Carbs to balance hormones, how much? page

[Mireia]

A little while ago I posted about problems my low carb, high fat diet could have caused me personally (I was suffering from severe PMS, acne, hair loss, fatigue, on and off joint pains, heart palpitations, chest pain. My thyroid worsened and my liver enzymes were elevated.)

I have been taking herbs to detox and help my hormones balance out, and I increased my carb intake to about 90 (from 50-60). Some things improved instantly, like my fatigue and pains. Last my liver and thyroid were checked (8days ago) they were also doing better.
I am not sure if I am the best I can be though. My body might prefer an even higher carb intake? But how high is too high?

My hair loss hasn't stopped yet, but some days I would not lose hair. I am still trying to figure out and am wondering if I ate differently the day before.

I am not eating rice or potatoes atm. But I get lots of carbs from fruits, veggies, tubers and roots. There shouldn't be a difference between carbs from rice and carbs from plants right?

I find a lot of confusing information out there. Some are totally against carbs, some are pro carbs, some say to only eat good, paleo carbs, while others eat rice...it is hard to tell who is right and wrong tbh.

(Btw. i am female, 30, 5'5" and 107lbs, I am trying to gain weight
Or at least maintain what I have. I am not taking any medication or birth control and I am breastfeeding a toddler, my postpartum hormones settled a year ago jn case anyone wonders)

[MissJecka]

"Right" and "wrong" are different for different folks. I personally eat rice. Hell, I ate it twice yesterday! It may not follow the PB but it works for me and helps with getting enough carbs. I personally eat around 130g of carbs a day, give or take, mostly from veggies, roots, sweet potatoes, and the occasional berry or date. But, the way I do things and the way you or anyone else do things are going to be different because we each respond differently to certain foods.

Keep playing around and you will find what is "right" for you.

[Zach]

Yea there really is no right or wrong. Its all personal and you have to experiment. I eat probably a 60/20/20 split of carbs/fat/pro and maybe even a bit higher in carbs and i feel great compared to my low carb days or even an even split. Most people here would think thats insane but if you travel to different areas of the net you will find many thriving on high carb low fat.

So anyway, just do something you find extreme for a few weeks and see how you feel. It takes awhile to get rid of the diet mentality thats currently leading your dietary decisions. Remember, for every piece of evidence for one diet, there are just as many for the exact opposite.

[Mireia]

I know, I keep getting told to find what is right for me, but i am having a hard time figuring things out.
A) because every health expert recommends something different, so I don't even know what to believe anymore. B) because my body keeps sending me mixed signals.

[sbhikes]

Maybe you should start by eating as if you didn't know what carbs were. Eat real foods, avoid the bad grains and bad seed oils, but otherwise don't worry about how many grams or whether or not it's a white potato or a half a cup of rice or a piece of fruit. Spend some time just eating real, healthy primal foods in whatever quantities make you feel satisfied and healthy, then let your body normalize its hormones, then worry about whatever comes next for you, whether that's weight loss or fitness or what.

[Zach]

It took me 8+ years and im just recently perfecting it.

Sorry to say there are no straight forward answers.

As for your question about carbs, there is no limit really. Some people here will have you believe that you only should ingest enough to fuel your activity level, some say that carbs cause disease. Really though most people around the world eat about half their calories from carbs and have a thousands of years so really its not carbs causing disease. Personally i stand by my original advice to up your carb intake and reduce your protein and fat. Stick to easily digestible foods, keep your fat mostly saturated, dont skip meals, stay clear of any foods that cause issues, be liberal with sodium and most of all get lots of rest and reduce stress.

[YogaBare]

Hey Mireia,

I think I know where you're coming from. I recently reached saturation point with all the conflicting science about food and diet. I'd made mistakes off the back of "science", so I decided that the safest option was to aim for a 33:33:33 macro split, eliminating stuff that I am pretty sure is bad for me (gluten, soya, veg oils). I figured at least if I aim for moderation I've got the least chance of damaging myself, ha.

After a few weeks though I started to count my macros and I realised that I had naturally gravitated towards a higher carb diet (apart from when I'm eating a lot of Greek yogurt :P).

I know you've got a thyroid condition and there is a set of advice that goes with that, but personally I think that stressing about your macros is probably more damaging that what you eat. I would aim for moderation and see where you naturally gravitate to.

[meeshar]

I crave carbs during hormonal fluctuations (ovulation, premenstrual) and listen to my body--this seems to help with the PMS symptoms and fatigue the most. So while I'm trying to lose weight, I do allow white rice and potatoes (in moderation, 1 or 2 meals usually) during those times, and so far it doesn't seem to hurt my weight loss unless I totally overdo it and binge.

Your hair loss is probably telogen effluvium, which is not something you're going to see improvement on immediately. It's in the past--hair cycles are roughly 3 months, so whatever caused your hair loss was 3 months ago. It will grow back. Telogen Effluvium - Why, When, and How

If you don't mind me asking, are you on any kind of hormonal birth control?

[ChocoTaco369]

I would do 1-1.5g of carbohydrate per gram of protein if you're sedentary and 1.5g-2.5g of carbohydrate per gram of protein if you're active. If your protein consumption is on average 100g per day, I'd go with:

100-150g/day for the sedentary or light walker.

150g-250g/day for the sprinter/lifter.

If you increase protein, you want to increase carbs in kind. You'd generally want to hit the lower end on "off days" from the gym and hit the higher end on "workout days."

[Mireia]

Ui

I would do 1-1.5g of carbohydrate per gram of protein if you're sedentary and 1.5g-2.5g of carbohydrate per gram of protein if you're active. If your protein consumption is on average 100g per day, I'd go with:

100-150g/day for the sedentary or light walker.

150g-250g/day for the sprinter/lifter.

If you increase protein, you want to increase carbs in kind. You'd generally want to hit the lower end on "off days" from the gym and hit the higher end on "workout days."

I am home with a young toddler all day , doing chores and talking a walk a day. I hold him often still and he is about 25lbs. What activity level would that be?