“The Great Carb Cycle” – A Glimpse into the Year 2125
4th graders of Solar Grove Unified School District "know"
In the year 2125, the 4th graders of Solar Grove Unified School District shuffled into their Health & Optimization class, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. The room lit up in gentle pulses of amber and green as Ms. Dyna, their AI teacher, materialized in holographic form, her sleek synth-voice warm and enthusiastic.
“Good morning, Unit Group Theta-9,” she chimed. “Today’s topic is… Carb Cycling!”
A few students groaned — not because they didn’t understand it, but because it was so elementary.
“We learned this in second grade,” muttered Riku, flicking a digital stylus between his fingers. “Everyone knows you pair high-carb intake with high-output days.”
“Right,” chimed in Zaya, a bright-eyed kid who had already biohacked her sleep cycle for maximum REM efficiency. “And low-carb on rest days to trigger lipolysis. Basic metabolic programming.”
Ms. Dyna twinkled approvingly. “Correct, Zaya! But remember, nuance matters. Let’s do a quick review for your planetary health cert exam.”
The room darkened, and a 3D model of the human body hovered above their desks. Arrows lit up, showing glycogen filling muscles on High-Carb Days — days like when students played gravball or ran from class to class on Energy Fridays.
Then came Low-Carb Days — the red-lit recovery periods when their wearable tech reminded them to eat more omega-3s, leafy greens, and protein-rich synthfoods. Those days were for muscle repair, internal housekeeping, and strategic fat burning.
“Moderate-Carb Days,” Ms. Dyna continued, “are your balanced input days. Think casual hoverboard commuting, mental work, and light play. You don’t need a glycogen overload, but you’re not fully in fat-burning mode either.”
“But what if I’m just bored and I want pancakes?” asked Dex, the class prankster.
Laughter echoed through the smart classroom.
“Then make them out of ground flax and almond flour like a civilized person,” Zaya replied, rolling her eyes. “Or shift your cycle. Carb cycling is adaptable.”
“Exactly,” said Ms. Dyna. “That’s why we cycle. Your body is dynamic. Your fuel should be too.”
A holographic sticker appeared above each student’s desk:
🥇 Master of Carb Cycling – Level 1.
“Tomorrow,” Ms. Dyna said, “we cover intermittent feasting — the upgraded form of intermittent fasting. Class dismissed!”
The kids zipped up their smartpacks and filed out, heading to the cafeteria where they could select pre-approved macros based on their personal biofeedback reports.
Carb cycling wasn’t a mystery anymore. It was just Tuesday.
