Thyroid Health, Weight Loss, and the Power of Carbs

Introduction: Why Thyroid Health Matters

Most people think of thyroid dysfunction as a niche medical issue. In reality, your thyroid is the master regulator of energy. When it slows, every system in your body slows with it — digestion, mood, fertility, fat loss, and even your ability to feel warm.

Unfortunately, modern medicine often overlooks the full scope of hypothyroidism because it relies too heavily on blood tests like TSH. These markers miss what’s happening at the cellular level, where T3 — the active thyroid hormone — determines whether your cells make ATP (energy) or limp along half-starved.

How the Thyroid Works: TSH → T4 → T3 → rT3

The thyroid system runs on a conversion pathway:

• TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone): Produced by the pituitary, it tells the thyroid gland to release hormones. Think of TSH as mailing a letter.

• T4 (Thyroxine): The storage form, released in larger amounts but biologically inactive. This is the letter arriving in the mailbox.

• T3 (Triiodothyronine): The active form, converted from T4, drives cellular energy production. This is the letter getting opened and read.

• rT3 (Reverse T3): A “dead-end” hormone made from T4 under stress, starvation, inflammation, or toxin load. This is the letter being returned to sender, clogging up the mail system.

When you’re under stress, cutting calories, or eating low-carb, conversion skews toward rT3. Labs may look “normal” (TSH and T4 in range) while you remain cold, tired, and unable to lose weight — the classic picture of functional hypothyroidism.

The Three Types of Hypothyroidism

1. Functional Hypothyroidism – driven by stress, low calories, low carbs, toxins, or high rT3. Reversible with lifestyle, nutrition, and sometimes T3 support.

2. Autoimmune Hypothyroidism (Hashimoto’s) – caused by immune attack on the thyroid gland. Often linked to viral triggers, gut dysfunction, mold, and environmental toxins.

3. Nutrient-Deficiency Hypothyroidism – caused by lack of cofactors like iodine, selenium, iron, copper, or B vitamins that are necessary for thyroid hormone synthesis and conversion.

Understanding which type (or combination) you’re dealing with is critical for treatment.

Food First: Carbs, Calories, and Detoxification

The thyroid can’t function without fuel. Restricting calories or carbs is one of the fastest ways to suppress T3. Research shows that carbohydrate deprivation directly inhibits the conversion of T4 to T3, leaving you with “normal” bloodwork but classic hypothyroid symptoms — fatigue, hair loss, depression, constipation, cold hands and feet.

Long-term, the best path to thyroid restoration is:

• Adequate calories (at least 40–48 kcal/kg lean body mass for recovery).

• High carbohydrates (fruit, juice, honey, tubers) to maintain glycogen and conversion to T3.

• Low PUFA (polyunsaturated fats) to reduce thyroid-blocking effects at the cellular level.

• Detox pathways – supporting the liver to clear excess estrogen, endotoxin, and heavy metals that impair thyroid conversion.

Body Temperature and Pulse as Markers

Body temperature and pulse are simple at-home measures of thyroid status. Ideally:

• Waking temp: ~97.8°F

• Post-breakfast temp: ~98.6°F

• Resting pulse: 75–85 BPM

If temps drop after eating, stress hormones (like cortisol and adrenaline) are running the show, not thyroid.

NDT vs. T3: Why Medication Matters

Historically, Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) was the treatment of choice. It contains both T4 (the pro-hormone) and T3 (the active hormone). For many, NDT restores warmth, energy, and weight regulation.

But in others, the T4 portion fails to properly convert to T3, especially under stress, low-carb dieting, or liver burden. That’s when people experience the classic “NDT stopped working for me” story.

In those cases, small, frequent doses of T3-only (like Cynomel) can be more effective. T3 bypasses the conversion bottleneck and directly fuels the cell. The key is microdosing with meals, not blasting the system with one big dose.

Some people do best with a combination of NDT and added T3, ensuring both storage hormone (T4) and active hormone (T3) are available. Others thrive on T3-only protocols, especially when conversion is chronically impaired. The right approach depends on labs, body temperature, pulse, and symptoms — not TSH alone.

Fat Intake and Our Ancestors

Another overlooked piece is fat intake. Modern Western diets often hover at 35–40% fat, with much of it from unstable seed oils. Historically, many traditional diets hovered closer to 10–15% fat. Excess dietary fat — especially polyunsaturated fats — interferes with thyroid hormone transport into cells and slows metabolism.

The Inuit are often cited as thriving on high-fat diets, but history tells a different story. For much of the year, their fertility rates were very low. Births only increased during the short season when they consumed fresh animal thyroid glands, boosting thyroid function. Without carbs or thyroid tissue, their metabolism and reproduction suffered.

In other words: fat alone didn’t sustain them. Thyroid did.

Weight Loss Through a Thyroid Lens

For those struggling with weight loss, thyroid optimization is not optional. You can slash calories and lose weight, but if thyroid function is low, you’ll mostly burn through muscle and stress hormones, not fat. True fat loss comes when metabolism is high enough that your body feels safe to burn stored energy.

That means:

• Enough carbs to keep glycogen full.

• Adequate calories (at least 40–48 kcal/kg lean body mass for recovery).

• Low PUFA, moderate protein, and modest fat (10–20%) to reduce metabolic drag.

• Thyroid support (NDT, T3, or both) if labs, temps, and symptoms show you’re running cold.

Closing Thoughts

Hypothyroidism isn’t just about a sluggish thyroid gland. It’s a systemic problem of low energy production. Starving yourself of carbs, overloading fat, or leaning too hard on T4-only medication all drive the same outcome: cold, tired, infertile, overweight, and stuck.

NDT and T3 supplementation can be powerful tools, but they are best seen as temporary supports. These medications are not foreign chemicals — they are identical to the hormones your body is supposed to make. When stress, poor diet, toxins, or years of under-eating have reduced your own production and conversion, supplementing provides what’s missing so your cells can actually make energy. While you rebuild metabolism with adequate calories, high carbs, low PUFA, and detoxification, thyroid meds help keep your body warm and energized enough to burn fat instead of leaning on stress hormones. Once metabolism is restored, many people can taper off medication and rely on food, lifestyle, and nutrient sufficiency for long-term thyroid health.

References

1. https://academic.oup.com/edrv/advance-article/doi/10.1210/endrev/bnaf015

2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-41997-2

3. https://restorativemedicine.org/journal/peripheral-thyroid-hormone-conversion-and-its-impact-on-tsh-and-metabolic-activity/

4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1249190/

5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11167929/

6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11314468/

7. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5793233/

8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30020/

9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4044302/

10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11167929/

11. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4044302/

12. https://www.thyroid.org/patient-thyroid-information/ct-for-patients/vol-6-issue-8/vol-6-issue-8-p-3/

13. https://bmcendocrdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12902-024-01612-6

How to Eat Out at Restaurants

…Without Wrecking Your Metabolism or Your Gut

Eating out doesn’t have to derail your health goals—if you know what to look for. Restaurants are notorious for relying on cheap seed oils, mystery sauces, and low-quality meats, but with the right mindset and a few simple strategies, you can walk away nourished instead of inflamed.

Mindset First: Control What You Can

Perfection isn’t realistic at a restaurant, but upgrades are. The goal isn’t to replicate a home-cooked pro-metabolic meal—it’s to avoid the biggest offenders while making the best of what’s available. Focus on real food over processed fillers, keep seed oils out whenever possible, choose digestion-friendly meals, and balance your blood sugar with protein, carbs, and real dairy.

Best Restaurant Types for Pro-Metabolic Eating

Breakfast diners are often the easiest place to eat clean. You can order three eggs cooked in butter (or dry and add your own), fruit, potatoes, sourdough toast with jam or honey, and fresh orange juice or milk. Steakhouses are another safe bet, offering lean cuts of beef or steak, baked potatoes, and seasonal veggies that can usually be cooked in butter instead of oils.

Authentic Mexican restaurants can work well if you stick to corn masa tortillas, grilled beef, rice, cheese, and crema while avoiding fried chips and vegetable-oil-heavy sauces. Greek and Mediterranean spots are great for lamb, beef, rice, goat cheese, tzatziki, and olives, though you’ll need to confirm whether they’re using olive oil or canola. Sushi and Japanese restaurants are excellent for rice, cooked fish, tamago (egg), seaweed, and fresh fruit. Poke bowls are especially flexible—you can build one with plain rice, shrimp or tuna, avocado, and fruit while skipping the tempura and mayo-based sauces.

Vietnamese restaurants are another underrated option. Vermicelli noodle bowls with shrimp or beef, fresh herbs, and veggies can be a clean, filling choice if you ask for your protein cooked without oil and skip the seed-oil dressings. Pho can work too if the broth is clean and you choose beef or shrimp over pork. Finally, farm-to-table restaurants are often open to special requests and may even celebrate them. Many will cook in butter or olive oil if asked, and desserts based on fruit instead of flour are common.

What to Watch Out For

The biggest red flag in nearly every restaurant is seed oils. Anything fried, sautéed, or dressed in salad dressing is almost guaranteed to be drenched in canola, soy, or soybean oil. Low-quality pork and chicken are another issue since they’re high in PUFAs and rarely worth it. Sauces are another metabolic landmine, often containing soy, cornstarch, MSG, gums, and oils. Breadings, gravies, and pasta sauces usually add fillers without any nutritional benefit.

Best Menu Choices

At breakfast or brunch, stick to eggs cooked in butter or dry, fruit, plain or buttered potatoes, and sourdough toast with honey or jam. Yogurt parfaits can work if you check for added sweeteners and avoid commercial granola. Fresh-squeezed juice or milk , as well as coffee with skim milk and honey make for great beverage options.

At lunch, a burger patty with real cheddar cheese and a side of fruit or baked potato is a clean choice. Salads can be modified—such as a Caesar without dressing, topped with olive oil and lemon instead, and made with real parmesan. Sandwiches on sourdough work, or gluten-free white bread in a pinch.

Dinner options are usually straightforward: grilled steak or fish with a baked potato and seasonal vegetables, a rice bowl with meat and fruit sides, or tacos on corn tortillas with beef, crema, and salsa. American restaurants make this easy—you can always ask for a plain burger patty with real cheese, a steak with baked potato, or a cup of fruit for dessert. Even chain places like Dairy Queen have decent options—a pineapple smoothie is metabolically friendlier than a diet soda, and a scoop of real ice cream beats sugar-free desserts filled with gums and chemicals. Sushi, poke bowls, and even simple diner plates can all be adjusted into pro-metabolic meals.

Practical Tactics

The best thing you can do is ask directly how the food is cooked. A simple, “Can you cook this in butter instead of oil?” usually works. If you don’t see anything that fits your needs, order off-menu with a request like, “Plain grilled steak, a baked potato, and fruit.” Keeping a small jar of honey, a travel sea salt shaker or even butter packets in your bag makes it easy to upgrade meals.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid of sugar. Choosing fruit, juice, or even a scoop of ice cream is metabolically safer than seed-oil fried desserts or sugar-free chemical options.

Pro-Metabolic Extras

Not every restaurant is a seed-oil minefield—some actually surprise you with great options. A few pizzerias now make sourdough or gluten-free rice flour crusts, which are far easier to digest than the usual wheat-based versions loaded with additives. Some higher-quality restaurants are also switching their fryers from vegetable oil to beef tallow or other traditional fats—if you find a place that does, it’s a major win.

Desserts can often be hacked too. Instead of going for heavy cakes or fried sweets, ask for pie and don’t eat the crust or a simple scoop of real ice cream with fruit. These small tweaks keep things pro-metabolic without feeling deprived.

And sometimes, the best restaurant alternative is skipping the restaurant altogether. If you’re traveling or just don’t feel like compromising, stop at a grocery store, grab a few clean staples like fruit, sourdough, cheese, and deli meat, and make your own dinner in a park. It’s cheaper, often tastes better, and guarantees you’re eating within your own standards.

Summary

When eating out, don’t aim for perfection—just avoid the metabolic landmines. Seed oils, fried foods, and mystery sauces are the biggest problems. Choose butter, olive oil, or dry cooking. Stick with lean meats, fruit, potatoes, sourdough, and real dairy, and don’t hesitate to ask for what you need.

Eating out can actually be enjoyable and safe for your metabolism when you know how to order.

Specific Eating-Out Guide:

Real-World Guide: What to Order at Restaurants (Pro-Metabolic Edition)

Eating out doesn’t have to mean wrecking your metabolism. The trick is to avoid seed oils, fried foods, and mystery sauces while building meals around protein, fruit, starch, and real dairy. Here’s a breakdown of exactly what to order at different restaurants so you can eat out confidently and still feel good afterward.

Chipotle

Chipotle is a solid choice, but every meat is cooked in some oil, so it’s not perfect. The best option is barbacoa since it is boiled and tends to be less oily than chicken or carnitas. Pair it with white rice, a small sprinkle of cheese, a spoon of sour cream, salsa, and maybe a little guacamole if you want extra calories. Skip the fajita veggies (cooked in seed oils) and avoid the tortillas and chips since they’re cooked in soybean oil. A bowl is always safer than a burrito.

Diners & Breakfast Spots

Classic diners are some of the easiest places to upgrade. Ask for three eggs cooked in butter or dry, a baked or hashbrown-style potato (no oil), fruit on the side, and sourdough toast with honey or jam. If they don’t have sourdough, just skip the bread instead of eating commercial white bread. Milk or fresh orange juice are great, as well as coffee with milk and sugar.

Sushi & Japanese

Sushi is one of the cleanest cuisines if you avoid fried tempura and mayo-based rolls. Go for simple rolls with white rice, cooked fish, shrimp, tamago (egg), or tuna/salmon. Poke bowls are fantastic—choose plain white rice, shrimp or tuna, avocado, seaweed, fruit, and light soy-free toppings. Avoid fried sides, fake crab (often mixed with canola mayo), and “spicy mayo” sauces. Even a miso soup and plain rice combo with sashimi works as a safe meal.

Steakhouses

This is where eating pro-metabolic feels luxurious. Order a grilled steak or shrimp cooked in butter (or ask for dry cooking and add butter yourself), a baked potato with sour cream, fruit or a veggie side, and maybe a small scoop of ice cream if they offer it. Steakhouses usually have higher-quality cuts of beef, and baked potatoes with butter are a metabolic win.

Mexican (Authentic, Not Chains)

Look for tacos on corn tortillas with grilled beef, cheese, crema, and salsa. Rice and beans are fine if beans don’t bother your digestion. Skip fried tortilla chips (seed oil central) and oily salsas. At higher-quality spots, a plate of carne asada with rice and avocado is a clean order.

Vietnamese

Vermicelli noodle bowls are great—ask for shrimp or beef not grilled in oil, fresh herbs, veggies, and sauce on the side (since many dressings are made with vegetable oils). Pho can also work if the broth is clean and you choose beef or shrimp instead of fatty pork.

Mediterranean

A safe bet here is grilled lamb or beef with rice, tzatziki, goat cheese, and olives. Just confirm if they’re using olive oil or canola. Skip the deep-fried falafel and oily dolmas. A Greek salad with feta, olives, cucumber, and lemon juice works well if you leave off the dressing.

Farm-to-Table

These restaurants are usually the most accommodating. Order seasonal meat or fish cooked in butter, a baked potato or root veggie, and fruit or a fruit-based dessert. Most chefs at these places appreciate a clean, simple request.

American Chains

Even American chain restaurants can work if you know what to ask for. At a sit-down chain, order a plain burger patty with cheddar cheese (no bun, no fries) and swap sides for a baked potato, cup of fruit, or a salad with olive oil and lemon. Steak with baked potato is another easy order. If dessert’s on the table, a scoop of real vanilla ice cream or pie filling is far better than sugar-free chemical options.

Fast Food (In a Pinch)

Fast food isn’t ideal, but there are upgrades. At Dairy Queen, a pineapple smoothie is surprisingly cleaner than many drinks, and a small vanilla cone beats any sugar-free “dessert.” At McDonald’s or similar places, the best option is usually burger patties with cheese, pickles, and mustard (no bun, no sauces, no fries) plus milk, espresso, or juice. It’s not perfect, but it’s lower PUFA than fried items.

Final Thoughts

Eating out doesn’t have to sabotage your metabolism. Every menu has something you can work with if you focus on butter over oil, plain proteins, baked potatoes or rice, fruit, and real dairy. Don’t stress about perfection—upgrading your choices makes a huge difference. And remember: a scoop of real ice cream is always better than seed oil fried desserts or “sugar-free” chemical alternatives.

The Estrogen Burden: How to Rebuild Your Hormones from the Root

Fixing Estrogen Dominance with Food, Light, and Bioidentical Support

If you’re tired, puffy, anxious, bloated, emotionally volatile—or stuck in a body that no longer feels like yours—your hormones may be trying to get your attention. Estrogen dominance is one of the most common, least understood drivers of metabolic dysfunction today. It affects both women and men, and it’s not just about how much estrogen you have—it’s about the lack of opposing forces like progesterone, pregnenolone, and thyroid hormone.

We live in a world that constantly pushes our bodies into stress mode. Under those conditions, estrogen takes over—and everything else falls apart.

What Is Estrogen Dominance?

Estrogen dominance means estrogen is elevated relative to other key hormones—especially progesterone in women and testosterone in men. It can show up even when bloodwork looks “normal,” because the problem isn’t always how much estrogen you have. It’s how well you detox it, how inflamed your tissues are, and how much protective opposition you have from other steroid hormones.

Symptoms of estrogen dominance include:

• Weight gain and fluid retention

• PMS, breast tenderness, endometriosis, or heavy cycles

• Mood swings, anxiety, insomnia, and brain fog

• Low libido and infertility

• Fatigue, low muscle tone, and slowed metabolism

• “Dad bod,” gynecomastia, or erectile dysfunction in men

This state isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s metabolically suppressive. Estrogen slows thyroid function, raises cortisol, impairs bile flow, and makes the body less efficient at burning fat or building lean tissue. It keeps you stuck in a stress response—while pretending to be your reproductive ally.

Why Modern Life Pushes Us Into Estrogen Dominance

Estrogen dominance used to be rare. But today, most people are swimming in it—thanks to a perfect storm of stress, toxins, poor light exposure, and broken metabolism.

Key contributors include:

• PUFAs (polyunsaturated fats): These oils block thyroid hormone, increase estrogen signaling, and suppress mitochondrial energy production.

• Xenoestrogens: Found in plastics, fragrances, receipts, pesticides, and birth control—they mimic estrogen and overwhelm your detox pathways.

• Low-carb or low-calorie dieting: Chronic under-eating downregulates progesterone, pregnenolone, and thyroid hormone.

• Liver and gut dysfunction: Impaired bile flow or gut dysbiosis leads to poor estrogen clearance and recirculation.

• Chronic stress: Your body diverts pregnenolone into cortisol (the “pregnenolone steal”), starving your sex hormones and locking you in survival mode.

This hormonal pattern shows up in bloodwork as normal or even low estrogen—but the body is drowning in estrogenic activity at the tissue level. That’s why so many people are estrogen dominant without realizing it—and why they don’t get answers from conventional hormone panels.

Progesterone: The Hormone That Brings You Back to Life

Progesterone is more than just a “female hormone.” It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory, pro-thyroid, anti-stress hormone that’s necessary for both sexes. It:

• Opposes the inflammatory effects of estrogen

• Protects the thyroid and supports metabolism

• Lowers cortisol and balances mood

• Supports ovulation and fertility in women

• Enhances insulin sensitivity and reduces water retention

Ray Peat called it the most protective hormone in the body. Progesterone helps bring the body out of stress mode and into a place where it feels safe to repair, reproduce, and thrive.

In women, low progesterone is linked to PMS, miscarriage, endometriosis, fibroids, and insomnia. In men, small doses of progesterone can reduce aromatization of testosterone into estrogen, lower prolactin, and calm the nervous system—without impairing libido or muscle mass.

Pregnenolone: The Master Hormone That Fuels the Whole Cascade

Pregnenolone is the upstream precursor to progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, cortisol, and more. It’s made from cholesterol inside the mitochondria—and when mitochondrial function is suppressed, pregnenolone production tanks.

This leads to a situation where the body can’t make enough downstream hormones—even if you're eating all the right macros. Without pregnenolone, your body keeps recycling stress hormones like cortisol and estrogen because it literally can’t make the protective ones. Energy drops. Metabolism slows. Estrogen dominates.

Supplementing with pregnenolone (when timed correctly and paired with thyroid and carb support) can help refill the body’s hormonal reservoir, restore balance, and ease the nervous system out of chronic stress.

The Role of Light in Hormonal Health

If you’ve been working on your hormones but ignoring your light environment, you’re missing a major pillar of healing. In pro-metabolic frameworks, light is treated as a nutrient—not just a mood booster or sleep aid, but a key activator of hormone synthesis, detoxification, and thyroid function.

Morning and evening sunlight—rich in red and infrared wavelengths—penetrates deep into tissues and stimulates mitochondrial energy production by activating the enzyme cytochrome c oxidase. This increase in ATP production is not just about energy. It’s essential for the conversion of cholesterol into pregnenolone, the starting point of your entire hormonal cascade. No light = no pregnenolone = no progesterone.

Morning sunlight in particular has profound effects on the brain and endocrine system. Within 30 minutes of waking, exposure to natural light—without sunglasses or glass barriers—helps reset your circadian rhythm by activating the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). This regulates pulses of cortisol, thyroid hormone, dopamine, and sex hormones throughout the day. It also helps suppress prolactin, a stress hormone that suppresses ovulation, libido, and testosterone when elevated.

Ray Peat often described this light exposure as a form of “metabolic permission”—a biological signal that it’s safe to shift from stress hormones into reproductive, restorative function.

If you don’t have consistent access to natural light, red light therapy can be used to mimic these mitochondrial benefits. Red and near-infrared LEDs (typically 660 and 850 nm) help stimulate mitochondrial respiration, reduce oxidative stress, and promote hormone synthesis in the thyroid, ovaries, adrenals, and even the brain. Both Peat and Dinkov have emphasized how red light can aid in lowering estrogen, restoring progesterone and testosterone, and improving liver detox function—all without pharmaceuticals.

Equally important is avoiding blue light at night, which delays melatonin production, elevates cortisol, and interferes with estrogen clearance. Your hormonal rhythm depends on the contrast between bright, warming light early in the day, and dim, red-toned light after sunset. Hormone health isn’t just about what you take or eat—it’s about when you’re in darkness, and when you’re in light.

Restoring Balance: Why Bioidentical Support Works Best with Food and Light

Progesterone and pregnenolone can be restored with bioidentical support—but only when the terrain is ready. If you don’t eat enough, if your thyroid is suppressed, or your liver and gut are compromised, simply adding a hormone cream won’t fix the root. In some cases, it can worsen symptoms by pushing the body too fast.

Dr. Mercola has long recommended bioidentical hormone replacement as a safer, more effective alternative to synthetic HRT. Ray Peat and Georgi Dinkov take it further: using low-dose bioidentical support alongside carbohydrate repletion, light therapy, and thyroid support to restore physiologic hormone function, not override it.

This is what I help my clients do: rebuild hormonal balance from the root. We don’t just chase symptoms. We restore energy, unblock detox pathways, rewire light rhythms, and let the hormones follow.

Next Steps

If you’re living with hormone symptoms that just won’t budge—whether it’s PMS, weight gain, low libido, bloating, anxiety, or poor sleep—it’s time to stop guessing. Estrogen dominance is more common than ever, and most people are treating it from the wrong end. It’s not just about estrogen—it’s about the metabolic collapse that lets estrogen take over.

Whether you're male or female, cycling or post-menopausal, I can help you understand what’s going on in your body and how to restore balance—with food, light, and strategic support.

👉 Schedule a one-on-one session on my scheduling page and let’s build your hormone repair plan.

Grains: From Gut Damage to Nourishment

Grains Built Civilization—and Broke the Human Body

Grains created civilization. When not properly prepared, they also create chronic disease.

For most of human history, grains were not considered food. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors didn’t wake up and forage for wheat berries. They hunted animals, dug up roots, gathered fruit, cracked open nuts, and moved on. It wasn’t until 10,000 years ago—just a blink in evolutionary time—that humans started eating the seeds of grass: grains.

That shift changed everything. It birthed civilization... and disease.

When humans first domesticated wheat and other grains in the Fertile Crescent, it allowed them to stop being nomadic. They could store calories. Populations grew. Cities formed. But so did malnutrition, stunted growth, infections, and epidemics. The Dark Ages were not a time of robust health. People lived short lives—often only long enough to reproduce—then died of malnourishment, infections, or famine.

Pre-agricultural hunter-gatherers often lived long, robust lives. Once grains took over the food supply, humans started living just long enough to reproduce—then dying of gut damage, infections, and nutritional collapse.

Archaeological records show that skeletal structure, dental health, and immune resilience all declined with the adoption of agriculture. And it wasn’t just the absence of meat—it was the presence of poorly prepared grains, consumed in massive quantities with no understanding of their gut-damaging effects.

Why Grains Wreck the Gut (If You Eat Them Wrong)

Grains contain anti-nutrients—especially in the bran layer (the part that makes it a "whole grain"). These include:

• Phytates that bind zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium

• Lectins that irritate the intestinal lining

• Enzyme inhibitors that block digestion

Gluten is just one of many gut irritants.

In their raw or unfermented form, grains are harsh. They slow motility, feed pathogens, and create chronic low-grade inflammation. This leads to leaky gut, food sensitivities, and autoimmunity—especially when someone is in low energy availability (LEA), undereating, or malnourished.

Grain proteins aren’t the root cause of autoimmunity—but in a stressed, underfed, or nutrient-deficient body, they absolutely become a trigger.

But Here’s the Truth: Grains Aren’t Evil. They’re Just Unprepared.

Many ancient cultures figured this out.

They didn’t eat brown rice.
They didn’t eat store-bought flour.
They didn’t eat whole wheat sandwich bread.

They fermented, nixtamalized, dehulled, and slow-cooked grains until they became digestible. They paired them with animal foods rich in protein, B vitamins, and fat-soluble nutrients. And they didn’t base their entire diet on them.

Proper grain prep is a lost art in the West—but it’s not gone forever.

The 4 Grains I Recommend (When Your Body is Ready)

Not everyone tolerates grains—especially those still healing their gut or recovering from decades of carb restriction, PUFA overload, or metabolic stress. But for those who have restored their energy availability and built metabolic resilience, these four are typically the most well-tolerated:

1. Sourdough Bread

Every culture that consumed wheat fermented it first. All bread used to be sourdough—even on the American frontier. Laura Ingalls wasn’t eating Wonder Bread. She was using wild yeast and fermentation to break down gluten, phytates, and lectins. Europe still does this in many regions today.

Modern bread? It’s garbage. Commercial flour is bleached, brominated, fortified with synthetic vitamins, and often contains iron filings (yes, actual metal shards). No wonder so many people feel better without it.

But real sourdough made from organic, unbrominated white flour is a completely different food—and in many cases, it’s gut-healing.

Avoid: commercial bread (brominated, bleached, full of synthetic vitamins and metal shavings)

How to Spot Real Sourdough

Most store-bought “sourdough” is a lie. It’s just commercial yeast + vinegar for fake tang. No fermentation. No gut benefits.

What to look for at a bakery or label:

• Ask: “Do you use a real sourdough starter?”

• Look for: organic, unbleached, unbromated white flour

• Avoid: “Whole grain sourdough” (bran = no thanks)

• Bonus: Long-fermented (24+ hours = more gluten/phytate breakdown)

Real sourdough should have 3–5 ingredients: flour, water, salt, and sourdough starter. That’s it. If they can't name the starter or it lists yeast, it's not real.

2. White Rice

Not brown. Ancient Asian cultures went to extreme effort to create white rice—pounding or polishing off the bran layer by hand. Why? Because the bran is where all the toxins are. They didn’t do this for fun; they did it because they felt better.

White rice is:

• Low-residue

• Low-inflammatory

• Incredibly easy to digest

It’s ideal in times of healing and pairs beautifully with mineral-rich animal foods and fruit.

Avoid: brown rice (still contains the bran = high in anti-nutrients)

3. Masa Harina (Nixtamalized Corn)

Corn in its natural state is hard to digest. But Indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica developed a brilliant process called nixtamalization—soaking corn in lime (calcium hydroxide) to neutralize anti-nutrients, increase calcium and B vitamin bioavailability, and improve texture.

Masa harina is the result. It’s what tortillas used to be made from before the food industry took shortcuts. When made traditionally, it's a nourishing starch that pairs beautifully with bone broth, cheese, beef, or eggs.

Eat as: tortillas, tamales, pupusas, or mash it with butter and cheese

4. Sprouted, Soaked Oats (Only if Acid-Prepared)

Oats are only tolerable when properly prepared—and that means sprouted and soaked in an acidic medium, like:

• Raw buttermilk

• Yogurt

• Kefir

• Water with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

This neutralizes enzyme inhibitors and phytates that would otherwise block mineral absorption and inflame the gut.

I soak my sprouted oats overnight. Then I slow cook them with mineral-rich water and pair with raw honey, collagen, or fruit.

What to Cook Oats In

If you’re going to eat oats, don’t just soak them—cook them in something mineral-rich. Water alone won’t cut it.

Best cooking mediums:

• Raw milk or gently pasteurized whole milk

• Milk + water combo for lighter texture

• Bone broth if savory

• Add collagen, honey, and sea salt to boost mineral profile

Avoid:

• Quick oats (they’re overly processed)

• Oat milk (PUFA-rich and gut-irritating)

Personally, I slow-cook sprouted oats in raw milk with a pinch of salt, a scoop of collagen, and a swirl of honey or maple. It’s insanely healing.

What About Oatmeal Cookies, Granola, and Baked Goods?

Oats aren’t just for porridge. Some people find they tolerate baked oats better—probably due to slower digestion and better starch transformation from baking.

Safer options:

• Oatmeal cookies made with soaked/sprouted oats

• Granola made with soaked + dehydrated oats

• Oat flour pancakes (if made from sprouted oat flour)

The same rule applies: prep the oat first (soak, sprout, or buy pre-sprouted) and avoid inflammatory add-ins like canola oil or nut butter.

Why the Bran Is the Most Harmful Part of the Grain

We’ve been sold the lie that whole grains are healthier. In reality, the bran layer—the very part that makes a grain “whole”—is the most gut-damaging.

It’s loaded with:

• Phytates that bind zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium

• Lectins that irritate the intestinal lining

• Enzyme inhibitors that slow digestion

• Fibrous grit that mechanically damages the gut wall

Ancient cultures went out of their way to remove or ferment the bran because they understood, intuitively, that this part of the grain made them feel worse. Modern food science is just now catching up—and most of it’s still bought and paid for by industry.

Whole Grains: A Government-Endorsed Lie?

We’ve been brainwashed to believe that “whole grains” are healthier. They aren’t. The outer shell of the grain—the bran—is what ancient cultures worked so hard to remove. It’s loaded with anti-nutrients, not magical fiber.

But the U.S. government, backed by the grain industry and Big Pharma, keeps telling us to eat them. Why?

• Cheap grains = higher margins

• Chronically inflamed people = more prescriptions

There’s no money in metabolic healing.
There’s no lobby for sourdough.

It’s Not the Grain. It’s the Context.

My partner has ulcerative colitis. When he ditched commercial bread, his symptoms dropped by 80%. Today, he eats sourdough every day—with no flare-ups.

Why? Because he’s eating it in the context of a high-calorie, high-carb, low-fat, nutrient-rich diet with plenty of collagen, dairy, and cooked vegetables.

Grains aren’t evil. But they’re not innocent either.

To tolerate them well:

• Heal your metabolism

• Exit low energy availability

• Lower your fat intake (especially seed oils)

• Get your body temperature and thyroid up

• Then slowly reintroduce one properly prepared grain at a time

Grains Aren’t Evil. Just Unprepared.

Ditch:

• Brown rice

• Whole wheat

• Commercial bread

• Quick oats

• Unfermented grains

Consider (when ready):

• Real fermented sourdough - buy it here

• And these sourdough crackers and this sourdough pasta are incredible too.

• White rice - this one

• Masa harina - nixtamalized, right here

• Sprouted, soaked oats - these

Heal your gut. Exit LEA. Then reintroduce ancient wisdom.

Cold Plunges, Cortisol, and Carnivore: The Biohacked Burnout of Carb Deficiency

You don’t have adrenal fatigue. You have a glucose deficiency.

I just listened to the Joe Rogan x Gary Brecka interview from a few months ago, and by the end of it, I felt like I was eavesdropping on two men trying to survive a famine — one cold plunge and ozone sauna at a time.

No one said the word “cortisol” once. Not in a 2.5-hour conversation about stress, optimization, morning routines, energy crashes, and biohacking.

Not. One. Time.

But that’s exactly what this was: a full-length, high-production podcast episode on how to manually override your biology when your body is running on stress hormones 24/7 because you refuse to eat a carbohydrate.

The Carnivore Grind: Steak for Breakfast, Stress for Dessert

You know the type.
Shawn Baker, Anthony Chaffee, Ken Berry — the poster boys of "peak performance" on a diet of nothing but ribeyes, butter, and beef liver.

No carbs. No sugar. No fruit.
But plenty of cortisol.

Let me say it plainly: these men are not thriving.
They are surviving — on adrenaline, norepinephrine, and every biohack under the sun.

You see them chugging coffee, skipping meals, hitting the cold plunge at 5am, blasting red light at their faces, popping testosterone injections, taking metformin “for longevity,” meditating while wired and inflamed, bragging about how they haven’t had a carb since 2003...

That’s not health. That’s crisis management.

Cold Plunges Are a Symptom, Not a Solution

Don’t get me wrong — I love a good cold plunge. But let’s be honest about what it is:
It’s a sympathetic nervous system bomb.

If you need a freezing tub of water, followed by coffee, followed by red light therapy, just to feel alive — you're not optimizing. You're desperately chasing the dopamine your nervous system is too depleted to produce.

And if you’ve been living in ketosis long enough, that might be the only way to feel anything at all.

Cortisol Is Carrying You (and You’re Calling It Discipline)

Carbohydrate deficiency triggers a predictable cascade:

• Liver glycogen tanks.

• Blood sugar drops.

• The body panics.

• Adrenal glands crank out cortisol to keep you conscious.

At first, you feel “clear-headed,” “sharp,” maybe even “unstoppable.”
Because cortisol feels good — for a while.
Until it doesn’t.

Eventually you crash:

• Insomnia

• Constipation

• Blood sugar swings

• Anxiety

• Tanked testosterone

• Fatigue so deep it takes an ozone chamber and 16 supplements just to take a poop

This isn’t vitality. It’s just living off your stress hormones.

The Truth About Carnivore "Optimization"

Let’s talk about the carnivore influencers.
A recent comment from Jay Feldman or Mike Fave (I forget which, they both crush) mentioned that Shawn Baker’s testosterone is allegedly bottomed out. Like… dangerously low.

How does that happen to a guy who lifts every day and eats nothing but steak?

Simple: no carbs = no insulin = no conversion of thyroid hormone = no signal to the testes = no testosterone.

Yes, you can look shredded while running on fumes.
Yes, you can build muscle while slowly tanking your metabolism, hormone function, and mental health.

But you won’t feel good. And it won’t last.

I Was There Too

I’m not writing this from the outside. I lived it.

I was keto for eight years — hardcore. The last year of that, I went full carnivore. I hadn’t eaten more than 20 grams of carbs a day in nearly a decade. I lived off ribeyes and coffee, and listened religiously to every podcast Paul Saladino put out.

And then, one day, I heard him talking about the dangers of long-term carb restriction — and it hit me like a truck. Every symptom he described? I had it:

• Muscle cramping

• Morning anxiety

• Insomnia

• Low libido

• Cold hands and feet

• PMS from hell

• Joint pain

• Depression

• Constipation

Eventually I tested my thyroid and found out my T3 was low — the missing puzzle piece that made everything make sense. I was stuck in survival mode, living off cortisol, pretending it was “discipline.”

So I did something radical:
I added back carbohydrates. Not all at once, but in small, steady amounts, spaced throughout the day. Within weeks, every single symptom started to disappear. My mood stabilized. I could sleep. My cycle regulated. My body warmed up. I came back to life.

Carbs Are Not the Enemy — They’re the Missing Piece

Carbs are not toxic.
Sugar does not “feed disease.”
Fruit is not why you’re tired.
You’re tired because your mitochondria haven’t seen glucose since Obama was in office.

Carbohydrates are:

• The body’s preferred fuel

• The thyroid’s best friend

• The antidote to cortisol

• The fuel for progesterone, serotonin, dopamine, and testosterone

You don’t need another cold plunge.
You need orange juice.

Summary — The Biohacked Burnout Checklist

Cold plunges are a cortisol crutch
Carnivore = constant stress signal
Low-carb = low testosterone, low thyroid, low mood
Biohacking is just symptom suppression in disguise
Real energy starts with eating carbs — not avoiding them

Final Thought

If you need an elaborate “morning routine” to feel functional… you’re probably missing the most basic routine of all:

Eat carbs. Often. Especially in the morning.

You don’t need 10 supplements, 3 gadgets, and a neurofeedback helmet.
You need glucose.

Sip Your Way to Stable Blood Sugar

Why Drinking Protein + Carb Mini Meals Works

Small sips, big impact. Support your thyroid, lower stress hormones, and hit your macros without bloating.

For years, mainstream nutrition pushed three square meals a day—or worse, fasting windows and long gaps between meals—as the gold standard for “metabolic health.” But if you’re healing your metabolism, restoring energy availability, or trying to lose fat without tanking your thyroid, there’s a better way. And it might be hiding in your blender.

Enter: liquid protein + carb mini meals, spaced throughout the day.

We’re talking 6 small meals every 2–3 hours, mostly drank—not chewed. Think orange juice and collagen, skim milk and honey, smoothies with fruit and nonfat Greek yogurt. These aren’t meal replacements. They’re strategic tools to keep your metabolism humming, blood sugar stable, and stress hormones low—especially during a cut or a healing phase.

Why It Works: Blood Sugar, Cortisol, and Energy Efficiency

Eating small, frequent meals that combine protein + carbs:

Prevents blood sugar crashes
Stable glucose = stable mood, fewer cravings, and better willpower.

Blunts cortisol spikes
Every time you go too long without food, cortisol kicks in to raise blood sugar via gluconeogenesis. That’s muscle-wasting, thyroid-suppressing, and metabolism-slowing. No thanks.

Supports the thyroid
Your thyroid needs sugar and aminos throughout the day to produce T3 and keep your temps up.

Boosts digestion
Liquid meals are gentler on the gut. For anyone healing from SIBO, IMO, or low stomach acid, they’re easier to digest and absorb—especially when fiber is temporarily reduced.

Spreads out your macros
You can hit your targets (especially high carb + low fat) without bloating or overwhelming your system in one sitting.

Metabolic Benefits on Tap

This isn’t about grazing or snacking. These sippers are metabolically strategic mini meals designed to:

Protect lean muscle
Stabilize blood sugar
Keep your liver and thyroid fueled
Maintain mood, energy, and focus
Hit macro targets (especially during a cut or reverse diet)

Who Benefits Most?

Anyone in a cut
Fewer calories = less room to feel full. Drinking your meals makes it easier to avoid hunger while still packing in nutrients.

People recovering from LEA (low energy availability)
Small meals reduce the burden on digestion and keep fuel flowing to the cells.

Anyone with poor appetite or hypoglycemia
Liquid meals go down easier and stop the blood sugar rollercoaster.

Athletes and busy professionals
No cooking, no cleanup. Shake it and sip.

What to Drink: Meal Ideas

High-carb, low-fat, bloat-free & metabolism-friendly

Use these between whole-food meals to hit your macros, or build your entire day around them if you're in a deep cut or digestive flare.

Orange Julius Smoothie

6 oz orange juice
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp collagen
Splash vanilla extract
~22g protein, 32g carbs, 0g fat

Maple Milk

1 cup skim milk
2 tbsp collagen
1 tbsp maple syrup
Dash vanilla + pinch salt
~22g protein, 25g carbs, 0g fat

Maple Collagen Latte

1 cup strong brewed coffee or 2 shots espresso
1 cup skim milk
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp collagen
~22g protein, 25g carbs, 0g fat

Blend or froth for that creamy café vibe—perfect pre-walk or AM blood sugar support.

Metabolic Chocolate Milk

1 cup skim milk
2 tbsp collagen
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp honey
~20g protein, 20g carbs, 1g fat

Strawberry Yogurt Shake

1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup strawberry lemonade
2 tbsp collagen
Splash water or coconut water to thin
~25g protein, 20g carbs, 0g fat

Tropical Glow Smoothie

1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp collagen
Squeeze of lime + pinch salt
~22g protein, 32g carbs, 0g fat

Peaches & Cream Sipper

1/2 cup canned or stewed peaches (in juice, drained)
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese or nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
Dash cinnamon (optional)
Splash of water or almond milk to thin
~22g protein, 28g carbs, 1–2g fat

Carrot Cake Elixir

1/2 cup carrot juice
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tbsp collagen
1 tbsp maple syrup
Dash cinnamon + pinch salt
~22g protein, 28g carbs, 0g fat

Fat Loss Without the Stress

When you're in a fat loss phase (or just trying to maintain muscle while trimming down), the biggest enemy isn’t calories—it’s stress. Frequent protein + carb meals are your anti-stress armor. They prevent the body from shifting into catabolic mode, where it burns muscle, lowers thyroid, and stores fat out of survival.

A stable metabolism is a flexible one—one that trusts it will be fed consistently and doesn’t panic. That’s how you lose fat without the insomnia, hair loss, fatigue, or rebound.

Why Sip Mini Meals?

✔ Easier to digest
✔ Blunts hunger and cortisol
✔ Keeps blood sugar stable
✔ Helps hit high-carb/low-fat targets
✔ Protects thyroid, muscle, and mood
✔ Keeps energy steady during healing or a cut

Whether you’re deep in a cut or climbing out of burnout, sipping your meals might be the metabolic magic trick you were missing.

Why Gut Issues Often Return During a Cut

If you’re finishing a fat loss phase and suddenly feel like your digestion is worse—bloating, gas, constipation, food sensitivities flaring up—you’re not crazy. But let’s be very clear: this is not a sign that carbs are the problem. It’s a sign that your gut—and your entire body—is still in a malnourished state.

I see this all the time with clients. They’ve been cutting for 4–6 weeks, running on lowered energy availability, and the minute we start refeeding or adding carbohydrates back in, gut issues resurface. Their first instinct? “The carbs are causing it.” I hear the panic:

“It must be the sourdough.”
“I’m feeding candida again.”
“I think I need to go back to keto.”

No. Let’s break this down.

Cutting Starves the Gut—Literally

A cut isn’t just a reduction in energy. It’s a drop in micronutrients, fiber, fermentable substrates, and metabolic signals like T3. It’s a famine state. And guess who else goes hungry?

Your gut bacteria.

During a cut, your beneficial microbes—the ones that keep pathogens in check and maintain the gut lining—get underfed. And when that happens, two things start to unravel:

1. The mucosal barrier thins.

2. The immune system downregulates.

3. Digestion slows down—because the body shunts energy toward more essential systems like the brain, heart, and muscles, leaving less fuel for enzyme production, bile flow, and peristalsis.

This creates an opening for pathogenic or opportunistic microbes to sneak in or re-establish dominance. So when you reintroduce carbs—especially fermentable ones—you might feel worse not because you’re feeding the “bad bugs,” but because you’re finally feeding the good ones, and they’re trying to reclaim territory.

That process? It’s called die-off. Or more accurately: a Herxheimer reaction.

Die-Off ≠ Overgrowth

Die-off symptoms—fatigue, mood swings, bloating, skin flares, weird body odor, changes in bowel movements—often mimic what people assume are “overgrowth” symptoms. But this isn’t a sign of fungal relapse or bacterial disaster. It’s a war. And the good guys are winning.

When you increase carbohydrates, especially after a long period of underfeeding, you:

• Reawaken dormant digestive fire (T3 rises)

• Stimulate bile and enzyme production

• Feed SCFA-producing bacteria (SCFA = short-chain fatty acids, like butyrate and acetate, which strengthen the gut lining, reduce inflammation, and improve motility)

• Starve out methane-producing archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria by increasing gut movement

Yes, this process is uncomfortable. But it is necessary for long-term gut repair.

Not All Carbs Are Created Equal (Especially After a Cut)

A huge mistake I see? Clients try to reintroduce the same types of carbs they thrived on at maintenance—sourdough, white rice, salads, berries with seeds, potato skins, cassava, even sprouted oats or whole fruits with lots of fiber. But post-cut digestion is fragile. T3 is still suppressed, enzyme output is low, and motility is sluggish.

What digests well at maintenance might wreck you during refeed.

This is not a sign that you’re broken. It’s a sign to shift strategy.

The Best Carbs for Gut Repair (Refeed Edition)

Your digestion during a refeed is not “normal.” It is compromised, sluggish, and healing. Here’s how to approach carbs during this fragile but critical rebuilding window:

Stick to the easiest-to-digest carbs:

• Liquid carbs: fruit juice, coconut water, organic lemonade, Italian soda (cane sugar), kombucha (if tolerated), honey, maple syrup, and skim milk (raw is best)

• Whole fruits that have low fiber and seeds: mango, melons, stone fruit like peach and plum

• Cooked, peeled tubers like sweet potato or white potato (only if well tolerated)

Fiber carbs must be well tolerated. Avoid if they cause symptoms:

• Sourdough (even well-fermented)

• White rice (especially for those with methane archaea or IMO)

• Berries with seeds

• Potato skins

• Sprouted oats

• Raw salads

• Cassava

• Any raw or undercooked fibrous vegetables

Your gut may handle these better after 2–4 weeks of consistent refeeding with easier carbs.

Important: Everyone digests carbs differently.

Your ability to digest carbohydrates depends on your bacterial diversity, enzyme output, and even stress levels. What works for one person (white rice, sourdough, beans) may not work for another. I always recommend starting with the simplest carbs and slowly layering in fiber once symptoms stabilize and metabolic markers (like body temp and motility) improve.

The Mental Trap: Blaming Carbs

Most of us have internalized decades of carb-phobia. So when digestion goes haywire, it’s easy to fall back on the belief that carbs are to blame. But let me say this bluntly:

It’s not the carbs. It’s the malnourishment.

Carbs didn’t cause your weight gain. Swampland did (that high-fat/high-carb no man’s land where nothing burns efficiently).

Carbs aren’t triggering your yeast. They’re triggering your immune system to respond as your gut terrain shifts.

If anything, the cut—especially one done with moderate to high fat—is what destabilized your microbiome in the first place.

The Refeed Feels Worse Than the Cut (And That’s Normal)

Most people expect to feel better when refeeding. More food = better, right?

Not always.

Early refeed can be even harder than the cut itself, because your body is still downregulated:

• Metabolism is low (T3 takes time to rebound)

• Digestion is weak (enzymes are sluggish)

• Detox pathways are backed up (no bile, poor methylation)

• Gut bugs are fighting for dominance

You’re still technically in a malnourished state. But now you’re introducing fermentable fuel. This combo can trigger temporary chaos.

The key? Push through—gently. Don’t overdo fiber. Don’t crank fat back up. Stick to simple carbs and digestible foods. Trust the process. You’re rebuilding.

My Pro-Metabolic Refeed Rules for Gut Repair:

1. Keep fat ultra-low during early refeed (0.3–0.4 g/kg)

2. Use simple, low-residue carbs (fruit juice, maple syrup, coconut water, Italian soda)

3. Split carbs across 4–5 meals/day for blood sugar and motility

4. Support detox with daily raw carrot or bamboo shoots

5. Temporarily avoid high-fiber carbs unless well tolerated (sourdough, berries with seeds, sprouted grains, etc.)

6. Gradually layer in cooked, peeled tubers only if tolerated

7. Track symptoms and metabolic markers (temps, pulses, stools)

8. Don’t fear a little bloat or gas—it’s part of the rebuild

Summary:

• Gut issues after a cut aren’t because of carbs—they’re because of the cut.

• Carbs feed beneficial bacteria that repair the gut lining and outcompete pathogens.

• The refeed can trigger die-off, not overgrowth—don’t confuse the two.

• Your digestion is compromised post-cut, even for foods you normally tolerate.

• Stay low-fat, stick to easy carbs, and allow time to heal.

• And most importantly: your gut needs nourishment, not another restriction cycle.

Jaggery: The Forgotten Sweetener That Actually Nourishes You

When most people talk about sugar, it's either demonized as the root of all evil or worshipped in its raw, crunchy, coconut form. But somewhere between the extremes of white sugar and bitter blackstrap molasses, there’s a forgotten hero of mineral-rich sweetness: jaggery.

Never heard of it? You’re not alone. But if you’ve been chasing the pro-metabolic life and want a sweetener that actually does something for your body, jaggery deserves a place in your pantry.

So… What Is Jaggery?

Jaggery is an unrefined sugar made by boiling down sugarcane juice (or occasionally date palm sap) into a thick, sticky, mineral-rich paste that’s dried and molded into blocks or powder. The key difference?

The molasses stays.
That means jaggery contains both the sugar and the minerals in one whole-food package.

Unlike white sugar, which is stripped, bleached, and purified into pure sucrose — and unlike brown sugar, which is basically white sugar with a little molasses added back in as an afterthought — jaggery is the real deal. It’s how sugar used to be.

Nutritional Breakdown

Per tablespoon, jaggery offers a surprising dose of:

• Iron (especially useful if you're healing from anemia or menstruating)

• Calcium + Magnesium (mineral support for bones, thyroid, and adrenals)

• Potassium (key for hydration, insulin sensitivity, and blood sugar stability)

• B Vitamins (small amounts of B6, B2, B1)

Still a sugar? Yes. But it’s a sugar your body recognizes — not just a calorie bomb with nothing to offer.

Pro-Metabolic Uses

Jaggery isn’t just a sweetener — it’s a functional food. I recommend it to clients who:

• Are healing from low iron or adrenal fatigue

• Want a whole-food source of sweetness with actual value

• Need a pre-workout glucose bump without the crash

• Are transitioning off refined sugars or artificial sweeteners

• Want to improve insulin sensitivity without overloading on pure sucrose

Favorite ways to use it:

• Stir into tea or coffee (just like honey)

• Add to warm milk with collagen for a mineral-rich bedtime treat

• Use in energy balls with gelatin and coconut flour

• Melt into oatmeal or mashed sweet potatoes

• Mix with ghee for a traditional Ayurvedic immune booster

What to Watch For

Some jaggery on the market is adulterated with white sugar or made in unsanitary conditions. Look for:

• Certified organic or traditional handmade jaggery

• Ingredients: 100% cane juice or date palm sap

  Block, paste, or powder form with no additives

Summary

Jaggery = whole cane sugar + molasses + minerals. Unlike white sugar, it feeds your cells — not just your cravings. It’s rich in iron, potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins. Use it in moderation like you would honey or maple syrup, but know you’re actually supporting metabolism with every bite.

Real Sweeteners Do Real Things

In the pro-metabolic world, we don’t fear sugar — we respect it. The type of sugar matters. If you’re still spooning white sugar into your coffee or pretending brown sugar is “less bad,” it might be time to meet jaggery.

She’s ancient, mineral-rich, and here to nourish your cells — not rob them.

What Did Hunter-Gatherers Really Eat?

Spoiler: It Wasn’t Grains, Almonds, or Bacon

For decades, the public has been sold a fantasy version of the “paleo diet.” Flip through a popular paleo cookbook and you’ll see heaping plates of ribeyes, piles of nuts, and endless “grain-free” breads made with almond flour. This glossy picture has almost nothing to do with what our ancestors actually ate. If you want the truth about human metabolism and ancestral nutrition, you have to step away from modern reconstructions and look at the real evidence from living hunter-gatherers, primate biology, and archaeology. The reality is both surprising and liberating: our ancestors weren’t keto, and they weren’t scarfing down handfuls of almonds. They were carb-powered primates who lived on honey, fruit, roots, and modest amounts of animal food—with very little fat.

Grains and Nuts: Modern Myths About Ancient Foods

Let’s start with what they didn’t eat. The idea that hunter-gatherers survived on wild grains is mostly projection. Wild grains existed, but they were small, bitter, and packed with antinutrients. They required extensive processing—pounding, grinding, soaking—to yield meaningful calories. Grinding stones have been found in the archaeological record, but this proves only that early humans could process grains, not that they were staples. At best, grains were fallback foods in times of scarcity, not everyday fare. Agriculture only made grains truly accessible by breeding them into larger, sweeter, less toxic varieties.

Nuts are another modern misconception. Today’s almonds, walnuts, and cashews are heavily domesticated, bred to be palatable and high-yield. Wild versions were often bitter and sometimes toxic. While some groups consumed nuts like mongongo or acorns, they did so seasonally and only after elaborate detoxification steps like soaking or leaching. They were never daily staples, and they certainly weren’t the PUFA-laden snacks that line modern supermarket shelves. To imagine the Hadza walking around with almond milk lattes is pure fantasy.

The Real Building Blocks of the Human Diet

So if not grains and nuts, what did hunter-gatherers rely on? Ethnographic evidence, especially from the Hadza of Tanzania, paints a very different picture. Their diet revolves around five food categories: honey, fruit, tubers, baobab, and meat. Of these, honey and tubers are particularly central. Honey is the single most prized food of the Hadza, sometimes making up 15–20 percent of total calories. Men will climb dangerous heights to raid hives, bringing back combs dripping with sugar and bee larvae. Tubers, on the other hand, are the fallback food—the reliable starch that sustains the group through lean seasons.

Fruit and berries round out their plant staples. These wild fruits are not the oversized candy bombs you find in today’s grocery stores; they are smaller, denser, and typically higher in protein and minerals. Baobab fruit pulp and seeds provide important minerals, with the seeds being one of the few significant fat sources in the Hadza diet. Meat does play a role, but it is irregular and opportunistic—sometimes abundant, sometimes absent for days. And even when consumed, much of the meat is lean.

Taken together, the Hadza diet is overwhelmingly carbohydrate-based, with roughly two-thirds of energy coming from starches and sugars, around 15–20 percent from protein, and only about 10–15 percent from fat. This matches estimates from other indigenous groups like the Kitavans of Papua New Guinea, whose diet is nearly 70 percent carbohydrates from tubers and fruit, with very little fat. It’s also strikingly similar to the Okinawan diet—85 percent carbohydrate, mostly from sweet potatoes—which produced some of the longest-lived people on earth.

Humans Are Carbohydrate-Burning Primates

The deeper reason for this macronutrient pattern is evolutionary. Humans are primates, and primates are frugivores. In the wild, fruits make up the bulk of the diet for many monkeys and apes. Studies of wild fruit composition show that they are low in fat—on the order of just five percent by dry weight—while being rich in carbohydrates and fiber. Even chimpanzees, our closest relatives, consume meat in tiny amounts, often less than two percent of total calories. Our digestive systems, teeth, and metabolism all reflect this frugivorous heritage.

In fact, what sets humans apart is not that we abandoned fruit and starches, but that we learned to cook tubers and roots, unlocking massive amounts of digestible carbohydrate. Richard Wrangham, the primatologist who pioneered the “cooking hypothesis,” has shown that the ability to process starches with heat may have been the critical turning point in human brain evolution. Carbs, not fat, powered the expansion of our energy-hungry brains.

The Danger of the “Swampland” Diet

If ancestral diets were so carb-heavy, how did fat become glorified in the modern paleo and keto movements? The confusion stems from conflating occasional fat-rich foods (like baobab seeds or fatty game meat) with the foundation of the diet. In truth, most hunter-gatherers consumed fat sparingly. When you look across cultures—from the Hadza to the Kitavans to the Okinawans—fat intake hovers around 10 to 20 percent of calories, rarely more.

Contrast this with the modern American diet, which is roughly 40 percent fat—half of it from industrial seed oils that were never part of our evolutionary environment. When fat is layered on top of abundant carbs, you get the “metabolic swampland”: a dangerous mix that drives insulin resistance, obesity, and chronic disease. Our ancestors never lived in this swampland. Their diets were either carb-based and low in fat, or in rare cases, fat-based and seasonal (such as Inuit relying on blubber during certain times of the year). But never both at once, and never with seed oils.

Carbs as Metabolic Medicine

The implications for modern health are profound. Carbohydrates are not the enemy—they are essential for thyroid function, sex hormone balance, and metabolic rate. The conversion of T4 to active T3, the hormone that sets metabolic speed, depends on glucose availability. Progesterone production also requires adequate carbohydrate supply, which is why carb restriction often disrupts menstrual cycles. Even body temperature, a reliable marker of metabolic health, drops when carbs are insufficient.

This explains why people transitioning to pro-metabolic, high-carb, low-fat diets often feel warmer, more energetic, and hormonally balanced. It also explains why groups like the Hadza, Kitavans, and Okinawans remain lean and free of chronic disease despite consuming far more sugar and starch than the average American dares to imagine. The difference is not the presence of carbs but the absence of excessive fat, especially polyunsaturated fat.

Rethinking “Paleo”

So what did hunter-gatherers really eat? They ate honey, fruit, roots, lean meat, and the occasional fatty seed or animal organ. They did not eat large quantities of grains, nuts, or dairy. They did not eat seed oils, processed foods, or butter-drenched ribeyes. Most importantly, they did not eat high-fat, high-carb hybrid diets that suffocate the metabolism.

Our true ancestral blueprint is high-carb, moderate-protein, and low-fat. It is the diet of primates, the diet of the Hadza, the diet of the Kitavans and Okinawans, and the diet that keeps the thyroid and metabolism humming. Carbs are not just safe—they are essential. And the sooner we stop fearing sugar and start respecting the frugivorous design of our species, the sooner we can reclaim the metabolic resilience our ancestors enjoyed.

References

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19350623/

2. https://anthropology.ucsd.edu/_files/Faculty%20Files/schoeninger-publications/Murray%20etal.2001.pdf

3. https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms4654

4. https://biox.stanford.edu/highlight/tanzanian-hunter-gatherers-have-seasonal-gut-microbe-diversity-variation

5. https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/food-environment/2022/our-ancestors-paleo-diet-had-carbs

6. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/what-can-we-learn-from-the-kitavans/

7. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/13902834_Age_relations_of_cardiovascular_risk_factors_in_a_traditional_Melanesian_society_The_Kitava_Study

8. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333111486_Ethnobotany_in_evolutionary_perspective_wild_plants_in_diet_composition_and_daily_use_among_Hadza_hunter-gatherers

9. https://stanmed.stanford.edu/hunter-gatherer-diets-offer-clues-to-gut-bug-diversity

Insulin Resistance Isn’t Caused by Carbs (or Sugar) — It’s Caused by a Broken Metabolism

Why cutting carbs doesn’t fix the root cause—and why sugar is part of the solution

Obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even Alzheimer’s are all part of what we call Metabolic Syndrome—a cluster of conditions tied together by one central dysfunction: insulin resistance.

Most doctors and even some nutritionists still cling to the idea that carbs (especially sugar) cause insulin resistance and that the fix is cutting sugar out of the diet. But that framework is outdated, oversimplified, and—let’s be honest—causing more harm than good.

From a pro-metabolic perspective, insulin resistance doesn’t come from eating too many carbs. It comes from the body’s inability to use them properly. That’s a huge difference—and it completely changes the solution.

🍭 Sugar Is Not the Enemy. It’s Actually a Healing Food.

Let’s get this straight up front: Sugar is not inherently bad for you. In fact, sugar—especially the kind that comes from ripe fruit, honey, dairy, and even plain white sugar—can be one of the most metabolically supportive fuels on the planet.

According to Dr. Ray Peat and other scientific researchers like Kaya at Fundamental Nourishment, sugar is:

• The preferred fuel of the liver, brain, and thyroid

• Required for glycogen storage in the liver and muscles

• A potent cortisol-lowering agent when eaten correctly

• Necessary for the conversion of inactive thyroid hormone (T4) to active thyroid hormone (T3)

In other words, your body is hardwired to run on sugar. It doesn’t cause insulin resistance—it prevents it by keeping stress hormones low, thyroid function high, and energy production efficient.

So why do people blame sugar?

Because most people are consuming it in the context of a broken metabolism—one suppressed by under-eating, chronic stress, polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), and a diet too low in the nutrients needed to actually process carbohydrates (like magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins). It’s the context, not the carbohydrate.

🤯 What Really Causes Insulin Resistance?

Insulin resistance is not caused by “eating too many carbs.” It’s caused by metabolic stress—when your cells can’t use glucose efficiently due to mitochondrial dysfunction, nutrient deficiencies, and stress hormone dominance.

Here’s what’s really driving it:

• PUFA buildup in tissues

• Cortisol and adrenaline dominance

• Low thyroid function

• Nutrient deficiencies (magnesium, potassium, vitamin B1, B3)

• Undereating (especially carbs)

• Mitochondrial downregulation from chronic stress

When cells are stressed, they can’t burn glucose well. So insulin rises to try to push that glucose in. Over time, cells stop responding. The solution isn’t to cut out the glucose—it’s to restore the cell’s ability to use it.

💡 Muscle Is the Key to Burning Sugar (and Fat)

The first tissue to become insulin resistant is usually skeletal muscle. That matters, because muscle is where most of your glucose is burned. If muscle cells aren’t responding to insulin, glucose gets shunted to fat cells instead. You gain weight—not because you’re eating sugar, but because your body can’t burn sugar well.

And ironically, the more you cut carbs, the worse this gets. Low-carb, high-fat diets reduce thyroid output, increase cortisol, and flood your tissues with fatty acids that interfere with glucose metabolism (this is the Randle Cycle in action).

That’s why people often gain weight when they “fall off” keto—it’s not a lack of willpower. It’s a metabolism that was running on fumes.

🔥 How to Actually Restore Insulin Sensitivity

The good news? Insulin resistance is reversible when you fix what caused it in the first place: a stressed, underfueled metabolism. The solution isn’t fear—it’s fuel. Sugar isn’t the villain. It’s part of the repair kit.

First and foremost, you need to eat enough. Chronic undereating—especially low-carb dieting—suppresses your thyroid, depletes glycogen, and keeps cortisol elevated. That combo destroys your metabolic flexibility. Most women healing their metabolism need at least 2000–2500 calories per day, with 50–60% of those calories coming from carbs. And not just any carbs—easy-to-digest, pro-metabolic carbs like fruit, juice, honey, dairy sugars, white sugar, and root vegetables.

Equally important is keeping fat intake low, especially during the healing phase. This isn’t about fearing fat forever—but excess fat, especially from seed oils and PUFAs, inhibits your ability to burn glucose. That’s why we cap fat at around 10–15% of total calories for those reversing insulin resistance. Stick to saturated fats from coconut oil, cacao, dairy, or a little butter—but keep portions modest while your body is relearning how to burn sugar.

Next, focus on supporting muscle tissue. Muscle is your best friend in this process because it is where most of your glucose disposal happens. The more muscle you have, the more carbs you can handle. But even more important than size is glucose uptake capacity. Resistance training a couple of times per week, paired with walking 8–10k steps per day, is often enough to massively improve insulin sensitivity—without wrecking your adrenals.

🧠 Metabolic Healing Is a Whole-Body Job

Beyond food and movement, don’t overlook your environment. Sunlight helps regulate your circadian rhythm, stimulates dopamine and vitamin D production, and supports healthy thyroid and adrenal output. Prioritize at least 30 minutes of outdoor light daily—bonus points if it’s in the morning.

Sleep is non-negotiable. Most of your cellular repair, hormone conversion, and liver detoxification happens at night. If you’re wired and tired, consider a bedtime snack that combines sugar + protein—like warm milk with honey or cottage cheese with jam—to stabilize blood sugar and lower cortisol overnight.

Finally, make sure you’re getting the key nutrients your metabolism needs to process carbohydrates: magnesium, potassium, sodium, thiamine (B1), and niacinamide (B3). You can get most of these from food, but strategic supplementation can be helpful in more depleted or chronically stressed individuals.

🚨 What About Fructose and Fatty Liver?

Fructose gets a bad rap—usually from people who conflate fruit with soda. But context is everything. When fructose is consumed in a low-fat, nutrient-dense environment (think fruit + protein, or honey + dairy), it is quickly burned or stored as liver glycogen—fuel for your thyroid, brain, and adrenals.

The real issue is when refined fructose is consumed alongside seed oils and high-fat meals, like soda and fries. In that scenario, fructose contributes to lipogenesis (fat creation) and raises triglycerides, especially when the liver is already overloaded. But fruit and honey are not the problem. In fact, they’re often part of the solution.

❤️ Final Thoughts: Sugar Is Not the Problem—Metabolic Dysfunction Is

Insulin resistance isn’t a carbohydrate problem—it’s a metabolism problem. And the solution is not to restrict sugar, but to repair the systems that allow you to burn it. That means eating enough, moving your body, lowering stress, sleeping deeply, and supporting your body with real food and real nutrients.

When you stop fearing sugar and start fueling your body the way it was designed to be fed, everything changes—your energy, your weight, your sleep, your cycles, your mood, your inflammation, your labs. It’s not about cutting more. It’s about coming back to balance.

🔁 Summary

• Sugar doesn’t cause insulin resistance. A broken metabolism does.

• Healing insulin resistance requires high-carb, low-fat, nutrient-rich eating—not keto.

• Sugar supports the thyroid, liver, adrenals, and brain. It is not toxic when eaten in context.

• PUFA, stress, under-eating, and muscle loss are the real culprits.

• Stop blaming sugar. Start healing your metabolism. That’s how you reclaim your health.Why cutting carbs doesn’t fix the root cause—and why sugar is part of the solution
  
  

90% of Americans Are Undereating—And Reverse Dieting Is the Metabolic Fix

Learn to eat like your grandparents ate, and heal your body.

Undereating Is Silently Destroying Metabolism, Hormones, Digestion, and Mood—This Is the Strategy to Reverse It.

Reverse dieting isn’t just for bodybuilders coming off a cut or athletes trying to restore energy. It’s the unifying strategy that connects eating disorder recovery, RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), and the slow metabolism that plagues most of the population after years of under-eating. That includes not only classic calorie restriction but also extreme restriction of entire macronutrients. Low-carb, keto, and carnivore diets may seem therapeutic at first, but they often function as socially acceptable eating disorders. These diets can lead to significant energy deficits, hormonal suppression, and impaired metabolic function—especially when combined with intense exercise.

Whether you're coming from years of low-calorie dieting, a history of anorexia or orthorexia, or even just a hard training background with insufficient fuel, the root issue is the same: a low energy availability state (LEA).

What We Used to Eat

Our grandparents didn't count macros—they just ate real food, and plenty of it. A typical day started with a huge farm breakfast: bacon, eggs, toast with butter and jam, fried potatoes, milk or juice, and often pancakes or oatmeal on the side. Then came a massive midday lunch with meat, mashed potatoes, buttered vegetables, and dessert—often pie or cake. Dinner wasn’t light either—think steak and potatoes, more bread and butter, a second slice of pie, and a glass of milk or sweet tea. People regularly drank carbohydrates in the form of milk, juice, lemonade, or sweet tea.

Compare that to today, where many people barely pick at a salad, sip coffee for breakfast, or fast until noon. We’ve normalized starvation while wondering why we’re anxious, constipated, freezing cold, infertile, or gaining weight on what used to be considered a starvation diet.

Here’s what’s even more shocking: this modern crisis of under-eating is brand new in human history. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors—including the Hadza tribe today—consumed roughly 2,500–3,000 calories per day for women, and 3,500–5,000 for men. Even just a few generations ago, in the 1940s and 50s, women averaged around 2,500 calories and men consumed between 4,000–8,000 depending on their jobs and manual labor. This wasn’t abnormal—it was necessary for survival, metabolic repair, reproduction, and resilience. And their bodies were leaner and more functional than ours.

What Went Wrong

Another massive factor? Fat. In the 1980s, Big Tobacco bought up most of the major food companies. Around the same time, the official definition of a "low-fat" diet quietly shifted—from 10% (as seen in primitive diets) to 30%. This change skewed decades of research. Our ancestors and traditional cultures like the Hadza often consumed as little as 10-15% of calories from fat, mostly from whole-food sources like lean meat, coconuts, and milk. Today, the average American diet is around 40% fat—and a shocking 20% of total calories now come from industrial seed oils, which were originally designed as machinery lubricants, not food.

Humans are not fat-burning animals. We are primates. And like most primates, we’re built to burn carbohydrates—especially fruit and roots—as our primary fuel source. We’ve done so for nearly 7 million years. Feeding our bodies a high-fat, low-carb, seed-oil-heavy diet is a radical, modern experiment. The result? A dramatic slowing of metabolism, widespread thyroid dysfunction, and rising rates of chronic illness.

So what changed? Seed oils entered the food supply. As we began storing more fat from damaged oils and losing our ability to metabolize properly, diet culture stepped in—telling us to restrict calories to lose weight. All it did was suppress our thyroid, lower our body temperature, and increase rates of chronic disease.

The average American body today doesn’t run at 98.6°F anymore. Most hover around 96.5–97.5°F. But here’s the kicker: every degree of temperature equals about 1,000 calories burned per day. So when our intake dropped from 2,500 to 1,500, our body dropped its temperature to match, assuming a famine had arrived. This is still the same hunter-gatherer body trying to survive. We became colder, sicker, and more metabolically fragile.

Even during the Minnesota Starvation Experiment in the 1940s—conducted at the University of Minnesota—women weighed an average of 120 pounds and ate over 2,500 calories. Men consumed 4,000–8,000 per day depending on their workload. Today, we call 1,800 calories “normal,” and people wonder why they feel terrible.

Before we go further, here’s a quick scan-and-go checklist to see if you might be one of the 90%:

Undereating Red Flags

• You feel cold often (especially hands, feet, nose)

• Waking temp <97.8°F, pulse <75 bpm

• Bloating, constipation, or slow digestion

• Dry skin, thinning hair, brittle nails

• Irregular or missing periods

• Sleep issues, especially early waking or light sleep

• Anxiety, depression, or mood swings

• Constant fatigue, no matter how much you sleep

• Trouble building muscle or recovering from workouts

• Low libido or hormonal symptoms

• Frequent fungal, bacterial, or viral infections

• Puffiness, sagging skin, or changes to facial shape

If even a few of these sound familiar, your metabolism may be downregulated—and reverse dieting could be the fix.

What most people don’t realize is that under-eating is one of the most pervasive and damaging health habits in modern society. It’s not just fatigue or a missing period—chronic low energy availability is behind the explosion in autoimmune diseases, insulin resistance, gut issues, infertility, insomnia, anxiety, and even facial changes like puffiness, skin sagging, and premature aging. When your body lacks fuel, it prioritizes survival over function: it shuts down digestion, slows thyroid output, impairs detoxification, and weakens immune defense. This creates the perfect storm for fungal and bacterial infections, food intolerances, hormonal imbalance, poor motility, and systemic inflammation. It also reduces stomach acid, bile flow, and enzyme output—leading to SIBO, fungal overgrowth, histamine reactions, and poor absorption of nutrients.

Long-term undereating is also one of the most overlooked root causes of mental health disorders. The brain, liver, and nervous system require high levels of glucose to function properly, and without it, mood, memory, and resilience all decline. This is why so many people report anxiety, depression, or burnout after months or years of keto or intermittent fasting. Low energy means low serotonin, low dopamine, low progesterone, low thyroid—and zero metabolic safety. If you’re not eating enough, your body knows it, and it responds accordingly: by breaking down.

What Is Energy Availability (EA)?

Energy Availability (EA) refers to the amount of energy left over for your body to run basic biological functions after exercise is accounted for. Your thyroid, fertility, digestion, brain, and immune system all depend on this leftover energy to function. When EA is too low, your body begins downregulating non-essential functions to conserve energy—leading to symptoms like cold intolerance, missed periods, fatigue, hair loss, and muscle loss.

For the numbers people: EA = (Total Calories – Exercise Calories) ÷ Lean Body Mass (kg)

• <30 cal/kg EA = Low Energy Availability (LEA)

• <20 cal/kg EA = Clinical starvation

• ~45 cal/kg EA = Minimum for hormonal/metabolic repair

• 50–55 cal/kg EA = Ideal for long-term health and performance

Translation: If you’re eating under 2,000 calories as a woman or 2,500–3,000 as a man, and you exercise at all, you might be operating with too little leftover energy—even if your weight is stable.

Who Needs Reverse Dieting?

Reverse dieting is the structured way to eat more without gaining excessive fat. It’s essential for anyone who’s been under-eating, whether intentionally or accidentally. If you’ve been dieting, fasting, or doing low-carb for too long, this is your path out.

You likely need a reverse if:

• You’re under-eating (<2,000 for women, <2,500–3,000 for men)

• You’re not building muscle or recovering from workouts

• Your libido is low, your skin is dry, or your cycle is irregular

• You feel cold, anxious, moody, or fatigued

• You’ve followed keto, carnivore, fasting, or other restrictive protocols

  If you like numbers: Under 45 cal/kg EA = metabolic stress, even if you're overweight. It’s not about your weight—it’s about how much energy your tissues get.

The 100-Calorie Rule: How to Reverse Safely

You can’t just jump from 1,500 to 2,500 overnight. Reverse dieting adds fuel slowly so your metabolism can speed up without triggering fat gain or digestive stress.

Start slow. Add 100 calories per week until you reach the minimum threshold of 43 cal/kg. After that, slow it down to 50-calorie increases until you reach 50–55 cal/kg for long-term health.

For example: 150 lbs, 30% body fat = 47.7 kg LBM

• Minimum target: 47.7 x 43 = 2,051 kcal

• Ideal target: 47.7 x 50 = 2,385 kcal

Simple version: If you’re a woman, aim to build up to 2,200–2,400+ kcal. Men: 2,800–3,200+. Take your time.

Macronutrient Priorities: Carbs and Protein First

When reverse dieting, what you eat matters just as much as how much. Most people need to drastically increase carbs and protein, while keeping fat low—especially if they’re coming from a high-fat, low-carb history.

Carbohydrates are essential for liver glycogen, thyroid conversion (T4 to T3), and leptin signaling. Protein supports tissue repair and lean mass preservation. Too much fat too soon can impair insulin sensitivity and stall metabolic recovery.

Macro guideline:

• Carbs: 55–65% of intake

• Protein: 2.0–2.2g/kg LBM

• Fat: 10–15% of calories (30–40g/day)

Simple version: Eat more fruit, juice, tubers, dairy, and lean protein. Go easy on fats until you’ve restored metabolism.

Metabolism Metrics: Temperature and Pulse

You don’t need a lab test to track metabolic recovery. Two vital signs tell the story:

• Waking body temperature: should be ≥97.8°F, ideally >98.0°F, and should reach around 98.6°F later in the day

• Resting pulse: 75–85 bpm (higher is better here)

Low temps and low pulse = low T3 and slowed metabolism. These markers often improve before body composition does. They’re your green light that the plan is working.

Not a tracker? You should feel warmer, more relaxed, more energetic, and more resilient. That’s healing.

Athletes and Lifters: Muscle Doesn’t Grow in LEA

Trying to build muscle while under-eating is like trying to build a house without bricks. RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) is the name for what happens when athletes train hard but don’t eat enough. It’s not just a female athlete problem.

Symptoms include:

• Plateaued lifts

• Loss of motivation

• Poor recovery and disrupted sleep

• Injury or persistent soreness

To grow:

• Maintain at least 45 cal/kg EA

• Target 50–55 cal/kg EA for bulking phases

Simple version: Eat more than you think you need. Your performance will tell you when it’s working.

Eating Disorder Recovery: Refeeding = Restoration

In ED recovery, eating more isn’t just about weight gain. It’s about repairing the thyroid, restoring brain function, rebalancing hormones, and calming the nervous system. Recovery requires far more food than most people realize.

Most women need 2,500–3,000+ calories per day to fully heal. Using the EA model ensures you’re actually supporting your body instead of just gaining weight without true restoration.

Targets:

• 45–55 cal/kg EA

• Minimum of 2,500 kcal/day for most

Simple version: You won’t fully heal unless you consistently eat enough. Full stop.

Timeline: How Long Does It Take?

There is no one-size-fits-all timeline. Some people reach the 43 cal/kg minimum in a month; others take longer depending on their digestive capacity, fear of weight gain, or metabolic symptoms. Refeeding tends to move quickly up to around 45–48 cal/kg, then slows down as the body adapts. It may take several months—or even a year—for someone to safely reach 50–55 cal/kg.

The goal isn’t to temporarily raise your intake, but to rebuild your baseline. This is your new maintenance, not something you "hold" and then drop. Once your body has recovered, you may strategically enter short cutting phases. But for most of your life, this is where your calories should live.

A general roadmap:

• Begin by adding 100 kcal/week until you reach 43 cal/kg EA (which may take 4–8+ weeks)

• After that, add 25–50 kcal/week until you approach 50–55 cal/kg EA (may take months)

• Stay nourished consistently, without dropping below the 43–45 cal/kg threshold unless doing a short, strategic cut

You are only ready to attempt a fat loss phase when:

• Temps are ≥98.0°F

• Pulse is ≥75 bpm

• Digestion, sleep, and mood are solid

• No binge urges or extreme fatigue

Not a planner? Keep eating more until you feel alive again. That’s when healing locks in.

Summary: The Goldilocks Zone

If you’re cold, tired, wired, not sleeping, or not progressing in the gym, you’re likely in low energy availability. This applies no matter your weight.

Quick recap:

• 43–48 cal/kg = recovery zone

• 50–55 cal/kg = performance zone

• <45 cal/kg = metabolic stress

• 10–15% fat = best starting point for most

Bottom line: If you want a thriving metabolism, you have to feed it. Consistently. Intentionally. Slowly.

Need help calculating your EA, macros, planning your reverse, or planning for a fat-loss phase? Work with a nutritionist who understands the science, the numbers, and the real-life struggles of eating enough to heal. I’ve lived it, tracked it, and coached dozens through it. Let’s build your body back—stronger than ever.

The Fungus Among Us

The Root Cause Doctors Rarely Acknowledge

Let me say this upfront: I had one of the worst systemic fungal and bacterial infections I’ve ever seen in a human body—and it was my own.

It started slowly. I had been keto for a couple years—thinking I was being “healthy.” But instead of feeling better, I started gaining weight. My digestion fell apart. I developed SIBO, constant bloating, and food intolerances. Looking back, I believe the low-carb, low-fiber, high-fat keto diet damaged my microbiome and starved my good gut flora, opening the door for overgrowth.

Then I "threw out my back." That’s what the ER told me, anyway. But the pain didn’t behave like a pulled muscle—it kept getting worse. Eventually, I discovered the truth: I had a bacterial infection in my spine, presenting as bulging discs and severe nerve pain. I was inflamed from head to toe.

From there, things spiraled.

I had chronic sinus and ear infections, alternating constipation and diarrhea, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and was down to only a handful of foods I could tolerate. But the worst of it came when I was breastfeeding. My daughter developed the worst thrush I’ve ever seen—her mouth looked like it was coated in cauliflower. My nipples were cracked, burning, and so painful I would scream into a pillow during feeds. But I refused to stop. I refused to give up. And I refused to switch to formula.

Instead, I spent months deep in research. Eventually, I cracked the code.
I figured out how to kill the fungus—without drugs. And once I healed myself, I knew I had to help others do the same.

Moldy Homes, Antibiotics, and Roundup: The Silent Triggers

Most people have no idea that mold exposure is almost guaranteed. Whether it’s a past leak, water damage behind the walls, or humidity buildup in the bathroom—mold spores and mycotoxins are everywhere, and once inhaled, they settle deep in your tissues.

Now stack that on top of multiple rounds of antibiotics—often prescribed for sinus infections, acne, or post-partum UTIs. These kill bacteria but leave fungus untouched, giving it free rein to overgrow.

And let’s not forget the glyphosate in our food supply—sprayed on non-organic wheat, oats, beans, and even many fruits and vegetables. Glyphosate wipes out beneficial gut bacteria and further weakens the terrain. Fungus loves the modern American body. We’re practically built to host it.

The Truth: Doctors Aren’t Trained for This

Here’s the hard truth: conventional medicine doesn’t recognize fungal overgrowth as a real diagnosis—let alone a systemic issue.

If you show up with fatigue, bloat, or brain fog, you might be offered an antidepressant. If you mention a recurring yeast infection, they’ll throw nystatin or Diflucan at it and call it a day. That’s the extent of their toolbox.

But those tools don’t work anymore. In the 70s, one Diflucan pill could knock out a yeast infection. I was once put on four a day for a month—and it did absolutely nothing. The fungus was resistant. And no one thought to ask why I wasn’t responding.

No one tested me for mold. No one mentioned the spine infection might be part of something bigger. No one ever considered that the entire terrain of my body was compromised—and fungus was running the show.

Why Herbs Work When Drugs Don’t

Once I realized the medical system had no answers, I turned to plants. And that’s when everything started to change.

Herbs work differently than pharmaceuticals. They’re complex, multi-layered, and synergistic. Fungus can’t mutate fast enough to outsmart an entire plant.

When I used herbs like grapefruit seed extract, berberine, garlic (allicin), oregano oil, caprylic acid, pau d’arco, and black walnut, I finally began to see results. The bloat started to recede. My energy returned. My daughter’s thrush began to clear. And for the first time in years, I felt like myself again.

Herbs didn’t just kill the fungus—they also helped with parasites, bacterial overgrowth, biofilm breakdown, and detox support. They worked with my body, not against it.

Die-Off Is Real (And You Shouldn’t Try This Alone)

Let me be honest: healing was not linear. When you start killing off fungal colonies, they release a storm of toxins—acetaldehyde, ammonia, mycotoxins—that overwhelm your liver, brain, and nervous system.

I went too fast in the beginning. I didn’t use binders. I didn’t support drainage. The die-off made me feel worse than before. That’s when I realized: this isn’t just about taking herbs—it’s about having a strategy.

Now, I guide others through this with support for detox pathways, liver drainage, lymphatic flow, and pacing—so the body can clear the debris without crashing.

Most Sinus Infections Aren’t Bacterial—They’re Fungal

Here’s a truth that could save you years of frustration: chronic sinus infections are almost always fungal in origin.

Doctors assume it’s bacterial, prescribe antibiotics, and send you on your way. But the relief is temporary—because they never address the fungal root. Fungus stays behind, forming colonies in the sinuses and middle ear, reactivating every time your immune system dips.

You’re not broken.
You’re just treating the wrong organism.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

I get it—I tried to DIY my healing, too. I read every blog, ordered every supplement, and still ended up flat on my back, bloated and brain-fogged, crying with pain during breastfeeding.

But once I had a real protocol—a functional, herbal, root-cause roadmap—everything changed.

And now I offer that roadmap to others.

Because you shouldn’t have to figure this out alone. Not when the system failed you. Not when you’re exhausted. Not when your body is screaming for help.

Ready to Heal the Root?

If you’re dealing with chronic sinus issues, bloating, anxiety, weight gain, food intolerance, or that mysterious feeling that something’s deeply off—you’re probably right.

And I want to help you fix it at the root.

Escaping the Swampland: How Low-Fat Diets Restore Metabolic Health

A very low-fat meal of chicken breast and roasted potatoes.

For years, the nutrition world has oscillated wildly between extremes—first vilifying fat, then idolizing it. Low-fat was once the gold standard, and then keto swooped in, promising effortless weight loss and boundless energy. But what if both sides missed something crucial?

As Denise Minger argued in her article In Defense of Low-Fat, we’ve thrown out a therapeutic tool that once delivered profound results. What if a very low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet (we're talking 10–15% of calories from fat) holds the key—not as a permanent way of eating, but as a metabolic reset? Evidence from forgotten clinical trials and powerful case studies shows that this approach can restore insulin sensitivity, reverse chronic illness, and reboot a damaged metabolism. Then, fat can be slowly reintroduced without regaining dysfunction.

Why Not Just Go Keto?

Low-carb and ketogenic diets can be effective at suppressing symptoms of metabolic dysfunction by removing carbohydrates, thereby reducing the need for insulin. But this doesn't mean the underlying issue—insulin resistance—is resolved.

In fact, long-term keto often leads to a condition known as physiological insulin resistance, where the body adapts to chronic carbohydrate deprivation by downregulating glucose uptake and storage. This is a protective, adaptive response—but it’s not without consequences. Over time, many keto followers develop signs of prediabetes, elevated fasting insulin, decreased thyroid function, and declining metabolic rate—even while continuing to restrict carbohydrates.

In other words, the damage can happen even if carbs are never reintroduced. Biomarkers may initially improve, but over time, thyroid function drops, stress hormones rise, and lipotoxicity—the accumulation of excess fat in organs and tissues—leads to chronic disease formation.

Then, when carbohydrates are reintroduced, things can get worse. Former keto dieters often experience blood sugar spikes, extreme fatigue, and rapid weight gain, even with modest carb intake. This isn’t just because they’re eating carbs again—it’s because their metabolism was never truly healed.

In contrast, low-fat, high-carb diets can retrain the body to use glucose effectively. They restore thyroid output, improve metabolic rate, and allow for metabolic flexibility.

WHY 10-15% FAT WORKS METABOLICALLY

What happens when you drop dietary fat to just 10-15% of your total calories? A lot more than you might think. This section summarizes five of the most well-established mechanisms explaining how very low-fat diets improve insulin sensitivity, metabolic rate, and overall health—even in the absence of calorie restriction or weight loss. Each mechanism is supported by peer-reviewed studies that collectively demonstrate how strategic fat reduction can rapidly restore glucose tolerance, repair thyroid function, and reduce the fat buildup in organs that drives chronic disease. These are not fringe ideas—they’re grounded in clinical evidence from both historic and modern trials.

To make this section easier to follow, each point includes a quick plain-language takeaway followed by a "Science Spotlight" for readers who want to dive deeper into the details.

1. Reduces Intramyocellular Lipids (IMCL)

Plain-language takeaway:
Cutting fat intake lowers fat droplets in muscle cells, improving insulin’s ability to help glucose enter cells.

Science Spotlight:
Total dietary fat—not just fat type—drives IMCL levels. In a 25‑day controlled feeding trial, subjects on a low-fat (≈31% energy from fat) diet had significantly lower muscle fat than on higher-fat diets (~36–38%). While the direct impact on insulin wasn't measured, this confirms that reducing dietary fat effectively lowers IMCL.

Study: St-Onge MP, et al. Am J Clin Nutr., 2007.

2. Lowers Lipotoxicity and Improves Mitochondrial Function

Plain-language takeaway:
Reducing dietary fat eases the fat burden on liver and pancreas, helping them function better—even before much weight is lost.

Science Spotlight:
In an 8‑week, 600 kcal/day liquid formula (20% fat) for people with type 2 diabetes, liver fat dropped ~70% and pancreatic fat declined significantly within a week. Insulin sensitivity and beta‑cell function were restored, supporting the “Twin Cycle” hypothesis

Study: Lim EL, et al. Diabetologia, 2011.

3. Improves Glucose Oxidation and Carb Tolerance

Plain-language takeaway:
When fat dominates, carb burning gets pushed aside. Lower fat intake lets the body efficiently use carbohydrates again.

Science Spotlight:
The Randle Cycle describes how high fat intake suppresses glucose oxidation. While we didn’t find a single big study to cite, decades of biochemical and clinical research confirm that lowering fat (and increasing carbs) shifts metabolism toward burning glucose more efficiently.

Foundational concept: Randle PJ, et al. Lancet, 1963. Also: Hue L, Taegtmeyer H. Am J Physiol, 2009.

4. Restores Thyroid Function + Reverses Adaptive Insulin Resistance

Plain-language takeaway:
High-carb, very-low-fat eating boosts active thyroid hormones (T3), improving metabolism and reversing the body’s adaptation to insulin resistance.

Science Spotlight:
Back in 1979, Danforth showed that switching to a high-carb, low-fat diet raised metabolic rate and increased thyroid hormone output—confirming early on that diet composition can “reactivate” thyroid function after low-carb suppression.

Study: Danforth E Jr., et al., 1979.

5. Reversal of Type 2 Diabetes Without Major Weight Loss

Plain-language takeaway:
You don’t have to lose huge amounts of weight to reverse diabetes. Cutting dietary fat—even while calories remain low—can restore blood sugar control in weeks.

Science Spotlight:
Lim’s 600 kcal/day formula diet—very low in fat—reversed diabetes in 11 obese patients: liver/pancreas fat fell ~30% in just 7 days, fasting glucose normalized, and beta-cell function was restored—all with only ~4% body weight loss

Study: Lim EL, et al. Diabetologia, 2011.

Low-Fat Isn’t What You Think It Is

Clinical low-fat diets that reversed disease used <10% fat, but modern “low fat” studies define it as 30% of calories—aka the swampland, a metabolic dead zone. This is Denise Minger's biggest point: we have redefined "low fat" in a way that neuters its therapeutic benefit.

She calls the middle zone a macronutrient swamp, where neither ketosis nor full-carb metabolism can happen cleanly. This is where modern Western diets live: moderate fat, moderate carb, high inflammation.

Why Fat Levels Should Shift With Your Metabolism

This approach uses phase-based fat manipulation, which mirrors what’s supported in the research. In the reset phase, fat is kept very low (~10%) to rapidly restore insulin sensitivity and reduce intramyocellular lipids and lipotoxicity. During the build phase, fat increases slightly (10–15%) to support glycogen storage and muscle growth while still maintaining insulin sensitivity. In the cut phase, fat stays low (10–12%) to accelerate fat loss without suppressing thyroid or metabolic rate. As you transition into the reverse phase, fat is slowly reintroduced (12–15%) while monitoring for signs of intolerance. Finally, in the maintenance phase, fat may rise to 15–30%, allowing for metabolic flexibility—if tolerated without compromising energy levels, digestion, or blood sugar.

How to Turn This Into a Metabolic Protocol

Here’s a strategic layout you can use for yourself or clients:

1. Metabolic Reset

   • Fat intake: 10% or less

   • Carbs: 70–75%, emphasis on fruit, juice, tubers, sugar

   • Protein: 15–20%, including collagen, dairy, lean meats

   • Goal: clear lipotoxicity, restore glucose oxidation, raise temps/pulse

2. Cut or Build (depending on body comp goals)

   • Fat: still 10–12% to maintain insulin sensitivity

   • Carbs: as high as tolerable

   • Protein: increased for muscle retention/building

3. Reverse and Maintenance

   • Slowly increase fat to 15–30% of calories

   • Monitor weight, body temp, libido, and mood

   • Add saturated fats first (dairy, cocoa butter), limit PUFA forever

Summary

• Temporary fat reduction to 10% has been shown to reverse insulin resistance, MS, and heart disease

• Fat impairs insulin signaling (via IMCLs), blocks glucose oxidation (Randle cycle), delays insulin clearance, and inflames organs like the pancreas and liver—even in healthy people

• Restoring carb metabolism requires clearing IMCLs and lipotoxicity

• “Low fat” = <10%, not 30% (which is the swamp zone)

• Use this approach as a short-term metabolic reset, not a permanent solution

• Slowly increase fat after the reset—up to 15–30% for long-term balance

The goal isn’t to stay low-fat forever. It’s to lose fat the right way—by restoring true metabolic health.

Let carbs and fat be friends again—but only after your body can handle it.

The Hidden Hypothyroid Cost of Low-Carb Diets

Low-carb diets promise a lot: quick weight loss, stable blood sugar, reduced cravings. And for a while, they deliver. But beneath the surface, a silent cost builds—especially for women. That cost is your thyroid.

Despite the early wins, long-term carbohydrate restriction can suppress thyroid function, reduce metabolic rate, and derail hormonal balance. The end result? A crash back to reality that often looks and feels like classic hypothyroidism.

Let’s break down what’s really happening—and how to spot it.

Why Carbs Matter for Thyroid Health

Carbohydrates play a direct role in the production and conversion of thyroid hormones:

• Glucose is required for the conversion of T4 (inactive thyroid hormone) into T3 (the active, metabolism-boosting form).

• Carbohydrate intake keeps liver glycogen stores full, which supports stable blood sugar and reduces cortisol output.

• Without carbs, the body often elevates cortisol and adrenaline to maintain glucose levels—a state that suppresses T3 and slows metabolic function.

In short, your thyroid needs carbs to function properly. Depriving it long term is like trying to heat your house with the pilot light off.

Classic Symptoms of Low-Carb-Induced Hypothyroidism

Whether you’re keto, carnivore, or just living on meat and greens, here are the signs your metabolism may be tanking:

• Cold hands and feet

• Hair thinning or loss (especially in the shower or brush)

• Constipation

• Low body temperature (especially morning temps below 97.5°F)

• Fatigue, even after a full night’s sleep

• Brain fog or difficulty concentrating

• Dry skin

• Depression or emotional flatness

• Low libido

• Irregular or missing menstrual cycles

• Weight gain despite low-calorie intake

These are not "normal aging." They're signs of a body running on survival mode.

Why Women Are Hit Harder

Women are particularly sensitive to drops in thyroid hormone and overall energy availability. Why?

• Reproductive health depends on adequate thyroid and carbohydrate intake.

• Female hormones (especially progesterone) require sufficient glucose to be produced and maintained.

• The female body is wired to prioritize fertility and survival over fat loss—so when carbs drop, thyroid downshifts to conserve energy.

Many women on long-term low-carb diets experience amenorrhea (loss of periods), hypothyroid symptoms, and difficulty building or maintaining muscle mass. Some even lose their ability to tolerate carbohydrates at all—a condition known as physiological insulin resistance.

The Vicious Cycle of Carb Avoidance

Here’s the trap: low-carb lowers T3 and reduces your ability to metabolize carbs efficiently. Then, when you finally reintroduce carbs, your blood sugar spikes, you feel awful, and you assume carbs are the problem.

But they’re not. Your metabolism is just out of practice.

How to Heal: The Pro-Metabolic Alternative

The good news? You can rebuild. The key is to gently increase carbohydrate intake while supporting thyroid function and reducing stress.

Start with:

• Whole fruit, root vegetables, and honey

• Bone broth and gelatin for glycine and gut support

• Dairy (if tolerated) for calcium and fat-soluble vitamins

• Salt for adrenal support

• Nutrients like magnesium, selenium, and vitamin A

Aim for consistent, balanced meals with protein, carbs, and a little fat. And track your body temperature—it’s a real-time window into thyroid health.

Bottom Line

Low-carb diets may feel like magic in the beginning, but long-term they can cost you your thyroid, your cycle, and your spark.

If you’re cold, tired, and stuck—don’t double down on restriction. Rebuild with carbs. Reignite your thyroid. And reclaim the energy your body was meant to have.

Scientific References

1. Carbs and T3 Conversion

• Study: Effects of caloric and carbohydrate restriction on thyroid hormone metabolism in obese patients.

• Source: The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1982.

• Link: https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem-54-2-386

• Summary: Carbohydrate restriction significantly reduced serum T3, even when total calories were adequate. Low-carb diets suppressed active thyroid hormone conversion.

2. Low-Carb Increases Cortisol and Stress Hormones

• Study: Cortisol is elevated during ketosis in lean and obese humans.

• Source: The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1994.

• Link: https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.79.6.7989461

• Summary: Low-carb diets increase cortisol levels, likely to maintain blood glucose through gluconeogenesis in the absence of dietary carbs.

3. Physiological Insulin Resistance on Low-Carb

• Study: Insulin resistance is a physiological response to reduced carbohydrate availability during ketogenic diets.

• Source: Nutrition & Metabolism, 2009.

• Link: https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-6-2

• Summary: Long-term low-carb diets can cause physiological insulin resistance, making it harder to tolerate carbs upon reintroduction.

4. Women’s Hormones, Fertility, and Carb Availability

• Study: Effects of carbohydrate restriction on reproductive hormones in healthy women.

• Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007.

• Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/85.3.779

• Summary: Reduced carbohydrate intake lowered LH, estradiol, and progesterone levels, disrupting ovulatory function.

5. Thyroid and Energy Availability

• Study: Low energy availability suppresses thyroid function and menstrual cycle in women.

• Source: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2000.

• Link: https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-200005000-00015

• Summary: Women with chronically low energy availability had reduced T3 levels and disrupted reproductive hormones.

6. Glycogen and T3 Regulation

• Study: Hepatic carbohydrate metabolism and the control of thyroid hormone metabolism.

• Source: Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2000.

• Summary: Liver glycogen stores are necessary for efficient T4 to T3 conversion; depleted glycogen impairs this process.

Why High-Fat and High-Carb Together Break Your Metabolism

🌀 The Metabolic Trap No One’s Talking About: How High-Fat + High-Carb Created a Modern Swampland

For decades, we’ve swung on the nutritional pendulum—from the sugar-fearing keto camp to the cereal-clinging standard American diet. Each side claims dominance. But what if neither is right—and both are part of the same metabolic trap?

In her provocative article "In Defense of Low-Fat," Denise Minger delivers a powerful insight: the real culprit behind modern metabolic disease isn’t carbs or fats alone—it’s the toxic combination of both. She describes our modern diet as:

“...the macronutrient ‘swamp land’ ... a toxic combination [of] very processed carbohydrates with industrial vegetable oils..."

That "swampland" isn’t just metaphor—it’s a metabolic dead zone. Dense with both fat and sugar, sludge-thick with excess calories, and stagnant with the confusion of dual-fuel overload, it has left millions inflamed, fatigued, and hormonally dysregulated.

from https://deniseminger.com/2015/10/06/in-defense-of-low-fat-a-call-for-some-evolution-of-thought-part-1/

🌀 The Metabolic Trap No One’s Talking About: How High-Fat + High-Carb Created a Modern Swampland

As Denise illustrates in her now-iconic diagram, the "magic" of dietary healing happens on either end of the fat spectrum—very low fat (<10% of calories) or very high fat (>65%). But in the middle, where most modern diets live, lies the metabolic danger zone. This is where processed carbs meet industrial fats, and where dysfunction takes root.

It’s worth noting that not everyone responds to this middle ground the same way. Cultures like the French, for example, often appear metabolically resilient even with a diet that includes upward of 30% of calories from fat. Why? Because their fat tends to come from traditional sources—like butter and cream—not industrial seed oils. Their diets also lack the decades of metabolic insult common in America: no childhood Pop-Tarts, no seed-oil-laced crackers in preschool, no 20-year history of low-fat processed diet foods and metabolic suppression.

In short: they aren’t broken. Americans, on the other hand, are exiting decades of metabolic damage—PUFA overload, stress, under-eating, low thyroid, and insulin resistance. We don’t tolerate the swamp nearly as well.

⚠️ Dual Fuel Disaster: The Real Root of Metabolic Breakdown

Human metabolism is designed to be flexible, but not omnivorous at the extremes. Carbohydrates and fats use distinct entry points into the mitochondria: glucose enters glycolysis and is funneled into the Krebs cycle, while fats undergo beta-oxidation before converging on the same pathway. This means the body can either be in a carb-burning mode or a fat-burning mode—but not both simultaneously without creating metabolic friction.

When both substrates are present in abundance, the cell prioritizes glucose oxidation and stalls fat oxidation. The excess fats, especially polyunsaturated and industrial oils, are stored or shuttled into ectopic fat depots like the liver and pancreas. This leads to mitochondrial overload, oxidative stress, and inflammatory signaling that disrupts insulin sensitivity and thyroid conversion.

This is why metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver, PCOS, and obesity often arise from diets high in both refined carbs and fat—not one or the other alone.

🥶 Keto: A Temporary Relief, Not a Long-Term Fix

Keto works in the short term by removing the metabolic conflict. With glucose absent, the body switches fully to fat-burning mode. This can temporarily relieve blood sugar swings, reduce inflammation, and support weight loss.

But long-term carb restriction triggers adaptations that come at a cost:

• T3 (active thyroid hormone) decreases, slowing basal metabolic rate.

• Leptin and insulin signaling decline, increasing appetite and impairing fertility.

• The gut microbiome shifts, often reducing diversity and impairing motility.

• The body becomes glucose-intolerant—not because carbs are bad, but because it's been forced to adapt to their absence.

Women are particularly sensitive to these stress signals due to higher progesterone requirements, lower muscle mass, and complex reproductive needs. Eventually, signs like cold extremities, hair thinning, low libido, and cycle irregularity creep in.

Keto doesn’t cure the swamp—it just relocates you to the other end of the map.

🌿 Our Ancestral Template: High-Carb, Low-Fat—and Thriving

Evolutionarily, carbohydrates were abundant in most human environments. Wild fruit, starchy tubers, honey, and seasonal plant foods formed the core of many diets. Fat—especially in large quantities—was rare. Wild animals, particularly in warm climates, carry very little body fat. Even large ruminants like elk or bison offer mostly lean meat with limited fat stores.

Anthropological evidence and metabolic logic suggest our physiology was shaped around a carbohydrate-dominant, low-fat intake pattern:

• High-carb intake supports active thyroid hormone levels and thermogenesis.

• It boosts serotonin and progesterone production, stabilizing mood and cycle health.

• It facilitates efficient bile flow and digestive motility.

• It allows for higher total calorie intake with less fat storage, due to low respiratory quotient interference.

In contrast to today’s abundance of deep-fried starches, our ancestors did not dip tubers in seed oils or chase fruit with cheese. They ate clean-burning carbs with lean protein and tiny amounts of natural fat—and thrived.

🚪 Getting Out of Swampland Mode: The Case for High-Carb, Low-Fat

Modern metabolic dysfunction is not about “too many carbs” or “too much fat.” It’s about the chronic coexistence of both in hyper-palatable, processed forms. Bagels with cream cheese, fries in soybean oil, donuts, pizza—each is a swamp trap.

The escape isn’t restriction. It’s selectivity. Choose your primary fuel and stick with it.

The pro-metabolic approach favors high-carb, low-fat eating because it restores the body’s default operating mode:

• Glucose fuels the brain, liver, muscles, and reproductive tissues with precision.

• Insulin works efficiently to shuttle nutrients into cells.

• The liver clears estrogen and metabolizes thyroid hormones optimally.

• Digestion becomes robust again, especially when fat intake is low enough to allow consistent bile turnover.

When you stop asking your body to juggle dueling fuels, it finally gets to perform.

💡 Bottom Line: Choose the Right Fuel—Not All of Them

We’ve spent decades playing metabolic whack-a-mole—vilifying carbs, then fat, then sugar, then meat. But the true villain is the swamp in the middle: high-fat, high-carb chaos with no clear energy direction.

If you want to heal your metabolism, ditch the swamp. Pick a side—and if you’re seeking long-term repair, radiant warmth, stable hormones, and metabolic flexibility, high-carb, low-fat is your best bet.

Eat like your ancestors: fresh fruit, honey, roots, squash, lean meats, gelatin, dairy, and a touch of natural fat.

This isn’t a fad. It’s human physiology done right.

Time to rise from the swamp—and run hot again. ✨

Molasses: The Forgotten Superfood with Deep Roots and Big Benefits

For something once as common as table salt, molasses has all but disappeared from modern kitchens. Yet for generations, it was a staple—used daily, valued as a rich source of minerals, and considered a blood-builder, particularly for women. In the rush to demonize “sugar,” we threw the baby out with the bathwater. Molasses isn't just sugar—it’s what's left behind when sugar is refined, and it’s arguably the most nourishing part.

It’s time to bring it back.

A Brief History of Molasses

Molasses is a byproduct of sugar cane or sugar beet processing. When cane is crushed and boiled to extract sucrose, the thick, dark syrup that remains is molasses. Unlike refined white sugar, which has been stripped of all micronutrients, molasses is rich in minerals, especially iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and manganese. In early American history, molasses was more common than sugar. It was a major trade item and a go-to sweetener in baking, beverages, and even remedies.

In many traditional cultures, molasses was used as a postpartum tonic, a fertility booster, and a digestive aid. Its deep mineral content made it an ideal food to restore depleted bodies—especially in times when access to animal foods was limited or iron-rich organs weren’t regularly consumed.

Why Molasses Is a Metabolic Ally

Ray Peat consistently highlighted the benefits of simple sugars—especially in the form of fruit juice, honey, and even refined white sugar—when consumed in the context of a nutrient-rich, low-PUFA diet. He viewed sugar not as a threat, but as a fuel, particularly for the liver, thyroid, and nervous system.

According to Peat, sugars like sucrose (glucose + fructose) can help regulate blood sugar, support thyroid conversion (T4 to T3), replenish liver glycogen, and blunt the stress response by lowering cortisol and adrenaline. He even preferred sugar over starch for many people, pointing out that starch feeds endotoxin-producing bacteria and often triggers more erratic insulin and serotonin spikes.

Molasses fits beautifully into this paradigm: it offers the same metabolic fuel as white sugar, but with a rich payload of minerals that help replenish what modern life depletes. It’s sugar, yes—but it’s sugar with a purpose.

Here’s what 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses provides:

• Iron: ~3.5 mg (nearly 20% of daily needs for women)

• Calcium: ~115 mg

• Magnesium: ~50 mg

• Potassium: ~500 mg

• Manganese and copper: Small but significant amounts

That’s a mineral bomb in a single spoon.

Molasses supports:

• Red blood cell production (thanks to iron, copper, B6)

• Bone health and calcium metabolism (with calcium + magnesium)

• Electrolyte balance (with potassium and magnesium)

• Blood sugar regulation when consumed with protein or in the context of a nutrient-dense meal

Unlike white sugar, it doesn’t just spike blood glucose and leave you depleted—it can actually replete you, especially if you’re low in key minerals due to stress, overtraining, restrictive dieting, or heavy menstrual cycles.

Ways to Eat Molasses

Molasses has a rich, bittersweet flavor with deep caramel notes—think less like maple syrup and more like espresso-meets-brownie. If it’s too intense for you, start slow.

Some favorite ways to incorporate it:

• In milk: Stir 1–2 tsp into warm raw or grass-fed milk (add vanilla, cinnamon, or a pinch of salt for a cozy mineral latte)

• In smoothies: Blend 1 tsp into a banana or cacao-based smoothie with collagen and yogurt

• In oatmeal: Use in place of brown sugar, or swirl into cooked oats with butter or coconut cream

• In meat marinades or sauces: Molasses pairs beautifully with mustard, apple cider vinegar, or tamari

• Off the spoon: If you're low on iron, a small spoonful with a piece of fruit or some cheese can do wonders

Best Practices and Considerations

Choose unsulfured blackstrap molasses, ideally organic. Sulfured molasses may contain preservatives that can be irritating for sensitive individuals.

For those with blood sugar issues, combine molasses with protein and fat (like full-fat yogurt or cheese) to blunt any potential glucose spike. That said, the glycemic index of molasses is much lower than that of white sugar or corn syrup.

If you're anemic, molasses can be a food-first alternative to iron supplements, especially if your stomach doesn’t tolerate iron pills. But it works best long term—not as a quick fix.

Summary

Molasses is more than an old-school sweetener—it's a forgotten mineral tonic with deep nutritional roots. Unlike refined sugar, it nourishes while it energizes, supports healthy iron levels, and replenishes minerals depleted by stress, restriction, or intense training.

If your body is craving something sweet, dark, and grounding—don’t reach for a candy bar. Try a spoonful of blackstrap molasses. Your metabolism, thyroid, and mitochondria might thank you.

Why Eating More Might Be the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Metabolism

What Is Energy Availability (EA) and Why Does It Matter?

If you’ve been cutting calories, skipping meals, or living off caffeine and willpower—but still feel tired, cold, bloated, or stuck—it’s not just you. And it’s not your fault. For decades, women have been told to eat less, move more, and avoid sugar at all costs. But modern science (and old-school common sense) tells a different story: your body needs fuel—real, consistent fuel—to thrive.

That’s where Energy Availability (EA) comes in. It’s a scientific way to describe how much energy your body has left over after exercise to run all the things that actually keep you alive: thyroid hormone production, detoxification, digestion, menstrual cycles, sleep, brain function, and immunity. When EA is too low, your body doesn’t have enough left to run those systems, so it starts downshifting—hard.

Most modern Americans—especially women—aren’t even close to meeting minimum EA. Compared to our ancestors and even our 1950s-era grandparents, we eat fewer calories, far less carbohydrate, and often fear sugar while overconsuming fat. This cultural shift, combined with chronic stress and government-endorsed low-calorie guidelines, has contributed to widespread metabolic suppression, thyroid dysfunction, fatigue, digestive issues, food sensitivities, and even chronic disease. Low Energy Availability is often the root cause—hidden beneath the surface of good intentions and “clean eating.” If you’ve ever felt like you’re “doing everything right” but still experiencing fatigue, sleep disturbances, or hormonal chaos, there’s a high chance you’re not hitting your EA.

Defining Energy Availability

Energy Availability is the amount of dietary energy left over for your body to run all its internal systems after you’ve accounted for exercise. In other words, it’s what’s left to support your thyroid, fertility, digestion, brain function, and immune system after movement is subtracted.

Scientifically, it’s defined as: EA = (Energy Intake - Exercise Energy Expenditure) / Lean Body Mass (kg)

Research suggests that a minimum of 45 kcal per kilogram of lean body mass (LBM) is required to maintain full physiological function in females. Anything under 30 kcal/kg LBM is considered Low Energy Availability (LEA), a state that induces metabolic suppression and hormonal dysfunction. (Loucks et al., 1998)

This is especially relevant for women who have dieted chronically, come from keto or intermittent fasting backgrounds, or engage in high levels of exercise.

How We Got Here: Modern Eating vs. Ancestral Fueling

Modern Americans are eating far less energy—and far less carbohydrate—than our ancestors or even our grandparents. Post-WWII nutrition advice began to shift public perception toward fear of sugar and cholesterol, promoting high-fat, low-carb eating patterns and chronic caloric restriction.

Government dietary guidelines—like the 1,200–1,600 calorie "weight loss plans" pushed on women—have normalized under-eating. These intake levels, combined with stress, blue light exposure, and stimulant overuse (coffee for breakfast, anyone?), mean most people are running on fumes.

Compare that to the 1930s–1950s, when women often ate 2,400–2,800 calories daily, relied on carbohydrates like milk, fruit, potatoes, and sourdough, and had far less metabolic disease.

What Happens When EA Is Too Low?

When you don’t eat enough to meet your energy needs, the body compensates. Hormones drop. Cortisol rises. Non-essential systems—like reproduction and digestion—get dialed down to conserve resources.

Common symptoms of LEA include:

• Insomnia, especially waking at 2–4 a.m.

• Low libido, infertility, or missing periods

• Cold hands and feet

• Anxiety or depression

• Constipation and bloating

• Weight loss resistance despite low intake

• Weak immunity and poor wound healing

From a functional medicine perspective, low EA often underpins issues like hypothyroidism, estrogen dominance, and adrenal fatigue. You can’t out-supplement an energy deficit.

How to Calculate Your EA (and Fix It)

1. Estimate your Lean Body Mass (LBM): This can be measured using InBody scans, DEXA, or estimated based on body fat %.

2. Multiply LBM (in kg) by 45: This is your minimum intake goal in kcal/day.

   • Example: A woman with 50 kg LBM needs at least 2,250 kcal/day.

3. Add back food slowly if you’ve been under-eating: Reverse dieting is a strategic way to avoid weight gain while restoring EA.

4. Minimize cardio: Excess cardio drains available energy and prolongs LEA. Focus on strength training and low-intensity walking or Zone 2 movement.

5. Track consistently: Use tools like Cronometer to ensure you're hitting total calories. Prioritize meeting energy first, then macros.

Scientific References

• Loucks, A. B., et al. (1998). Energy availability, not body fatness, regulates reproductive function in women. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews.

• Mountjoy, M., et al. (2014). Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) Consensus Statement. British Journal of Sports Medicine.

• Melin, A., et al. (2015). Energy availability and the female athlete triad in active women. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.

Final Thoughts: EA Is the Foundation

You can’t rebuild your metabolism, restore your hormones, or heal your gut if you’re operating from a place of scarcity.

Energy Availability is the bare minimum—not a luxury. And while the mainstream may still push "eat less, move more," the science is clear: under-eating doesn’t just slow weight loss, it shuts down vitality.

Start by fueling generously, tracking accurately, and honoring your body's demand for nourishment. Reaching your EA is the difference between surviving and thriving.

🛏️ Sleep Like a Metabolic Champ

Pro-Metabolic Strategies for Deep, Restorative Sleep

😴 Sleep is not a luxury. It's one of the most metabolic processes your body performs. If you're waking up at 2–3 a.m., tossing and turning, or dragging yourself through the day, your sleep setup—and your metabolism—needs an overhaul.

Here’s how to dial in sleep support using science-backed and pro-metabolic principles:

🌞 Support Your Circadian Rhythm

• Get sunlight first thing in the morning—at least 10 minutes outdoors helps anchor your circadian rhythm.

• Use incandescent light bulbs during the day (avoid LEDs and CFLs), which mimic natural light and support energy without damaging blue light.

• No screens 1 hour before bed—phones and TVs blast your brain with cortisol-spiking blue light.

• Switch to amber light bulbs or red night lights in your bedside lamp and bathroom at night.

• Consider blue light-blocking glasses after sunset if screen use is unavoidable.

🌡️ Create a Sleep Sanctuary

• Keep your room cool and dark—ideal temperature is 65–68°F.

• Use blackout curtains, turn off or cover any blinking lights, and ban all electronics from the bedroom.

• No nightlights unless they’re red/amber spectrum only (and low wattage).

🍯 Balance Your Blood Sugar for Sleep

• Night wakings (especially between 2–4 a.m.) are usually a cortisol response to low glycogen.

• Eat a bedtime snack with carbs, protein, and salt to keep blood sugar stable through the night (e.g., warm milk + honey + pinch of salt).

• Avoid fasting or under-eating, especially if your total daily calories are below your minimum energy availability.

🧠 Calcium, Cortisol & Melatonin

• Calcium is a precursor to melatonin, and many women in LEA are deficient.

• Prioritize calcium-rich pro-metabolic foods: dairy, sardines, bone broth.

• If needed, supplement with food-based calcium (not citrate).

• If you're in low energy availability (LEA) or hypothyroid, insomnia is often your body screaming for nourishment.

💥 Low Energy = Low Sleep Quality

• Chronically low food intake leads to high cortisol, low melatonin, poor thyroid function, and restless sleep.

• Track your intake and make sure you're eating enough—especially carbs.

• Avoid extreme low-carb or low-fat diets; both impair sleep quality.

✅ Your Pro-Metabolic Sleep Checklist

• ☀️ Morning sun + incandescent light during the day

• 🧠 Amber or red light at night

• 📴 No screens 1 hour before bed

• 🌡️ Cool, dark, tech-free bedroom

• 🥛 Bedtime carb + protein + salt snack

• 🧀 Daily calcium-rich foods

• 💤 Hit your calorie target to avoid LEA

Sleep isn’t just about rest—it’s a reflection of your metabolic status. Optimize it, and you’ll feel the difference in your energy, mood, and healing speed.

Sleep like your metabolism depends on it—because it does. 🌙✨

How to Track Like a Pro with Cronometer

A Step-by-Step Guide to Hitting Your Macros and Mastering Metabolism

If you're ready to take your nutrition seriously—whether it's for weight loss, metabolic repair, gut healing, or simply getting your energy back—mastering Cronometer is non-negotiable. 🚀 Here's how to set yourself up for success and avoid the pitfalls that sabotage most people's progress.

Set Your Targets

Before you track anything, you need a clear destination. That means setting your calories and macros with intention—not guessing.

Start with calories.

• Use your current weight, estimated body fat %, and goals to determine your energy target. For many clients, we start with reverse dieting toward their minimum Energy Availability (EA), calculated as 45 kcal/kg of lean body mass.

Then set macros.

• Protein: 1 gram per pound of lean body mass (LBM) is the standard. Higher if underweight or coming off long-term restriction.

• Fat: Start with 12–25% of total calories. Go low (around 12–15%) if you're trying to lose fat or address gut issues.

• Carbs: Fill in the remaining calories with high-quality, easy-to-digest carbs. For most people, this is a slow climb up.

Set Up Cronometer Correctly

• Go to Settings > Targets > Energy Target.

  • Use "Custom Energy Target" and set it to your daily calorie goal.

• Go to Settings > Targets > Macronutrient Targets.

  • Enable "Fixed Values" so Cronometer doesn’t auto-adjust.

  • Choose "Custom" and input your exact targets (grams, not %).

Build Custom Meals and Recipes

Make life easier by creating your go-to meals and snacks:

• Under Foods > Custom Recipe, enter your breakfast smoothie, lunch salad, etc.

• Weigh everything once, input it once, and reuse it daily.

• Include common toppings and extras (e.g., butter on potatoes, honey in yogurt ).

Track Meals Strategically

• Aim to hit at least 70% of your daily protein and carb targets by lunch or afternoon snack.

• Save some fat for dinner and your bedtime snack—especially if you're on a low-fat protocol (e.g., <40g/day).

• Use the "Consumed" button until lunch to see how your %s are building.

• After lunch, switch to "Remaining" to visualize what macros you still need to hit with dinner and the bedtime snack.

Hit Your Macros with Precision

• Strive for 99–101% accuracy on all macros—protein, carbs, fat, and total calories.

• If there’s a mismatch between your macro totals and calorie totals, it’s usually due to bad food database entries. Be sure to hit your calorie goal!

• Any leftover calories at the end of the day should be assumed to come from carbohydrates. Don't try to "fix" it by adding protein or fat.

Nighttime Check-In: Finish Strong

• Always check your totals by dinner.

• Adjust final meals/snacks to meet macros exactly.

• Prioritize a bedtime carb + protein + salt snack to stabilize cortisol and support deep sleep (e.g., milk + honey + pinch of salt). =sleep magic.

Final Priorities

Meet your calorie target. This is non-negotiable. Under-eating by even 100 kcal/day adds up fast.

Meet each macro within 1%. This ensures hormonal balance, recovery, and energy.

Done right, this makes tracking second nature—and turns your metabolism into a finely tuned engine.

Stay consistent. Stay meticulous. And stay metabolically strong.

Why I Don’t Recommend Nuts, Seeds, Grains, or Legumes

Nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes are often promoted as health foods — packed with fiber, protein, and “healthy fats.” But if you're dealing with gut issues, low thyroid function, hormone imbalances, or chronic fatigue, these are the last foods you want in your diet.

Behind the wellness branding is a harsh biological reality: seeds are the most chemically defended foods in nature. And your body knows it.

🌱 They're All Seeds — and That’s the Problem

Whether you’re eating almonds, oats, black beans, or quinoa, you’re eating a seed. From an evolutionary standpoint, seeds are how plants reproduce — and they don’t want to be eaten. So they defend themselves with compounds designed to injure or deter predators.

In humans, that means:

• Phytic acid — binds to essential minerals like zinc, magnesium, and iron, making them unavailable

• Lectins & saponins — damage the gut lining and increase intestinal permeability

• Enzyme inhibitors — impair digestion and reduce protein absorption

• PUFAs (omega-6 linoleic acid) — suppress thyroid function, slow metabolism, and promote inflammation

These defenses don’t just block nutrients — they actively signal danger to your gut, liver, and endocrine system.

🦠 Gut Damage Starts Here

The modern rise in autoimmune disease, food sensitivities, IBS, and even anxiety and depression is directly linked to gut integrity. And seed foods are one of the primary offenders.

Their anti-nutrients inflame and weaken the intestinal lining, feed dysbiotic microbes, and block the nutrients your gut needs to repair itself.

If you’re using biofilm disruptors, antimicrobials, motility agents, or collagen — but still eating seeds — you’re working against yourself. I’ve seen client after client stay stuck in their healing until we remove nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes completely.

🔥 PUFA: The Root of Modern Disease

Polyunsaturated fats — especially omega-6 linoleic acid from seeds — are the single most damaging input in the modern diet. These oils are not just linked to hormone issues or sluggish thyroid. They are a primary driver of all chronic disease: obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, autoimmune conditions, infertility, neurodegeneration, and more.

PUFAs are highly unstable and oxidize easily, creating cellular damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and chronic inflammation at every level of the body.

Here’s what linoleic acid — the dominant omega-6 fat in seeds and seed oils — does to your system:

• Inhibits the conversion of T4 to active T3 (slowing thyroid output)

• Increases estrogen and lowers progesterone

• Suppresses fat burning and increases fat storage

• Damages mitochondrial respiration

• Drives oxidative stress and inflammatory cascades

• Alters cell membrane function and impairs detoxification

Sunflower seeds and almond butter are surprisingly concentrated sources of linoleic acid — the same inflammatory omega-6 fat found in industrial seed oils. A tablespoon of sunflower seeds contains roughly 4–5 grams of linoleic acid, while almond butter provides around 2–3 grams. For comparison, a tablespoon of soybean oil contains about 7 grams. These ‘health foods’ can quietly add up, pushing your total PUFA intake into disease-promoting territory — even without touching a bottle of oil.

Chronic disease formation begins when daily linoleic acid intake exceeds 5–10 grams. But studies show that insulin sensitivity can return within 30 to 90 days when total LA intake drops below 5 grams per day. Since even high-quality whole foods like eggs, poultry, and red meat contain small amounts, most people are already halfway to that limit — meaning there’s no margin for seeds, nut butters, or hidden oils if healing is the goal.

PUFAs are the Trojan horse of the modern health food industry — and until they’re removed, true healing remains out of reach.

🦜 You’re Not a Bird — You Don’t Have a Gizzard

Birds evolved a gizzard — a muscular organ that grinds up seeds with swallowed stones. Some animals produce enzymes that help them break down seed-based toxins. Humans have neither.

Most wild seeds are toxic or indigestible to humans in their raw state. Without processing, they are unsuitable as a regular food source. We simply don’t have the anatomy or enzymatic profile to eat them safely in large quantities.

🌍 What Traditional Cultures Knew

Ancient peoples were aware of this — and they respected seeds accordingly. Over generations, they developed methods to reduce seed toxicity: soaking, sprouting, fermenting (like sourdough), nixtamalizing corn, or removing the anti-nutrient-rich bran from rice to produce more digestible white rice.

Even with these precautions, seeds were never the centerpiece of ancestral diets. They were backup foods — used in times of scarcity, to stretch calories, or consumed in small, infrequent amounts.

The modern obsession with seed-based foods — nut milks, oat bars, flax smoothies, chickpea pasta — is completely unprecedented. And it’s come with a cost: metabolic collapse, digestive disease, hormonal breakdown, and chronic fatigue.

🧠 Hormones, Mental Health, and the Gut-Brain Axis

The damage seeds do isn’t just physical. Seed toxins affect neurotransmitter synthesis, stress hormone regulation, and blood sugar stability — all of which impact mental health. Gut permeability (leaky gut), triggered by lectins and saponins, allows inflammatory compounds into the bloodstream and brain, driving symptoms like brain fog, mood swings, anxiety, and insomnia.

PUFAs, meanwhile, suppress progesterone and promote estrogen dominance — a hormonal pattern tied to PMS, infertility, low libido, and autoimmune flares.

🚫 What to Do While You’re Healing

If you’re actively working to rebuild your gut, restore thyroid function, or reverse chronic illness, seeds don’t belong in your diet. Even properly prepared versions — sprouted oats, sourdough, white rice, nixtamalized corn — should be minimized until your digestion, hormones, and immune function are stable.

Once your system has healed, you may tolerate a small percentage of your calories from traditionally prepared seed foods — just as our ancestors did. But during the healing phase, the fastest results come from removing them entirely.

✅ What to Eat Instead

A true healing diet is anti-inflammatory, pro-digestive, and metabolically supportive:

• Pro-metabolic proteins: dairy, collagen, bone broth, eggs, high-quality meats

• Digestible carbs: ripe fruit, honey, maple syrup, white rice, cooked potatoes

• Safe fats: butter, coconut oil, cacao butter

• Gut support tools: gelatin, mineral salt, raw carrot, and targeted antimicrobials

This approach supports the gut lining, balances blood sugar, restores hormone production, and increases energy — without the inflammatory baggage of seeds.

🔊 Ray Peat Wisdom

“Nuts and seeds are rich in unsaturated fats and enzyme inhibitors, which are stressful to the body and interfere with digestion.”
“Plants don’t want you to eat their seeds — that’s why they load them with toxins, allergens, and irritants.”
“The increase in degenerative diseases in the 20th century parallels the increase in seed oil consumption.”

⚡ Final Thought

Seeds are not sacred — they’re plant defense mechanisms. If you’re struggling with gut issues, metabolic slowdown, hormone imbalance, or unexplained fatigue, seed foods are a hidden driver of stress.

Remove them, rebuild your system, and you’ll be shocked at how quickly things start working again.

Want help creating a seed-free, gut-healing, pro-metabolic plan?
Book a consult. I’ll show you how we combine collagen, anti-microbials, food-based healing, and macro strategy to help your body finally heal.