THE TRUTH ABOUT LOW CARB DIETS

 

The Truth About Low Carb Diets in the Next 60 Seconds

Before you choose any diet, you have to research to ensure that it is safe and that it has rules that you can abide by long-term.

Then you might want to ask:

There are dozens of diets on the market. Why should I choose a diet that is low in carbohydrates?

The diet market is indeed huge, but there actually are only three general diet groups:

1. Diets limiting calories
2. Diets limiting fat
3. Diets limiting carbohydrates

1. Diets that limit low-fat can be good for a long-term regimen for athletes, those with only a few extra pounds to lose, or those who need only to maintain their healthy weight. This type of diet can also be used to improve blood cholesterol and decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases, but recent clinical data questioned this approach.

2. Low-calorie diets require self-discipline, support, and guidance. Possibly the best known is the Weight Watchers weight-loss program, which has attracted millions of dieters over decades. An interesting note: Before the low-fat boom, Weight Watchers offered carb-limiting and not fat-limiting programs.

3. Lastly low carb diets are used to curb your appetite which makes it easier to adhere to overtime. The diets opponents often stress that the foods that you are required to eat are not considered balanced. Dieters are usually advised to take supplements to ensure an adequate nutrient intake.

Growing in popularity is the especially strict Ketogenic diet, which not only requires limiting carbs, but also protein and even water.

Ketogenic Diets

Is a diet that, when followed conscientiously, produces a by-product called ketones. Most dieters can reach ketosis (a condition associated with increased amounts of ketones in the blood) by limiting their carb intake to less than 60 grams a day.
The state of ketosis is what makes a ketogenic diet metabolically so similar to fasting that it is often being referred to as a controlled fast.

This diet is a mathematically calculated diet that is high in fat and low not only in carbohydrates but also in protein. It also limits water intake to avoid ketones' dilution and carefully controls calorie intake. The diet has been in existence since the 1920s, when it was considered to be a breakthrough in the treatment of childhood epilepsy, but was usurped by synthetic medications in the 1950s. Now it is used in neurological treatments.

The clinics that prescribed the Ketogenic Diet followed their patients' progress for decades, collecting and documenting many cases. None reported any serious side effects and none concluded the diet to be unsafe.

Does a Low Carb Diet Work?

Many people are successful for the simple reason that they are easier to stick to than conventional diets. You do not get the hunger cravings that you get when on a diet that limits fats and calories.

The first thing that the body burns off as a source of energy is carbohydrates. However, if the body has no carbohydrates to burn, it looks for another energy source - fat. Therefore, by reducing your carbohydrate intake your body naturally burns fat and you lose weight. Remember, anyone beginning a new weight loss program, or dramatic change in their diet or health routine should consult their physician beforehand.

An increasing body of clinical evidence supports what you should consider a basic principle of fat reduction: if you're in relatively good shape and you're looking to get leaner, then the #1 dietary change you should make is to drop your carbohydrate intake and up your protein immediately.

For some reason, people still don't want to understand and accept that dietary fat is NOT the issue for most people who are active. It's the intake of excess carbohydrates that is largely responsible for adding adipose tissue to your body. Cut the carbs significantly and you'll drop the fat.

Here's the evidence. In a recent study, two groups were monitored. Both groups consumed 30% of their daily calorie intake in fats. The only significant dietary difference was that one group consumed only 12% of their calories from protein (58% carbohydrates), while the other group consumed 25% protein (45% carbohydrates). Even with consistent fat intake and a relatively minor reduction in carbs (from 58% to 45%), the results were clear. After six months, the higher protein, lower carb group lost a full 50% more fat than the higher-carb group.

I would expect results to be even more dramatic if the carbohydrate intake was dropped down closer to 40%, as in the popular 40-30-30 fat loss programs.

It's important to realize that we're not suggesting cutting out carbohydrates altogether-this is ultimately counter-productive-but rather a gradual reduction in carbs to balance out the diet. There's no doubt that most people, and Americans in particular, over-eat carbohydrates.

How To Start A Low Carb Diet

Low carb diets include cutting out carbohydrates from your diet, or at least limiting them, and adding more proteins and fats. But even if you cut out grains, starchy vegetables and fruits, will it still help you lose weight, and even more importantly, will you be healthy and will the weight loss results last?

If you cut out all vegetables, fruits and grains, the answer is NO. Your body needs the nutrients it gets from those important foods to keep you healthy. In fact, if all you eat is protein and fat, you are more at risk of heart disease, cancer and other types of diseases. But there is a way you can follow low carb diets and still be healthy. Here's how.

Eat whole grains instead of processed grains like white rice and white bread. Those are empty carbs, while whole grains can actually help you lose weight. Eat brown rice, for example, instead of bread or pasta.

Select green, leafy vegetables and broccoli. A leafy vegetable, like kale for example, paired with broccoli will give you some great nutritional value. While it's best to eat a variety of vegetables, you can't go wrong if you stick with green, leafy vegetables instead of cutting vegetables completely out of your diet.

Add fruit sparingly. Eat a few fruits from different color groups to get the best nutrition. For example, eat one strawberry, a piece of melon and a handful of blueberries. While this won't add too many extra carbs, it will help you get the vitamins and minerals you need.

Eggs are a great way to add protein to your diet because they offer many of the same kind of nutrients as fruit and vegetables without the high carbs. For example, eggs give you omega-3s, vitamin A and many other supplements. If you are really trying to follow the advice of low carb diets, only eat the egg yolk.

If you cut out these foods from your diet just to lose weight quickly, you're likely to put the weight right back on later. This is called a "yo-yo" diet. That's because your body will be so nutrient-deficient during the diet that you'll crave the foods and eat too much of them later. It's better to cut out food that is bad for you completely, like junk food, and just slightly reduce your intake of food that is good for you, including grains, fruits and vegetables.

The worst thing you can eat while on low carb diets are sugary drinks, snack foods and desserts. Cut these out of your diet before you cut out whole grains, fruits or vegetables. Also, it is important to realize that low carb diets will result in a decrease in energy. That's because your body needs carbohydrates to produce energy. If you find you don't have enough energy to keep up with your regular lifestyle, perhaps you cut out too many carbs. Add them back in until you feel prepared to meet your daily responsibilities, or consider changing your diet.