NEW YEAR, NEW YOU / EAT MORE CARBS!

Now we’ve got your attention. (Just going through our photos for this post was a trip down delicious memory lane!) And if that headline seems a bit shocking there’s a good reason why. We’ve been so brainwashed through fad diets that just the word ‘carbs’ is scary. There’s so much rewiring that needs to be done on how we think about carbs that it surely won’t all fit here. But let’s tackle the low hanging fruit, pun intended, first! Yes, an Oreo and an apple both contain carbs, but there is a big difference between unrefined whole carbohydrates and refined sugars. One is packed with nutrients, water and fiber and the other is an Oreo. The apple will help fill you up thanks to it’s water and fiber. The cookie will just make you want another cookie. A bowl of whole grain oatmeal vs a pop tart is a similar story and the list goes on. They’ve been so demonized but the irony is that glucose is the fuel our brains run on. Glucose, a form of sugar, is the primary source of energy for every living cell in the body. Because the brain is so rich in nerve cells it is the most energy-demanding organ using 1/2 of all sugar energy in the body. On top of being brain fuel, glucose allows us to do amazing things. Humans are endurance machines, we’re not the fastest animals on the planet, but we can outlast them all - thanks to carbs. The top ultra distance runners in the world are WFPB vegans with carb heavy diets (hey Scott Jurek 👋🏼!). Remove the labels from your mind and focus on whole plant foods. This is hard to do because of the vast amounts of misinformation, confusion, and fad diets. During the debate over tobacco and its negative health effects, the cigarette companies had a plan: “confusion is our message.” Food companies, big agriculture, book sellers, pill and supplement companies have the same playbook. By keeping everyone confused the tobacco industry was able to last longer and continue selling their products to the masses. And although they have new names and marketing, from Atkins to Keto, the idea is similar. Eat more animal products, remove carbs and lose weight. And it works, at first. On the surface you’re dropping pounds because you’ve removed a huge chunk of your daily calories and eliminated processed foods. Calorie reduction and eliminating healthy carbohydrates is not sustainable for most people. But as the weight comes off your cholesterol goes up and your arteries clog because those calories have been replaced mostly by animal products filled with saturated fat, cholesterol, hormones, antibiotics, etc. You’ll also become less regular as animal products don’t contain any (0) fiber. Yes, your body can function in ketosis but that’s a survival mechanism, not how we were meant to run 🏃. Sure, most of us get side tracked with too much processed junk, but there’s a reason we crave carbs - they’re brain food. Also keep in mind that Dr. Atkins died (72) suffering from a heart attack, congestive heart failure, and hypertension - which his family fought to keep covered up. There have been no long term peer reviewed studies on a ketogenic diet. Another reason is the conflation of carbs with gluten. If you are the 1 in 100 people who have celiac disease of course avoid gluten - but if you’re not, don’t worry about it. And carbs are not gluten. Some contain gluten but most don’t. A whole food plant based diet is naturally very low in gluten and can be made GF easily. Like with most things it’s helpful to follow the money. If someone is selling Ketocups (keto approved Reese’s peanut butter cups), Atkins shakes, and gluten free everything (all sorts of processed nonsense) they’re not being honest with you and don’t have your health in mind - just profit. And the scams keep coming and “confusing” the health landscape. “The Plant Paradox” is the latest version of this. It recommends mostly a plant based diet but warns against “lectins” in foods like beans, literally one of the healthiest foods for humans, but as luck would have it, they sell a lectin blocking pill. Shameful. One of the reason we don’t shut up about Dr. Greger and his life changing book How Not To Die and his non-profit/website NutritionFacts.org is that 100% of book sales and speaking fees are donated to charity. There’s no gimmicks, nothing to sell, just science. And while we want you to read the book, spoiler alert, the solution is a whole food plant based diet. With tons of fruit, beans, potatoes, whole grains, starches - amazing, life saving, filling, healthy, brain fueling, energizing, delicious carbs! The longest living people on the planet (where residents regularly live to 100 and beyond) are called “Blue Zones.” Guess what these folks have as a staple of their diet. Carbs. Whole grains, sweet potatoes and beans. Sorry if we’re coming on strong here, it is just so frustrating to see people afraid of fruit because it contains sugar, or staying away from wholesome carbs because someone wants to sell keto cups, butter and bacon. If this idea or praise of carbs is new, I’m sure it sounds crazy. Remember to follow the money, we have nothing to sell, there is no “big watermelon” lobby, no pills/shakes/specialty foods are required. There have been no long term studies on paleo/keto/Atkins type diets, the longest living people eat mainly carbs, and I’d put my mom’s (WFPB vegan) blood work up against any top paleo athlete. In addition to How Not To Die, the Starch Solution by Dr. John McDougal is another fantastic resource. We could write pages more about this topic so if you have specific questions please reach out. In conclusion fill up on lots of fruit, potatoes, beans, and whole grains!!!  

Read "How Not To Die" 
Watch "The Game Changers" and "Forks Over Knives" on Netflix"
Come to a tour, event, or cooking class at Peacefield (events link)
And as always if there is anything we can do to help you make a change for compassion, health, and the planet please let us know. We’d love to answer any questions, recommend resources, take you to the grocery store, etc. You can do it - and we’re here to help!