Do you have a Brain on Grains?

One of my biggest struggles as a Holistic Weight Loss coach is explaining to clients how sugar is
also flour. To our brains and our bodies, table sugar and white flour are not really different, they
are both processed as fast acting carbohydrates. If you have a problem with one, you will have a
problem with the other. Every so often, I will have a client who swears is the exception to the
rule. She will freely admit she cannot be anywhere near the bread basket or pizza, but the cake is
fine. The cake might have been fine when she was having a great deal of wheat and grains, but once
those are eliminated, she could very well find herself going to sugar. The cake that was not a
problem could now be. So all sugar needs to be out.

Our brains do not see a huge difference between sugar and flour. They are close enough to be
absorbed in a very similar way. Both will hijack your brain and demand more and more to be
consumed, with very little nutrition for the calories. Sugar and flour mess with our blood sugar
and cause an insulin spike we want to avoid at all costs. I strongly recommend everyone to cut
back on both as soon as possible.

Modern wheat and grains have “been genetically altered to provide processed food
manufacturers the greatest yield at the lowest cost; consequently, this once-benign grain has been
transformed into a nutritionally empty ingredient which causes blood sugar to spike more rapidly
than eating pure table sugar and has addictive properties that cause hunger, overeating and
fatigue, ” The Diet Doctor-Dr. William Morris in Wheat Belly.

When we attempt to pull back on sugar, our brain is not happy. The chemicals in our brain are
not happy, our mood is not happy, our body is not happy. To put it bluntly, it is as if we are
negotiating with terrorists, but the terrorists are in our head. The only personal experience I have
with Homeland Security is with the TSA at the airport when they tell me “lady, you have too
much makeup”. In all seriousness, the only way to stop wanting to eat bread is to stop eating it.
You need to stop eating it on all of the days, not just on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays or on
the weekends or just on the first of the month. If you are starting to panic, regretting reading this
blog, and ever hearing the name Erin Wathen, don’t worry, I got you covered. The less you eat it,
the less you will physically want it. The psychological part will take longer, but for now, know
ripping off the band-aid is the only way to truly stop craving it.

However, there are those days where I want avocado toast, or a wrap and lettuce will not do. I
keep a load of Gluten-free Udi’s bread in my freezer. I do not make a habit of it and this part is
very important, I have not kept bread in my life at the same level and simply swapped
brands. It is possible to have black bean pasta or waffles made from soy flour and hemp flour
pancakes. I have chosen to go in a different direction because if I kept eating the same things,
just very close substitutions, eventually I would want the real thing, and I would not have had to
find a new way of eating. Nothing changes if nothing changes right? So why would we expect
to have our bodies change for good if we are constantly seeking out workarounds with black
bean pasta and hemp cookies?

Xo,

Erin

Tomorrow’s topic Natural Sugar, Stevia and Xylitol: Which one do you pick??

If you have any questions or comments during the 31 days of Wellness, feel free to email me at
and we can figure out a solution to your Holiday dilemma.
Together we will be Happy and Healthy this Holiday Season.