Side effect of the diet
When you start to eat low-sugar food and the body starts to use glycogen reserves, energy substitutes for the brain are also formed, the so-called ketone bodies. The brain is not in fact undersupplied with these, but it takes some time for the brain and the entire body to get used to this replacement component. This is why you sometimes have headaches at the beginning of a low-carb diet (low sugar).
Usually these headaches go away after 3-4 days. Some people also complain of fatigue, irritability and a piercing feeling of hunger. This also only lasts until the body has become fully accustomed to the ketone bodies.
(This condition is called ketosis, with the success of which the Paleo diet, for example, advertises). If one changes to a diet rich in fibre, significant stool changes can occur. If you follow a diet that is wrong, too aggressive or too fast, you may feel weak and lose performance.
This should not be the case with any reasonable change in diet. In the long term, a vitamin or other nutrient deficiency can also occur if a diet is carried out incorrectly. Especially one-sided vegetarian or vegan nutrition must be carried out very carefully in order not to neglect essential vitamins, which are mainly found in animal products.
The most common vitamin deficiency here would be B12 deficiency, which unfortunately only becomes noticeable years after the changeover through neurological failures and blood count changes. Much earlier and more frequently, iron and calcium deficiencies manifest themselves through fatigue, reduced performance and lack of concentration. Positive side effects can of course also be that one feels fitter, lighter and healthier.
Especially when people switch to a fibre-rich diet (or even raw food) and drink more water, bowel movements change. Fibre cannot be digested, but stores a lot of water. The stool then becomes mushy to thin.
This can also be due to the fact that new foods, especially fresh fruit and vegetables, supplement the bacterial intestinal flora with one or two bacteria that are not present in “sterile” packaged fast food or canned food. An altered bowel movement should not cause any concern as long as it is not genuine diarrhoea (more than three defecations per day and more than 75% water content). Diarrhoea can also be caused by food intolerances.
The most common are lactose intolerance and gluten sensitivity. Vegans in particular often breed their own gluten intolerance because they switch to egg-free products that contain artificial wheat as a binding agent. Persistent diarrhoea is dangerous and should be clarified by a doctor.
Pimples are caused by a disturbed skin flora. Too much fat and too much sugar in food can cause the skin pores to produce too much sebum. This leads to blackheads and superficial skin bacteria can lead to infections, i.e. pimples.
There are also reports from people who can attribute the development of pimples to the consumption of dairy products. In principle, the skin is an organ that does not need “outside help” from cosmetics, as all cosmetic products do not penetrate the skin anyway and can change something fundamental. Therefore, it is better to fight pimples by means of a fat and sugar reduced diet rather than by the excessive use of cosmetics.
