Killer Carbs to Avoid!

Killer Carbs to Avoid!

Low-to-no-carb diets have been all the rage for years. There was the Atkin’s Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Dukan diet, the Ketogenic diet, and the Paleo diet—to name just a few of the more popular plans. Many swear by the diets’ weight loss benefits, but several new studies suggest that limiting carbs may do more than slim your waistline—it may even save your life.

 

Some people are just plain eating too many carbs, and these are the signs you are one of them. If you overindulge on high carb foods, limiting those carbs can be a life-saver, literally.

In one study, people who ate a lot of carbs (more than 60 percent of their daily calories) had a nearly 30 percent greater risk of dying during a seven-plus year period than people eating a low-carb diet.Here’s how the researchers figured this out: In their Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study, they followed people aged 35 to 70 from 18 countries for 7.4 years on average. Participants answered questions about the foods they ate using a standard questionnaire, and researchers categorized them into groups based on their intake of carbs, fats, and protein.During the study period, 5,796 participants died and 4,784 had heart attacks or strokes. Researchers took a look at their diets and found that those who consumed the greatest amount of carbs were more likely to die, when compared with their counterparts who consumed the least. Fat, however, seemed protective. People who ate high-fat diets (about 35 percent of daily energy intake) had a 23 percent lower risk of mortality, and an 18 percent lower risk of stroke compared to low intake group (11 percent energy).

Here are those killer carbs to avoid:

Sweetened Soda and Coffee drinks

Also high on the list of dangerous carbs are sweetened sodas,. A can of Coke has 39 grams of carbs, not to mention at least 150 empty calories. Flavored lattes are also on the hit list as they rank high in blood-sugar spiking carbs,  soda especially, have been linked to skyrocketing rates of obesity.

White rice, Bread, and Pasta

These foods are examples of simple carbohydrates that give carbs a bad name,. ‘All carbs are not created equal.’ White processed carbs are low in fiber and tend to spike blood sugar: ‘Read food labels and make sure the fiber content is greater than 3 grams per serving.’Brown rice, wild rice, and quinoa are healthier alternatives to white rice. Whole grain pastas and breads are also smart substitutions.

Breakfast Cereals

Speaking of breakfast, even some of the healthier-sounding cereals in the aisle may be high carb foods loaded with simple sugars and low in nutritional value,. Check the fiber content and make sure it is above 3 grams per serving, and choose single ingredient cereals for breakfast such as oatmeal when and where you can.

Cookies, Doughnuts, and Baked Goods

Simple carbs such as doughnuts, muffins, and cookies lack essential vitamins and minerals. They also spike blood sugar quickly and then cause an energy low, unlike complex carbs that are made up of starch and fiber and release gradually to provide a steady source of energy. ‘