GRAFT ABOVE RIGHT — Following WWII, rates of heart disease continued their upward trend. Our government sought to address growing rates of heart and other chronic diseases, beginning in the late 1970’s. The full effect (and failure) of that effort can be seen in this National Institutes of Health graph of childhood obesity, beginning in 1980.

Following new U.S.D.A. recommendations, food processors replaced saturated fat with high omega-6 polyunsaturated fat (vegetable oil); then they sweetened their products with more calories from highly-refined grain, grain derivatives, sugar, emulsifiers, etc. Yet, major aspects of human metabolism were yet to be discovered. A few examples are below:

The unique metabolic fate of about one-half of “added sugar” (sucrose) was not understood until 1985 — the fructose half is only metabolized in the liver, an organ weighing about 4-pounds with hundreds of other vital functions;

 

In 1990, Dutch scientists discovered that the trans-fats (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils) — that our government told us were healthier — and widely used as a food additive and in deep-frying — were in fact deadly. And yet, the deadly trans-fats we not immediately removed from the U.S. food system because of pervasive lobbying by the food industry. In the early 2000s, they were still being added to food, and killing tens of thousands of Americans annually. The Harvard School of Public Health estimated that in 2006 alone, 50,000 deaths and 250,000 cases of coronary artery disease were attributable to trans-fat intake (citation below).

The Demise of Artificial Trans-fat: A History of Public Health Achievement (2021). A. Amico, M.G. Wootan, M.F. Jacobsen, W.C. Willett. Milbank Quarterly, 2021, Aug. 3; 99(3); 746-770.

This page considers the meaning of metabolic disease.

“Diseases” of damaged metabolism include the leading chronic conditions and killers noted above. The Mayor Clinic now refers to Alzheimer’s as “type-3 diabetes.” Many drugs treat the symptoms — not the underlying cause. What does treat the actual disease is no surprise, Lifestyle change: Real food, stress-reduction, healthy sleep, and physical activity.

Our catastrophic rates of chronic diseases are not only about bodily health. They also impact our behavior — changing who we are and what we choose, moment to moment. There is a cognitive and behavioral corollary to the old saying “you are what you eat.” We think, feel, and act-out what we eat.

Always feeling hungry?

Keep reading. Below is the backstory on five ridiculously important work-horse hormones involved your everyday behavior and hunger. They are: insulin, cortisol, adrenaline, leptin, and gherlin. Feeling hungry soon after a meal is a sign that everything not OK. There might also be weight gain and poorly controlled blood sugar. From research on addiction, we’ve learned that spiking your blood sugar with high-calorie snacks and meals through the day increase the body’s addictive urge through the dopamine signal.

Endocrinology is a complex area of biology and I’m no master, so we’ll keep it basic. We begin with insulin.

Type 1 diabetes is when the pancreas can’t make insulin. Scientists first used purified insulin harvested from animal pancreas tissue and treated type-1 diabetes in 1921. It instantly saved the lives of children and young adults who literally awaited a miracle. Back then, type-2 diabetes was extremely rare (as was type-1). Clean injectable insulin—all harvested from animal pancreases—was an amazing science triumph. Some of these early recipients, children or young adults, lived into their 70s and would self-inject insulin over 60,000 times during their lives.[i]

Roughly 70-percent of today’s HS students know someone with “diabetes.” In the 1960’s and 1970’s, very few kids wouldn’t know anyone with this metabolic disease.

 

Given the current national rates of type-2 diabetes (29% diabetic; 12% pre-diabetic), around 30-percent to 40-percent of the graduating class of 2025 will become type-2 diabetic and lead shorter lives because of a metabolic problem.

Type-2 diabetes and other metabolic problems often go hand in hand with excess weight and unhealthy SAD eating.  Uncontrolled blood sugar is the glaring symptom, but not the underlying problem (discussed below):

High glycemic and high-calorie foods — like pizza crust, potatoes, rice and bread — are those that get rapidly converted into glucose. Digestion and the spiking of glucose is most rapid when meals lacks fiber, but insulin must always rise to accompany rising serum-glucose. Fatty foods and animal products elevate glucose and insulin far less, but there is a hook.

Irrespective of source, the body will convert the calories in excess of daily needs into triglycerides — fat in the blood. These circulate in the blood stream and may “jam-up” proper insulin function in cells (described above), and that’s not all.

The body’s inability to regulate blood sugar is a central factor in diseased arteries (atherosclerosis) — for generations the greatest killers in “western” nations: heart disease, stroke, vascular dementia, peripheral artery disease (amputation, blindness, aneurism), kidney problems, etc.

 

For people with type-2 diabetes, the most likely cause of future death is vascular disease.

As with any factor of health, individuals differ in their response to elevated triglycerides and insulin, but strictly speaking “sugar” is not the problem. The metabolic problem is that the cells of the body can’t manage the sugar! Insulin receptors jammed-up; cell membranes unable to properly transport glucose from the blood stream into the cell where it is converted to Life Energy (ATP). This is often central to what we call “chronic disease.” 

A dysfunction insulin system directly elevates risks for: type-2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, dementia, auto-immune disease, chronic stress, gut-health problems, cancer, and more.

[i] The Discovery of Insulin

By grinding grain, our early ancestors extracted more calories more quickly than they could without grinding. Back then it meant survival and more babies. Today — with high-calories at every turn — it means the SAD, more metabolic trouble, and more weight gain.

AT LEFT — A Rubic’s cube helps to illustrate the “dose-dependent drug” claim by Dr. Thompson (above). Milling the grain creates that problem. The surface of the typical Rubics cube is three-times less than is the surface area of its 27 component cubes (216 sq. cm vs. 648 sq. cm).

For flour or other starchy foods, by grinding we vastly increase the digestible surface area for enzymes to get to work. Quicker absorption means higher spiking glucose, requiring more insulin.

Finely milled white flour is about 95-percent of all the wheat consumed in the U.S. and central to our pandemic of metabolic disease. When we focus instead on eating whole grains — rolled/steel-cut oats, wheat-berries/groats, corn, quinoa, and brown rice — we slow the digestion, lower the blood sugar spikes and the risks of obesity and type-2 diabetes.

Refined Fructose: Low-Glycemic, Dose Dependent Liver Toxin

The sweetest caloric sweetener is fructose. Making a super-sweet birthday cake? Fructose plays a staring role!  Fructose, however, is LOW GLYCEMIC: a) it’s not glucose; and b) it induces only about one-fifth the total insulin release of glucose. Because of its sweet allure and hazard to the liver, where it all gets metabolized, the refined fructose in “added sugar” is tough on the body.

The page Carbohydrates and Health describes the liver/fructose problem more fully—like cranking out triglycerides and fattening the liver and making fat to disable other nearby organs (belly fat). Shortly, we discuss how the downstream impacts of spiking glucose and excessive fructose accelerate aging.

The Tiger Scenario

Right over there by those trees is a tiger, let’s suppose. It’s stalking your sheep and getting closer. You respond quickly with ramped-up anxiety.

Yelling and screaming you awakening your pappa, and nature’s, “fight or flight” reaction is rolling big-time. The brain triggers hormones and the nervous system jumps to attention. The same reaction occurs in warfare. Whether its tigers, enemy fire, domestic violence, non-stop caregiving, or unpaid bills—unremitting stress is extremely unhealthy. Below we consider two stress-scenarios, one normal and the other maladaptive and chronic.

Normal “Tiger” Stress:

The brain fires your adrenal glands, one perched atop each of your kidneys. The hormones adrenaline and cortisol are produced instantly and the body is preparing for action — making “fight-flight” energy available, boosting attention and anxiety, and shutting down non-essential functions.

Adrenaline constricts blood vessels, increases alertness — shuts down digestion — and allows fat cells to release their energy content into the blood. Cortisol induces the liver to release glucose and the pancreas releases more insulin. A cascade effect of hormones and neurotransmitters makes stored starch and fat-energy ready for instant use.

The “tiger trouble” finally subsides, fight-flight signals diminish, and we chill out.

Chronic Stress — and Neuropeptide-Y:

When stress becomes an everyday event — the job you hate, domestic violence, the micro-aggressions of racism, or mounting bills something changes. After days in stress-mode with the nervous system chronically overstimulated, the unremitting release of adrenaline can permanently damage the nervous system. Introducing the molecule Neuropeptide-Y (NPY).

During chronic stress, neuropeptide-Y acts as a governor. It puts the brakes on the adrenal system. By throttling back adrenaline, NPY protects the nervous system — but it also prevents the release of fat into the blood stream. Fat cells can become hyper-savers and can start producing toxins, more inflammation, and more damaging free radicals.[i]

The upshot is that under chronic stress, the body readily stores fat (triglycerides) in the liver and viscera (belly fat) — the two worst places. Folks living with chronic stress find it very challenging to maintain a healthy weight. Diagnoses of metabolic disease, depression and other mental health problems, gut-health challenges, and chronic stress are very clearly linked.

[i] Robert Lustig, Emery Pharma Podcast: Episode #1—Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Rates of chronic stress are sky-high everywhere, but highest among minority people. Experiencing discrimination day after day is a stressful existence; Not surprisingly, minorities also experience the highest rates of chronic disease: diabetes, obesity, cancer, auto-immune problems, dementia, and so forth. A few complications of chronic stress include:

Artificial “hunger” and recreational eating of calorie-dense foods for reward/comfort

 

Fat accumulation in the belly and liver and systemic inflammation, oxidative stress and excessive glycation

 

Elevated blood-sugar, triglycerides and insulin resistance

 

The likelihood of mental health problems like depression, anxiety, bipolar, ADHD, etc.

Figure:  Proven ways to lower stress. Reducing stress permanently requires that we modify lifestyle factors, ideally before a disease diagnoses and Disease-Care, Inc. get involved.

When your cells burn calories in the presence of oxygen, they produce some unstable atoms (ions) we call free radicals. So, free radicals are a fact of being alive! When meals are “Real” and whole (not refined), they are naturally lower in calories and produce fewer free-radicals. Our cells can manage these natural free-radical levels beautifully!

High-calorie, “hard-to-eat-just-one” processed foods, however, yield excessive free radicals (oxidative stress). Cells can become overwhelmed and the damage can include gene mutation — possibly meaning the initiation-phase of cancer.[1]

In a sense, cells become etched, chronically inflamed, and quite working properly, but they don’t always die young. Chronic diseases disrupt the natural cell-death and replacement process (apoptosis). In this way, the damaged cells can linger on, functioning poorly, and continue supporting the diseased state.

ALL calories produce free radicals: they are unavoidable! This subject pops up several times on this website. For example, under Fats, Oils and Health

Oxidative Stress and Vascular Disease 

Sick blood vessels (arterial vascular disease) are the leading causes of death in the U.S. and Europe, and have been for generations. Diseases like: coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, vascular dementia, stroke, and so forth.  Arterial vascular diseases (atherosclerosis) illustrate the dangers of oxidative stress quite nicely.

Excessive free radicals in the diet can cause your “bad” LDL-cholesterol to become oxidized and stickier. At the same time, high-calorie eating may elevate blood-sugar, insulin, and fat in the blood (triglycerides)[1].

Free radical action can be viewed as quadrillions of atomic-scale injuries to any tissue, such as a blood vessel. Now, toss in some TMAO (discussed in Animal Products and Health) from excessive red meat or processed meat (the worst), and the higher risk for vascular disease becomes established. Damage to the blood vessels, the interior of cells — but specifically the cell’s power plants — leads to a spiral of disfunction. Damaged cells can’t repair or replace themselves properly. DNA Repair-Shop: closed until lifestyle modification.

We die of disease, not “old age.” The body and brain are not likely to reach the natural health span while metabolizing excessive, daily, energy-dense food calories — but especially where there is a lack of plant-sourced antioxidants. Here, again, I must mention the deficiency of whole-plant nutrition in the U.S. diet: over 90-percent of Americans DO NOT reach the recommended intake of plant-sourced fiber — meaning they are equally efficient in free-radical-fighting antioxidants.

Calorie-dense living, chronic stress, and persistently excessive insulin go hand-in-hand with inflammation and oxidative stress. Our cells simply are not equipped to do their jobs under the conditions of addictive/habitual, highly-processed SAD plan. And preferably we won’t wait to make the change.

Plaques form slowly, change chemically, and blood vessels narrow and become more stiff (hypertension). Yet, as Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn discovered, atherosclerosis is entirely visible in obese children as well. “Lesions” of atherosclerotic plaque narrow and can clog arteries. [1] 

We eliminate this major factor of disease by restricting sugar, bread and refined carbs — which lowers insulin and triglycerides. By elevating the “rainbows” — colorful plant foods we elevate disease-fighting antioxidants.

For a wonderful overview of this subject, see the Dr. Casey Means interview with Dr. Robert H. Lustig on “Levels” —Understanding Your Cholesterol Panel

Researcher studied associations between various types of animal products and cardio-vascular disease in older individuals. The 2022, peer-reviewed report involved 3921 adults age 65+ with an average follow-up was 12.2 years. What did they find out?

RIGHT—The table shows the relative importance of various “mediating” factors (correlations) associated with developing cardiovascular disease. This result offers clarity as to the danger of the Standard American Diet (32-percent animal products and 57-percent highly processed plant foods). Specifically, it shows the importance of:

• Maintaining healthy control of blood sugar and the insulin system
• Favoring non-inflammatory (whole plant) food, instead of highly-processed
• Avoiding high sources of TMAO (red and processed meat).

Researcher found no significant correlation between the intake of poultry, eggs, or fish and cardiovascular “events.”

Glycation further stiffens blood vessels and is a core factor when fatty liver becomes liver sclerosis — with or without alcohol involved. Chemists call it the Maillard reaction and you can observe it in a frying pan. Add some flour to beef or turkey drippings and stir. It will thicken and turn brown, as proteins combine with sugars.

Metabolic Disease vs. Healthy Obese

 An estimated twenty-percent of people carrying extra weight have healthy metabolism. They might carry the fat lower on the body, under the skin. “Heathy-obese” would mean normal insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial function, with a footnote.[1]

The remaining roughly eighty-percent of overweight people would have elevated insulin and cellular “resistance”.[i] Excessive weight goes hand-in-hand with type 2 and type 3 diabetes[2] (Alzheimer’s disease/dementia) [ii].In The Obesity Code (2016), obesity and diabetes treatment specialist, Jason Fung, M.D. notes these can all be considered progressive stages of the same metabolic problem, which he calls “diabesity.” Those who have a metabolic problem also have higher cancer risk and are less likely to survive it. The disease-care industry does a smashing trade in pills, procedures, prosthetics, and maintenance services, large brick-and-mortar centers to treatment a diseases of lifestyle.

[1] “Normal metabolism” does not mean optimal health.

[2] The Mayo Clinic is now recognizing dementia as a form of diabetes they call “type-3.”

[i] Metabolical—pg. 32

[ii] The Diabetes Code

The modern health, stress, and food rackets have strong foundations and powerful corporate lobbying and influence. They monetize unhealthy food, stress elevators, and sleep robbers. Downstream are fatty liver, vascular disease, heart disease/stroke, kidney disease, peripheral arterial disease, amputation, aneurism, much higher risks for cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Visualize the colossal expense and the arsenal of prescriptions and procedures aimed at “treatment.” Drugs can’t enter the interior mitochondria of cells—where the body converts food energy into most of its ATP.[iii] Treating the pathology — while elevating vitality and disease-fighting at the same time — is the work of: nutritious food, a body-active routine, healthy sleep, and practicing stress reduction.

Our Unsustainable New Normal 

Alaska has a huge coastline sparsely dotted with remote communities. In recent years, the Alaska Marine Highway System, the state’s network of ferries, replaced several elderly vessels with two new sister-ships: the M/V Hubbard and the M/V Tazlina.

Of course, cost savings were very important to the state’s marine highway system. In 2025, by design, riders see mostly unhealthy food options served aboard these otherwise fantastic new vessels. Nutritious meal-planning was chopped in the design phase, but each vessel costs the state about $60 million. By all means, pack a big lunch, or it will be mostly pre-packaged junkola.

Now, imagine this a multi-million-dollar state-run enterprise, one funded (in theory) to serve the wellbeing of coastal communities, designed with no significant capacity to serve Real food to its passengers on long voyages. That’s the “new normal” for Alaska ferries. Alaska’s ferries illustrate the concept of institutional capture. An entire division of Alaska’s state government, beholding to, and incapable of operating without, the Colossus—the Standard American Diet. Aboard our new ferries Tazlina and Hubbard, the SAD hums along like the engines — part of the background noise and now “normal” for coastal Alaskans. Those unfortunate organizational decisions add up.

Make the change! Grabbing some fruit or a bag of carrots, instead of the hot-case or deli junk-old. Fill a bottle of water, instead of buying a SSB. Plan your groups’s event with health food, rather than white-flour junk. Tell your community group what you’d like to eat. We can choose to not participate in this maladaptive “new normal.”

In ancient times, our ancestors gained and lost some weight seasonally. It’s entirely abnormal to be constantly overweight and it drives upward the risk for all-cause mortality. Full stop. During my youth (the 1960’s and 1970’s), an overweight child was a rarity.[1] We’ve now normalized this growing economic sector—plus-size clothing, extra-widen wheelchairs, plus-size hospitals, and “specialized services.”

What has not been normalized is the concept of food addiction. The greatest addiction problems are not heroin or alcohol, they are food. One thing I’ve learned in my self-study of U.S. chronic disease, a high percentage of families today are already live with this addiction — but they think it’s normal! They think the deli/hot-case and the pizza for supper is normal. We’d never dream that coffee with a white-flour and chocolate confection and a friend is really about the addiction.

Let’s do the math. If a person eats 200 calories daily that are extra, meaning not required for daily energy needs, in 100 days they have consumed 20,000 extra calories. That will gain you about 5.5 pounds of added weight.

Long ago, sugar was exceedingly rare. “Refined carbs” or bottles of liquid fat simply didn’t exist.  Today, sugar, refined flour products and inflammatory fats and oils are absolutely central to the SAD, chronic disease, and the global economy. Americans consume 30 to 40-fold more sugar than they did in the early 1700’s and white flour wasn’t widely available before 1870.

Today, two-thirds of the “food” on grocery store shelves already has the sugar added. An even higher percentage are formulated with refined flour and inflammatory fat. “Reality” for most means highly processed and nutrient poor. “Hacking the brain, our choices, and damaging the body. That’s the new normal and it’s a catastrophe..

I wish all who read this “safe traveling.” May you find health and long life! Individually, we can indeed change. As a nation, maybe we’re screwed.