Carbohydrates

Current high consumption of starchy foods

Our civilisations have based their entire diet on carbohydrates, i.e. starchy foods such as cereals (wheat, rice, corn, barley, oats, millet, sorghum, etc.), legumes (beans, peas, fava beans, etc.) and potatoes.

It seems relevant to ask whether these foods are physiological for humans, i.e. adapted to our constitution and anatomy.

We can also ask ourselves what they actually do for us and what the possible effects of eating them are on the body.

Our distant ancestors did not eat starch!

Cereal consumption dates back 10,000 to 15,000 years, to the Neolithic period, when humans settled down and began to cultivate land.

Cereals have the advantage that they can be stored, providing a reserve of nutrients available throughout the year.

For 10,000 years we have eaten mainly starchy foods, whereas 3 million years ago Homo sapiens and related species evolved with almost no starch in their diet.

In the Paleolithic, humans ate mainly fruits, plants, tubers and animal products (meat, insects, eggs, etc.).

The Neolithic is characterised by a change in diet that is unprecedented in human history.

This change had a direct impact on health.

A series of pathologies began to appear...

Starches, those complex sugars that clog us up.

Starches are complex sugars. They come in the form of long chains of sugars, like strings of pearls, which the body has to cut up with 'scissors' called enzymes.

When cooked starches are eaten, undigested residues are left, which clump together in the intestines. These undigested residues form a kind of glue in the intestines.

This glue attracts and nourishes a whole pathogenic flora, such as Candida albican, a fungus that is naturally present but which, in excess, causes fungal proliferation and the pathologies associated with this candidiasis.

This pathogenic flora is simply the consequence of this encrustation. It is therefore wrong to condemn it as such. If it is there, it is because we create the conditions for it to develop.

The clogging of the intestinal mucosa by these adhesions will be the starting point of many diseases.

This blockage leads to inflammation of the mucosa and ultimately to intestinal hyperpermeability.

In this way, the toxins associated with your poor digestion will not only remain in the intestines, but will also be released into the internal environment, congesting the various organs of the body, overloading the lymphatic system and the mucosal organs (organs that allow the elimination of bodily wastes).

However, these adhesives are not only found in the intestines. They are also usually found in the upper part of the body: the head and the bronchi.

These mucins clog, congest and stick to the organs in this area, as well as all the other organs, altering and preventing their normal functioning.

One of the glands that is particularly important for endocrine function is the thyroid gland. In some people, the thyroid gland can become clogged and then malfunction or degenerate.

The body will attempt to eliminate these toxins by producing mucus in the various mucous membranes, but also through the skin via the sebaceous glands.

This leads to the following manifestations and pathologies:

Congestion of the otolaryngological sphere
Skin rashes and all skin diseases (eczema, impetigo, etc.)
Excess cerumen (earwax)
Agglutination of secretion in the corner of the eye
But also, in the long term, congestion of other organs and glands...

It is the lymphatic system that manages these toxins and overloading it can have disastrous effects throughout the body.

Cooking starches

Cooking starches changes their chemical properties.

For example, cooked starches have additional bonds in the simple sugar chains, forming molecules that are poorly metabolised by the body.

These starches are therefore only partially digested.

Not being fully digested is a problem for the human organism as a whole.

In fact, poorly digested food does not continue its journey properly through the digestive system (which runs from the mouth to the anus). It gets stuck in various places, especially in the intestines.

The undigested food is then deposited along the entire intestinal lining.

This is not insignificant as it irritates it, creates porosity, intestinal hyperpermeability and reduces the chances of absorption of nutrients present in future digested food (because it is through the intestinal mucosa that we absorb nutrients!)

This inevitably leads to inflammation due to irritation and the holes created in the mucosa. This phenomenon can be the cause of many digestive, autoimmune, chronic and inflammatory diseases:

Although cooking denatures the starch and changes its appearance to make it less digestible, raw starches can also be a problem.

The case of green bananas is a case in point. In a congested or developing (baby) digestive system, the consumption of unripe bananas can lead to a real slowing down of intestinal transit, evidence of our digestive system's failure to adapt to the consumption of starches, even raw ones.

Empty calories?

Starches, like all sugars, provide energy in the form of calories, but these calories are accompanied by few or no vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes...

They are therefore empty calories.

In order to assimilate these empty calories, the body has to use up its reserves of minerals and vitamins. This leads to demineralisation.

More specifically, this leads to the weakening of the teeth (caries), bone loss, hair loss and acidification of the body, resulting in a chronic localised and/or generalised state of inflammation.

Slow sugars, fast sugars?

Sometimes we still hear about slow and fast sugars, referring to their effect on blood sugar. This unfounded notion has now been abandoned.

When it comes to blood sugar, it is the glycaemic index (GI) or insulin index that is important to look at.

But we know that the glycaemic response of foods depends on many other factors.

What used to be called slow sugars (cereals and starches) paradoxically have a high GI.

Except for pulses. In fact, most cereals are consumed in their refined form.

On the other hand, so-called fast sugars, such as fruit, have a lower glycaemic index than all cereals and potatoes.

So when you eat grains, vegetables or fruit, your blood glucose level will inevitably rise.

But it does not rise and fall in the same way, which has very different effects on the body.

When blood sugar rises, the pancreas responds by producing a hormone called "insulin".

It is the pancreas that allows the blood sugar to fall thanks to the insulin secreted.

Insulin's role is to "order" the body's cells to absorb glucose (sugar), thus limiting the amount of sugar circulating in the blood.

Therefore, the less we eat physiological food, especially food with a high GI, the more the body (intestines, stomach, pancreas, cells, etc.) has to work.

Eventually, some organs can become blocked and exhausted because they are unable to assimilate this type of food.

Foods with a high GI (> 70):

Blood glucose rises sharply and rapidly, sending a large load of sugar into the blood and cells.

This is called 'hyperglycaemia' or 'peak hyperglycaemia'.

Then the curve drops and falls well below the threshold (average normal blood glucose). This is called "hypoglycaemia" or "peak hypoglycaemia".

Because this happens in response to hyperglycaemia, it is called "reactive hypoglycaemia".

The symptoms may vary: hunger in the middle of the morning after a non-physiological breakfast (bread, cereals, fruit juice, milk...), almost sudden tiredness, headache, the need to sit down and rest...

The whole body is therefore on alert to cope with this sugar overload, which causes it to function far beyond its means.

This can lead to the exhaustion of certain organs and their dysfunction (diseases).

Foods with a low GI (< 50):

Blood glucose rises slowly and over a longer period of time.

Therefore, there is no increase in hyperglycaemia as there is with high GI foods.

Finally, the drop in blood glucose is slower and the peak of hypoglycaemia is much less important.

The body therefore needs to digest and assimilate these foods less.

Blood glucose levels also return to normal more quickly, requiring less energy from the body.

You also feel fuller for longer.

Example of glycaemic indices:

White bread bagel: 95
White rice: 64
Baked potato: 95
French fries: 82
Lentils: 38
Apple: 38
Apricots: 57
Melons: 67
Peaches: 42
Pears: 38

Should we completely eliminate starches from our diet?

We don't realise it, but starches can be present in our diet from morning to night.

In the morning with slices of bread, croissants and other sweets, biscuits or pancakes.

At mealtimes with rice, bread, pasta, cakes, chips and other potatoes, and pizza.

Most foods contain starch in one form or another.

And eating them throughout the day, without a break, only worsens the situation and further reduces our ability to digest them.

Ideally, therefore, they should be avoided, but as always, it is essential to listen to the body to see if it can adapt and if it needs them.

For people who do not want to eliminate starches from their diet, there are several tips to limit their harmful effects.

Firstly, we can limit their consumption to a minimum and switch to tubers such as potatoes or, even better, sweet potatoes.

Cereals should be kept to a minimum.

Quinoa and buckwheat, which are pseudocereals, can also be a more nutritious alternative.

It is advisable to keep cooking time to a minimum to reduce the "sticky" effect on the intestines.

Eating starches with vegetables (vegetable juices should be consumed before meals to prevent fermentation, facilitate digestion and absorption of nutrients) provides vitamins and minerals to prevent excessive demineralisation.

Raw vegetables also provide fibre, which reduces the viscosity of starch.

How do we explain our craving for starch?

If you reduce your intake of starch, the starch-specific bacteria and fungi in your gut microbiota will simply starve!

They will therefore act directly on the brain to claim their food.

This phenomenon diminishes and disappears over time as our microbiota changes and rebuilds itself.

In addition, our cells, bathed in toxins from the digestion of starch, paradoxically demand the food with which they are intoxicated.

The lymph is loaded with toxins and glues circulate in the lymph.

If we are attracted to foods that are harmful to our health, we can turn to fruit and vegetables, intermittent or prolonged fasting (we recommend that you are well accompanied), physical activity, rest, hammams or saunas, all physiological means of gently cleansing and restoring our body to health.

Conclusion

Cereals and other starches are not naturally physiological foods for humans.

They can be tolerated in small amounts and occasionally, but they are still gassy and require a lot of energy and time for the body to digest.

A good metabolism and good digestion and elimination are even more important.

On the other hand, it is possible to sprout grains and legumes to significantly reduce their toxicity and eat them raw.

However, their high starch content makes them of limited culinary interest and their digestibility is not always well tolerated.

Exceptions are lentils, buckwheat, mung beans and quinoa, which are pleasant to the palate.

Natural methods can be very effective in eliminating intestinal and cellular deposits of toxins associated with the consumption of cereals and other starches.

Let's not forget that everyone should change their diet at their own pace, gradually and always with the idea of enjoyment in mind.

This is the only way to make the change more effective and enjoyable!

It is interesting and advisable to consult a naturopath before changing your diet, especially if you have a pathological condition.