The High-Cal Food No One Over 30 Should Be Eating Anymore Because It Leads To Overeating And Weight Gain

The worst thing you can do in your 30s is continue to eat the things that you ate in your 20s, experts warn. We know that our metabolisms slow as we age, and besides, now that you’re older and wiser, you should know better, right?! The first rule of thumb to follow when you hit these established mid life years is to avoid simple carbohydrates. Health experts say you should avoid these high-cal foods at all costs because they can spike your blood sugar and actually lead you to overeat later. Yikes! “Simple carbs are particularly bad for weight loss and health,” board-certified internal medicine physician Dr. Adrienne Youdim warns. Here’s everything you need to know about cleaning these foods out of your diet immediately (or at least knowing how sparingly to have them):

“Not only do simple carbs have poor nutritional value and tend to be high in calories, but the negative effect on one’s weight and body go beyond calories,” Dr. Youdim explains. “Simple carbohydrates are so refined that they cause a fast spike in blood sugar (as opposed to complex carbs that result in a slow and steady rise),” she continues. How does the body respond to this spike? With a blast of insulin which then precipitously drops off again.

“This promotes cravings and more hunger – and weight gain,” she warns. But that’s not all–this may also drive the production of visceral fat, aka midsection fat.

“Visceral fat, or the fat that surrounds the organs in the midsection, is particularly harmful for cardiovascular health,” Dr. Youdim says. It’s very important for woman in their 40s and 50s to continue to keep this health risk in mind, as being perimenopause and having declining estrogen puts them at even greater risk for cardiovascular disease then. Better start breaking those baked good habits now!