Carbohydrate Addiction

Most of us are aware of drug, alcohol and nicotine addiction, awareness of AA and NA is quite high I imagine. Fewer people know of Overeaters Anonymous, which is focused on helping those with binge eating disorders. How many of us have heard of carb and processed food addiction though? Initially, many would laugh. “Isn’t it just a case of enjoying a well deserved treat at the after a tough day? Or giving ourselves a boost when we are low on energy/feeling unwell” they will say. The difference between those who can have an occasional appropriate treat, and those who can’t, is addiction.

I was chatting to a recovering alcoholic a few years ago, who had just received their 5 year sobriety chip. They told me “One is too many, and a hundred is never enough”. This has stayed with me, but it still took me a few years to be truly honest with myself. This is how my brain is affected by carbs and processed foods. Therefore I AM a carb (sugar) and processed foods addict. It felt strange to say it loud at first, but now I am quite happy and comfortable to talk about it. I hope that it might help others to understand their own relationship with food.

Just as with drug addicts and alcoholics, abstinence is the only option for me; similarly, I am just one bad decision away from firing up my addictive brain again. One bite, one bar of chocolate, one bag of crisps is never enough for me, even if they are family sized sharing bags. This is why I need to be an abstainer, I am physically incapable of moderating. I understand this will be quite shocking to some, but it is my reality. Now I understand why having a few days of treats last Christmas, led me off track until mid March. I am an intelligent woman, but that addiction overrides my logical brain. I knew eating highly processed foods, especially in large volume would cause me huge health problems in the future, but I still couldn’t stop.

This is why I NEED to be a carnivore, free from sugar and carbs.

All of the above are purely my own thoughts and experiences. To read in the area of food, specifically sugar, carb and processed food addiction, look for Dr Jen Unwin, Joan Ifland and Bitten Jonsson. You will find their books available to order, they also have a presence on podcasts and YouTube. All three are incredibly helpful and illuminating.

Jen x

We Ate At Nando’s, The Fallout!

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We had a trip to York for 3 days to see family this week. In the past, we have always come home to a 4-6lb weight gain. This time we were determined to stay on track, and not to gain.

We cooked a lot of our own food to combat this. We made a Bacon & Goats Cheese Frittata, a shed load of boiled eggs, chicken thighs and some ‘clean’ corned beef (Ships from Tesco).

Sugar Free Corned Beef. The likes of Princes have sugar.

Our first meal and final day included what we had brought with us but then the middle day, my Mother wanted to go out for lunch, carnivores will know how difficult it is to eat out. To find a middle ground we suggested Nando’s.

Both myself and Jen ordered Mozzarella sticks (without the dip) and for our main course, I ordered a Whole Chicken, I asked for plain chicken. Jen ordered 4 chicken thighs and Chicken Wings (plain)

Coming home on Wednesday morning, we were putting wagers on how much weight/inflammation we had put on. Really looking forward to some fresh carnivore food of salmon, prawns and boiled eggs with Hollandaise sauce.

We thoroughly enjoyed our freshly cooked lunch. Then it was time to weigh in on Thursday morning.

Incredibly, the weight was a maintain, we were so relieved.

It turns out Nando’s is our place to go for an occasional treat.

What Are Oxalates?

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Oxalates is a word I hadn’t heard of until I started my Carnivore lifestyle, it is something that I am learning more of as time goes on. Oxalates are present in many foods considered to be healthy, such as spinach, nuts, beans, soy products and dark chocolate. When you consume Oxalate high foods, it is widely accepted that it can be a factor in the formation of kidney stones.

It isn’t this aspect of Oxalates that has popped up on my radar, it is what can happen to our bodies when we stop eating Oxalate dense foods, which I have, as a Carnivore. When you stop consuming them, our bodies start to release the stores that they have been holding on to. If you have had a particularly high intake previously, you can experience what is known as Oxalate dumping. This can cause very varied symptoms. From rashes and skin irritation, to brain fog and burning irritated eyes; I have heard anecdotally that some people have experienced crystals actually coming out of their skin.

After a lot of reading in this area, I can highly recommend that anyone wanting to learn about the subject, should look for the Queen of Oxalates, as I think of her. Sally K Norton can be easily found on YouTube, and her book Toxic Superfoods is hugely helpful.

Sally is extremely knowledgeable on this subject, and has suffered from debilitating health issues herself, which is how she started her research into this area. So if you start to experience any of these symptoms, and would like to know how to manage them, Sally is the go-to for everything you need to know.

Consistency Is Key

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Today is a milestone for me. I have lost 6st exactly, 84lbs since I started my Keto, then Carnivore lifestyle. While I am extremely happy and proud to have hit this milestone, it has made me reflect on the 6 years it has taken me, since my starting weight in June 2020.

Looking back on my data, I have lost 4st 4lbs since January 2025. Which means I have spent four and a half years losing 24lbs over and over again. Seems like a monumental waste of time and energy to me. The question is why did I do that?

The key word for Simon and myself this year has been consistency. Earlier this year, somebody said to us that if we are eating is so healthy, why aren’t we skinny? That comment hit me hard, instead of getting upset, I used it to galvanise my why. Not that I want to be skinny, I want to be strong, healthy and happy. Don’t get me wrong, slipping on a size 14 jacket feels wonderful, knowing that it would have been a size 24 at my heaviest, but that is not my why.

This is because I had FOMO, which was very often induced by others. The fear of missing out on birthdays, anniversaries, Easter, Christmas, holidays, or because I was comfort eating. The having a “little treat” every now again won’t hurt, everything in moderation mentality is a false economy for me. Having treats last Christmas led both Simon and myself astray until mid March. Now my mind focuses on JOMO. The joy of missing out of inflammation, painful joints, sciatica, worsening my Lipoedema and Lymphoedema. The impact of eating sugar, seed oils, processed foods and carbs is even greater on Simon

I wish I had had the strength years ago to not people please. To be able to say no, when someone encouraged me to eat something, or to go out to restaurants that would put temptation in front of me. The only person who will be affected by my negative health is me, and Simon by his. It is not the person that I have appeased, just to appear to be nice.

Why am I writing this? Just maybe something I say might resonate with someone, maybe you might recognise the spiral of people pleasing, when you really need to change something in your own health. I know exactly why I need to eat as I do for my health, and I am ready and happy to explain to anyone who tries to “encourage” me to do otherwise. Simon and I are not being rude or ungrateful, we are simply choosing to be as well as we possibly can be in our 50s.

If there is something you want to achieve, do it for you, as you will be the one living with where your choices take you.

Jen x

Nightshade Foods

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Nightshades are plants from the Solanaceae family. Common edible foods in this group include tomatoes, white potatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, and chili peppers.

Common Nightshade Foods

Tomatoes and tomatillos
White, red, and yellow potatoes
Aubergine
Bell peppers and chili peppers
Spices made from peppers (black pepper, paprika, cayenne, chili powder)
Goji berries
Ground cherries (not true fruit cherries)

Allergy vs. Intolerance

Allergy: Your immune system treats the plant proteins or alkaloids as harmful. It causes true allergic signs and can become life-threatening.
Intolerance or Sensitivity: Your digestive system struggles to break down the food. It causes stomach discomfort without an immune response.

I have allegies to:

Black pepper, tomatoes and potatoes are all known issues for me, including skin rashes, itching and burning of my lips and tongue.

Symptoms of a Nightshade Allergy

Skin rashes or hives
Itching around the mouth or face
Swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat
Wheezing or trouble breathing
Nausea and vomiting
Severe reactions can lead to anaphylaxis, which requires emergency medical care.

If you have a reaction to any nightshades take a read below.

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/potato-allergy#risk-factors-to-consider