Q: How can I tell if I need to eat more carbs? A: People often connect feelings of fatigue and brain fog with the need to eat more carbohydrates. These are not necessarily symptoms of lack of carbs but more a sign of insufficient total calorie intake in general. You often will hear that your brain runs on glucose (a.k.a. sugar) and that this is why you need to eat a higher-carbohydrate diet. But I’ve discussed in a previous article how this is more metabolic fairy tale than truth, as your brain has a vested interest in functioning properly, so it can adapt to run on ketones when sugar is not available. While the question of “How many carbs should I eat?” is always at the top people’s minds, it is important to realize that everything in your diet is relative to the amount of total calories you are eating. Because of protein’s key role in enhancing feelings of fullness and in growth and maintenance of muscle, I always set aside calories to meet optimal protein needs first before setting carbohydrate needs. Let’s look at an example on how to set your starting calories, protein, carbs, and fat levels if you want to lose weight.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 11:34:02 +0000