The human brain is one of the most fascinating structures in the known universe. We are talking about 1.4 kilograms of tissue housing 86 billion neurons, organized into two main hemispheres, each divided into four specialized lobes. This seemingly simple mass functions as an extraordinary bridge between the tangible physical world and that subtle realm where our thoughts, imagination, and inner voice reside.

The speed of neuronal transmission varies dramatically depending on the type of fiber: from 0.5 meters per second in unmyelinated fibers to 120 m/s in the myelinated superhighways. This variability is crucial for understanding how different cognitive processes operate at different speeds: your reflex to withdraw your hand from fire travels much faster than your capacity to ponder over pain.

The synapse, that microscopic space where neurons communicate through a chemical-electrical ballet, forms the basis of absolutely everything you are. Perception, attention, memory, language, emotions, decision-making, motor control... all depend on these small jumps of information between cells. When one neuron repeatedly transmits signals to another, the synaptic space is strengthened, facilitating future transmissions and creating the neural grooves that define who you are.

Such is the power of this organ that many cultures attribute transcendental capacities to it. The brain-mind is conceived as the bridge that connects us to the divine, the all, the universe, or whatever you wish to call it, through practices like meditation, prayer, or manifestation. Contemplative neuroscience demonstrates that these practices induce measurable structural changes: experienced meditators show greater gray matter thickness and better cortical integration.

Your brain can be scary

Here comes the game-changing fact: your brain consumes approximately 20% of all the glucose circulating in your blood, despite only representing 2% of your body weight. It's literally the most gluttonous organ in your anatomy in energy terms. Every neuron, every synapse, every thought requires a constant supply of fuel.

Glucose is the preferred food for neurons. Your ability to concentrate, remember, and process cognition directly depends on a steady supply of this simple sugar. But here's where the problem starts: for glucose to enter the cells (including neurons), you need insulin.

Insulin acts as a master key opening cellular doors to allow glucose entry. It’s produced in the pancreatic beta cells and travels through the bloodstream, telling each cell: "hey, here's fuel available, open up." Under normal conditions, this system functions with the precision of a Swiss watch.

The drama begins when this elegant system faces an environment it was never evolved for. Our genes have practically not changed in 120,000 years, yet we’ve moved from occasionally eating wild fruits and honey to bombarding our system with refined sugars from breakfast to dinner.

When you constantly produce insulin from childhood, your cells eventually say "enough." The receptors become deaf to the hormonal signal, installing insulin resistance. Congratulations, you've just earned your ticket to the club of modern metabolic diseases.

When your cells become resistant to insulin, your brain, hungry for glucose, panics. The neurons aren't receiving the fuel they need, despite your blood being full of sugar. It's like dying of thirst in the middle of the ocean.

Your brain interprets this lack of cellular fuel as a vital emergency. It activates survival mode mediated by cortisol, the stress hormone. The message is clear: “I NEED ENERGY NOW.” This triggers intense anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating, mental fatigue, and relentless hunger, specifically for quick carbs.

Congratulations, you've entered the loop

When your brain needs glucose → you eat carbohydrates to calm it → blood sugar rises → insulin is released → cells don’t respond properly → the brain still doesn't get enough fuel → more cortisol → more anxiety → more sugar cravings → you eat more carbohydrates. Each turn of the cycle worsens the resistance and increases inflammation.

This elevated cortisol without a physical purpose generates a state of inflammation until reducing the size of your prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for executive control and rational decision-making. Your ability to say “no” to that donut physically deteriorates with each cycle. YOU ARE NOT YOURSELF WHEN YOU HAVE THIS KIND OF HUNGER.

The resulting chronic inflammation forms the substrate for multiple autoimmune diseases. The immune system, confused by the constant inflammatory state, begins to attack its own tissues. The leaky gut syndrome, where the intestinal barrier is compromised allowing toxins to pass into the bloodstream, further worsens the situation.

In this context, seeking truly nutritious food becomes necessarily an act of political resistance, not because I want to! But damn! You enter any supermarket and 95% of what you find is crap. It's pure kicked food or designed to keep you in this loop. Even in "premium" supermarkets, most products contain inflammatory ingredients, even those masquerading as “healthy.”

Eating versus nourishing

Ultra-processed foods are characterized by being high in free sugars, saturated fats, and sodium, with little fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Their consumption is directly associated with increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

The gut-brain axis maintains constant two-way communication. Key neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin are primarily produced in the gut: 50% and 90% respectively. Ultra-processed foods alter the gut microbiota, generating dysbiosis that directly affects your mental and emotional state.

Eating real food becomes a political statement. It's acknowledging that while your brain remains trapped in the glucose-insulin-cortisol loop, you will never have the energy or mental clarity to see reality. It’s understanding that an inflamed and stressed brain is a docile, predictable, and controllable brain.

Networks, on the other hand, keep us trapped through sophisticated manipulation of increasingly complex impulses. If it was hard for you to control yourself just by imagining food, imagine what happens when you see it in 4K, ASMR, optimized for retention.

Ultra-processed products are a delight, but they literally destroy our reward system. The high combinations of sugar, fat, and salt create a hyper-palateability that conditions the brain to want more, more, and more. Your brain, that glucose-hungry organ, becomes addicted to the rapid sugar spikes these products provide.

We’re talking about "non-food": products that fill without nourishing, perpetuating hunger at the cellular level. Your body keeps asking for nutrients that never arrive, generating a vicious cycle of consumption that benefits the industry while destroying your health.

The awakening of your metabolic consciousness

The good news is that the loop can be broken. Intermittent fasting is well regarded because it has proven to be a powerful tool to reverse insulin resistance, with significant reductions in inflammatory biomarkers.

Unfortunately, it’s not about simply saying today I’ll eat and tomorrow I won’t. At least not without medical supervision.

Breaking that cycle requires first understanding you’re in it. It requires looking through the marketing, recognizing non-food as what it is, and making conscious decisions about what enters your mouth. The worst part, yes, is that it requires a lot of courage to go against a current that — sorry, but it’s funny how this just flows: romanticizes the normalization of systematic poisoning.

Lol.