Carbs have a bad reputation in the weight loss circles due to the common belief that they are fattening in nature and lead to increase of fat storages in the body; however, not all carbs are bad. Food items such as sugar, candies, white bread, pizza, donuts, cookies, burgers, chocolates, etc. have refined carbs that spike insulin levels and have loads of calories that quickly add up and get stored as fat in cells. On the other hand, complex carbs such as legumes, whole grains, vegetables, have comparatively lower glycemic index, get slowly digested, are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and help with weight loss. For losing weight, it’s important that you eat the right kind of carbs, and if you are seeing these signs, then it’s possible that you are eating too many refined carbs and should immediately make the switch to a healthy diet such as on Rati Beauty to lose weight.
What are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy that provides fuel to our body to run its normal day-to-day activities. Carbohydrates are made of sugar, starch and cellulose and when they break down, they release energy. Our body needs – protein, minerals, vitamins, trace elements, fats, and most importantly, carbs to get energy to perform its day-to-day activities. Carbs are broadly divided into “good” and “bad” carbs category, but they can be broadly categorized as simple and complex carbs.
Our body uses carbs to run its daily functions and derive energy from carbs. Carbs get broken down into simple sugars during the digestion process and are converted and absorbed from the small intestine. This sugar then gets absorbed into the blood. Natural and complex carbs are digested slowly and do not raise blood sugar level or spike insulin rapidly. On the other hand, refined sugars raise blood sugar and insulin levels rapidly and high blood sugar triggers the release of insulin.
7 Signs you are Eating Too Many Refined Carbs:
1. Feeling Fatigued Throughout the Day: When carbs enter the body, they get broken down into glucose and raise the insulin levels, and simple carbs cause sharp rise in insulin levels, giving you short bursts of energy. The subsequent drop in insulin levels will leave you feeling tired and exhausted. When you have too much refined carbs at regular intervals, you will get short spurts of energy followed by long periods of exhaustion and fatigue.
2. Frequent Headaches: It’s called a “carb headache,” and can occur after eating refined foods and sugary treats. Too much refined carbs can spike blood glucose and the subsequent slump can lower down blood glucose considerably, triggering carb headache. Glucose made available through carbs is the primary source of fuel for the brain and low blood glucose can trigger such headaches. On the other hand, excessive amount of glucose in the blood can cause hyperglycemia which can also cause headaches. Instead of refined carbs, switch to whole carbs or go low carb to avoid such headaches.
3. Digestive Issues: Refined carbs lack fiber content and too much of such carbs can cause digestive issues such as constipation, bloating, cramping, and excessive gas. Switch to a balanced diet that would provide you adequate fiber, prebiotics, and probiotic content, check out Rati Beauty diets to find such healthy diets.
4. Sugar Cravings: Extensive studies done on sugar addiction indicate that eating processed and refined carbs has a great impact on the reward and addiction centers of the brain, and can make trigger cravings for sugar and sweet stuff intense all through the day.
5. Hunger Pangs throughout the day: Refined carbs get digested quickly and do not promote feelings of fullness or satiety.
6. Difficulty Losing Weight: Refined carbs are considered as number #1 enemy of weight loss because they lead to rapid weight gain by directing excessive glucose to be stored as fat and also by raising inflammation in the body, making it extremely difficult to lose weight.
7. Acne Breakouts: Cutting down refined carbs will have an amazing reaction on your skin because insulin spikes caused by refined carbs and excessive sugar in the body causes inflammation of skin which leads to premature ageing, wrinkles, acne, and uneven skin tone. If you want to look 10 years younger, then the first thing you should do is eliminate sugar from your system. Sugar in the bloodstream leads to a process called “glycation,” in which sugar molecules damage the collagen and elastin (responsible for suppleness and firmness) in our skin. Cutting down refined carbs will eliminate sharp insulin spikes which will eventually lower down inflammation of the skin and you can get your youthful glow back within two weeks. So, when you cut back on sugar, you can say bye bye to acne and wrinkles for as long as you want.
Lose weight by following weekly diet programs on Rati Beauty, by eating the right kind of food
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