Health Made Easy

Lowering Stress for Optimum Health Part 3: Sympathetic Vs. Parasympathetic Nervous Systems - What they are and what they control - Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

The central nervous system is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and all nerves within our body. This system is split into different parts including the autonomic nervous system.

While the somatic nervous system controls the movement of our skeletal muscles, the autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary body functions.

The autonomic nervous system is split into the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). These two systems control the same general functions in the same parts of the body but produce opposing effects.

More so, both the SNS and PNS produce involuntary responses to various stimuli. However, you need to understand the function of each of these systems and what they need to function properly.

At our chiropractic office in Elizabeth City, NC, we always love to educate our patients on what to do to keep their autonomic nervous system working optimally.

Sympathetic nervous system (SNS)

This system controls the fight or flight response to external stimuli. When you're faced with a perceived threat, whether emotional or physical, your sympathetic nervous system kicks into gear and bring about involuntary and automatic responses, such as:

• Elevated blood pressure
• Increased heart rate
• elevated respiratory rate
• contraction of muscles
• heightened awareness
• Release of adrenaline from the adrenal gland
• Profuse sweating
• Conversion of glycogen to glucose
• Decrease in urinary output

Most times, the sympathetic nervous system shuts down many responses of the parasympathetic in order to gain more energy for the fight or flight response.

Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)

This system also affects the same body functions as the SNS, but in a different way. Basically, the PNS works to slow down certain responses to bring the body to a state of calm and rest.

The PNS basically controls homeostasis or maintains a healthy balance across all of the body's systems. The Parasympathetic responses include:

• Decrease in heart rate
• Increase of digestive enzymes
• Constriction of bronchial tubes in lungs
• Relaxation of muscles
• Sphincter relaxation
• Increase in urinary output
• Saliva production

The vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic side of the autonomic nervous system. It is heavily involved in digestion, blood pressure, heart, rate, and calmness. The vagus nerve also helps with urination, defecation, and sexual arousal.

How the SNS and PNS works

The SNS is a faster system as it moves along short pathways. Once it is activated, it stimulates the adrenal medulla to release hormones and chemical receptors into the bloodstream. This activates the target glands and muscles. And once the perceived danger is no more, the PNS takes over to counterbalance the effect of the SNS's response.

Both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are vital for our health and survival. However, there must always be a balance between these two for our bodies to stay healthy and perform optimally.

A healthy balance of these two parts of your autonomic nervous system comes when your nerves and spinal cord are functioning properly.

At our Chiropractic Office at Elizabeth City, NC, Dr. Jason Jones help in giving the best chiropractic care to remove any nerve interference that could disrupt the balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic responses. This allows your body to respond appropriately to any kind of stimuli and maintain proper balance to achieve optimal health.

You can visit our office or Consult Dr. Jason to learn more about your body's nervous system and how to strengthen your vagus nerve for overall health and wellness.

Lowering Stress for Optimum Health Part 1: What is the Vagus nerve, why should I care, and what it controls? Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

Have you ever heard about the vagus nerve? You probably haven't. Well, it's no surprise to know because scientists have researched many functions of this nerve, and they are still yet to know all. Well, in this article, we shall keep it simple and tell you about this special cranial nerve. Continue reading!

The body has 12 cranial nerves, which come in pairs and help to link the brain to different parts of the body, such as your head, torso, and neck.

Some of these cranial nerves help to send sensory information, including details about sight, smells, sounds, and tastes to the brain- This is called the sensory function. Other cranial nerves control the function of certain nerves and various muscles, and this is called motor function.

However, some nerves perform both sensory and motor functions, and a good example is the vagus nerve, which is also called the 10th cranial nerve or cranial nerve X.

What is the Vagus nerve?

The word "vagus" is Latin, meaning "Wandering." This name is given to the cranial nerve because it wanders from the brain into organs in the neck, abdomen, and chest. It is the longest and most complex of the 12 cranial nerves, having two bunches of sensory nerve cells. It basically allows the brain to monitor and receive information about different body functions.

The vagus starts in the medulla oblongata. It has two large nerves – long fibers having smaller cells that carry information around the body. One nerve emerges on the left side of the medulla and the other on the right.

From the medulla, the vagus moves down, up, and around the body. It goes down to control the muscles of the larynx and moves up to reach the inside of the ear. From the back of your throat to the end of the large intestine, different parts of the nerve wrap around these organs and tubes. And it sticks a delicate finger into the heart and even touches the bladder.

What does the vagus nerve do?

The vagus nerve has different functions in the body. However, these are the key functions of this nerve:

• It senses information from the heart, throat, abdomen, and lungs
• It provides the taste sensation behind the tongue
• It supports movement functions for the neck muscles responsible for speech and swallowing
• It is responsible for respiration, digestive tract, and heart rate functioning
• It delivers information from the gut to the brain, relating to anxiety, stress, and fear - hence, the common saying "gut feeling."
• It communicates with the diaphragm during deep breaths
• It sends anti-inflammatory signals to other body parts

However, if the vague verve is overactive, your heart may not pump enough blood around the body. Sometimes, it can cause organ damage and loss of consciousness known as a Vasovagal Response.

Why should I care?

Like you've seen above, the vagus nerve plays a huge role in our overall health and wellness. However, research has shown that chronic conditions such as diabetes and alcoholism can cause damages to the vague nerve. And if the vagus nerve is damaged, it may result in diarrhea, bloating, nausea, and gastroparesis. That's more reason why you should learn how to strengthen your vagus nerve naturally.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our chiropractic office in Elizabeth City, NC, to learn about natural ways to strengthen your vagal nerve for better health.

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy at any Age Part 4: How your brain/nervous system CONTROLS your immune system - Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

Do you always suffer flu or cold? Is it getting on your nerves? Do you sometimes feel that's normal? Well, the truth is that the fact that some people get sick doesn't mean everybody has to. Your ability to fight infection or ward of disease is strongly dependent on an important system in the body called the "Immune System."

The interesting part is that your brain/nervous system has a huge control over your immune system. Over the past 20 years, there has been much research conducted on the human immune system, and findings have clearly shown that there is a correlation between your nervous system and your state of immunity.

Little wonder, many of our patients at our chiropractic office in Elizabeth City, NC, who come in with sore throats, colds, stomach viruses and sinus congestion often report an accelerated recovery after our chiropractic adjustment.

Many of them now notice that when their co-workers are all catching flu and cold, they are not. Others notice that they are get sick less frequently than before.

What does this mean? It means that chiropractic correction of the subluxation has a strong effect in improving immune responses of the body. This chiropractic adjustment actually reduces nerve interference.

So, let's discuss better the correlation between your nervous system and immune system.

How your brain controls your immune system

The concept that the brain controls the activity in the immune system is derived from the theory of stress.

Research on the inter-relationships between the central nervous system and the brain has shown that there's a vast network of communication pathways between the two systems.

The nervous system and immune system interact with each other more than you think. Both systems release messenger molecules that communicates with each other and other body organs.

The nervous system collects information from the entire body and sends it to the brain and this influences receptors in the immune system.

The brain uses the nerve cells to communicate with the immune system and trigger an immune response. The immune system can also send a trigger to the brain to notify if of any foreign, unwanted body. The brain then tells the nervous system to react appropriately.

Many studies have shown increase levels of antibodies in the immune system after Chiropractic adjustments. And that's where a chiropractic care comes to play. Little wonder our patients who were sick with sore throat, colds, and sinus congestion always report accelerated recoveries after some chiropractic adjustments.

To keep it simple, the goal of a chiropractic care is to remove every interference in the nervous system- including stress- that may compromise your immune system. This helps to improve your natural day-to-day function. This is possible because the brain and nervous system controls the functions of your entire body, including your nervous system.

Chiropractic adjustments reduce stress on the nervous system, improving its communication with the rest of the body.

You can visit Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic Office in Elizabeth City, NC, to learn more about the influence of the brain/nervous system on your immune system. You can also consult us for the best chiropractic adjustment to improve the state of your nervous system for overall wellbeing.

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy at any Age Part 3: Immune Health - Gut/Digestive tract and immunity: what you can do to enhance it - Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

In times past, it was erroneously believed that bacteria had little or nothing to do with our wellbeing, but recent research has made it clear that bacteria contribute greatly to our immunity and overall wellbeing, specifically the bacteria found in our gut.

There are over 10,000 species and trillions of microorganisms in our gut, and they all form what is called the gut microbiome. So, it's not far-fetched when people say "we are more bacteria than we are human."

The gut microbiome impacts many physiological processes in the body, including weight, digestion, and level of concentration, mood, and more. However, there are pathogenic bacteria and good friendly bacteria.

The same way the bad guys or bad bacteria can overpopulate your gut, good bacteria can too.

When you change the way you eat, it can change the expression of your genes by boosting the population of the microbiome with diverse microbial cells.

Cutting out processed foods and adding more prebiotic fiber is essential in increasing biodiversity.

Probiotic-rich foods such as sauerkraut, kefir, etc. work well to introduce strong microbes to your gut, supporting a more efficient gut microbiome. This has a strong influence on your immunity, and we'll show you how.

How do gut bacteria impact immunity?

Your immune system has a role to protect your body from pathogens and foreign bodies. It basically consists of a group of cells, organs, and proteins that work together to protect the body from germs, viruses, and pathogens generally.

When your immune system is working perfectly fine, it goes unnoticed, but when it is not in good condition, your defenses become too weak to fight. Many opportunistic bacteria and pathogens swoop in and outnumber the good bacteria.

So how does the gut or digestive tract come into play?

Many studies have clearly shown how human cells and microbial units coevolved together in symbiosis. The immune system has a strong link with gut bacteria.

Like we've mentioned earlier, most of the human microbiota is present in the gut, and so does 70-80% of the immune system. Both the gut bacteria and the immune system work in a symbiotic way to eliminate harmful pathogens and ensure that the body is protected.

The gut influences the strength of the immune system, which in turn forms the diversity of the microbiome. Throughout life, other factors like diet, lifestyle habits, and environment shape the composition of the gut flora.

The gut bacteria act as a gatekeeper and teach the immune cells called T-cells to identify and distinguish foreign agents from our own tissue.

When the antibodies produced in the body cannot access certain pathogens that attack your body cells, the T-cells come in to handle the situation and destroy the infected cells. This process is known as cell-mediated immunity.

That's why it is important to maintain a powerful immune system that communicates well with the gut.

When everything is working normally, the gut sends signals for the development of a healthy immune function that regulates immune function. In return, the immune system supports an increase in the population of health-promoting microbes.

When the gut and immune system are in good working relations, your body responds to pathogens and tolerates harmless bacteria, preventing autoimmune responses and ensuring your overall wellbeing.

To enhance the function of your gut bacteria, eat organic foods, decreasing or eliminating fluoride, cut out processed foods, and include more prebiotic fiber (legumes and vegetables) and probiotics in your diet.

When your gut is filled with the good guys, your whole body enjoys it as your immune system stays strong to ward off pathogens.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our chiropractic office to learn more about your gut health and how it affects your immune system. We will also show you natural measures to boost the health-boosting bacteria in your digestive tract.

I wanted to let you know about Michael Rubino, an innovative expert in mold contamination and remediation. While Rubino is only in his 30s, he is already turning the mold remediation world on its ear with his unique approach to this business.

This pandemic made us more conscious of good hygiene and learned to stay and cope with working more from home. You may know that many are struggling with molds in their homes and the effects of mold exposure on their health. Many seek out mold remediation companies but still suffer after the jobs are done. That's because many conventional mold remediators are only doing part of this job.

When Rubino does mold remediation, his procedure removes all traces of mold including the spores they leave behind and the toxins produced by the mold.

To educate those who are struggling with molds in their homes, Rubino wrote the book Mold Medic. In detail, Rubino advises readers on how to choose a mold remediation company and the exact processes that the company should be using. He also explains how to recover from mold-related illnesses and do home maintenance. His message is perfect for those interested in achieving and maintaining robust health.

Rubino and his company All American Restoration have been featured in USA Today, NJBiz, Reader's Digest, New Jersey Monthly and Digital Trends. He was also selected as a speaker for the Spring 2020 Indoor Air Quality Association Meeting and Expo.

Rubino received a Bachelor of Science degree in 2008 and is a council-certified microbial remediator from the American Council for Accredited Certification, and a New York State Department of Labor Remediation Contractor. He has spent the past seven years involved in construction and remediating mold contamination.

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy at any Age Part 2: Immune Health - Bone Marrow: how to stimulate it to work better? - Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue present inside our bones. It is responsible for producing red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The lymphocytes produced in these tissues play an important role in the immune system.

The bone marrow is active in newborn babies and new cells are produced continuously, but as you grow into adulthood, the marrow inside your feet, legs, arms, and hands stop producing new marrow cells. At the adult stage, the active marrow is found inside the hip, spine, shoulder bones, breastbone, ribs, and skull. However, the hip and spine have the richest content of bone marrow cells.

What is the role of the bone marrow?

Like we said earlier, our bone marrow produces red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The blood cells start off as stem cells – young immature cells inside the marrow. Once they develop, they do not live for too long. That's the reason why our bone marrow continuously produce all three types of blood cells to keep us healthy.

The red blood cells are mainly involved in the transport of oxygen and nutrients. These cells also get rid of carbon dioxide which is given out through the lungs as you breathe out.

The platelets are cells that support blood coagulation to stop bleeding at body sites that have been injured or cut.

The white blood cells are mainly involved in the immune response of the body. They help fight against infection to improve health and overall wellbeing.

There are many types of white blood cells in the body, including monocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes. These cells fight against invading viruses, bacteria, or fungi to destroy the infection. However, each of them differs in appearance. Other type of white blood cells – basophils and eosinophils- respond to allergens that can invade your body.

Role of the bone marrow in the immune system

Your immune system generally works to protect your body from disease. The lymph nodes- which are small glands scattered throughout the body- are made inside the bone marrow, and once they are made, lymphocytes travel between each of these nodes through channels called lymphatics.

The lymphatic channels lead to a duct that is emptied into a blood vessel and the lymphocytes enter the blood through these ducts.

There are basically three types of lymphocytes:

• B-lymphocytes (B-cells): These cells make antibodies that attach to the surfaces of pathogens. These antibodies stick to molecules called antigens which binds to the surface of the microbe. The antibody-antigen bond triggers the growth of B-cells, which helps to fight infection.
• T-lymphocytes (T-cells): The T-cells mature in a small organ called the "thymus," which is located just behind the breastbone. The T-cells support B-cells in making antibodies to fight viruses, bacteria, or other microbes. T-cells actually bind to the antigen on the surface of the microbe and engulf and destroy the pathogen directly.
• Natural killer (NK) cells: These are lymphocytes that attack cells that have been infected by a virus.

The bone marrow plays a huge role in your immune system as it is the site of the production of blood cells that produce antibodies against the action of pathogens, thereby improving your immunity.

You can visit Dr. Jason Jones at our chiropractic office in Elizabeth City to learn about natural ways to boost your bone marrow function and get chiropractic adjustment to optimize the function of your body.

The thymus gland is a small pinkish-gray organ located behind your breastbone. It plays critical role in the immune system, especially in stimulating the development of disease-fighting T cells.

The thymus actually starts working before you're born and as you grow into puberty it becomes gradually replaced by fatty tissue. It becomes completely replaced as more move into your 70s.

When the thymus is active, it helps your body protect itself against autoimmunity, which happens when the immune system fights against itself. Hence, the thymus plays a crucial role in the lymphatic system (your body's internal drainage system that helps remove toxins and waste from your body).

From the fetus stage to the childhood stage, the thymus is mainly involved in the production and maturation of T-cells or T-lymphocytes- a white blood cell type responsible for protecting the body against certain threats, including infections and viruses.

The thymus gland produces a hormone called thymosin, which is needed for the production and development of T cells.

However, don't forget that the thymus is at its largest in children, and as you reach the puberty stage, it starts to slowly shrink. At the age of 75, your thymus is a little more than fatty tissue.

But the good part is that by the time you reach puberty, the thymus gland has reached its maximum weight (about 1 ounce) and it has produced all of your T cells.

Thymus gland: Production of Thymosin

The thymus gland secretes thymosin which stimulates the development of T cells. White blood cells called lymphocytes actually pass through the thymus throughout your childhood years, and as they pass through this organ, they are transformed into T cells.

After maturation in the thymus, the T cells migrate to the lymph nodes (collection of immune system cells located at different parts of the body), where they help the immune system in fighting pathogens and diseases.

The mature T cells play roles in:

Immunity

The mature T cells support immunity in that they isolate foreign bodies or cells, lock them onto the cell and kill it. This is also called cell-mediated immunity as it involves the action of immune cells in fighting infections.

Autoimmunity

T cells generally have barricades at their cortex to prevent them from being sensitized to the body's own cells. However, cells that accidentally become sensitized to "self" are often cleared by the process of negative selection in the medulla. This helps to prevent the development of autoimmune disorders.

If your thymus gland is removed early in life, you are at a high risk of developing autoimmune disorders.

How to stimulate the thymus to work better

You can support your thymus to keep pumping out T-cells with the following measures:

• Ramp up your antioxidant intake: Studies have shown that antioxidants like vitamin C help to protect the thymus from free radicals and age-related shrinkage.
• Stay away from artificial sweeteners: Artificial sweeteners like sucralose have been studied to cause shrinkage of the thymus glands.
• Get enough zinc: Zinc is the most important mineral needed by your thymus gland to stay healthy.
• Thymex: a fantastic product from Standard Process

Some interesting research shows that thymus extract, like thymomodulin, helps to boost the immune system against respiratory infections such as asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, and hay fever. These conditions are often triggered by an overactive immune system, so the process of calming the immune system reduces the severity of such attacks.

The functioning of the thymus gland both as a lymphatic organ and an endocrine organ plays a crucial role in your long-term health and wellbeing.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City to learn more about natural ways to stimulate your thymus to work better in boosting your immune system.

Why your sugar consumption should not exceed 10% of your carbohydrate calories- Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

Sugars are commonly seen in many natural foods and drinks as simple carbohydrates. Healthful foods such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy products contain sugars, which gives them a sweeter taste.

It is important for you to include these foods in your diet as they also offer a range of nutrients that gives valuable health benefits.

However, a lot of food manufacturers tend to add sugar to foods such as cereals, cake, and some beverages and drinks. These added sugars or free sugars are implicated in many health problems, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Unlike the natural sugars found in foods and drinks, added sugars offer no nutritional value. Besides, the body digests them very quickly and they are a poor energy source.

Carbohydrates are the preferred energy source for the body, and roughly half of your daily calorie intake should come from these carbohydrate-rich foods.

How much sugar is too much?

The Dietary Guideline for Americans advises that added sugars should make no more than 10% of people's daily calorie intake. So, if you have a daily intake of 2,000 calories, your added sugar should not be more than 200 calories.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) advises in 2015 that people take half this amount, with no more than 5% of daily calories coming from added sugar. So, diets of 2,000 calories per day should include no more than 100 calories from added sugar. This is equivalent to 6 tsp., at the most.

What are the effects of too much sugar?

When you consume excess added sugar (beyond the recommended amount stated above), you're at risk of the following:

Weight gain and obesity

A diet high in added sugar has been shown by studies to cause leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone produced by the body to signal to the brain that you've had enough food.

So, when you eat too much sugar, it may interfere with your brain's ability to know when you've had enough food. This puts you at risk of weight gain and obesity.

Tooth decay

The bacteria that live in the mouth digest sugar and creates an acidic waste product. This acid erodes your teeth' enamel, leading to cavities or holes in your teeth.

When you eat sugary foods frequently, especially in between mealtimes, in sweetened drinks, or as snacks, you are likely to have tooth decay.

Aging skin

When you consume too much added sugar in your diet, it can lead to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are linked to faster visible aging. More so, excess sugar affects the formation of collagen in the skin.

Acne

Some studies have shown that people who consume lots of added sugars in foods and drinks are more likely to develop moderate to severe acne.

Some other study suggests that when you lower your sugar consumption, it may decrease insulin-like growth factors, sebum, and androgens, all of which contributes to acne formation.

Other effects of too much sugar include:

Diabetes

High blood pressure

Cancer

Looking at all these effects of consuming excess sugar, it is important that you limit your added sugar content in your diets below 10%. You should carefully check food labels and look out for sugar forms like brown, sucrose, maltose, corn syrup, molasses, corn sweetener, malt syrup, etc.

Although some of these sugars are not harmful in small amounts, you might consume too much of them without realizing it.

A simple piece of advice for you is to avoid processed foods containing excess added sugar. Cook whole foods and get your calories from healthful foods containing sugar such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, etc.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic Office at Elizabeth City, NC to learn more about carbohydrates to add to your diet to get your daily calorie needs.

What are the Best Sources of Carbohydrates? - Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

Right from your elementary education, you must have learned about carbohydrates to be an essential component of your diet. In fact, they are one of the main nutrients your body needs, along with fats and protein.

What are carbohydrates?

In simple terms, carbohydrates are biomolecules consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. They provide THE energy needed for our bodies to work optimally. When you eat a food that is rich in carbohydrates, your body breaks it down into glucose- which is the primary fuel that circulates in our blood and serves as fuel for the brain.

Functions of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are important for the following functions:

• They supply the body with energy
• They form a key part of some connective tissues
• The fiber content in carbohydrates helps to lower blood cholesterol
• They help to retain protein so it can be used to repair and build
• They help to prevent the degradation of skeletal muscles

Best sources of carbohydrates

You can get carbohydrates from both processed and unprocessed foods, but processed or refined carbs offer little to no nutritional value. The best sources of carbohydrates are whole and unprocessed foods as they are usually nutritious and highly healthy.

The human body cannot produce carbohydrates, so you can only take them through your diet. Here are some best sources of carbohydrates:

Simple carbohydrates: Best sources include oranges, apples, bananas, pineapple, berries, sweet potatoes, and milk.

Starchy carbohydrates: Best sources include grain bread, whole grains, potatoes, beans, and some nuts.

Complex carbohydrates: Best sources include peas, barley, beans, wild rice, oats, brown rice, etc. This form of carbohydrate contains fiber and starch and they do not spike blood sugar levels. Instead, they help to support minimal sugar levels in the blood.

Fibrous carbohydrates: Best sources include fresh vegetables like carrot, pumpkin, broccoli, beans, squash, cucumber, etc.

These food sources above are loaded with good carbohydrates.

The bad or unhealthy carbohydrates are found in foods like white bread, candies, chocolates, sugary drinks, ice cream, pastries, and other processed foods. These food items contain easily digested carbohydrates that may interfere with weight loss, contribute to weight gain, and promote heart disease and diabetes.

Hence, ensure you reduce your intake of these carbs or avoid them completely if possible, to keep your health in good condition even in your old age.

Tips to add healthy carbohydrates to your diet:

• Start your day with whole grains – You can try a hot cereal like old-fashioned oats (not instant oatmeal). You can also try a cold cereal but ensure whole grain is mentioned first on the ingredient list and the food is low in sugar.
• Eat whole-grain bread for lunch. Choose bread that lists whole rye, whole wheat, or any other whole grain as the first ingredient. However, note that the products that are made with only whole grains are far better.
• Go for whole fruit instead of juice
• Add beans to your diet rather than fill up on potatoes. Beans are an excellent source of slowly digested carbs. Eating too many potatoes may cause weight gain.

The rule of thumb is to eat whole foods, which are the best sources of carbohydrates, and avoid processed and refined carbohydrates. You can consult Dr. Jason Jones in our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City, NC to learn more about natural sources of carbohydrates that help to support healthy living.

A lot of people tend to cut out foods containing carbohydrates just to reduce their weight. However, many do not consider the short-term and long-term consequences of such actions.

If you're one of the people cutting carbs out completely to lose weight, this article will show you the many side effects of your actions.

What are carbohydrates and what do they do?

Carbohydrates are sugar molecules that can be broken down to release glucose needed by the body to make energy. This macromolecule includes starches, fiber, and sugars that can be found in various foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and legumes.

Your body uses carbohydrates as its major source of energy. Although the body can also use fat and protein to make fuel, the process is quite long and less efficient.

According to the Institute of Medicine, every individual should get 45 to 65 percent of their daily calorie intake from carbohydrates food sources. More so, the average minimum suggested amount of carbohydrates to take daily is 130 grams.

However, your carb and calories intake depend heavily on your lifestyle, activity level, and your health needs. Generally, if you live a sedentary life, you will need a lower percentage of carbohydrates compared to an individual who engages in regular vigorous activities.

Now, let's discuss what happens when you cut carbohydrates out completely.

Side effects of cutting out carbs

Cutting out carbohydrates completely from your diet can lead to the development of many side effects and symptoms that can be deadly to your health. Some symptoms may be temporary and clear up as your body adjust, but certain effects are permanent and may cause great damage to your health and wellbeing.

Here are some reasons why cutting out carbs is a bad idea:

Severe headache

When you do not take carbohydrates in your diet, your blood glucose level drops drastically, and this can cause severe headaches. You may experience this ache daily and the severity can increase until you increase your carb intake.

Constipation and dehydration

When you cut carbs out completely, it may lead to constant constipation and dehydration. That's because your body needs an adequate amount of carbohydrates to operate smoothly.

Most low-carb diets skip foods containing fibers and this promotes constipation. You may even experience intestinal blockage and stomach cramps in extreme cases.

Fatigue, sadness, and depression

Your body needs an adequate amount of carbs to work optimally. When you take out the energy-giving compounds, you are likely to suffer real fatigue and run into depression and sadness.

Also, carbs play a major role in the production of hormones. So when you cut carbs out of your diet, it causes hormonal imbalance that leads to emotional instability.

Bad breath

When your body is deprived of carbohydrates, it switches to using fats as a source of energy through a process called "ketosis." This process causes the accumulation of ketone bodies that tends to give out a fruity and nail polish remover smell. So, you can expect to have bad breath.

There are other side effects of cutting carbs out completely, including:

• Brain fog
• Heart palpitations
• Leg cramps
• Bloating
• Elevated cholesterol level

When you're thinking of a long-term way to lose some pounds and maintain your weight, you shouldn't think of cutting carbs out completely. You'll be doing more harm to your health if you do so. Instead, you can follow a good diet plan and exercise routine.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office in Elizabeth City, NC to learn about natural and healthy ways to lose weight and improve your overall health instead of cutting out carbs completely.