I’m a dietitian – here’s 4 physical signs you need to eat MORE carbs

A DIETICIAN has revealed four signs that your body is screaming for more carbs.

And what could be better than being told to eat more pasta, potatoes and bread?

Many trendy weight loss diets encourage cutting out carbs, claiming it’s the secret to dropping pounds.

Both the keto and Atkins diet say to instead focus on eating protein and fats. 

As the body has less carbs to use for energy, it burns body fat instead.

But a dietician would say this is the wrong way to approach healthy eating, and potentially dangerous.

The body turns to stored fat when there is a lack of carbohydrate, but it also eats away at protein tissue such as in the heart or muscle, The Britician Association of UK Dieticians says. 

Each food group - carbs, proteins and fats - is important for physical health. 

Carbs provide fibre to keep bowels moving and prevent disease. They fuel the brain and body.

Without carbs, you may get a headache, constipation, bad breath or nausea. 

Starchy foods, the main source of carbs, should make up a third of your daily diet, the NHS says.

The BDA says: “We get energy from carbohydrates, protein, fat and alcohol in our diet. 

“Any extra (unneeded) energy we take in will be converted to fat no matter what the source. 

“Sometimes people think starchy foods are fattening however, the same amount (in weight) of carbohydrate contains less than half the calories of fat. 

“Studies have also shown carbohydrates are better at satisfying our hunger.”

Nichola Ludlam-Raine, a registered dietitian, told there is “no good reason to remove carbs from your diet”.

She said: "Low-carb diets have been popular for a number of years, even decades now, but reducing your carbohydrate intake can come with a cost.”

Here are four signs you need to up your carb intake:

Lack of energy

Carbs are the body's main source of fuel, so if you reduce your carb intake significantly, you'll likely notice a depletion of your energy levels, too, Ludlam-Raine said.

"Our body can use other sources of fuel (such as fat), although carbohydrates are able to provide a more rapid source of energy to enable us to function optimally, both cognitively and physically," she said.

Brain fog

The primary source of energy in the brain is glucose, which comes from eating delicious carbs.

It can rely on other stores, such as ketones. On the keto diet, the body turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply the brain.