Your Brain on Carbs

Understanding the Real Cost of Carb Restriction (and High-Protein Hype)

Part of me wanted to make this entirely about protein. About how the all the propaganda around that sensationalized macronutrient is, at best, misleading — and, at worst, another way that the disordered eating mentality is being perpetuated under the guise of wellness. And, of course, there is nuance. And, no, I’m not saying don’t eat protein (that would be…wild). But that’s a post for another week.

Today, I want to talk about an externality (perhaps an intentional one) of the protein craze.

This macro obsession isn’t happening in a vacuum. It has real consequences for the way we relate to food and food groups — especially carbohydrates. Because when one macronutrient is constantly elevated and glorified, others often get villainized by default.

The protein craze reshapes our relationship with carbs in many ways, but here are a few:

1. It crowds them out.
When meals are designed around “maximizing protein,” carbohydrates often get sidelined or cut entirely. The more protein you pile on, the less space — literally and mentally — you make for carbs.

2. It fuels low-carb swaps.
Suddenly bread becomes lettuce wraps. Pasta is replaced with zucchini noodles. The pile of rice beneath your chicken and green beans starts shrinking. Fruit gets lumped in with “sugar” and avoided altogether. These aren’t always preferences — they’re often fear-based decisions driven by the diet and wellness industry’s insidious messaging.

3. It creates a moral hierarchy of nutrients.
Protein is framed as “clean,” “lean,” and “smart.” Carbs? Not so much. This kind of messaging trains us to believe that some foods are inherently better than others, leading to guilt or shame around eating the ones we’re told are “less worthy.”

4. It shifts how we build meals.
Instead of asking, What sounds satisfying? What do I enjoy eating? What will nourish me right now? we ask, Where’s the protein? And in doing so, we lose touch with the broader picture of accessibility, comfort, ease, variety, and satisfaction.

5. It teaches us to fear hunger.
One of the most repeated selling points of protein is that it “keeps you full longer.” But often, that’s code for: (1) You’ll eat less; and (2) You’ll be less likely to eat carbs. It promotes fullness as a way to override both our natural hunger cues and our emotional needs from food, rather than trust them.

6. It reinforces carb guilt.
When protein is the golden child, carbs become the scapegoat. Even if we still eat them, we do so with hesitation, second-guessing, or shame. The joy and ease that can come with a bowl of pasta or a slice of bread gets replaced with mental math and self-doubt.

7. It masks restriction as wellness.
For many people — especially those with a history of disordered eating — protein obsession becomes a socially acceptable way to keep restricting. It’s restriction in disguise, wrapped in the language of health, fitness, and control.

These subtle (and not-so-subtle) shifts in how we view and build our meals add up. And while they might seem harmless — just “healthy choices,” right? — they can profoundly impact how we nourish ourselves, especially when it comes to the nutrient our brain and body rely on most.

Here’s what starts to happen in our brain when carbs take a backseat:

I’ve seen this play out in the daily conversations that I have with my clients. But I have personally lived the carb-fearing life myself, and it had major consequences.