5 TERRIBLE EFFECTS OF CUNSUMING TOO MUCH CARBOHYDRATE
1. Weight Gain
Yes, carbs play their role in promoting weight loss. Our body uses carbs for “fuel” during our workouts. However, when there’s an excessive amount of carbs in any meal, the body doesn’t know what to do with the carb surplus… and it’s turned into body fat. (Often because carbs are combined with healthy fats.) Therefore, eating whole grains, fruits and vegetables (which we’ll talk about in a bit) will help you lose weight. But not if you eat a lot of refined carbs – which we’ll talk about shortly.
2. Type 2 Diabetes
Another health risk from consuming excessive carbs is the potential to develop Type 2 diabetes – among other health disorders. Type 2 diabetes forms when your body stops insulin production. Insulin helps your body convert glucose (blood sugar) into a “storage” system in your body. Ingesting too many carbs puts your blood sugar levels into overdrive, and your insulin-production comes to a grinding halt. Thus, making you vulnerable for Type 2 diabetes.
3. Unhealthy Fat
Triglycerides are an unhealthy fat within our bloodstream. Ingesting too many carbs raises the amount of triglycerides in your blood, which makes developing a heart disease even more of a reality. Not to mention the amount of swollen arteries, and blood clots in the blood and heart. Lipoprotein, or the so-called “good cholesterol” often found in eggs, takes a beating by the amount of triglycerides in your system. This could potentially give you any number of vascular disorders.
4.Thickened Arteries
More often than not, foods high in carbs are also high in fat. Whether it’s unhealthy or healthy fat, when taken to staggering proportions, this fat causes your arteries’ walls to thicken up. When this happens, your blood flow doesn’t flow as easily. This increases your chances of heart attack or stroke. This “artery-thickening” monster is a condition called atherosclerosis.
5. Brain Fog
Consuming too many carbs dampens proper cognitive functioning. Any diabetic who has (unfortunately) experienced fallen blood sugar knows the frustrating pain of “brain fog.” Symptoms to watch out for include agitation, sudden nervousness and unexplainable confusion – all of which are not fun.
HOW TO AVOID CONSUMING TOO MUCH CARBOHYDRATE
They're high in added sugar, which is linked to an increased risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and obesity when consumed in excess.
A 12-ounce (354-ml) can of sugary soda contains 38 grams of carbs, and a 12-ounce sweetened iced tea has 36 grams of carbs. These come entirely from sugar.
If you want to eat fewer carbs, avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages should be one of the first things you do.
If you want to drink something refreshing with a taste, try adding some lemon or lime to club soda or iced tea. If needed, use a small amount of low-calorie sweetener.
Bread is a staple food in many diets. Unfortunately, it's also quite high in carbs and generally low in fiber.
This is especially true for white bread made from refined grains, which may negatively impact health and weight.
Even nutritious breads such as rye contain about 15 grams of carbs per slice. And only a couple of those are fiber, the only component of carbs that isn't digested and absorbed.
Although whole grain bread contains vitamins and minerals, there are many other foods that provide the same nutrients with much fewer carbs.
These healthy foods include vegetables, nuts and seeds.
However, it can be tough to give up bread entirely
Unlike whole fruit, fruit juice contains little to no fiber and is full of sugar.
Although it provides some vitamins and minerals, it's no better than sugar-sweetened beverages in terms of sugar and carbs. This is true even for 100% fruit juice.
For instance, 12 oz (354 ml) of 100% apple juice contains 48 grams of carbs, most of which is sugar .
It's best to avoid juice completely. Instead, try flavoring your water by adding a slice of orange or lemon.
These types of foods are also not very satisfying.
One study found women felt fuller and ate 100 fewer calories at dinner when they ate a high-protein snack, compared to a low-protein one.
Having a low-carb snack that contains protein is the best strategy when hunger strikes between meals.
Here are a few healthy snacks that contain less than 5 grams of digestible (net) carbs per 1-oz (28-gram) serving and also some protein:
For instance, one half-cup (55 grams) of granola cereal typically has around 30 grams of digestible carbs, even before adding milk.
Conversely, eggs are an ideal breakfast when you're trying to cut back on carbs.
For starters, each egg contains less than 1 gram of carbs. They're also a great source of high-quality protein, which can help you feel full for hours and eat fewer calories during the rest of the day.
What's more, eggs are extremely versatile and can be prepared in many ways, including hard-boiling for an on-the-go breakfast.
One tablespoon of white or brown sugar has 12 grams of carbs in the form of sucrose, which is 50% fructose and 50% glucose.
Although honey may seem healthier, it's even higher in carbs. One tablespoon provides 17 grams of carbs, with roughly the same percentage of fructose and glucose as sugar.
Learning to enjoy the natural flavor of foods without adding any sweetener may ultimately be best.
However, here are a few safe sugar-free sweeteners that may even have some modest health benefits:
Even if you order meat or fish with no breading or gravy, you'll typically receive a starch on the side.
This is often potatoes, pasta, bread or rolls.
However, these starches can add 30 grams of carbs to your meal or more. It depends on the portion size, which is often quite large.
Instead, ask your server to substitute low-carb vegetables in place of the high-carb foods. If your meal already includes a side of vegetables, you can have another serving, as long as the vegetables are the non-starchy type.
Even whole wheat flour, which contains more fiber than refined white flour, has 61 grams of digestible carbs per 100 grams (3.5 ounces).
Fortunately, flours made from nuts and coconuts are a great alternative and widely available at grocery stores and from online retailers.
100 grams of almond flour contains less than 11 grams of digestible carbs, and 100 grams of coconut flour contains 21 grams of digestible carbs.
These flours can be used to coat foods for sauteing, as well as in recipes that call for wheat flour. However, because they do not contain gluten, the texture of the finished product often won't be the same.
Almond and coconut flour tend to work best in recipes for muffins, pancakes and similar soft, baked goods.
An 8-ounce (240 ml) glass of full-fat or low-fat milk contains 12–13 grams of carbs.
Adding a splash of milk to your coffee or tea is fine.
But if you drink milk by the glassful or in lattes or shakes, it may end up contributing a lot of carbs.
There are several milk substitutes available. The most popular are coconut and almond milk, but there are also types made from other nuts and hemp. Vitamin D, calcium and other vitamins and minerals are often added to improve nutritional value.
These beverages are mainly water, and the carb content is usually very low. Most have 2 grams of digestible carbs or less per serving .
However, some contain sugar, so be sure to check the ingredient list and nutrition label to make sure you're getting an unsweetened, low-carb beverage.
However, it's important to select non-starchy types to keep your carb intake down.
Certain root vegetables and legumes, such as carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, peas, lima beans and corn, are moderately high in carbs.
Fortunately, there are many delicious, nourishing low-carb veggies you can eat.
Dairy also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a type of fatty acid which has been shown to promote fat loss in several studies.
However, some dairy foods are bad choices on a low-carb diet. For instance, fruit-flavored yogurt, frozen yogurt and pudding are often loaded with sugar and very high in carbs.
On the other hand, Greek yogurt and cheese are much lower in carbs and have been shown to reduce appetite, promote fullness, improve body composition and reduce heart disease risk factors .
Here are a few good dairy choices, along with carb counts per 100 grams (3.5 oz):
Protein triggers the release of the "fullness hormone" PYY, reduces hunger, helps fight food cravings and protects muscle mass during weight loss.
Protein also has a much higher thermic value compared to fat or carbs, meaning your body's metabolic rate increases more when digesting and metabolizing it protein, low-carb foods at each meal:
Therefore, it's important to choose fats that not only add flavor but also benefit your health.
Two of the healthiest choices are virgin coconut oil and extra-virgin olive oil.
Virgin coconut oil is a highly saturated fat that's very stable at high cooking temperatures. Most of its fat is medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which may reduce belly fat and increase HDL cholesterol .
What's more, these MCTs may also decrease appetite. In one study, men who ate an MCT-rich breakfast ate significantly fewer calories at lunch than men who ate a breakfast high in long-chain triglycerides.
Extra-virgin olive oil has been shown to reduce blood pressure, improve the function of the cells lining your arteries and help prevent weight gain.
The key is knowing where to look and whether any calculations need to be done.
If you live outside the US, the fiber in the carbs section will have already been deducted.
If you live in the US, you can deduct the grams of fiber from the carbs to get the digestible ("net") carb content.
It's also important to look at how many servings are included in the package, as it's often more than one.
If a trail mix contains 7 grams of carbs per serving and a total of 4 servings, you'll end up taking in 28 grams of carbs if you eat the whole bag.
1. Weight Gain
Yes, carbs play their role in promoting weight loss. Our body uses carbs for “fuel” during our workouts. However, when there’s an excessive amount of carbs in any meal, the body doesn’t know what to do with the carb surplus… and it’s turned into body fat. (Often because carbs are combined with healthy fats.) Therefore, eating whole grains, fruits and vegetables (which we’ll talk about in a bit) will help you lose weight. But not if you eat a lot of refined carbs – which we’ll talk about shortly.
2. Type 2 Diabetes
Another health risk from consuming excessive carbs is the potential to develop Type 2 diabetes – among other health disorders. Type 2 diabetes forms when your body stops insulin production. Insulin helps your body convert glucose (blood sugar) into a “storage” system in your body. Ingesting too many carbs puts your blood sugar levels into overdrive, and your insulin-production comes to a grinding halt. Thus, making you vulnerable for Type 2 diabetes.
3. Unhealthy Fat
Triglycerides are an unhealthy fat within our bloodstream. Ingesting too many carbs raises the amount of triglycerides in your blood, which makes developing a heart disease even more of a reality. Not to mention the amount of swollen arteries, and blood clots in the blood and heart. Lipoprotein, or the so-called “good cholesterol” often found in eggs, takes a beating by the amount of triglycerides in your system. This could potentially give you any number of vascular disorders.
4.Thickened Arteries
More often than not, foods high in carbs are also high in fat. Whether it’s unhealthy or healthy fat, when taken to staggering proportions, this fat causes your arteries’ walls to thicken up. When this happens, your blood flow doesn’t flow as easily. This increases your chances of heart attack or stroke. This “artery-thickening” monster is a condition called atherosclerosis.
5. Brain Fog
Consuming too many carbs dampens proper cognitive functioning. Any diabetic who has (unfortunately) experienced fallen blood sugar knows the frustrating pain of “brain fog.” Symptoms to watch out for include agitation, sudden nervousness and unexplainable confusion – all of which are not fun.
HOW TO AVOID CONSUMING TOO MUCH CARBOHYDRATE
Sugar-sweetened beverages are very unhealthy.
They're high in added sugar, which is linked to an increased risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and obesity when consumed in excess.
A 12-ounce (354-ml) can of sugary soda contains 38 grams of carbs, and a 12-ounce sweetened iced tea has 36 grams of carbs. These come entirely from sugar.
If you want to eat fewer carbs, avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages should be one of the first things you do.
If you want to drink something refreshing with a taste, try adding some lemon or lime to club soda or iced tea. If needed, use a small amount of low-calorie sweetener.
2. Cut Back on Bread
Bread is a staple food in many diets. Unfortunately, it's also quite high in carbs and generally low in fiber. This is especially true for white bread made from refined grains, which may negatively impact health and weight.
Even nutritious breads such as rye contain about 15 grams of carbs per slice. And only a couple of those are fiber, the only component of carbs that isn't digested and absorbed.
Although whole grain bread contains vitamins and minerals, there are many other foods that provide the same nutrients with much fewer carbs.
These healthy foods include vegetables, nuts and seeds.
However, it can be tough to give up bread entirely
3. Stop Drinking Fruit Juice
Unlike whole fruit, fruit juice contains little to no fiber and is full of sugar.Although it provides some vitamins and minerals, it's no better than sugar-sweetened beverages in terms of sugar and carbs. This is true even for 100% fruit juice.
For instance, 12 oz (354 ml) of 100% apple juice contains 48 grams of carbs, most of which is sugar .
It's best to avoid juice completely. Instead, try flavoring your water by adding a slice of orange or lemon.
Carbs can add up quickly in snack foods such as chips, pretzels and crackers.
These types of foods are also not very satisfying.
One study found women felt fuller and ate 100 fewer calories at dinner when they ate a high-protein snack, compared to a low-protein one.
Having a low-carb snack that contains protein is the best strategy when hunger strikes between meals.
Here are a few healthy snacks that contain less than 5 grams of digestible (net) carbs per 1-oz (28-gram) serving and also some protein:
- Almonds: 6 grams of carbs, 3 of which are fiber.
- Peanuts: 6 grams of carbs, 2 of which are fiber.
- Macadamia nuts: 4 grams of carbs, 2 of which are fiber.
- Hazelnuts: 5 grams of carbs, 3 of which are fiber.
- Pecans: 4 grams of carbs, 3 of which are fiber.
- Walnuts: 4 grams of carbs, 2 of which are fiber.
- Cheese: Less than 1 gram of carbs.
Even small amounts of some breakfast foods are often high in carbs.
For instance, one half-cup (55 grams) of granola cereal typically has around 30 grams of digestible carbs, even before adding milk.
Conversely, eggs are an ideal breakfast when you're trying to cut back on carbs.
For starters, each egg contains less than 1 gram of carbs. They're also a great source of high-quality protein, which can help you feel full for hours and eat fewer calories during the rest of the day.
What's more, eggs are extremely versatile and can be prepared in many ways, including hard-boiling for an on-the-go breakfast.
Using sugar to sweeten foods and beverages isn't a healthy practice, particularly on a low-carb diet.
One tablespoon of white or brown sugar has 12 grams of carbs in the form of sucrose, which is 50% fructose and 50% glucose.
Although honey may seem healthier, it's even higher in carbs. One tablespoon provides 17 grams of carbs, with roughly the same percentage of fructose and glucose as sugar.
Learning to enjoy the natural flavor of foods without adding any sweetener may ultimately be best.
However, here are a few safe sugar-free sweeteners that may even have some modest health benefits:
- Stevia: Stevia comes from the stevia plant, which originated in South America. In animal studies, it has been shown to help lower blood sugar levels and increase insulin sensitivity.
- Erythritol: Erythritol is a type of sugar alcohol that tastes like sugar, does not raise blood sugar or insulin levels and may help prevent cavities by killing plaque-causing bacteria .
- Xylitol: Another sugar alcohol, xylitol also helps fight the bacteria that cause tooth decay. In addition, animal research suggests it may reduce insulin resistance and protect against obesity.
Eating out can be challenging during the initial stages of a low-carb diet.
Even if you order meat or fish with no breading or gravy, you'll typically receive a starch on the side.
This is often potatoes, pasta, bread or rolls.
However, these starches can add 30 grams of carbs to your meal or more. It depends on the portion size, which is often quite large.
Instead, ask your server to substitute low-carb vegetables in place of the high-carb foods. If your meal already includes a side of vegetables, you can have another serving, as long as the vegetables are the non-starchy type.
Wheat flour is a high-carb ingredient in most baked goods, including breads, muffins and cookies. It's also used for coating meat and fish prior to sauteing or baking.
Even whole wheat flour, which contains more fiber than refined white flour, has 61 grams of digestible carbs per 100 grams (3.5 ounces).
Fortunately, flours made from nuts and coconuts are a great alternative and widely available at grocery stores and from online retailers.
100 grams of almond flour contains less than 11 grams of digestible carbs, and 100 grams of coconut flour contains 21 grams of digestible carbs.
These flours can be used to coat foods for sauteing, as well as in recipes that call for wheat flour. However, because they do not contain gluten, the texture of the finished product often won't be the same.
Almond and coconut flour tend to work best in recipes for muffins, pancakes and similar soft, baked goods.
Milk is nutritious, but it's also fairly high in carbs because it contains a type of sugar called lactose.
An 8-ounce (240 ml) glass of full-fat or low-fat milk contains 12–13 grams of carbs.
Adding a splash of milk to your coffee or tea is fine.
But if you drink milk by the glassful or in lattes or shakes, it may end up contributing a lot of carbs.
There are several milk substitutes available. The most popular are coconut and almond milk, but there are also types made from other nuts and hemp. Vitamin D, calcium and other vitamins and minerals are often added to improve nutritional value.
These beverages are mainly water, and the carb content is usually very low. Most have 2 grams of digestible carbs or less per serving .
However, some contain sugar, so be sure to check the ingredient list and nutrition label to make sure you're getting an unsweetened, low-carb beverage.
Vegetables are a valuable source of nutrients and fiber on a low-carb diet. They also contain phytochemicals (plant compounds), many of which function as antioxidants that help protect you from disease.
However, it's important to select non-starchy types to keep your carb intake down.
Certain root vegetables and legumes, such as carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, peas, lima beans and corn, are moderately high in carbs.
Fortunately, there are many delicious, nourishing low-carb veggies you can eat.
Dairy products are delicious and can be very healthy. For starters, they contain calcium, magnesium and other important minerals.
Dairy also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a type of fatty acid which has been shown to promote fat loss in several studies.
However, some dairy foods are bad choices on a low-carb diet. For instance, fruit-flavored yogurt, frozen yogurt and pudding are often loaded with sugar and very high in carbs.
On the other hand, Greek yogurt and cheese are much lower in carbs and have been shown to reduce appetite, promote fullness, improve body composition and reduce heart disease risk factors .
Here are a few good dairy choices, along with carb counts per 100 grams (3.5 oz):
- Plain Greek yogurt: 4 grams of carbs.
- Cheese (brie, mozzarella, cheddar, etc.): 1 gram of carbs.
- Ricotta cheese: 3 grams of carbs.
- Cottage cheese: 3 grams of carbs.
Eating a good protein source at every meal can make it easier to cut back on carbs, and it's particularly important if you're trying to lose weight.
Protein triggers the release of the "fullness hormone" PYY, reduces hunger, helps fight food cravings and protects muscle mass during weight loss.
Protein also has a much higher thermic value compared to fat or carbs, meaning your body's metabolic rate increases more when digesting and metabolizing it protein, low-carb foods at each meal:
- Meat
- Poultry
- Fish
- Eggs
- Nuts
- Cheese
- Cottage cheese
- Greek yogurt
- Whey protein powder
Fat replaces some carbs and typically makes up over 50% of calories on a low-carb diet.
Therefore, it's important to choose fats that not only add flavor but also benefit your health.
Two of the healthiest choices are virgin coconut oil and extra-virgin olive oil.
Virgin coconut oil is a highly saturated fat that's very stable at high cooking temperatures. Most of its fat is medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which may reduce belly fat and increase HDL cholesterol .
What's more, these MCTs may also decrease appetite. In one study, men who ate an MCT-rich breakfast ate significantly fewer calories at lunch than men who ate a breakfast high in long-chain triglycerides.
Extra-virgin olive oil has been shown to reduce blood pressure, improve the function of the cells lining your arteries and help prevent weight gain.
Looking at food labels can provide valuable information about the carb content of packaged foods.
The key is knowing where to look and whether any calculations need to be done.
If you live outside the US, the fiber in the carbs section will have already been deducted.
If you live in the US, you can deduct the grams of fiber from the carbs to get the digestible ("net") carb content.
It's also important to look at how many servings are included in the package, as it's often more than one.
If a trail mix contains 7 grams of carbs per serving and a total of 4 servings, you'll end up taking in 28 grams of carbs if you eat the whole bag.
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