One thing that worries people considering the Code Red Lifestyle™ is that they’ve “heard someplace” that the human brain “has” to have sugar, so if you’re not eating sugar, you’re gonna damage your brain.

Alzheimer’s Disease has been nicknamed Type III diabetes, and we know what causes diabetes, right?

Sugar!

So saying you have to pig out on sugar or your brain will wither and die is a very misleading statement, the origins of which can no doubt be traced back to the debate over glucose, and whether or not it fuels our brain.

So let’s break this down.

One common myth you may have heard is that your brain needs 130 grams of carbs a day to function properly.

And truth be told, when you’re not eating the way we do on the Code Red Lifestyle™ (i.e. you’re eating a bunch of carbs and sugar), glucose will be your brain’s main fuel.

However, the brain can and does use ketones (not fat itself, but ketone bodies created as a result of eating a high-fat diet) for fuel; and very efficiently.

Ketone bodies are produced in the liver, from fatty acids, when glucose and insulin levels are low. When you consistently eat fewer carbs, your liver amps up ketone production even more.

When carb intake (and the resulting low level of glucose) is kept low, ketones can provide as much as 70% of your brain’s fuel.

Though most of your brain can run on ketones (which comes with all kinds of health and cognitive benefits), there are portions that still need some glucose to function.

But you don’t have to pig out on sugar and carbs to get that little bit of glucose!

Your brain can get the glucose it needs in one of two ways:

1) From the small amounts of carbs in vegetables, nuts, and seeds you eat (yes, even some Code Red-approved foods contain carbs).

2) From a process in your body called gluconeogenesis, which literally means “making new glucose.”

It’s a fancy way of saying that your liver uses amino acids from protein you consume to create the glucose it needs for your brain.

(Side note: This is also why we warn against consuming crazy amounts of protein on the Code Red Lifestyle™. Your liver will turn it to glucose, and too much glucose can stall your weight loss.)

Your liver can also make glucose for your brain using glycerol, a compound that links fatty acids together in triglycerides.

You’re not gonna starve your brain by eliminating sugar and minimizing carb intake. Your brain will fuel itself on ketone bodies (again, much more efficiently than on ALL glucose), and what glucose it does need, your liver can and will produce.

Your body’s an amazing organism, and it’s got this figured out for you. Your brain is in good hands with Code Red-style eating!