My daily routine is fixed in stone. Every weekday I drive my daughter from our home in Beverly, Massachusetts to Landmark school in Manchester. It’s about a 20-minute drive, and along the way is a Dunkin’ store where I stop every day to buy my large black coffee and wakeup wrap made of bacon, egg, and cheese in a thin wrap. It clocks in at a whooping 210 calories. As I stand in line waiting to place my order, per usual I tend to people watch. I’m curious to connect what folks are ordering with their overall appearance of health. It’s sad to see that many obese folks, especially younger people, tend to order drinks and treats that are loaded with calories and sugar. Many of Dunkin’s souped-up drinks contain over 300 calories and over 100 grams of added sugar. Their Ice Spice drink has a whooping 1,080 calories! If you combine this health bomb with a donut or muffin containing 200-500 calories, you have clearly started your day off on the wrong foot!
Who is Driving the Obesity Bus?
As I observe what folks order, those who are already obviously obese tend to order the high calorie, sugar laden beverages, often combined with a sugary donut or muffin. It’s possible to consume almost 2,000 calories before your day even starts! Most so-called obesity experts propose that these folks are obese because they are consuming too many calories, and likely not exercising enough. After all, how many 300-pound joggers have you seen lately? I have a somewhat different perspective. I believe that many of these unfortunate people consume this type of highly processed food because they have extremely strong cravings for sweet and starchy food, along with a hyped-up appetite. Why might that be so? Let me explain.
The Toxic Triad
Highly processed food is composed of three potentially toxic elements: sucrose, high glycemic carbohydrates, and omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils. I believe that this type of processed food is neurotoxic, and over time it can lead to a specific type of brain damage that fits the pattern of a disease. I call this disease Carbohydrate Associated Reversible Brain syndrome or CARB syndrome. I came up with this concept after managing complex patients over many decades. Let me explain.
Back in the latter part of the 19th century when our current obesity epidemic emerged, I decided to study the topic. Obesity is defined as excess body fat, meaning there is too much fat relative to other body components like muscle, organs, and bones. The so-called obesity experts at that time recommended that we use Body Mass Index (BMI) to diagnose and manage obesity. BMI is a size measure, but it tells you zippo about how much fat is in each patient’s body. When a patient loses weight, it’s critical to know whether this weight loss is lean body mass (bad) or fat (good). Therefore, I decided to purchase FDA approved equipment to measure body composition, and over decades I measured the body composition of every patient at every visit. I also belonged to Steven Stahl’s Neuroscience Education Institute, so I am very familiar with common brain dysfunction symptoms.
When it Comes to Fat Storage, Your Brain Calls the Shots
After taking over 10,000 measurements over decades, I noticed a strange correlation between my patient’s brain dysfunction symptoms and changes in body composition. The symptoms always preceded changes in body composition. When the symptoms worsened, within a few weeks percent body fat would start to increase. If I managed to suppress these symptoms, in a few weeks percent body fat would start to decline. It was clear to me that when it comes to fat storage, the brain calls the shots! Of course, this makes perfect sense. The lead symptom of CARB syndrome is having an increased appetite and strong cravings for sweet and starchy food. These symptoms take over and push folks to consume more of the very food that is frying their brain. Their excess body fat leads to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Their brain dysfunction symptoms make it difficult for these folks to function in a complex world. These symptoms overlap with many traditional psychiatric disorders, creating massive diagnostic and therapeutic confusion in the medical profession. This disease is clearly the driver of our current twin epidemics of obesity and various common psychiatric disorders. Thus, in reality my “Dunkin Test” is a simple way of diagnosing CARB syndrome.
Help Me to Turn This Ship Around
I believe that the folks lining up at Dunkin for sugary drinks and baked goods are choosing these items because of their excess hunger and cravings for sweet and starchy food generated by the disease CARB syndrome. They unwittingly consume more of the very food and beverages that are frying their brain. I don’t blame these unfortunate people or Dunkin for this dire situation. These folks are victims of medical profession that failed to connect the dots, and Dunkin simply provides the products that people choose to consume. I blame the medical and scientific communities for failing to recognize the CARB syndrome disease model. You can’t fix a problem that you don’t understand. I am doing my part to spread the word, but I’m only one person. After all, it’s better to be alone than surrounded by people who don’t understand you.
If this information makes sense to you, please consider helping me to spread the word. Share this blog post with others, and discuss these concepts with friends, family, and other people you care about. Consider buying my book “Brain Drian” that teaches you how to self-diagnose CARB syndrome and arrange for your own treatment. I believe that together we can change the world. And if you follow my advice, it will also be possible for you to go to Dunkin and be happy with a large black coffee and a Wakeup wrap!
