Carb Slip leading to mood swings

(Marc SW129.4 SD07/19) #1

Hey all new to the forums this week I found Keto at the beginning of July and have been listening to the 2KD pod casts religiously (1-2 a day) working my way through all the early episodes. Unfortunately everything points to their FB page for the first 10 months and that’s why it took me so long to find the forums.

There’s been a lot of information about how keto helps with depression and I haven’t been diagnosed but I’ve been having a general feeling building up that life has lost it’s sparkle for the last decade or so. Lack of desire to visit friends, travel, find a partner. It doesn’t seem to have changed much but I’m only 7 weeks in or so. Last weekend I slipped up while drinking and grabbed a bunch of potato chips my old goto and the next day I felt so emotionally terrible that I couldn’t even get out of bed. Has this happened to anyone else? I know that the drinking isn’t great and I’m trying to cut it out along with the carbs but it’s tough. Fortunately I find going back to keto easy but it does take 3-5 days after my slips to get the weight moving in the right direction again. I guess I should set smaller goals like making it 1 more day without another slip up.

Thanks for listening
Marc

TLDR: Slipped up ate a bunch of carbs and had a huge emotional downward mood swing. Has this happened to anyone else?

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

Welcome to the forums. I’m glad you found us.

Many people report experiencing a link between carbohydrate consumption and mood. My own symptoms tend to be more physical, but a low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet has a documented effect on serotonin levels and re-uptake in the brain. Part of it, I am sure, is that by not fearing meat and fat, one automatically increases one’s intake of trypophan, which is found in many of the foods recommended for this way of eating.

Tryptophan, as you may know, is the precursor of serotonin. The challenge is that the serotonin used by the brain must be made there, because it cannot pass the blood-brain barrier. Fortunately tryptophan can do so, but the further challenge is that serotonin is used all throughout the body, so it’s something of a matter of chance how much of the tryptophan we eat will make it into the brain and not get grabbed for making serotonin elsewhere. Still, more tryptophan in the body increases the potential for more tryptophan in the brain. I also suspect that β-hydroxybutyrate, the principal ketone body, will turn out to have signaling effects in the brain, as it now appears to have in the rest of the body.

So stay off those potato chips, and keto on! :bacon::bacon:

(Susan) #3

Welcome to the forum Marc.

You will find a lot of people here that have had a really good positive experience with Keto for their depression and anxiety. It will take your body a little while to adjust from sugar and carb withdrawal, and I know the cravings are difficult at the beginning. Best wishes for fighting the cravings. Once you are past that point, it does get much easier and you won’t crave them anymore.

(Liz) #4

Hi Marc and welcome :handshake:.

Keto is different for us all but in general, yes, it heals us as it progresses. I struggled with emotional eating, always carbs, keto has taken this away from me and life is so much brighter.
There are many more experienced than me here who will also chip in as above, use this support and you will be fine.
I hope keto is as kind to you as it has been for me and life improves :grinning:

#5

Yes, for sure, I’ve noticed a correlation. And for me feeling super sluggish is a symptom of both depression and a carb hangover. They can blur together easily.

I know this can be virtually impossible to do, but if you can try to do a little exercise/movement to get your insulin dropping more quickly and get back to burning ketones. The movement will also help the sluggishness. Even just dragging yourself on a walk around the block or doing a quick set of squats will help.