9 Signs That You're Not Eating Enough Carbs

glamour.com:

is cast as the superhero and carbohydrates the shady villain. Not eating enough carbs continues to be seen as a good thing, with bread—and even fruit—being demonized by some “health” enthusiasts.That rocky relationship with carbs can be traced back to ‘80s , with many of us still internalizing the belief that cutting out carbs will make us lose weight faster.

The current popularity of the low-carb keto diet—where your total carb intake is 50 grams per day (the equivalent of half a medium-sized bagel)—may have something to do with it, too.There is a tonne of fake news out there about carbs, so what exactly are they?

Put simply, carbohydrates are one of the three main building blocks that make up all food (protein and fat are the other two).Described as “macronutrients,” we need all three of these nutrients in larger (macro) quantities to provide us with energy. “Carbs serve as your main source of energy, fueling both your brain and muscles,” notes nutritionist . “That’s why it's crucial to include healthy, complex carbohydrates in your meals instead of trying to eliminate them altogether.”It's their makeup that muddies the waters.

According to , gut health and IBS nutritionist, “carbohydrates are composed of sugar molecules that are arranged as either simple or complex carbohydrates." These can be broken down as follows:Simple carbohydrates: This can refer to naturally-occurring sugars found in fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose).