What is so BAD about a High Carb Diet - a podcast by Discussions with successful health experts such as Ben Greenfield, Terry Wa

What are the negative health consequences of a high-carb diet?

Carbohydrates are no doubt good for the health. In fact, according to the guideline of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is recommended that carbohydrates should represent 45 to 65% of your total daily calories. But it becomes a problem when you consume too many carbohydrates in a short amount of time.

If you’re overdoing pasta, bread, rice, chips, and other high-carb foods, you are at risk of suffering some health consequences which we shall be discussing below.

Weight gain

One of the common negative effects of a high-carb diet is weight gain. When you consume foods that contain too many carbs, it gets to a point that your body stops using it and the carb surplus is converted into body fat.

That said, it is good to eat whole grains, fruits, and vegetables – these foods can even promote weight loss. But when you start including a lot of refined carbs in your diet, then you stand the risk of weight gain.

Unhealthy fat

Another health consequence of a high-carb diet is unhealthy fats loaded into your bloodstream. Eating too many carbs boosts the number of triglycerides in your blood, and this can progress to complicated conditions such as heart disease.

More so, unhealthy fats in most refined carbs increase the risk of having swollen arteries and blot clots in your heart. When these unhealthy fats are high in your blood, they overthrow the amount of lipoprotein or “good cholesterol” and this could result in vascular disorders.

Type 2 diabetes

Consuming a high-carb diet can also put you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The high carb amount puts your blood sugar levels into overdrive and this gets to a point where insulin production is negatively effected. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body convert glucose into a “storage” system in your body.

When insulin production stops, you stand the risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes.

Brain fog

Excess carb intake can dampen proper cognitive functioning. Most diabetic patients that have once or twice experienced fallen blood sugar levels will have a better understanding of how terrible “brain fog” can be.

You should watch out for the following symptoms:

• Sudden nervousness
• Agitation
• Unexplainable confusion

Getting gassy

A high-carb diet causes your body to store more water, and this makes you feel bloated. Carbs like carbonated beverages and sugary processed foods usually generate abdominal gas and this can cause you much discomfort.

Thickened arteries

Most processed foods high in carbs often contain a high amount of fats – whether healthy or unhealthy fat. So taking excess amounts of these foods can cause your arteries’ wall to thicken up – a condition called atherosclerosis. This hinders the free flow of blood and increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Now that you know the negative health consequences of a high carb diet, let’s quickly show you how to limit your carb intake:

• Avoid or reduce your soda or sugary drinks
• Reduce your consumption to white bread, cooked pasta, chocolate bars, potatoes, and beer.
• Eat more of these healthy and satisfying foods – Blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, spinach, lemons, watermelon, avocadoes, tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumber.

Note that you don’t have to eliminate all carbs from your diet. In fact, some people who ate no-carb suffered more harm than good.

The point is to eat a smart serving of high-carb foods.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our chiropractic office at Elizabeth City to learn about more natural foods you can add to your diet to maintain a healthy living and avoid the consequences of a high-carb diet.

 

Further episodes of Health Made Easy with Dr. Jason Jones

Further podcasts by Discussions with successful health experts such as Ben Greenfield, Terry Wa

Website of Discussions with successful health experts such as Ben Greenfield, Terry Wa