Off The Carbs / Off The Couch – Class Recap

Notes and References From All OTC Classes So Far (updated after each class)


Reactive Hypoglycemia – AKA: “Hangry”

  1. Consume something high in sugar or carbohydrates (high glycemic index)
  2. Blood sugar rises rapidly
  3. The body overcompensates by releasing excessive insulin to get the sugar out of the blood
  4. Sugar (glucose) is removed from the blood and put into cells – Extra glucose is stored as FAT
  5. Blood sugar rapidly decreases to a level below normal resting glucose
  6. This causes hunger and the craving of more carbs
    • If this cycle is repeated on a regular basis the body eventually becomes resistant to insulin, resulting in type 2 diabetes

Pink = meal high in sugar or refined carbohydrates (hyperglycemia)
Dark Purple = meal consisting of whole foods: meat, vegetables, dairy, nuts, seeds, some fruit / starch
Light Purple = hangry – feelings of hunger, frustration, irritability, etc (hypoglycemia)


“The 5 Buckets of Death”

In this video (click picture for video link) Greg Glassman explains how chronic metabolic illness is caused and solved by willful behavior and the choices we make regarding food and exercise.

He also demonstrates how someone who falls into the bucket of metabolic illness does not have the resilience to overcome adverse health events. He uses COVID as the example, but any number of events including all of the smaller buckets could result in the same poor outcome for someone with one or multiple metabolic illnesses. These poor outcomes are significantly less likely for someone who is in the wellness or fitness range as measured by the parameters listed below.


Science or Propaganda?

I spoke briefly regarding the excessive amount of information we have available to us today. While it’s great to be able to access this information it can be very difficult to determine what’s true or reliable.

Unfortunately where there is money to be made (or lost) there will always be nefarious entities out to profit at the expense of others. In the health space this looks like large corporations influencing nutritional guidelines and corrupting science to suit their need.

Below is one example of how such influence can cause confusion when trying to determine what’s actually healthy (click the quote for link to article)

Is There a Propaganda Campaign Against Low-Carb?


When In Doubt…

Always remember, when it comes to food choices you can’t go wrong if you stick to the list.

“Civilized man is the only animal clever enough to manufacture its own food, and the only animal stupid enough to eat it.”
– Barry Groves


Wednesday 2/12/25 Class Update

Creatine:
When it comes to creatine supplementation I’m all for it. Creatine is one of the most well studied health supplements. With such a vast amount of data available I think it’s safe to say there is plenty of support for the benefits of creatine supplementation.

When it comes types of creatine there are a few available. The most common however are Creatine Monohydrate and Creatine Hydrochloride (HCL). There are minor differences between the two, mainly HCLs increased solvency (it dissolves in water better). Monohydrate however is just as, if not more effective, offers potentially broader health benefits and is typically cheaper.

The Best Choice: Creatine Monohydrate
Recommended Dosage: 5g per day

The potential negative side effects of creatine are few and most are related to people who have preexisting conditions.

Below are some potential benefits of creatine supplementation.

Brain function 

  • Creatine may improve brain function and health.
  • It may also protect nerve cells from environmental damage.
  • It may help with cognitive tasks, especially in older adults.

Exercise performance

  • Creatine can help increase fat-free muscle mass and improve recovery from injuries. 
  • It can help athletes adjust to rigorous training schedules. 
  • A 2019 study found that creatine supplementation improved cycling power output in triathletes. 

Blood sugar control 

  • People who combined creatine and exercise had better blood sugar control than those who only exercised.

Heart health 

  • Creatine may lower triglyceride levels in the blood.
  • Some studies show it could help people with heart failure get more exercise without feeling fatigued.

Other potential benefits 

  • It may help with muscular dystrophy.
  • It may slow the growth of tumors.
  • It may boost the ability of the immune system to fight cancer.
  • It may help counteract age-related declines in skeletal muscle and bone mineral density.

Fasting:

As with all health information available today, its easy to find evidence both for and against fasting. From my research I’m leaning heavily toward the potential benefits of fasting and not finding a lot of valid support for negative out comes.

The best way to truly find out if it’s right for you is to try. With few exceptions (medications taken with food, diabetes, extreme duration) there are no downsides or harm in trying it for yourself.

There are many different time domains when it comes to fasting but the most common are:
– 16/8 (fast for 16 / eat for 8) most or all days weekly
– 24 hours once or twice a week
– 48 hours once or twice a month

I have personally done 16/8 for a while and recently started 24 hours once per week. 16/8 is pretty easy for me given my work schedule, but 24 scared me a little. It wasn’t as hard as I thought. Some things I’ve noticed:
– not as hungry as I thought I’d be
– seemingly increased mental sharpness later in the fast
– no loss of performance when working out

The potential benefits of fasting extend beyond the obvious calorie and carbohydrate restriction for weight (fat) loss.

Some potential benefits of fasted exercise include:
– increased fat oxidation (the body uses fat as fuel)
– increased insulin sensitivity
– increases metabolic benefits of high intensity training (CrossFit)
– promotion of mitochondrial biogenesis (increases size and number of mitochondria – more energy)
– increased stem cell proliferation (the body makes more stem cells)

I can’t say wether fasting will be beneficial for any particular individual. But I can say you have nothing to lose by trying. While you can’t consume any calories during your fast you can still drink water, black coffee and unsweetened tea.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes!