Introduction
Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet, but eating too many can lead to weight gain and other health issues. Dietitians have identified the number one danger sign that you’re eating too many carbs: feeling tired and sluggish after meals. Eating too many carbs can cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash, leaving you feeling tired and lethargic. In this article, we’ll discuss the dangers of eating too many carbs and how to reduce your carb intake to maintain a healthy diet.
The #1 Danger Sign You’re Eating Too Many Carbs, Say Dietitians
If you’re trying to cut back on carbs, it can be hard to know when you’ve gone too far. But according to dietitians, there’s one telltale sign that you’re eating too many carbs: fatigue.
“When you’re eating too many carbs, your body is using them as its primary source of energy,” says registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes educator, Amy Gorin. “This can lead to a crash in energy levels, leaving you feeling tired and sluggish.”
Gorin explains that when you’re eating too many carbs, your body is unable to use them efficiently. This can lead to a spike in your blood sugar levels, followed by a crash. This can leave you feeling tired and lethargic.
“If you’re feeling tired after eating a meal that’s high in carbs, it’s a sign that you’re eating too many,” says Gorin. “Try to balance your meals with a mix of carbs, protein, and healthy fats to help keep your energy levels stable.”
It’s also important to pay attention to the types of carbs you’re eating. Gorin recommends opting for complex carbs, such as whole grains, legumes, and vegetables, over simple carbs, like white bread and sugary snacks. Complex carbs are digested more slowly, which can help keep your energy levels stable.
If you’re still feeling tired after making changes to your diet, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor. They can help you determine if there’s an underlying medical condition that’s causing your fatigue.
Carbs are a giant a part of our on a regular basis lives. We’ve got cereal for breakfast, eat sandwiches for lunch, have a bag of chips for a snack, and pasta for dinner. Evidently, it is fully potential that we will overdo it on carbs. And most of us are.
People are consuming plenty of unhealthy carbs, principally from refined grains and added sugars. The truth is, a mean of 42 % of every day energy come from low-quality carbohydrates, in accordance with a 2019 Journal of the American Medical Affiliation research.
In consequence, we will endure the implications: excessive blood sugar, fatigue, pores and skin points, weight achieve and extra.
However notice the emphasis on “unhealthy” carbs. Carbs aren’t inherently unhealthy; they’re truly an vital a part of your eating regimen.
“Carbohydrates are vital as a result of they’re the physique’s main supply of gasoline for power and every day capabilities,” says Trista Finest, MPH, RD, LD, a registered dietitian at Stability One Dietary supplements.
There are two forms of carbs, easy and sophisticated, and Finest tells us that you need to be careful for the easy carbs. “Easy carbohydrates come from processed and refined meals like comfort snacks meals. This type of carbohydrate is damaged down shortly and used instantly by the physique for power,” explains Finest.
Alternatively, complicated carbohydrates are thought of “good,” and refers to entire grains like oats, quinoa or brown rice, and extra. “They’re extra nutrient-dense and supply the physique with greater than a fast glucose spike and saved fats,” says Finest. Complicated carbs are typically low on the glycemic index (GI)—a measure of how shortly your blood sugar spikes and falls after consuming a meals—whereas easy carbs are excessive.
Research present that diets that comprise average ranges of good-quality complicated carbs are more practical than high-GI diets at decreasing physique weight and controlling glucose and insulin metabolism. In different phrases: to be wholesome, you may eat carbs, not an excessive amount of, and principally the complicated kind.
Earlier than you can also make any dietary adjustments or corrections, you first have to determine whether or not you are consuming too many carbs within the first place. That is why we requested registered dietitians to share with us the hazard signal you need to be watching out for to evaluate your carb consumption, they usually agreed on this one factor.
There may be one warning signal that stands out amongst all of the indicators you are consuming too many carbs: that you simply really feel bloated and heavy.
“Consuming too many processed carbohydrates results in stomach bloating as a result of your physique has to retailer extra water with a view to retailer the power from the carbohydrates,” says Megan Byrd, RD, a dietitian with the meals weblog The Oregon Dietitian. “In case you’ve ever had a carb-heavy day and ended up gaining 4-5 lbs afterward, that is water retention.”
Whenever you eat too many carbs, your physique cannot use all that power directly. The answer? Retailer it. “Whenever you eat carbs, muscle mass will retailer additional carbohydrates that you do not use instantly for power as glycogen, which holds water and contributes to that heavy feeling that you’re going to really feel quickly after consuming carbs,” say Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT & Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT, of The Vitamin Twins.
Another excuse why carbs could cause bloating is because of the kind of ultra-processed meals you discover refined carbs in.
“Most individuals are inclined to overeat carbohydrates which can be refined, sugary and/or salty. Sugar and salt each make the physique maintain onto water to dilute them and restore the physique’s fluid stability, which contributes to feeling uncomfortably puffy,” say The Vitamin Twins.
Among the bloating you will expertise with consuming too many carbs is short-term, however you might also discover that for those who’ve been consuming too many carbs over an extended time period, this bloating and water weight might find yourself turning into fats achieve.
“Refined carbohydrates usually tend to be excessive in energy since they’re sometimes laden with fats and sugar, and this contributes to weight achieve. Overeating something over time results in weight achieve and for those who’re persistently feeling a bit puffy attributable to overeating carbs, then it is fairly seemingly this can result in greater than short-term weight achieve,” clarify The Vitamin Twins.
How are you going to inform that you feel bloated due to consuming too many carbs or if it is one thing else?
Extreme stomach bloating can come from many issues, from meals intolerances to extreme salt consumption. There are a few methods to find out whether or not this bloating is because of consuming too many carbs.
One is to establish the situation of your bloating: “You’ll be able to inform for those who’ve had an excessive amount of salt vs. carbs as a result of salt tends to trigger water retention in your extremities, like your toes, ankles, and fingers. Carbohydrates trigger bloating in your stomach area,” explains Byrd.
One other is to carry out a small dietary intervention: “A great way to check if it is the carbs or one other issue is to eat solely one-half cup serving of a healthful, high-fiber carb (corresponding to oatmeal and or candy potatoes), at your meal and see if the fatigue, heaviness, and weight achieve resolve themselves,” advocate The Vitamin Twins.
Methods to match carbs right into a nutritious diet.
Carbs will be part of a nutritious diet—so long as you select wholesome carbs.
“The healthiest strategy to eat carbs is by selecting complicated carbs, like candy potatoes, quinoa, beans and lentils, berries, entire wheat merchandise, and squash. By avoiding these easy, refined carbohydrates, you will assist fight the bloating,” says Byrd.
Complicated carbs are increased in fiber than easy carbs, and “the fiber will assist decelerate the speed of absorption and reduce the blood sugar spike,” explains Alicia Galvin, RD, a resident dietitian for Sovereign Laboratories.
There are additionally methods you may pair carbs with different macronutrients so the opposite meals might help gradual your physique’s digestion of the carb.
“I inform individuals to by no means eat a unadorned carb. At all times pair a fats (olives, avocado, olive oil, nuts/seeds/nut butters) and if potential a protein (egg, jerky, beans, dairy) with a carb so that you’ve got a stability of power and the carb will not spike blood sugar as a lot,” recommends Galvin. (Associated: 15 Finest Snack Combos That Double Weight Loss)
In case you really feel such as you’re struggling to find out for those who’re consuming too many carbs, you may all the time hunt down skilled assist.
“In case you’re questioning in case you are overdoing it, meet with a registered dietitian. Proper now, KIND is providing 3,000 free registered dietitian classes for people to be taught extra about their particular person dietary wants. That is nice for individuals that could be battling all these bodily challenges,” advocate The Vitamin Twins. You’ll be able to register for this system right here.
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