No bread, no pizza, no pasta – according to Times Magazine estimates, almost 100 million Europeans and Americans now avoid carbohydrates in their meals.
The supposedly evil carbs are particularly disreputable among those who want to lose weight or who are looking for a slim figure. After all, carbohydrates are responsible for making us gain weight - at least that's the popular opinion.
But what effects does completely avoiding carbohydrates actually have on our bodies? We'll tell you what really happens when you cut carbs from your diet.
Book tip:“Low Carb – the latest version: lose weight in a healthy and fiber-rich manner with Low Carb HiFi” by Prof. Dr. Thomas Kurscheid, (Healthy Cookbooks BJVV), 2018.Buy directly from Amazon here.*The book contains, among other things, instructions for a low-carb diet and a selection of recipes that make it easier for you to eat fewer carbohydrates.
.
Low Carb: What happens when you avoid carbohydrates?
1. You lose weight
Although it is extremely difficult to do without carbohydrates, more and more people swear by the low crab diet. A low-carbohydrate diet is now considered a guarantee for rapid weight loss - stubborn belly fat in particular is said to be drastically reduced by avoiding it.
How many carbohydrates can you eat on a low-carb diet?
The fact is: If we eat fewer carbohydrates, i.e. between 25 g and 50 g per day, our body automatically switches to what is known as ketosis after about three days. This ensures that our organism now draws energy directly from our fat deposits and we therefore lose weight.
However, nutritionists from the German Nutrition Society are of the opinion that it is more important to eat less than you consume and not whether the food contains many or few carbohydrates.
In addition, you should not allow yourself to be deceived, especially at the beginning of a diet. The body initially loses a lot of water and thus (supposedly) weight. But at the end of a diet, the water often returns quickly and we weigh just as much as before.
Reading tips:
2. You have fewer cravings
Another positive effect that comes from avoiding carbohydrates: cravings are a thing of the past!
White bread, pasta, pizza and the like cause our blood sugar levels to rise and fall quickly. The result: Even though we are full, we have a craving for sweets after the meal. On the other hand, if you reduce carbohydrates and instead eat lots of healthy fats, fresh vegetables and proteins, you ensure a constant blood sugar level - you don't have any cravings. On top of that, fiber and proteins keep you full much longer than carbohydrates - meaning we are less hungry and therefore lose weight.
3. You get the low carb flu
No carb fans might like this less: If our body doesn't get any carbohydrates, it can lead to unpleasant side effects, the so-called “low carb flu”. Headaches, circulatory problems, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, bad mood and nausea can occur, especially in the first few days.
Our body usually adjusts to the lack of carbohydrate intake after a few days, but performance can suffer permanently as a result of the lack of carbohydrates. The brain needs around 120 grams of carbohydrates daily to be fully functional.
This also confirms oneTufts University studyin Massachusetts. Back in 2008, a group of scientists examined the effects of a strict low-carb diet on brain performance. The result: The participants who had not consumed any carbohydrates achieved worse results in terms of reaction time and short-term and long-term memory than the participants who had a reduced calorie but balanced diet.
4. You are (possibly) malnourished
Bread, pasta and the like are just as much a part of a balanced diet as fat, protein, vitamins and minerals. Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for us; we need them, for example, to produce serotonin in the brain, the messenger for a good mood, and bread and pasta made from whole grains are also good sources of minerals. TheGerman Society for Nutritionrecommends covering at least 50 percent of your daily energy needs through carbohydrates. Other experts recommend not completely avoiding carbohydrates on a low-carb diet, so no-carb is not a solution.
According to nutrition expert Tatjana Ballauff, a carbohydrate deficiency can also lead to a deficiency in thiamine, for example: "If important B vitamins such as thiamine are missing, changes in the central nervous system can occur and consequences such as Alzheimer's and confusion are conceivable," she explains in one Interview with “focus.de”.
Some tooStudiesconfirm that completely avoiding carbohydrates can lead to health problems in the long term. A low-carb diet can even increase the risk of heart disease, cancer or a stroke.
Recipe ideas:
5. You are less physically fit
Not only can our brain perform less well if we no longer consume carbohydrates, the abstinence also has an impact on our fitness. Athletes who do a lot of endurance training in particular need the energy from carbohydrates to be productive. Without carbohydrates, our body requires additional effort - we find exercise much more laborious and strenuous than usual.
6. You suffer from digestive problems
Many carbohydrate sources contain valuable fiber, which helps digest food faster and easier. If the body lacks a regular supply of carbohydrates, it can lead to digestive problems such as constipation.
However, anyone who replaces all carbohydrates with fats can also suffer from flatulence and diarrhea. A balance of all nutrients is crucial for good digestion.
7. You get heartburn
Another negative effect: If you stop consuming carbohydrates at all and instead increase the fat content in your diet, you can cause heartburn.
Not all carbohydrates are bad!
Good news for everyone who wants to lose weight but doesn't want to give up carbohydrates completely: Not all carbohydrates are bad! If you eat the right foods, you can lose weight with carbs.
In general, a distinction is made between simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates include, for example, white bread, chips, fast food, pasta and sweets. They are full of sugar, so the body has to produce a lot of insulin to transport it into the body's cells. The result: Insulin hinders fat burning and ensures that fat is stored, especially in the stomach.
Complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, legumes and vegetables, on the other hand, contain little sugar, so the body produces much less insulin. They also keep you full for longer and provide fiber and important nutrients that our body needs.
These carbohydrates are particularly good:
A balanced diet also includes (healthy) carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates, which also provide fiber, are particularly healthy. This includes:
- Vegetables
- Quinoa
- oatmeal
- legumes
- Whole grain products
- sweet potatoes
- potatoes
- brown rice
Cucumber, kiwi or praline: 50 foods with a maximum of 50 kcal
© iStock
200 grams of cucumber has 24 kcal.
© iStock
1 slice of rye crispbread (12 g) has 38 kcal.
© iStock
1 large pepper (200 g) has 40 kcal.
© iStock
60 g of low-fat quark has 44 kcal.
© iStock
1 Reiswaffel (7 g) hat 26 kcal.
© iStock
1 Tomate (50 g) hat 9 kcal.
© iStock
125 g of raspberries have 43 kcal.
© Array
200 g of raw carrots (2-3 pieces) have 50 kcal.
© iStock
1 average praline (12 g) has 48 kcal.
© iStock
1 portion of Harz cheese (30 g) has 38 kcal.
Important note at the end: An active lifestyle, with a balanced diet and lots of exercise, is still the best way to stay fit over the long term and achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
