What Looks Like a Diet Might Be a Shortcut to the Hospital

Dieting Behaviors That Lead Straight to Disease

If you’re avoiding sugar, following a ketogenic diet, or embracing the high-fat, high-protein approach advocated in Grain Brain, please stop as soon as possible. You may not realize how much harm you’re doing. The real culprit behind aging and weight gain isn't carbohydrates,  it’s a sluggish liver.

The Effect of a Stressed Liver

When the liver is pushed to its limits, it can no longer process all the fats and toxins you consume. These substances begin to build up in your body, causing weight gain and inflammation. Look closely, and you’ll see many older women with broad backs and swollen limbs, not just signs of aging, but often the result of fat and fluid retention. One major reason: the liver is fed fat at every meal, day after day.

As liver function slows, the lymphatic system is forced to pick up the slack. But once it too becomes overloaded , clogged with waste and metabolic debris, fluid retention worsens, and weight continues to climb.

Keto and the Liver

The ketogenic diet only adds to this burden. Animal proteins and nuts are dense in fat, and they often come with trace toxins that accumulate in the liver over time. What begins as a dietary trend can quietly turn into a physiological strain.

Your cells run on glucose. Without carbohydrates, your body struggles to fuel itself at the most basic level. Cutting carbs is not just a fad, it’s a slow form of cellular starvation. Real carbohydrates, the kind that nourish rather than overload, are not easy to overconsume, and they’re exactly what your body needs.

What Are “Real” Carbohydrates?

Think whole, unprocessed, plant-based foods: fresh fruit, steamed sweet potatoes, potatoes, pumpkin, taro, and those without added oils or salt. These are the carbohydrates your body understands. Eat them generously. Don’t count calories. You won’t gain weight.