James Eagan Holmes
The recent shootings in Aurora, Colorado are so fresh on our minds it’s hard to even write about the incident. It’s hard to imagine anything more tragic, meaningless, or painful. The reason I have decided to write about it is because I have some information that might be helpful to those who survived this tragic event.
People who witness such carnage are certainly at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and we should do everything possible to help people heal and move on. In this type of situation there is often one important element that is overlooked—food.
It is now clear that excessive fructose mainly from sugar and HFCS is the driving force behind insulin resistance and central obesity. When you add high glycemic carbohydrate to the mix, over time the brain is adversely affected triggering a condition called Sugar-Brain. The first symptom you develop when you get Sugar-Brain is craving sweet and starchy food pushing you to consume more of the very food that is frying your brain. Over time Sugar-Brain can transition to a serious disease called Carbohydrate Associated Reversible Brain syndrome or CARB syndrome. People with CARB syndrome can develop up to 22 brain dysfunction symptoms that interfere with their ability to function.
We now believe that CARB syndrome is driving many cases of PTSD. The incidence of PTSD in Vietnam prisoners-of-war was virtually zero. That’s because for years they had no access to typical American food loaded with sugar, HFCS and high glycemic carbohydrates. Eating bugs, rats and tree bark won’t trigger brain dysfunction. The incidence of PTSD in Iraq and Afghanistan has skyrocketed mainly because when we now send our soldiers into battle we also send along McDonald’s, Coke, Red Bull, and similar fare. How foolish can we be?
Sugar-Brain and CARB syndrome are now very common in our society. When a person with these conditions is stressed, their carbohydrate cravings and other brain dysfunction symptoms worsen, pushing them to consume more “comfort” foods and beverages. This creates a vicious cycle where their brain function deteriorates at the very time when they are most vulnerable to the stress of combat.
People from Darfur who were slaughtered, raped and displaced from their homes didn’t usually develop PTSD unless they moved to this country and started eating our food. If you want to handle stress, pay attention to your diet. Eat whole foods such as grass feed beef, free range chickens, wild caught fish, seafood, vegetables, fruit, nuts and berries. Eliminate all sugar and HFCS and greatly reduce your intake of high glycemic (rapidly absorbed) carbohydrates, especially from grains. Don’t consume beverages with calories from sugars or HFCS. It’s really not that difficult if you put your mind to it.
Kellogg’s Frosted flakes
The people who survived this tragedy have many things to think about. I strongly recommend that one of these things be their diet. Although food is probably the last thing on their minds, if they want to move on and thrive in the future one of the best ways to do so is to concentrate on eating a healthy diet even in the face of extreme stress and tragedy.
As a footnote, it caught my attention that one of the first things James Holmes did when he was jailed is gobble down a large bowl of Frosted Flakes. Could this be a hint that a bad diet is one of the things that pushed an obviously sick person over the edge? At this point I could care less what he does or doesn’t eat but it may be something to focus on when it comes to other borderline individuals who are living close to the edge.
To all those who lost loved ones or survived the Aurora tragedy, our prayers are with you.
Dr. Bill Wilson