Are you Carb Intolerant?
Life can be unfair!
Some people can get away with eating whatever they want without gaining any weight whilst others only have to look at carbohydrates and gain weight. Carbohydrates are one of the three core macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat) providing the body with energy. Our body breaks down carbohydrates from food into sugars (also called saccharides). There are three main types of carbohydrates, including starches (complex carbs), sugars (simple carbs), and fiber. Simple and complex carbs are broken down into sugars, while fiber is not digested.
The ability of our body to break down starches and sugars doesn’t always work efficiently for everyone, and can lead to carbohydrate intolerance. In fact, the ability for us to effectively metabolize carbohydrates largely depends on a range of factors, from our genetic makeup to how much exercise and sleep we get on a daily basis.
All bodies are not created equal and there may be many factors contributing to one’s ability to maintain a healthy weight and or lose weight, some of this is down to genetics and metabolism. However, more recent research suggests one of the leading factors effecting weight loss may be "carbohydrate Tolerance" . This is how well your body processes sugars and starches, as this determines whether you build fat easily or burn fat easily. Carbohydrate intolerant people have an exaggerated response to sugars and starches that set the stage for increased appetite, carbohydrate cravings and very efficient fat storage!
Take our quick and easy test to find out if you are Carb Intolerant https://www.subscribepage.com/carb-tolerance
The more YES and "sometimes" answers you have, the more likely it is that you are carb intolerant and the more seriously you should consider cutting back on carbohydrates in your diet.
3-5 YES or Sometimes answers indicates a possible Mild Carb Intolerance
6-10 YES or "Sometimes" answers indicates Moderate Carb intolerance
More than 10 YES or "sometimes" answers indicates a high level of carb intolerance
Carbohydrate intolerance is the inability of the small intestine to efficiently break down certain carbohydrates after digestion to be used as a source of energy for the body. If you’ve ever felt bloated, fatigued, or craved sugary foods after a meal (even though you’re seemingly eating “the right foods”), it could be due to an inability of your body to effectively break down carbohydrates. When carbs aren’t broken down effectively, they can end up undigested in the stomach or colon. This leads to fermentation by the gut bacteria, which lets off gas and causes the stomach to bloat.
Additionally, when your body cannot digest carbs effectively, hyperinsulinemia or insulin resistance can occur, which leads to increased blood sugar levels over time. This can cause heightened feelings of fatigue and constant cravings for sweet foods due to large spikes and decreases in blood sugars. Carbohydrate intolerance causes your body to crave sweet foods more regularly because it cannot efficiently get the energy that it normally would from carbohydrates.
Our ability to process carbohydrates can change over time. It is common for our carb tolerance to worsen as we get older. Some people are fine with carbs until they reach a certain age or stage in life, puberty, pregnancy, middle age or menopause. This is somewhat due to hormonal changes but also can be influenced by the amount and type of carbohydrates we eat. So even if you are not currently carb intolerant this may change over time. Choosing a low carb lifestyle and or selecting healthier forms of carbohydrates may help to prevent carb intolerance as you age and reduce the risk of carbohydrate related diseases.
This does not mean you have to avoid all carbs forever; most people will benefit from just avoiding refined, sugary, highly processed carbohydrates. Whilst some others may have to remove almost all forms of carbohydrates to restore their health. Everyone’s metabolism and carb tolerance is different. Regardless of what level of carbohydrate intolerance you currently have the single most important thing you can do to reduce your risk and improve your health is to reduce the amount of sugar and refined carbohydrates in your diet! (Check out our article on “Uncovering the truth about sugar”). It is amazing how quickly the body responds to being fed properly. You can begin improving your metabolism and protecting your health around in just a few weeks! Healthy, low-carb diets may improve blood pressure, help with weight loss, and cause fewer sugar cravings.
If your moderate to severely carb intolerant and need to overhaul your eating we would recommend either a one on one Nutrition consultation or trailing one of our keto or low carb 21 day total reset plans (LINK HERE) , if your only mildly intolerant and or your current eating is already quite healthy our low carb dinner plans are a great way to keep you on track.