Thursday

Do carbs age you faster?


The answer in general terms is no, because it all depends on the type of carbs and the quantity...  The reason is because excess blood sugar over time DOES indeed age you faster, and this is something I'm sure you want to avoid!

Let me explain why...

This all relates to something called "glycation" in your body, and substances called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs).  These nasty little compounds called AGEs speed up the aging process in your body including damage over time to your organs, your joints, and of course, wrinkled skin.

So with that said, what is one of the biggest factors that increase production of AGEs inside your body?  This may surprise you, but high blood sugar levels over time dramatically increase age-accelerating AGEs in your body.  This also includes each individual spike of blood sugar from high-carb meals, eating too much grains, too much sugar, sweetened drinks, etc.

So how do you prevent accelerated aging from high blood sugar related AGEs?

Well, the first thing that might come to mind is going on a very low-carb nutrition plan most of the time to keep average blood sugar levels consistently low.

Unfortunately, going too low on carbs for too long can have some negative consequences such as Thyroid hormone problems and also Leptin hormone levels going too low, which can slow your metabolism.

That's why I never follow extreme low-carb plans like Atkins... Instead, I follow a more paleolithic nutrition approach that focuses on proteins, healthy fats and veggies, while eliminating grains (except cheat days), but still keeping small to moderate amounts of carbs from fruit, small amounts of legumes, and potatoes or sweet potatoes.

So with that said, and knowing that you still want to enjoy at least some moderate carbs in your life, here are 2 tricks you can use below that help to fight aging...

The first one targets using specific herbs and spices to keep your blood sugar lower and more controlled any time you eat carbs:

Trick #1 to FIGHT aging (powerful herbs and spices to use before or with meals)

This is one of those little-known facts, but there are certain herbs, spices, and other ingredients that you can use before any carbohydrate-containing meal to dramatically reduce the blood sugar response from that meal...

One of those powerful substances is cinnamon.  In a study published in 2003 in the medical journal Diabetes Care, moderate doses of cinnamon taken daily for 40 days reduced blood sugar levels by 18-29%.  And yes, lower blood sugar means lower levels of those nasty age-accelerating AGEs in your body!

Another powerful substance for controlling blood sugar response from meals and lowering your overall blood sugar is something called alpha-lipoic acid (ALA).  ALA is a powerful antioxidant that helps to control blood sugar levels and increase your insulin sensitivity (a great thing!).

Aside from the anti-aging effect you could expect from ALA, any substance that helps you control your blood sugar, can also help you to lose body fat... a side-effect that I'm sure you will enjoy as well!

A third powerful herbal substance that helps to control your blood sugar from meals is a specific phytochemical found in the herb fenugreek. This works in a similar, but slightly different fashion than cinnamon and ALA, but is equally powerful for controlling blood sugar and thereby slowing aging with consistent use.

For the past couple years, I always tried to obtain cinnamon capsules, fenugreek caps, and ALA separately, but I recently found a really powerful combination product that contains ALL 3 of these unique ingredients, along with 2 other powerful blood sugar controlling herbal ingredients in the most potent doses according to the research...

You can try out this powerful natural formula for yourself here:

These 5 powerful herbal ingredients control blood sugar to help SLOW aging (don't let carbs speed up your aging)

Note: use this powerful combo before any carb-containing meal to help minimize the formation of AGEs in your body and therefore slow the aging process!  And a nice side benefit of controlling blood sugar is less cravings and reduced body fat over time too!


Trick #2 to FIGHT aging (a very unique protocol to use 3x per week)

Ok, this actually involves 5 steps...

And this involves eating MORE of a certain type of delicious but healthy fat, avoiding a certain type of exercise that can actually accelerate your aging (are you doing this type of exercise?), and 3 other steps that you can follow to look at least 5-10 years younger:

>> 5 Simple but powerful steps to look 5-10 years YOUNGER


I'll be back soon with more secrets about foods and exercises that can help keep you younger, both on the outside AND the inside!


Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer