There's a swarm of silent sufferers out there, tossing and turning in their beds, legs twitching like a salsa dancer on a caffeine rush. Ironically, it's not caffeine. It's something far more mundane and in the very fiber (pun intended) of our daily routine - bread. Yes, folks, that's right. Our hoary enemy, the carbohydrate, is back and this time, it has infiltrated our baguettes.
You must have heard about restless legs syndrome (RLS) - that creepy crawly leg sensation that has you subconsciously simulating the moonwalk. But, did you ever imagine that indulging in that innocent late-night toast could inspire a phantom marathon that prevents you from escaping to your dreamland?
The mad scientists who brought you the news that eating too much sugar makes you sweet, and the one about carrots giving you night vision (which, let's face it, we all knew were blatant lies), are now saying that it's your sandwich's fault that you can't sleep at night. The reason, they say, is carbs — the cuddly, doughy villains hiding behind your restless legs.
Can a whole grain sourdough really cast you into a world where your legs have a mind of their own, eager to participate in the 3 a.m. invisible track and field event? The science behind it is as full of holes as the center of your favorite donut. The theory suggests that eating carbs in the evening sends your blood sugar level on a trip to the moon and back, and somewhere along that journey, it stir up your limbs into an Irish jig.
The complexities of gluten and its role as the puppet master behind your legs' nocturnal breakdancing routine is indeed, an amusing addition to the ever-expanding tale of diet myths. The idea that by simply exchanging your wheat loaf to a gluten-free one could potentially fetch you a peaceful slumber is tempting, albeit hilarious.
While we appreciate the innovative approach to building a wall of intolerance against carbs, one must not forget that it is the same family that gifts us freshly baked croissants and oven-hot pizza. Still, if you believe your RLS might be reduced by switching that white bread toast to a bowl of gluten-free giggles, do knock yourself out!
So next time, when you're lying in your bed, remember this side-splitting revelation. As you perform your involuntary leg lunges, imagine your veins filled with tiny, sprinting croissants, leading the Carbo-loading Olympics. Then perhaps, you can laugh yourself to sleep, if your bread-induced jiggling legs allow that is.