The low carb diet basics

Low carb diets are probably the most popular diet types today. Its philosophy of cutting down on bad carbohydrates, bad fats and bad sugars has turned the world on its ear because it challenges the age-old belief that low fat diets help you lose weight. But according to supporters of low carb diets, if low fat diets are really beneficial in losing weight then why is it that 30 years after it was first presented to the public there are more obese people now than ever before.

According to low carb diet supporters the reason lies in carbohydrates. They contend that carbohydrates are what contributes to obesity. They also said that carbohydrates are a power stimulant that triggers hunger pangs. This misconception about how certain ingredients in our food work is proving to be a huge mistake because low fat diet followers are actually more compelled to eat more carbohydrates.

How does this exactly work? When we eat carbohydrate rich food especially those that are made of simple carbohydrates like sugar, pasta, potatoes, rice or anything made with refined flour it stimulates the production and secretion of insulin. The effect of insulin in the body is that it coaxes glucose which is produced by the digestion of carbohydrates to be absorbed more rapidly by our tissues for energy consumption. The extra glucose that is not consumed are then converted into and stored as fat.

But it does not stop there. Once the glucose levels in our body drop, the insulin levels in our body would also fall. This cycle of a carbohydrate meal rapid insulin increase and then subsequent rapid drop in insulin only promotes more hunger pangs. This means that just after two to four hours after a carbohydrate-rich meal we would already crave for more carbohydrates. This is like a vicious circle where you eat carbohydrates, store fat, get hungry and then eat more carbohydrates. With a low fat diet, a person still gets fat and raises his cholesterol levels and that is bad news.

This explanation to support low carbohydrate diets is as sound as the explanations being forwarded for low fat diets. By limiting or even avoiding carbohydrates in our diet we can control our insulin levels to a manageable degree and thus prevent the hormone from transforming glucose into fat. This would in turn transform our metabolism enabling us to use our fat reserves as the source of our energy and not glucose that is made from carbohydrate digestion. This transformation enables our body to burn fat more.

Unfortunately, at this point in time, there are not enough studies to support the low carbohydrate diet when compared to the older low fat diet regimen. But as more and more studies are made, it is becoming apparent that low carbohydrate diets actually have tremendous health benefit to our body. There are some indications that this type of diet can actually lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the body. The tremendous health benefits that are being attributed to low carbohydrate diets really deserves a second look.

This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or a nutritionists recommendation. Prior to beginning any dietary program, including a low carb diet, individuals should consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or an appropriate path toward weight loss.

Dieting For Weight Loss

The most common reason that people cite for dieting today is weight loss. While most of us would love to claim the noble mantle of dieting for health the vast majority of us are doing so for vanity. This, however, is a perfectly acceptable and plausible reason for making the lifestyle changes that are necessary in order to diet. In fact, this reason might prove to be a far greater motivator than many of the other commonly stated reasons for dieting. 

When dieting for weight loss one of the most common complaints is constantly feeling hungry. In order to help combat this, you might want to incorporate some of the following strategies into your dieting program. First of all, eat more high fiber foods. Whole grains, apples, pears, and lima beans are a great source of fiber as are many breakfast cereals. Easy does it however when it comes to fiber as it may be filling but there are some unpleasant side effects that may accompany heavy fiber eating (remember that beans are a good source of fiber). Try using a product such as Bean-o when consuming larger amounts of fiber. You might also try spreading your fiber intake throughout the day rather than consuming all your daily fiber at once. 

Another method for feeling fuller when dieting is to drink plenty of water while dieting. Water provides an important service to the body and is very necessary when it comes to delivering all the nutrients where they need to go. Water also helps regulate your metabolism, which is very important to the dieting and weight loss process. Additionally, water will help your skin retain its elasticity so that your skin can go more easily back into place once the serious weight loss begins.

Learn to control your portions. We live in a world where portions are over inflated and super sized so often that we no longer know what an appropriate portion looks like. Restaurant meals are quite often more than adequate for at least two full meals and that is before salads, soups, appetizers, or desserts have been ordered. Learning to portion correctly can save you from over loading your calorie intake for the day massively. It can also help you get extra helpings of the lower calorie foods such as lettuce and other vegetables rather than taking such large portions of calorie rich starches or fried foods. 

Do not go "Gung Ho". There are limits to what the body and the mind can handle. When you go on a diet you are making a drastic change to your bodies caloric intake. If you go overboard you can lead to health risks along the way. Begin cutting calories a little at a time and incorporate changes as you go rather than going in with an all or nothing attitude. If you go overboard with your dieting plans chances are that you are dooming your diet to failure. 

Take your diet one step at a time for the best results and be sure to incorporate extra physical activity into the mix. Even gardening when done on a regular basis can burn calories, so can cleaning the house, and playing with the little ones. Take a walk to the park or the corner store rather than getting in the car and pull a wagon or push a stroller while you're at it. The added weight will be just enough resistance to burn a few extra calories. 

Dieting for weight loss does not necessarily have to be a major sacrifice on your part but in order to be successful it will be a radical change in lifestyle, particularly if you need to lose more than a few vanity pounds. The health implications of loosing the weight are well worth the required effort and should not be taken lightly no matter how excited you are about your new body that is hiding inside your old one. 

This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or a nutritionists recommendation. Prior to beginning any dietary program, including a low carb diet, individuals should consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or an appropriate path toward weight loss.

The Low Carb Diet Truth

Low carb diets are very effective in achieving weight loss when followed.  But the key word there is that they should be followed.  However, there are controversies about their healthiness.  Definitely, people get into these diets to lose weight.  But what every person getting into this should be concerned with is not only losing the weight but also, keeping the weight off.  But it goes beyond that. It also involves being and staying healthy and functional in whatever we do everyday.  A slim person is definitely not attractive if he or she is weak from lack of nutrients and energy due to these low carb diets.

The body uses up carbohydrates first as a source of energy. If there are more carbohydrates taken in, the body stores the surplus as fat.  If there are fewer carbohydrates taken it, the body is forced to use the stored fat for its energy requirement.  The principle of these low carb diets is to take in food low in carbohydrates so that the body is forced to use its stored fat.

By drastically reducing carbohydrates to a small fraction of a persons diet, the body goes into ketosis. The body burns its own fat to convert into energy A person in ketosis is getting energy from ketones.  Ketones are little carbon fragments that are created by the breakdown of stored fat. One feels less hungry when his or her body is in ketosis.  

The end result is that he or she is likely to eat less even if  allowed to do so. In effect, the body is transformed from a carbohydrate-burning machine into a fat-burning one, thus making fat the primary energy source. This brings us to the most fundamental fact of dieting: the less fat you have, the lighter you weigh. The end result is the desired weight loss.

There are diets like Atkins that seem to be a dream come true.  It stems from its design that a person could eat as much as he or she wants from a wide variety of food that other diets steer away from. Steaks, meat, crab, eggs, all types of protein based food are allowed since the body will burn carbohydrates first and not protein or fats.  Basically, it follows the same low carb principle of reducing carbohydrate intake and forcing the body to use fat towards weight loss.
 
But experts are concerned about the long term safety of the diet.  By contemporary medical standards, the risk of heart diseases, stroke, cancer, liver and kidney problems are very extremely high.  These risks have been pointed out repeated by a number of health researches on high fat diets.

Other low carb diets are cleansing in nature such as the detox diet.  It helps in the health reassessment of ones lifestyle, eating patterns and focus on foods. Here, one becomes more aware of ones food intake.  However, there are individuals, such as diabetics, people with low blood sugar or eating disorders have to stay clear of it.  They will find themselves more in trouble than they are already.

Low carb diets serve their purpose.  But there is no substitute for the traditional, proven healthy lifestyle of a balance diet of the basic food groups in the nutritionists pyramid order combined with the proper exercise. However, should a person still go through with these diets for whatever reason, he or she should be equipped with knowledge of not only the benefits but most especially the risks.  Everyone wants that slim, healthy look.  But everyone should also go for health in a sustainable manner.


This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or a nutritionists recommendation. Prior to beginning any dietary program, including a low carb diet, individuals should consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or an appropriate path toward weight loss.