Carnivore Mode: Reprogramming Your Brain

Hunger is the foremost driver for survival of any living organism. Humans are no exception, we are programmed from birth with the most basic survival command. Feed me. And by this simple programming, we have become susceptible to an alteration in our brains that has caused a change in that instinct of hunger. Where hunger would normally be the signal to eat for survival, to maintain function, and life, now has become a signal to simply, consume. We live in a society where food is glorified, cooking is an art form, dining out is an experience, spice and flavor is the goal, texture and mouthfeel are king, and preference and enjoyment are imperative. And while I absolutely enjoy my food, and have nothing against the enjoyment of food and the company of family and friends. It's easy to forget that food, quite simply, is just, fuel.

What does it truly mean? That food is fuel. On a fundamental level, it means that if you know exactly what your body needs in order to function optimally, then that's all you should eat. And generally speaking, nobody really thinks this way. But humans used to. Food was not always abundant everywhere. There have been countless times in the history of humans where people did not have access to enough food to think about it as anything other than fuel. They ate what they needed to survive, and died if they didn't. In fact, this very occurrence is still prevalent in some parts of the world today. It is the supreme luxury of those fortunate enough to be able to consume food for enjoyment, and not fuel. And using the ever so wonderfully great country of America, as an example, we have decided to take it even another step further, at the expense of the health of our population.

Food has been hunted or grown for the great majority of the planet's existence, up until the last 100 years or so, where food products are now created in labs using science and engineering. Coined, Processed Food, these edible creations of mankind deserve every bit of success and notoriety they have garnered. Processed food really is as amazing an invention as the lightbulb. An absolute scientific achievement, and the work of genius individuals who had not a clue what it would end up doing to the people of this country. Where 100 years ago, medical doctors would go their entire careers without ever encountering a patient with heart disease, now most doctor's will witness the majority of their patients die of that same disease. Where 100 years ago, Alzheimer's was so rare, it had barely been observed enough to have a doctor finally name the disease in 1910, is now a common household name and an unfortunate expectation of many an aging family.

Hyper palatable ultra processed food (UPF) does something very interesting and very dangerous. It takes the standard programming of our brain as it relates to hunger, and reprograms it. Instead of the brain signaling to eat out of necessity for function, UPF elicits the signal to eat out of necessity for enjoyment. They are specifically designed to be addictive. UPF triggers powerful dopamine responses, create neuroplastic changes that reinforce unnecessary consumption patterns, which erodes self-regulatory capacity. The human brain is capable of recognizing when the body is lacking in nutrients, and will signal a specific hunger response in the form of a craving, to support the consumption of needed nutrients. UPF essentially hijacks this response mechanism, to elicit unwarranted cravings for needs that do not exist. Not only does it produce these cravings, but UPF simultaneously weakens the brains ability to resist those cravings. This combination creates a vicious cycle of addictive behavior.

UPF accounts for an astonishing 60% of daily calorie intake in America, and it is showing in our state of health as a population, possessing some of the highest rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome as a country in the world. But not to worry, there is a solution. Although not an easy solution, it is very simple. We can just stop eating processed food altogether. As an alternative, my personal recommendation is just going full carnivore. Using my own experience as an example, it took me around 4 weeks before I noticed that I didn't even care to look at the candy when walking past it at the grocery store. After 6 weeks, the thought of drinking a sprite just altogether stopped occurring to me at all, as if it stopped existing entirely. My brain was able to reprogram the reprogramming that was done to it by over consumption of UPF for years, just 6 weeks. What's bizarre is that there was a legitimate physical feeling that came with this realization of not wanting to eat a candy, or not thinking of a sprite during a meal. It was so novel to me, because of my formerly normalized responses, that it actually physically felt good. It was extremely satisfying noticing that I didn't really even have to try anymore, and I had impulse control over my hunger and cravings in a way that I had forgotten my body and brain could even have. Food is fuel again. If you are tired of fruit loops tampering with your perfectly designed natural programming, throw it out, grab some steak and eggs, and go Carnivore Mode.