The concept is simple enough. Basically, our bodies don’t digest carbohydrates the same way. While some of your friends may be able to digest that serving of extra-large French fries with absolute ease, they may not do so well in your system.
Many people think the culprit is the way food is processed, and hence they make the switch to whole grains to have a purer carb intake in their diet. But that doesn’t help when people are carbohydrate intolerant, and the impact of this issue comes in the form of a person being overweight, having unusual levels of fatigue, or simply having high levels of sugar in the blood.
What Triggers It?
As you may have already deduced, carbohydrate intolerance is not a disease that you are born with or catch from another person like the common cold. So, then, what are the factors which do trigger its onset?
According to research, there are a variety of factors which contribute to making it a nuisance in your life, such as genetic predisposition, a lifestyle that does not allow for a good quality of sleep, is stressful, or is sedentary, and long-term consumption of processed food as well as medications. Even consuming too much carbs can trigger intolerance to the same.
Is It A Matter of Concern?
Indeed, carbohydrate intolerance is no joke as it leads to numerous serious health issues. Since carbohydrate intolerance results in prolonged elevation of blood sugar levels, this can mean that you may eventually develop insulin resistance, which can possibly ultimately result in high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and obesity.
Diabetes is a serious issue especially in the US. According to a report published by the National Diabetes Statistics in 2017, around 50% of Americans suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetes.
What You Should Do
Controlling sugar intake is not only reducing or stopping the consumption of sugar in your cup of coffee. Understand that whatever you eat gets transformed into sugar by your system, especially when you eat carbohydrates.
If and when you develop an intolerance to it, know that this is a way for your body to inform you that you are consuming way more than it can handle, and the best thing to do is not to switch to purer sources of carbohydrates, but to reduce your intake of carbohydrates altogether.
This can be done by reducing complex carbs and sugar intake in your diet, instead consuming low-starch vegetables and good with a healthy portion of fat in it. Perhaps cutting down the beans, vegetables rich in starch such as carrots and potatoes, and fruits is a good starting point to curb that carb intake.
Combine all these dietary changes with changes in your overall lifestyle. We know you don’t take your sleep seriously, probably considering it a rudimentary task which you have to undertake every night.
Monitor the quality of sleep you have, and make sure you get 7 to 8 hours of high quality sleep every night. Another change which you must bring is within the level of physical activity you are receiving. Increase it. Go out more, walk to that nearby store instead of driving there, make physical activity a core part of your life so that your body is moving and not staying stationary at one place.
Monitoring Blood Sugar Levels
There are two principal reasons why you should be monitoring your blood sugar levels: first is to check whether you are consuming the right amount of carbohydrates, and the second to check if your efforts to maintain optimum blood sugar levels are paying any dividends.
Make it a habit, in fact, make a chart and record your blood sugar readings after an hour and two hours of consuming a meal. This will allow you to map your body’s ability to metabolize carbs, providing insight into your health.
Can Carbohydrate Tolerance Change With Time?
Absolutely, and the amount of physical activity you undertake on a daily basis is what impacts your personal carbohydrate tolerance level.
Even if you have already developed intolerance to carbohydrates, by incorporating a more strenuous exercise regime, you may be able to increase your tolerance level.
In fact, an improved quality of sleep, and reduction in the levels of stress you take, all contribute to a positive change in carbohydrate tolerance levels, so you should be focusing on all aspects in unison in order to have the greatest impact.