Carb

Low carb diets can help you lose weight, but being on a low carb diet can have side effects.

Considering Going On A Low Carb Kick (or Diet)?

If you've recently started a diet with a low carb intake, you might be experiencing some things that are somewhat new to you. For instance, you might find that you're grumpier than you were before you started the diet, you have less energy and physical things like you are constipated and have bad breath. Well, you're not crazy. Those are all symptoms of being on a low carb diet.

What Causes Side Effects of Low Carb Diets

Being on a low carb diet causes a lot of side effects, most of which are listed above. But do you know what causes these side effects? Allow us to explain in what's hopefully the simplest way possible. You see, your body uses carbohydrates for fuel. Ideally, we would all have 130 grams of carbs a day. The unfortunate fact is that most of us eat well over that number, which causes obesity. But when you go on a low carbohydrate diet, you reduce your carb intake to 20 grams of carbs a day for the first two weeks.

That forces your body to use fat and protein for fuel. That's why so many low carb diets recommend that you eat so much meat (it's packed with protein) and don't limit your fatty food intake.
They do, however, recommend that you eat until you're satisfied, not until you're full.
After all, if you're eating 5,000 calories a day, no diet in the world will help you lose weight.

Anyway, back to the reasons for the side effects. When your body starts burning fat and protein for fuel in the absence of carbs, it uric acid and ketones are released into your bloodstream and released from your body through urine. (Yes, it's gross.) This is known as a state of ketosis, and ketosis causes headaches, energy reduction, grumpiness and bad breath. Being in a state of ketosis for a long period of time can cause kidney damage too.

Bottom line: Before you start a low carb diet, be sure you know all the facts.