6 Signs You May Need to Up Your Carb Intake

Carbs - one day you are told to eat them, the next you are told to avoid them at all costs.   So what is the bottom line? . 

Truth is you need carbs, and enough of them to function properly...as a sane person.   No joke, severe carb restriction can conjure up a slew of mood related issues. 

I have compiled a list of the 8 most common signs that you may not be getting enough carbs.   If any of these resonate with you, don't run out and eat a pasta salad, or a loaf of french bread.  Instead choose things like fruit, starchy vegetables, brown rice, quinoa, oats.

1) You are having trouble sleeping
Carbs indirectly increase tryptophan in the body which is a calming amino acid that helps promote relaxation and sleep. 

2) Your breath is stinky
Low carb intake causes the body to start using more fat as energy which generates ketones.  Bad breath arises when the body starts producing ammonia in the breath due to excessive protein or acetone produced by ketosis.

3) You are suddenly struggling at the gym
Carbs are converted to gylcogen in the body for the muscles to use as fuel.  When carb intake is low, the body resorts to protein & fat which takes much more energy to convert and is slower to fuel.

4) You are moody
Carbs are essential to the production of serotonin - the brain chemical that boosts mood and feelings of happiness.

5)  Your brain is fuzzy & concentration is off
The brain also needs glucose to function properly.  Low carb intake has been linked to lower scores on  memory tests.

6) You are constipated
Often this can be due to a lack of fiber from grains and fruit which are always on the top of the 'cut' list when people swear off carbs. 

7)  Your anxiety levels have increased. 
This goes back to the serotonin production again.  Low levels of serotonin in the brain have been linked to anxiety.   The one portion of the population who this does not apply to is those with insulin resistance - in which case reducing carb intake can have the opposite effect on anxiety and improve mood disorders. 

Keep in mind that we are all wired differently.  One size does NOT fit all, and while one person may benefit from a low carb diet, others simply do not.  Listen to your body and tweak whatever you are doing if it feels 'off'.  If the way you are currently eating leaves you feeling moody, depressed or anxious, or if you are struggling with lack of energy or sleep issues, it is time to rethink what you are doing.