The short answer is: Yes! But the longer answer is: That doesn’t apply to everyone! There’s a lot of hype around low carb and keto diets right now. You may have even jumped on the bandwagon and tried eating low carb.
Did you know that some people actually need MORE carbs in their diet to burn fat? There’s never a diet or way of eating that works for everyone, but in this case, your genetics may hold the key to how many carbs you should be eating for optimal weight loss, avoiding insulin resistance, and switching on those fat burners in the body.
Before we dive into the DNA part, let’s talk a bit about carbohydrates in general. Carbohydrates are our body’s source of quick energy. Carbs are converted to glucose, the body’s energy “currency.” They are important for the proper functioning of the brain, muscles, and internal organs, and help to regulate protein and fat metabolism.
When carbohydrates are obtained from whole foods, you get fiber/cellulose, sugars, and starches, all accompanied by vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Most whole food sources of carbohydrates are antioxidant-rich. In other words, carbohydrates from real, whole food sources are rich in many of the nutrients and co-factors our bodies need.
When it comes to carbohydrates, you want to avoid all those packaged and processed foods, or refined carbohydrates. Things like crackers, packaged baked goods, products made from refined white flour, frozen pizzas and meals and so on. Those processed foods get stripped of their nutrients during manufacturing, and what’s left is “food” with little to no nutritional value. Excess refined carbs can cause:
- Insulin resistance
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Weight management problems
- Protein deficiency
- Fatigue after meals
- Adrenal stress
- Aging – both inside and out. Refined carbs lead to oxidation in the body, so that means your cells are aging inside, and wrinkles start to form outside!
For real, whole food sources of carbohydrates, focus on vegetables, leafy greens, seasonal fruit, whole grains, and legumes.
Determining the right carbohydrate intake for you can depend on many different factors including sensitivities to carbohydrates, blood sugar issues (insulin resistance, diabetes), weight loss goals, stress levels, gut health, genetics and more.
While many people thrive on a lower-carb diet or can use it as a kick-start to weight loss, others actually need higher levels of carbohydrate intake in order to switch on those fat-burners!
By looking at your specific genetic markers for carbohydrate sensitivity, you can determine your personal intake needs. There are specific genes that have been shown to influence how your body reacts to and uses, carbohydrates. With my program, DNA Made Simple (Click Here to learn more), you can unlock your genetic potential to optimize your health.
When approaching your health, it’s important to consider all of the factors: underlying inflammation or infection, diet, lifestyle habits, gut health, hormone imbalances, and the list goes on. With all of that, your genetics – your personal DNA code – holds many of the keys to optimizing your health, and that includes understanding the proper ratios of macro- and micronutrients.
