If you are working out or have been on a diet in order to lose weight, then it is certain that you have been cutting carbs from your diet. You may be on a low-carb diet or a no-carb diet, or you may be skipping carbs after a certain time during the day. Even if you have not been doing so, you may be ending up feeling guilty every time you have some pasta, a slice of pizza, or some bread. This is because we have been made to believe that carbs are our body’s worst enemy if we want to lead a healthy life. But in reality, this is not the case. Carbs are actually an essential part of our diet. Your body needs carbs to fuel it for the different activities it performs during the day.
If you eat the right kinds of carbs in the right way, you can be healthy and will be able to lose weight efficiently. In fact, cutting carbs from your diet can actually mess with your weight loss plan, making it very difficult to shed those extra pounds. Your body sends you signals if you are running too low on carbs. If you experience any of the following symptoms then you should know that it’s time for you to up your carb intake.
1. Brain Fog
Your brain is one of the most important organs of your body, and glucose is the only source of fuel it can break down and use. If your brain does not get enough glucose, it cannot function properly, resulting in brain fog, mental tiredness, difficulty concentrating, low mood, slowed intellectual processing, and poor memory. Since glucose comes from carbohydrates, you need to have carbs every 4 to 5 hours for your brain to function optimally.
2. Tired When You Wake Up In The Morning
When you get a good night’s rest, you should ideally wake up feeling fresh and energetic. And if you are not, it means that your body is not getting enough glucose to support its functions. When you rest, your body performs all the necessary recovery functions but it needs a store of glucose in order to do so. It also needs glucose to provide you with enough energy to wake up feeling fresh. Make sure to have enough carbohydrates throughout the day so that your body has a steady supply of glucose at night.
3. Constant Fatigue
Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which is an energy source for your body. Some of the carbs you eat get utilized instantly to meet your current energy needs, while the others are stored for later use. But when your body does not have enough glucose, you can end up feeling tired and lethargic all the time. You will feel more energetic once you consume some carbs.
4. Getting Tired Quickly While Exercising
Exercise is meant to tire you out, but only after you exert yourself to quite an extent. If you are getting tired very quickly, then a lack of carbs can be to blame. If you continue exercising despite having less carbs in your body, you may not be able to recover efficiently after you are done. Always have complex carbs before each workout in order to have an energy-packed workout.
5. Frequent Headaches
You can experience headaches for a variety of reasons and one of them is low blood sugar. Once you stabilize your blood sugar by consuming some carbohydrates, your headache should go away. And don’t always wait until the last moment to fuel up on carbs. Always have carbs in moderate amounts throughout the day at intervals of 3 to 4 hours.
