Fast Carbs Undermining Our Health

Fast carbohydrates are those starches that are absorbed quickly from our intestinal tracts. This results in these carbs being rapidly absorbed in the body and converted to glucose. This, in turn, causes our pancreas to release large amounts of insulin which tell our body to store fat! It also elevates cholesterol and triglycerides particularly LDL the bad cholesterol.

What are these fast carbs?

What are these fast carbs? Bagels, chips, fruit juices ice cream, white floured pasta, and other processed floured foods. Dr. David Kessler the former commissioner of the FDA studied these issues since 1997. Undoubtedly he gained his insight from the late Dr. Atkins to whom we all owe a huge debt of gratitude. For it was Dr. Atkins who back in 1972 realized that processed carbs and sugar are the main culprits behind obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, not fat!

In this troubling time of COVID-19, we are all drawn to the craving for comfort foods, those of highly processed carbs. We at the Salerno Center realize that it is ok to occasionally indulge in these foods. However, we have an exciting partial solution. When having rice, pasta, bread bagels, etc. we have a nutrient called Carb Factor. It contains extracts from white kidney bean and it reduces dramatically the rapid absorption of starch in our small intestines.

Consequently, glucose doesn’t spike quickly and insulin is not released rapidly. Starch is absorbed slowly into and through the large intestine triggering a hormone called GLP 1 to be released. This, in turn, tells the body we have been fed and reduces the appetite!

I take Carb Factor every time I indulge in comfort food, which lately is twice a week. I do not get the cravings nor feel bloated or hungry afterward as I would without it. The only caveat, it will not work well with sugary items like ice cream or cookies. Nevertheless, in these times of stress, it’s ok to indulge a bit, and taking three or four Carb Factors before the indulgence will ensure that we don’t pack on the pounds!