Why do I feel like CRAP on low carbs?

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  • RachelsReboot
    RachelsReboot Posts: 569 Member
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    http://www.aphroditewomenshealth.com/news/20081116013502_health_news.shtml

    This is really common knowledge. We learned this in first year anatomy and physiology actually.

    Do you have a credible source?
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    Your BRAIN does. NO carbs can cause neurological shut down.

    Nope.

    I am way pro carb.

    But I'm also a neuroscientist.

    And unfortunately, your statement is false. Your brain works fine on ketones.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    It will take a while, but carbs are what fuels the brain - light headed, fatigue, headaches can occur from lack of carbs, not sure about the brain shutting off!

    Actually, no. Carbohydrates are polysaccharides. Glucose, a monosaccharide, 'fuels' the brain. But the brain is not an obligatory glucose consumer so it easily makes the switch to relying on ketones which enter the same metabolic pathway as fatty acids. This saves the glucose for the obligatory users, like liver and skeletal muscle. Also, ketones can be used to produce glucose via GNG.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    Your BRAIN does. NO carbs can cause neurological shut down.

    Nope.

    I am way pro carb.

    But I'm also a neuroscientist.

    And unfortunately, your statement is false. Your brain works fine on ketones.

    THANK YOU.

    YOU count as a professional. ^_^ ((hug))
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    First year (two semesters) are the only mandatory A and P classes. Most nurses take more than that, and we also take pathophysiology. Lowering bad carbs is beneficial. Cutting all carbs out is not. Severely restricting them is not.

    You don't learn about ketogenic diets in patho. You MIGHT cover ketoacidosis re: diabetic patients but patho covers disease states, which doesn't include ketosis.
  • jellerose
    jellerose Posts: 74 Member
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    "Carbs are essential to LIFE." Um, no. We may be addicted to them when they come in grain form ("healthy whole grain" is like saying "healthy filtered cigarettes", neither is healthy, just a less unhealthy option) Carbs are a great source of vitamins when wrapped up in veggies and LIMITED fruits, they suck and are unhealthy when they come from grains. People just don't want to give up their sugar. I can relate but I do my sugar more often straight up instead of pretending grains are anything else.

    Your body can convert fats and proteins into the same things carbs give you.

    Those "healthy whole grains?" They have to have B vitamins ADDED for nutrition, that doesn't come naturally. I get so tired of the misinformation regarding carbs. People are so addicted (hey, been there, done that and have fallen off the wagon more than once) they will exercise for HOURS trying to do what eating right will do naturally. Exercise for health and fitness, not for calorie burning. Eat calories in the right form (NOT grains) and you will be able to exercise much less. It's no less sustainable as trying to burn off those calories in a never ending ratrace . You have to give up something, either you give up the excess carbs or you give up calories elsewhere (fats and proteins which are what you were designed to live on) and/or hours and hours of mindnumbing cardio.
  • mrschappet
    mrschappet Posts: 488 Member
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    why is everyone so anti-carb? aren't healthy carbs good?!

    ^^^^this.... and yes.. these low carb diets are ridiculous.. STOP DIETING make a lifestyle change!!!! moderation is key peeps ;-)
  • garlic7girl
    garlic7girl Posts: 2,236 Member
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    Carbs give energy! It is the primary source of food for the brain!
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    why is everyone so anti-carb? aren't healthy carbs good?!

    ^^^^this.... and yes.. these low carb diets are ridiculous.. STOP DIETING make a lifestyle change!!!! moderation is key peeps ;-)

    What if you're just calling my lifestyle change a diet? What's the difference?
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    http://www.essentialnutrition.org/lowcarb.php
    Did you learn about peer-reviewed articles and scientific writing at all? I mean...come on. Anyone can write any BS on a website.
  • jellerose
    jellerose Posts: 74 Member
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    My 14 year old has been resisting reducing or eliminating grains and I haven't forced the issue. Interestingly enough, what pushed her into a successful trial was being forced to pretend to swallow the bs taught in health class regarding nutrition, the Standard American Diet crap. She's seen what eating lower carb and more "paleo/primal" can do for health in her own home and that of friends. She still isn't as low carb as I am and I'm ok with that, just reducing grains is a great step which is helping her acne, mood, concentration, etc.
  • ashprather
    ashprather Posts: 227 Member
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    wow it got crazy in this post. no need to argue people :/
  • jellerose
    jellerose Posts: 74 Member
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    why is everyone so anti-carb? aren't healthy carbs good?!

    ^^^^this.... and yes.. these low carb diets are ridiculous.. STOP DIETING make a lifestyle change!!!! moderation is key peeps ;-)

    What if you're just calling my lifestyle change a diet? What's the difference?

    Seriously! Lower carb tends to be more of a REAL lifestyle change.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    wow it got crazy in this post. no need to argue people :/

    I will stop arguing when people stop spouting incorrect information. Until then, I am a defender of the truth. :glasses:
  • Musikelektronik
    Musikelektronik Posts: 739 Member
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    wow it got crazy in this post. no need to argue people :/

    I know, right?

    tumblr_kz0zm13TVG1qzc8rmo1_250.gif
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    why is everyone so anti-carb? aren't healthy carbs good?!

    ^^^^this.... and yes.. these low carb diets are ridiculous.. STOP DIETING make a lifestyle change!!!! moderation is key peeps ;-)

    What if you're just calling my lifestyle change a diet? What's the difference?

    Seriously! Lower carb tends to be more of a REAL lifestyle change.

    Exactly! What's the difference between THEIR lifestyle change and MY diet? I've been eating like this for a looooong time and see no reason to change. No bloating, no gas, plenty of fiber, plenty of nutrients, always satisfied with my meals, etc. etc. I don't miss grains. If I want a bowl of pasta, I'll have it as a treat on the weekend. But I never liked bread/crackers/rice/most cereal to begin with, so...yea. Didn't really make a difference to me.
  • Nutrition1975
    Nutrition1975 Posts: 111
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    It will take a while, but carbs are what fuels the brain - light headed, fatigue, headaches can occur from lack of carbs, not sure about the brain shutting off!

    Actually, no. Carbohydrates are polysaccharides. Glucose, a monosaccharide, 'fuels' the brain. But the brain is not an obligatory glucose consumer so it easily makes the switch to relying on ketones which enter the same metabolic pathway as fatty acids. This saves the glucose for the obligatory users, like liver and skeletal muscle. Also, ketones can be used to produce glucose via GNG.

    Carbohydrates are saccharides, "poly" just means how low the the chain is - glucose is a saccharide too...like I said it takes a while for the brain to shut down when there is a lack of glucose, but the primary source is glucose for the brain. I love my fruits and veggies and try to stay away from the processed breads and pastas...the veggies and fruits not only have carbs, but they have loads of vitamins and minerals.
  • Lolli1986
    Lolli1986 Posts: 500 Member
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    glucose is the only energy source that can cross the blood-brain barrier. glucose can only be found in an easy-to-obtain form in carbs/sugars. once all the freely available carbs have been used from your blood, there is nothing to fuel your brain. the only other place that you can get the necessary glucose from to fuel your brain is proteins. deconstructing proteins in order to obtain energy is not a simple chemical reaction... it is slow, and cumbersome, and does not result in very high blood sugar levels, so your brain remains rather starved.

    personally, i am a scientist so i need my brain to be functioning at optimal all day. if i can't think then i can't justify being paid to think. i do eat a fairly low carb diet, but cutting them out in an atkins style diet is not an option.

    also, i want to keep my proteins! there is no 'storage' mechanism for proteins - if you are burning them, you are burning and actual building block of your body. do not want!

    through trial and error, i have found a happy amount of carbs to consume, which is fairly low.

    So then as a scientist you would say that all of use insulin resistant/diabetic/glucose intolerant/carbohydrate intolerant people have nothing left for our brains to function off of and we should just close up shop and call it quits because without carbs our brains will cease to function and we will essentially start the zombie apocolypse, being that we will be a group of walking brainless freaks walking around trying to get our next protein fix?

    ...what? diabetics usually inject insulin so as to process glucose, right? so... brain gets energy. i didn't think diabetics had to completely cut out carbs.

    I'm answering part of the question of why OP feels crap in the very earliest stage of cutting out carbs.

    songbyrd is on the thread, and she actually studies this stuff, so there is no point in me talking further.

    *EDIT... and i saw a neurobiologist named labrat (hehe) explain what happens to truly insulin resistant people.

    *Also, i need to qualify 'glucose is the only source' with 'relatively readily available'. plus, as songbyrd says, glucose is made from ketones. i don't know if the ketones themselves cross to the brain or if the glucose needs to be constructed first - songbyrd will know.

    I certainly didn't mean to suggest that diabetics can't think, haha.

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