly shouldn’t allow our body to starve. The body is using two types of fuel, carbohydrates and fat. It uses both types of fuel interchangeably to keep it going and to keep it at a healthy, normal temperature, that’s optimal for it. If we eat more carbohydrates than we need, they get converted into fat and stored away. If they are consumed excessively, especially if they are refined carbohydrates or sugar, they are converted preferentially into visceral fat. Visceral fat is not found below the skin but is located in between our organs within the body. That’s bad fat. Insulin spikes promote fat storage.

So why are we doing this? Why do we abuse our body in this way? Obviously, most of us don’t know the harsh implications of unhealthy eating otherwise they wouldn’t eat like this. We do it, because we don’t know better and because we like it. Unfortunately, carbohydrates are the only nutrients that create addiction. Many people, including myself in my past, cannot help but indulging excessively in comfort food. Unfortunately, carbohydrates are not classified substances like heroin, cocaine or other types of street drugs with bizarre names, because they are food. That doesn’t make them less dangerous for our well-being compared to other narcotics. In fact, whole industries are selling them, because of our tolerance to carbohydrates as being part of our food. Few people say, “I need a rib eye steak, right now”, but we often hear many people say, “I need milk chocolate, right now”. Most types of chocolate are comfort food, and if consumed excessively they become addictive. Let’s face it. Carbohydrates, especially highly processed ones, can trigger the brain's reward system, like addictive substances, by releasing dopamine, a feel-good hormone. This response can lead to increased cravings and overeating, creating a cycle that resembles addiction.

But let’s not get into that, there’s no need to polarize. I am only pointing out what has become obvious to me, due to my own health challenges and through an inordinate amount of personal research to overcome those challenges.

However, there are two pieces of information that I was very surprised to come across. First, there are only a few cells or parts of the body that rely on glucose, which is the body’s carbohydrate fuel and cannot handle fatty acids or ketone bodies. Second, and that came as a small shock, the body can generate adequate glucose in the liver, in a process called gluconeogenesis, to sustain those cells and those parts of the body that rely on glucose as fuel. Another piece of information, that surprised me was the fact that certain cancer cells thrive with abundant glucose but cannot sustain themselves with fatty acids and ketone bodies. In short, the physical body is a miraculous living machine, that’s metabolically flexible. It can use two types of fuel like a hybrid car, using both gas and electricity as energy.

That is good news on so many levels. It means basically, that we can limit carbohydrate intake to a minimum, while healing our overweight body. It also means, that we can avoid carbohydrate intake by focusing on the consumption of complete types of protein and healthy fats. And just to be thorough, carbohydrates are preferred by the body as a fuel source because they are quickly broken down into glucose, which provides immediate energy for bodily functions and physical activity. However, the older we get, the wiser we get and unfortunately, the bigger we get, we are beginning to understand that carbohydrates create more of a problem than being part of the solution, especially considering their inflammatory nature in the body. Science is becoming aware now, that refined and high-sugar carbohydrates can contribute to inflammation in the body. Those carbohydrates can lead to spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels, which may trigger an inflammatory response. There is mounting evidence of the link between carbohydrates and inflammation, that we simply cannot afford to ignore anymore.

Let’s look at protein now, another nutrient that’s necessary for the body to maintain it’s physical structure. Protein is the building block used in the body, much like bricks are used for a house. If I break a bone, my body needs protein to mend it. If I wound a knee, after falling, my body needs protein to mend it. If I had a spouse and she would hit me over the head with a saucepan, after I came home late at night drunk like a fish, my body would need protein to mend it. OK, sorry for the last example, I was just making sure you’re paying attention, after I presented so much dry scientific information.

We can see that adequate protein consumption of complete proteins, that is proteins with all necessary amino acids that the body cannot produce itself, cannot be avoided. We need protein and we need a lot of it. Science is now claiming that we need to consume at least 1.6 to 2 grams of bodyweight in protein daily just to maintain skeletal muscle as the metabolic engine of the body. When I made a quick calculation based on my own body weight, I was more than surprised. I thought where would I get so much protein? Although it took me a while, I managed to formulate a science-based meal plan that I am sticking to it. Obviously, increased hydration is necessary. Personally, I drink a minimum of 5 litres of water daily for kidney support. My weight is dropping, but I’m not losing skeletal muscle – in fact I’m building muscle. One thing that became clear to me during my personal research of my own health problems was the clear metabolic link between longevity and skeletal muscle. It was staring me in the face, smiling, like some long-forgotten truth, now remembered. I found out, that one of the indicators of aging is gradual loss of skeletal muscle over time. We simply don’t consume enough high-quality protein to sustain our skeletal muscle – and worse, we don’t exercise enough to build more. Most people wither away getting older, losing muscle mass and becoming frail in old age, waiting to die in a retirement home. In God’s name, why? Is that the best we can do? There is no metabolic or other biological reason, why we couldn’t maintain a modicum of virility or muliebrity in old age. And it’s also keeping us alive for much longer.

Another thing that I discovered was the fact that carbohydrates play a role in all chronic diseases. Chronic diseases are essentially metabolic diseases, with increased insulin resistance. So, basically, if somebody has a cardiovascular disease or Alzheimer’s or dementia or polycystic ovary syndrome or infertility, to name but a few, insulin resistance in their body plays a role. That’s because that tiny little hormone called insulin is reaching all parts of the body, affecting hormonal balance and regulating directly or indirectly bodily processes with widespread implications. If the body is resistant to insulin, then the body’s inherent ability to cope with disease and restore balance, is overwhelmed and running out of ways to heal itself. I knew nothing about all this, and I couldn’t have unless I was ready to heal my body.

Please don’t take my word for all that. I would prefer that you did your own research and question everything I say, just so that you can achieve your own sovereignty in matters that directly affect you.

At this point, you might say OK. What now? Good question. Now, we are drawing conclusions. If metabolic health is pristine, like in most healthy children or adolescents, it stands to reason that this is the pristine state of health, a man or a woman should strive for. Most healthy children and adolescents are much healthier than typical adults. They have a better muscular system, a better cardiovascular system and a better neurological system. Age-related decline is mostly metabolically induced. Fortunately, this decline is totally avoidable. We have a choice in the matter. If we keep our physical body in top condition to the best of our abilities, by eating healthy and adequate food, while refraining from eating junk food in plastic bags with barcodes, then our health will be restored, and this will reflect in our overall state of being. Our mental and emotional health will be restored as well, due to the increased resilience of our physical body. That’s because our new-found hormonal balance will trigger a sense of “can-do” and “so-what” attitude in the face of life’s challenges. There’s nothing that we cannot be or do, if it’s feasible and if the physical body is thriving.

While we are healing our physical body, which is the foundation of our life on this planet, then we can buckle up and experience the magic of life. First, we become aware of the interconnected web of love that we are part of. Our parents, our siblings, our friends, they all become more important to us and so do strangers. We recognize their inherent love as a matter of fact with a newly found sense of discovery, that’s based on the awareness of our internal consciousness-based sensors. While we deliberately strive for balance in the physical body, which is the foundation of life, we can now devote ourselves to experiencing life itself. We will be able to look at life through the Heart, correct our mistakes, pursue our passions in life, and integrate all our parts in such a deliberate and meaningful way that only love in all its nuances is capable of. We will see our loved ones through the Heart and not the conditioned mind and appreciate them for what they truly are, not for what the mind portrays them to be.

That’s where everybody begins to actively write their own story through their Heart – not the story that they are forced to write by the conditioned mind. That’s how we gradually approach the unburdened mind: through a healthy body, without wasting time thinking about health and survival. This immense gap in conditioning will be immediately filled by the unburdened mind. It feels serene, pristine and infinite – and as joyful as a painter with a blank canvas, ready to paint your life’s story, if writing isn’t your thing.