The Truth About Carbs (Part 2)

How carbs can sabotage weight loss efforts and how to avoid it. Here’s the science behind it.

Our intestinal system has a sort of wall, and at the wall there are guards that act like gatekeepers which allow certain things to pass through. We need these gatekeepers, and they are the key to good health. They allow things like nutrients to pass through, while keeping foreign invaders O-U-T. What happens if the gatekeepers become damaged? Our gut, and the rest of our health suffers. 

Remember in the last article that we mentioned there was a reason why you aren’t totally to blame for loving carbs so much? There, we mentioned that food has changed through the use of genetically modified foods (GMO’s). The heaviest use of GMO’s is found in the macronutrient category known as carbohydrates (there are three types of macronutrients, carbs, fat, and protein).  

Some common examples of GMO latent carbs include flour, wheat, gluten containing products, corn, and soy. Even the food that is given to animals like chickens,
and cows is GMO! Therefore, the everyday foods (even the healthy “whole grain” versions) like bread, pasta, snack foods, frozen foods, cookies, cereal, have all changed, and they are wreaking havoc on digestive systems causing inflammation.  

Inflammation in the gut steals your energy, and makes it really hard to lose weight. 

Sugar is another culprit to the bad rep carbs have. Sugar rapidly changes hormone levels, and it’s currently being added to many foods. When we eat too much sugar, our hormone levels become unstable without more. This leaves you craving more, and makes losing weight tough. The caveat to carbs and sugar is that carbohydrates break down into sugar when we eat them. Both carbs and sugar are what influence our “blood sugar.” 

But the problem still isn’t carbs, it’s the abundance of carbs, and the type of carbs. 

Here’s the other problem with having too many GMO carbohydrates. Your gut gets weaker and becomes damaged. Eventually this causes the bacteria in the gut to change.

We need good bacteria in the gut to keep the gatekeepers on top of their game. But excess carbohydrates, excess sugar, and too many GMO foods, is causing your intestines to become weak, and damaged. And your health is suffering.  

Our final point of all this talk about gut health and gut bacteria…

When your gut is damaged it starts to demand a constant supply of “food.” The food that the “bad” bacteria crave is … CARBS. Therefore, it may not be you that’s craving and even obsessing over carbs, but your gut certainly is. 

In the final part of this series, we’ll reveal why carbohydrates are still not bad even despite everything we’ve discussed already. We’ll also supply you with a Mini Guide to get you started on stopping endless cravings. 

Can’t wait? To dive in fully today, you can work with Sara directly right from your living room. She offers mobile counseling for individualized nutrition plans. 

Sara Zaki MS, RDN, RYT is a contributing writer and dietitian for Nutre. She’s the owner of Zaki Eats LLC. She’s also a long time yoga teacher, and former college professor of nutrition sciences. Specializing in finding solutions for clients who have difficulty losing weight, auto-immune disorders, gut issues, and renal diseases. For daily information and tips follow Sara on Instagram @Zaki_Eats. She’s located in New Jersey, but don’t worry, to work with her one-on-one, she offers mobile online sessions straight from your living room. 

Email [email protected] for questions and scheduling. Use Code ZakiNutre10 for discounted nutrition packages at Zaki Eats LLC.