What is this "no carb" obsession all about? Why then is nature abundant with fruits and vegetables? All fruits, many vegetables and grains contain carbohydrates. Did you know that our brains are fueled by carbohydrates? That's why we have "blood sugar levels" and "glucose levels". We even have a pancreas to handle these levels. It sounds like our bodies were meant to have carbs, doesn't it?

After sleeping all night, we call the first meal of the day "breakfast" for a reason. It literally means to "break the fast". After fasting all night, our blood sugar level is low and the brain can't function to peak performance. We need to eat, to break the fast. Drinking caffeine without food is a big mistake because caffeine will just knock the blood sugar or glucose level even lower. The body then must draw from the liver's storage of glucagon to bring the glucose level up and fuel the brain. Our bodies take care of us sometimes, even when we don't.

Remember how we've all been told for decades that children's brains perform better at school when they eat breakfast? It's too bad that many of us didn't listen. That same reasoning applies to us as adults when we go to work every day. Why do we feel so fatigued, moody, irritable, have headaches, trouble thinking, brain fog, and so on and so on?

I wonder again when and why we began thinking carbs were bad for us and that we should avoid them. I believe it was when facts slowly became painfully obvious that sugar, white flour, and products containing these, were harmful to our bodies. It also seemed quite clear that the more sugar we ate, the more sugar we ate. We even coined the phrase "sugar addict". I believe this condition actually exists. But did you ever notice that there aren't any "vegetable addicts", "fruit addicts", "honey addicts" or "fish addicts"? There are no natural food addicts. There are only manufactured food addicts. Sugar and white flour are highly refined and manufactured. They are harmful carbohydrates. If it is altered and manufactured, it is harmful to us. If it is made by nature, and remains in its natural state, it is good for us.

Honey, fruits, and certain vegetables, and certain whole grains containing carbohydrates are natural and are good for us. It is a huge mistake to throw out the good carbs with the bad carbs.

If you eat mostly protein and avoid carbs, you are asking the protein to also do the work of carbohydrates. Make no mistake about this, our bodies and especially our brains need the good carbohydrates. If we don't get them, our bodies will convert protein for this use, but it's not the best choice. Isn't your body worth the best choice? My cookbooks contain all the best choices.

There are simple carbs and there are complex carbs. Simple carbs are sugar and other refined syrups and refined flours. Simple carbs can be addictive and are bad for us. They effect our blood sugar levels in a harmful way. They adversely effect our weight and the way we feel. Simple carbs cause diabetes and hypoglycemia.

Complex carbs are found in natural foods, such as honey, maple syrup, fruit, and certain vegetables and certain whole grains. They are metabolized in a good way by our bodies and keep our blood sugar levels normal. Our brains need these good complex carbs. They will not put weight on you as long as you eat a variety in reasonable portions along with other natural, essential foods. They keep us feeling good. Steady blood sugar levels keep us energetic and in a good mood. Refined sugars keep our blood sugar levels fluctuating with highs and lows, which in turn drains our energy, making us moody and feeling bad.

Our bodies were meant to eat all the important food groups, but only in natural forms. We should eat manufactured foods, including fast food and junk food, only as a treat. Manufactured foods should not be our main source of nutrition. Manufactured foods don't contain enough nutrition to fit in the corner of your eye!

If you eliminate all carbs in order to lose weight, you will. But your weight loss will be at a high cost of unseen damage to your body. Eliminate all of the manufactured carbs and eat only the natural carbs and you'll be the best that you can be. Use common sense and use the natural fuel of complex carbohydrates that nature provides for us and are contained in my recipes.

What kind of fuel are you putting in your body?