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Carbs in general are the jelly donuts of today’s diet, being cut right and left in pursuit of better health.

Before you take the blunt ax to all of them, though, check to see if you’re ready to live with the side effects of such a drastic change.

Consider, then, if it’s all carbs you want to cut, or simply certain offenders.

1. You lose water weight.

When you reduce your carb intake, the first thing you notice is how quickly, even magically, the weight falls off. But it’s not fat you’re losing. It’s water. “When carbs are stored in the body in the form of glycogen, each gram of carbohydrate stores three to four times its weight in water,“ says dietitian and strength coach Marie Spano, R.D., C.S.C.S. So as soon as you cut carbs and start using your glycogen stores, you’ll lose a good amount of water weight.

2. You catch the ‘low-carb flu.’

“Carbs are the brain’s main source of energy,” says Spano. “When a person cuts down on carbs, the brain is running on fumes, especially as glycogen stores get low and become depleted.” Eventually, once all that glycogen is gone, your body breaks down fat and runs off of little carbon fragments called ketones. The result: bad breath, dry mouth, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, insomnia, nausea, and brain fog. Basically, you feel like you have the flu. Eventually, your body adapts to running on ketones so you don’t feel so bad, but they are still aren’t your body’s preferred fuel source, says Spano.

Full story at Yahoo News.

Know your nutrition.

Graphics credit: Canva