Is a very low carb diet right for you?
With very low carb diets such as the keto diet being a huge trend. You’ve probably wondered if it’s the right diet for you or if it’s even healthy and sustainable. Today, i’m going to break down how your body reacts to a very low carb as well as the science behind it. Here’s a spark notes version over on instagram if interested.
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Today I’m focusing all on low carb diets specifically keto, hormonal imbalances, and the signs of whether or not you need more carbs. I know with the rise of all of the severely low carb diets such as keto, there’s some questions such as what is the best diet for you. My job as a Dietitian isn’t to tell you what to do. Rather it’s to educate you on the subject and the research behind it so that you can make the best decision for yourself.
The 6 Signs You Might Need More Carbs
- Fatigue and Brain Fog. This could be due to hormonal imbalances caused from very low carb intake. When you don’t consume enough carbs, your body is going to increase cortisol, which is your stress hormone in your body. When this happens it signals HPA access to decrease pituitary activity. Your body will then secrete hormones such as Growth Hormone, TSH, Prolactin, LA, FSH, among others.
- Moodiness. In addition to carbs being the brain’s primary fuel source, carbs also increase the body’s production of serotonin. Serotonin is the hormone that helps balance our mood.
- Bad workouts. If you’re participating in something such as walking or yoga then consuming too little carbs may not affect your workout. But when you are working out doing high intensity activities your workouts may be severely affected. Your body uses glucose and glycogen as its fuel source during high intensity activities both of which come from carbs.
- Bad Breath. When you are eating low carb your body turns to fat for fuel. In the process of breaking down fat ketones are produced. Ketones are released in the breath and have a bad odor.
- Digestive issues. One downside of missing out on carbs is you’re missing all of the fiber that comes with them. When we cut back on foods like fruits, veggies, and whole grains were eliminate a lot of that fiber from our diet. That fiber adds bulk to our poop and without it could end up having constipation and irregular bowel movements. The average American falls short on consuming enough fiber. So when you take away all the carbs and whole grains from your diet it’s only going to add onto that statistic and ensure digestive issues caused from lack of fiber. Fiber also promotes good gut health so it’s super important in promoting a good gut environment.
- Hormonal imbalances. Eating a diet too low in carbs is going to act as a stressor to our body. Chronically elevated levels of cortisol, our stress hormone, leads to an increased pressure on the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands. This will cause HPA access dysfunction, also known as adrenal fatigue which then leads to hormone problems.
In Short:
- Low carb diets can lead to:
- decreased thyroid output
- increased cortisol output
- decreased testosterone
- impaired mood and cognitive function
- muscle catabolism
- suppressed immune function.
In other words: Your metabolism might slow, your stress hormones go up and your muscle-building hormones go down. You feel lousy, spaced-out, sluggish, cranky… and maybe even sick.
Andddd, any weight loss you do see in the short term most likely won’t last.
The Science Behind The Why
If that already wasn’t enough, having too little carbs can really affect our body and our health as a whole. Diving into more of the science side of these diets i’m going to extend on the dysfunction of the HPA access caused from lack of carbs. Your HPA access regulates functions such as stress response, mood, digestion, immune system, libido, metabolism and energy levels. So are you seeing how this could cause some issues. Low carb diets can significantly disrupt hormone production, especially for women! Women with too low of carb intakes can face issues such as a stopped or irregular menstrual cycle, lowered fertility, hyperglycemia, more body fat, loss of bone density, anxiety, depression, and chronic inflammation and chronic fatigue and disrupted sleep along with so many more issues.
Going more in depth at the hormonal side of what is actually taking place in your body when you’re eating these super low carb diets such as the keto diet. Researchers looked at the keto diet and how it affected male and female mice. The male mice lost weight in the study, BUT the female mice ended up gaining weight. This is believed to be due to the hormonal imbalances and problems low carbs diets can cause especially in women. When we as women don’t get enough complex carbs we can have a shift in serotonin levels and progesterone metabolism causing our insulin levels to go up along with weight gain. When cortisol levels are high over a long period of time the body compensates by producing more testosterone and estrogen and less progesterone.
These super low carb diets like the keto diet are kinda like the triple whammy. One is that it increases your risk of having high cortisol due to carb restriction which is a stressor in your body. Two It’s going to increase the production of estrogen because of a high fat diet. Three these 2 changes: high cortisol + estrogen suppress your thyroid and makes you more prone to weight gain. Are you kind of understanding the whole process of what’s going on?
The Right Way To Eat Carbs
Here’s the key It’s not about eliminating the carbs, it’s about being smarter with them. If you’ve heard me talk about my #freshfitnifive, which is the components to create a balanced meal designed to curb cravings and keep you satisfied for longer. One of the components is a smart carb, along with lean protein, healthy fat, fiber, and boosting it with natural flavor.
What are smart carbs? Whole grains such as oats, rice, legumes, fruits, and starchy vegetables. When consuming a smart carb pair it with a healthy protein or fat, this will keep you satisfied longer. So next time you’re having a snack such as an apple pair it with peanut butter or a cheese stick for a balanced snack!
When you consume a low carb diet your metabolism may slow, your stress hormones go up, and your muscle building hormones will go down. Is that really what we want friends? You end up feeling lousy, spaced out, cranky, and you probably don’t even lose that much weight in the long term. I wanted to give the why behind me preaching against these very restrictive low carb diets. Remember having 30-40% of your diet come from carbs is a good range for the average person but going to severely low carbs like the keto diet tells us to can really affect your hormones and so many other things. I’ve had so many clients come to me after having done keto and lost a ton of weight and then gaining it all back and more. I don’t want you to be one of those people.
If you enjoyed today’s more “science-y” approach to deciding if a low carb diet may be right for you go ahead and share this and let me know on instagram at @SarahGraceMeck!
If you want to find the eating style that works best for you, your body type, and your lifestyle. Don’t forget to check out my new FREE quiz!! https://freshfitnhealthy.com/thebestdiet/.