Keto Means
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How many carbs should a kid eat to lose weight?

Calories from Carbs Therefore, if your overweight teen eats 1,800 calories daily, his carb allotment is 203 to 293 grams per day. If your 16-year-old teen consumes 2,400 calories a day he should aim for 270 to 390 grams of carbs daily.

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Carbohydrates are a 16-year-old teen’s main source of energy, and essential for proper growth and development. However, overindulging in carbs – especially those that are unhealthy – can lead to unwanted weight gain. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans note that 32 percent of children and teens are either overweight or obese. If your teen falls into this category, chat with his doctor about appropriate ways to move toward a healthier body weight, which often includes increasing physical activity to 60 minutes daily, notes MayoClinic.com.

Minimum Carb Needs

Sixteen-year-old teens should aim to consume a minimum of 130 grams of carbs daily, suggests the Institute of Medicine. This suggestion is the carbohydrate recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for teens of all ages. Since carbs are a teen's main fuel source during physical activity, overweight teens who exercise regularly may need additional carbs to keep up with their bodies’ demands, even during weight loss.

Calories from Carbs

The Institute of Medicine suggests 16-year-old teens obtain 45 to 65 percent of their calorie intake from carbohydrates. Therefore, if your overweight teen eats 1,800 calories daily, his carb allotment is 203 to 293 grams per day. If your 16-year-old teen consumes 2,400 calories a day he should aim for 270 to 390 grams of carbs daily. Unless your teen’s doctor specifically recommends a low-carb diet, your teenager should avoid getting less than 45 percent of his calories from carbs.

Healthy Carbs

Overweight teens seeking weight loss should choose healthy, fiber-rich carbs when possible and avoid carbs with a low nutritional value. Offer your 16-year-old teen plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. Encourage him to steer clear of sweets, refined grains – such as white bread and white rice – sugary beverages and other added sugars. Such foods are rich in carbs but provide few, if any, nutrients that contribute to proper nutrition, weight loss or healthy weight management.

Rounding it All Out

While moderating carbohydrate intake and choosing the right types of carbs is an effective approach to weight loss, getting enough protein and fat as part of a healthy diet is just as important. Fat is a component teens need to support proper growth and development. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines indicates that 16-year-old teens are meeting the daily recommendation of fat and protein, but are lagging behind in the twice weekly recommendation of seafood.

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What happens if children don't eat enough carbohydrates?

When you don't get enough carbohydrates, the level of sugar in your blood may drop to below the normal range (70-99 mg/dL), causing hypoglycemia. Your body then starts to burn fat for energy, leading to ketosis. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include: Hunger.

What happens if I don’t get enough carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are degraded into sugar which, as a primary energy source, is required for the brain, muscles and other parts of the human body to function normally. When you don’t get enough carbohydrates, the level of sugar in your blood may drop to below the normal range (70-99 mg/dL), causing hypoglycemia. Your body then starts to burn fat for energy, leading to ketosis.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia include:

Hunger

Shakiness

Dizziness

Confusion

Difficulty speaking

Feeling anxious or weak

Symptoms of ketosis include:

Mental fatigue

Bad breath

Nausea and headache

Painful swelling of the joints and kidney stones in severe ketosis

What happens if I have too much carbohydrate?

A diet too high in refined carbohydrates may cause sugar spikes and crashes dubbed “the blood sugar roller coaster,” which increases the risk for diabetes. Long-term high-carbohydrate diets with reduced fat and/or protein intake may lead to symptoms associated with essential fatty acid deficiency or essential amino acid deficiency. These include:

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