3 Ways Carbs Make You Fat

While carbohydrates are essential for energizing your body, the American diet has become addicted to carbs. Whether we are snacking on chips or pretzels or devouring loaves of bread at a restaurant, carbs are great comfort foods. Unfortunately most of the carbohydrates we eat get converted to fat and add extra pounds around the waist. Below are three ways carbs make you fat.

1) Insulin Spikes

Sitting on the couch eating carbs causes your insulin to spike which leads to fat storage. Insulin spikes as a reaction to the increased glucose levels in your blood. This is especially true when you eat no other nutrients to offset the insulin spike. While complex carbs such as whole grains contain some fiber, simple carbs, such as sugary processed foods, are either immediately utilized or convert to fat.

2) Glycogen

Your muscles and liver can only retain so much glycogen from carbs. Once they are full of glycogen excess simple sugars will convert to fat. Unfortunately once your glucose levels drop you are left feeling hungry once again. This never ending cycle leads to significant weight gain.

3) Empty Calories

Unlike fats and protein, most of the carbs we eat are empty calories. They provide little nutrition yet a large amount of our caloric intake. Unless you are eating whole grains and other complex carbs which contain fiber, there are almost no long-term health benefits to consuming large amounts of carbs.

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The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.