In my opinion, Wheat Belly
is a fascinating book. I recently
read it and am in the process of reading it a second time. I was drawn to the book after years of frustration with eating a morsel and gaining a pound. I have also been looking at the correlation between weight gain and, obesity and depression.
I learned over the years that many clinical studies have shown obesity and depression tend to be
co-morbid. That means they tend to occur together without necessarily
having a cause-and-effect relationship. Scientists naturally want to explore how they are connected when conditions tend to occur together. Does
obesity cause depression? Does depression cause obesity? Could there be a third
factor that is driving both conditions? These are essential questions because
we can better direct our research and treatment
efforts once we know the answers.
I happen to believe that
both obesity and depression are often driven by a third factor—our modern
Western diet. It is now clear that excessive fructose, mainly from sugar and
high fructose corn syrup, is the driving force behind insulin resistance and
central obesity. When you have insulin resistance, it takes more insulin to
drive glucose into your cells, and high insulin levels tend to trap fat inside of
cells that can't be used for energy. Recent evidence suggests excessive fructose can alter gut bacteria flora, contributing to
metabolic syndrome and obesity.
When you have insulin
resistance and consume rapidly absorbed carbohydrates, especially from grains, you have unstable glucose levels and
magnified glucose spikes. Over time, these glucose spikes can cause damage to
your nerve cells because, unlike most cells in your body, neurons don't
have an insulin gate. That's why diabetics tend to lose their nerve function
and develop neuropathy long before other organs in their body are damaged.
Over time, these toxic
glucose spikes can trigger a form of diffuse brain dysfunction, causing your brain to no longer function as intended. The first symptom you experience when
this happens is a craving for sweet and starchy food, pushing you to consume more
food and frying your brain. You can also develop mild brain
dysfunction symptoms like I have experienced for a few years now. This is fatigue, anxiety, mood
swings, and poor sleep. At this stage of brain dysfunction, you don't yet have a
disease because the symptoms are mild and variable.
I have learned there are
really two types of obesity. The most common type is associated with insulin
resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type II diabetes. The second type (MINE) of
obesity is when a person has excessive body fat without these adverse
metabolic markers. This type of obesity is seen when a person or lab animal is
over-fed healthy food. If you give enough nutritious food to any animal, they will
eventually develop this type of obesity.
The type of obesity
associated with sugar, HFCS, and grain-based carbohydrates is not dependent on
calories or over-feeding. People with this form of obesity, like me,
have excessive body fat, especially in the abdominal region.
After reading Wheat Belly,
I looked at the correlation between both types of obesity and depression. I
wanted to know about the connection between depression and people with
"metabolic obesity" and those who were obese but metabolically healthy. As it
turns out, people with metabolic issues were at an increased risk of later
developing depression. In contrast, those who were obese without metabolic matters
were not at an increased risk of developing depression.
How does this information
apply to me? I would rather not be obese or depressed. If insulin resistance
and metabolic syndrome are the gateway to most cases of obesity and many instances
of depression, the best strategy would be to prevent metabolic problems or treat them. The best way to limit my intake of insulin
resistance and metabolic syndrome dietary triggers is by using sugar, HFCS, and high glycemic carbohydrates, especially from grains.
Of course, this describes
most processed foods that form the core of the modern American diet. I am
trying hard to learn to eat real food, including meat, fowl, fish, seafood,
vegetables, and fruit. I'm not a big fan of milk because of its sugar content, but a reasonable amount of cheese is acceptable. I also limit my intake of legumes
because of their anti-nutrient content. Some would recognize this as a
Paleo-style diet. I simply call it a healthy diet.
If I learn to eat this
way, I should go a long way toward preventing the metabolic problems that seem
to lead to my obesity and depression.
I know Wheat is also
attributed to ADHD, PTSD, Anxiety disorders, Autism, Fibromyalgia, and Irritable bowel syndrome. I think that it's exciting, and I believe there is a connection between food and these common disorders.
Think about it. Would I rather take handfuls of pills for the rest of my
life, living in a daze, or simply change my diet?
This important study
clearly shows the relationship between consuming certain foods and depression.
In the years ahead, we will see more studies looking at the impact
of diet on common chronic diseases. My next read will be Gary Taube's "Good Calories, Bad Calories" and "Why We Get Fat."
I need to get a
hold of this life, as the past year has been far from enjoyable.
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