Decreased Brain Functioning

• According to the Institute of Medicine, the brain alone requires a minimum of about 130g of carbohydrates a day just to maintain its psychological functioning. They institute also recommends that carbohydrates make up up at least 60 to 65 percent of your total daily caloric intake. Most low carbohydrate diets involve consuming less than 130g of carbohydrates a day, equating to less than 50 percent of your total daily calories. These low consumptions can leave you constantly fatigued and with a decreased mental focus.
  
  

Muscle Building

• Carbohydrates are the chief component that the body uses for energy. When you are lacking sufficient amounts of carbohydrates in your diet, the body is forced to break down the muscles for energy. As you rapidly lose weight from the a carbohydrate diet plan, your body begins to drain your muscles of energy and causes you to look saggy and without muscular tone. Ketones are also produced when your body drains muscle for energy. The result is bad breath, lightheadedness, fatigue and nausea.
  
  

Deprivation

• The worst thing about low carbohydrates is deprivation of food variety and the vital nutrients that the body needs to function. Low carbohydrate diets basically deny you the luxury of eating breads, fruit and pasta in normal quantities. Fruits and vegetables, for example, help prevent diseases because they contain vitamin C and other disease fighting antioxidants. Low carbohydrate diets also deprive you of whole grains which contain lignans that may protect against diseases as well as vital components that help to maintain your metabolic rate
  
  

Warning

• Low carbohydrate diet plans can be dangerous because they leave your body depleted of nutrients that it needs to function. Before you jump into any low carbohydrate diet plan, it is important to consult with a physician, a fitness expert, a nutritionist, or a professional in a related field. This will be the difference between being healthy and damaging your body. Do not believe every nutritional plan out there because it was endorsed by a celebrity. Always research for yourself and ask questions.
  
  

Misconceptions

• Carbohydrates alone are not enough to make you gain weight or increase body fat percentage. It is true that they do play a major role in weight gain, but that happens when you overindulge without paying attention to proper serving sizes and balanced nutrition plans. Your lifestyle and physical activity level are also key elements that determine weight control. Eating carbohydrates at night will not cause you to gain weight unless you are eating in excess of the daily calories that you need.