The first thing you will hear about carbohydrates is that you should reduce their intake if you want to lose weight. This is true, but only to a certain extent. If your body does not have enough carbohydrates, it will resort to breaking down fats to obtain enough energy for normal function.

It sounds like an ideal scenario, right? We still have energy, we feel full, and we lose weight. But not everything is so ideal.

Why are carbohydrates more important than you think?

First, let’s clarify one thing: carbohydrates are all foods that the body breaks down into simpler sugars. The main one is glucose (that’s the sugar the body directly uses for energy). If we don’t have enough of these (usually when we eat less fast food), the body starts using fats. But not always ...

Why isn’t this as simple as it seems? Because your brain (the little computer in your head) needs glucose. According to various studies, the brain of an adult represents about 2% of body weight, but uses about 20% of the glucose that enters the body. If there isn’t enough glucose, crucial functions become impaired: memory, concentration, thinking.

So, if you choose a diet without carbohydrates (or with a very low intake), you can indeed afford a quick calorie cut, but it could also be a stab in the back for your mind and enjoyment of life.

Refined and Unrefined Carbohydrates – What Does That Mean?

Here’s another difference it’s good to understand: there are refined and unrefined carbohydrates.

Refined carbohydrates are foods where fibers (these are the basic tough threads of food that help digestion) and nutrients have been removed or drastically decreased. These include most sweets, white bread, and white rice... If you eat this kind of food, you may get energy, but only for a short time.

Unrefined carbohydrates are those that still have fibers and more nutrients (for example, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes). These provide us with carbohydrates and fiber, which means the energy comes more slowly and more evenly.

Why is this important? Because it has been found that eating foods rich in fiber and quality carbohydrates is linked to better brain function and general health aging. On the other hand, excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates can lead to poorer cognitive function (meaning worse thinking, worse memory ability).

So, it’s not just about how much carbohydrate you take in—quality and source matter as well.

What Happens If We Completely Give Up Carbohydrates?

The body starts breaking down fats. Formally: the body enters a state where it uses ketone bodies (these are substances produced when fats are broken down) for energy. Such a diet is called a ketogenic diet. And yes, in certain medical conditions (for example, in epilepsy), a very low-carb diet can be very useful.

However, the brain doesn’t have its normal fuel. Even though the body adapts, glucose is still the primary fuel for the brain. If glucose is lacking, problems with memory, concentration, mood can occur.

Digestion and the immune system also take a hit. If fiber intake is low, digestion worsens, growth of beneficial gut bacteria is reduced, which can affect the immune system and, consequently, how you feel.

Thus, long-term carbohydrate deficiency can lead to reduced immunity, mood changes, less capacity for physical activity... If you’re also cutting back on energy, you’ll have less power for exercise, less energy for creative thinking, greater likelihood of being irritable...

Even if low-carb diets seem attractive for a while, they are not a stable long-term solution.

Homemade and Cheap Solution: Fewer Carbohydrates as Folk Medicine

Instead of expensive miracle supplements, you can turn to more friendly methods:

• Choose whole grains for breakfast
  Instead of white grains (like white bread or donuts), treat yourself to whole grains (oatmeal, brown rice, buckwheat porridge…). That way, you get carbohydrates and fiber.
  
  For example: breakfast with 50 g of oatmeal + 1 apple + a spoon of nuts – very affordable, homey, no special additives.
  
  
• Fruit and vegetables are your natural remedies
  Fruit is not a bad thing, as often portrayed in diets. Even though it contains sugars, it also brings fiber, vitamins, and minerals, meaning energy arrives more slowly and without sudden crashes.
  
  Example from 2025: many study participants showed that moderate consumption of fruit and vegetables is associated with better cognitive function. So, fruit and vegetables should make it into at least two meals a day. Not as a luxury, but as a routine!
  
  
• Avoid fast food without fiber
  If you eat a lot of sweets, white flour, and fizzy drinks, you may get short-term energy, but then comes the crash. Your brain will be tired. More research shows that consumption of refined carbohydrates is associated with poorer memory and cognitive function.

Timing matters

If you eat most carbohydrates right before bedtime, it’s possible that your body won’t have time to use them properly (first for energy) and will partly convert them into fat. Therefore, heavier carbohydrates should be consumed during the day, and lighter ones in the evening. The folk practice of lighter dinners, therefore, also has scientific backing.

Maintain activity and a good mood

Carbohydrates will be more beneficial if your body is active. If you sit at a computer for 10 hours a day, no matter how many “healthy” grains you eat, you’ll get less benefit. So, at least short walks, stretching, movement...

Additionally, make sure your mood is good: folk wisdom shows that when we’re in a bad mood, even diet brings fewer benefits. Reason: your brain isn’t cooperating!

Why is it a problem if you ignore your brain?

If you ignore the importance of carbohydrates or choose an extreme diet without them, you may find yourself in an awkward situation:

• your concentration at work drops – that means fewer ideas, more mistakes, more problems;
  
  
• your mood declines – the brain has no energy, you are more tired all the time;
  
  
• your immune system weakens – since fiber and other accompanying nutrients cannot do their required job;
  
  
• long-term, the risk of brain function deterioration increases – a Frontiers study on 2,485 older adults showed that a higher share of energy from carbohydrates (if not properly managed) increases the likelihood of poorer cognitive functions.

So: deliberately avoiding carbohydrates is not just a mistake, it can impact your life quality, work, creativity, and wellbeing.

Opportunities

What matters: to understand nutrition as a tool for optimal thinking and creativity, not just as a means for weight loss. If you put the described steps into practice, choose brain-friendly carbohydrates. Eat foods that support your mind, body, and creativity (whole grains + fruit + vegetables + lighter dinners + simple movement exercises).

Don’t go for diets that exclude carbohydrates without a good reason and a plan. Carbohydrates are not the enemy! The enemy is poor quality carbohydrates and ignorance about how they impact your body and mind. With simple changes (switching white flour for wholegrain, fruit and vegetables instead of sweets, less food right before bed) you can do a lot for your health, concentration, and creative mind.

If you stick to these principles, not only will you work better, but you’re also less likely to pay the price of feeling tired, in a bad mood, and in poor health.