5 signs you are low on carbohydrates

low carb
5 signs you are low on carbohydrates

by Stephanie Pingel

02/23/2021, 9:18 am

Many women and men have already successfully lost weight with low-carb – it's no wonder that the weight-loss method, which involves reducing carbohydrates, is still very popular. But that inevitably leads to new variants of the concept: So-called no-carb is currently on everyone's lips. Here, the carbohydrates are not only greatly reduced, but also completely eliminated from the menu if possible in order to increase the weight loss even further.

Steer clear of no-carb

Quite apart from the fact that the complete renunciation of carbohydrates (no pasta, potatoes or rice – who wants that? ?) is probably very difficult to maintain: Many doctors are now warning of this trend. Because even if carbohydrates are almost frowned upon nowadays, the body needs them as an energy supplier as much as healthy protein. If he is not getting enough carbohydrates, deficiency symptoms can occur. They are bad enough on their own – they can also torpedo your attempts to lose weight.

Be careful with these warning signs

Do you suffer from deficiency symptoms because you are not eating enough carbohydrates? These complaints could indicate:

1. You have constant headaches and difficulty concentrating

Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose in the digestive tract – and this in turn is required by our brain in order to function. If we take in too few carbs, the brain lacks the energy to causing concentration disorders. For example, we are less able to remember new things and have difficulty reading. The lack of carbohydrates also lowers the blood sugar level, which makes headaches easier

2. You have bad breath

With less than 30 grams of carbohydrates per day, the body relies on burning fat to generate energy – it falls into what is known as ketosis. This is good for losing weight. But in the process, chemical compounds called ketone bodies are created and excreted through the breath. Unfortunately, they don't smell very good – we get bad breath.

3. You have indigestion

Fiber is extremely important to a healthy diet and can help prevent various diseases, such as: B. Obesity and high blood pressure. They also stimulate the bowel movement and ensure that we do not suffer from constipation or gas. Fiber is mainly found in healthy foods rich in carbohydrates such as whole grain products – so we shouldn't do without them entirely.

4. You are constantly hungry and in a bad mood

Carbohydrates can really make people happy, because they boost the production of the so-called happiness hormone serotonin, which puts us in a good mood. And as if that weren't enough, the body immediately reports cravings if it doesn't get enough energy from carbohydrates. In the worst case it ends with a real binge eating, the blood sugar level shoots up briefly – and then drops again just as quickly, which makes us feel tired and annoyed again. In contrast, the conscious consumption of so-called complex carbohydrates (e.g. grain products, legumes, vegetables), which can only be processed slowly by the body and keep the blood sugar level constant, helps.

5. You are quickly exhausted when doing sports

We can burn up the energy that carbohydrates provide during exercise. If the memory is empty, the body uses proteins as a substitute, which we actually need for the development and function of muscles. For one thing, our strength training is so completely free because the muscles cannot grow at all, and on the other hand we are exhausted faster and cannot work out as much as we would like.

And now?

If you notice one or more of these symptoms that don't go away on their own after a few days, should definitely review his diet and, if necessary, increase the consumption of carbohydrates a little. It doesn't have to be no-carb right away – you can also achieve great results with low-carb. And on top of that, you don't have to go without anything that is delicious ?

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