Low Carb Tips

You may be considering a low carb diet program, but wonder if they really work, and if so, how well?

Let’s take the mystery out of low carb diets by giving you the 3 most important elements to their success.

First, you need to bring your carboydrate cravings under control. Some diet programs argue that most of us are addicted to carbohydrates. Others take a more moderate approach and link it to the glycemic index.

All of the low carb diets are consistent on this one fact though - you need to overcome short-term cravings to ensure long term weight loss success.

There is definite scientific proof linking simple carbohydrates, such as sugar, to cravings you have for more food.

Second, you need to focus on better carbs versus the worse carbs. What that means is simply that you must consider which carbohydrates result in more glucose spikes being created by your body.

Simple carbs are quickly absorbed and result in significant glucose spikes which, can result in more fat being stored in your body. Low carb diets balance overall carbohydrate input with the quality and type of carbohydrates.

Just by reducing the simple carbs in your diet such as sugar, milk, some fruit you can make a big difference in curbing your cravings for more food.

Third, you must gain confidence in the delicious foods you are able to eat on low carb diets so that you stick with the change. You cannot expect to achieve long term success with your diet program if you are not educated or satisfied with the amazing alternative foods at your disposal.

Low carb diets can lead to weight loss, health benefits and an entire lifestyle change - however you don’t have to give up everything you enjoy in order to experience rapid weight loss.

By focusing on foods that trigger chemical and biological reactions in your body resulting in cravings, you can burn fat and increase your health at the same time.

Discover the Ultimate Weight Loss Resource Center. You Really Can Lose MORE Weight FASTER — and keep it off. Find our more about Weight Loss programs, products, diets, recipes, pills and more…Right here: http://www.rapid-weight-loss.com

Written By: Jeff Smith

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Just a couple of years ago, the choices for packaged foods were limited but today a trip through your grocery store will yield many low carb versions of your favorite foods. The ones with the most impact and which have made my daily meal prep easier are low carb breads.

One of my favorite breads is a whole wheat wrap that has only 5 grams net carbs and is perfect for any kind of sandwich. Remember when you used to have to use a lettuce leaf to hold your tuna or turkey? Well not anymore with this wonderful and tasty wrap!

This wrap not only makes great sandwiches, but you can use it for many other things as well. Remember when your family would send out for pizza and you would sit with them staring longingly at the pie - well not anymore! Now you can simply scrape off the pizza cheese, sauce and toppings and stick it in the wrap! How about subs like those delicious steak and cheese just order them at the sub shop on a wrap and then transfer the fillings of the sub into your low carb wrap (or better yet, maybe you can get the sub guy to just put the filling inside your wrap?).

And didn’t you long to soak up those egg yolks at breakfast in a nice whole wheat bread. Well, thats easy with Arnold Carb Counting bread. I favor the whole wheat which has only 6 grams of carbs per slice. You can buy this bread already made in most grocery stores which is much easier than baking from a mix and you might even be able to use it during the induction phase!

Now that low carb bread is readily available its much easier to prepare meals. If you are busy like me, having the time to bake bread is few and far between, but now I can just simply make a trip to the grocery store and have my fill of sandwiches. You can even use the bread to make some of those favorite dishes you may be missing like french toast, stuffing, croutons for salads and bread pudding.

About the Author

Lee Dobbins is the owner and editor of Low Carb Resource where you can learn more about low carb eating and other low carb foods.

Written By: Lee Dobbins

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In this series of articles we have focused on low-carb dieting. Is it right for you? We have looked at some of the concerns with low-carbing, we’ve examined the diets of bodybuilders, and we’ve explained exactly how carbohydrates react in the body. In this final article on the topic of carbs, we will attempt to answer the million dollar question: should you start a low-carb diet?

* THE EXPERTS:

First and foremost, please understand that the majority of physicians in the United States will not recommend a no-carb diet. By and large, doctors are going to follow the generally accepted health practices, and those practices require us to partake of all four food groups. Citing the fact that there are no long-term studies available on the effects of carbohydrate deprivation, the American Heart Association does not recommend a no-carb approach.

On the other hand, there are some doctors who look at the results achieved on low-carb or no-carb diets and say (like some of us have): you can’t argue with results!

* THE RESEARCH:

Both sides in the low-carb debate have doctors and studies to back up their claims.

The Atkins group has well-done studies proving that their diet results in weight loss and lower cholesterol. The South Beach folks can quote even more studies. Both groups also do a very good job of trotting out some very convincing before-and-after pictures of people (just like us!) who have seen results on the low-carb diets.

On the other hand, there is no shortage of research proving that low-carb diets are unsafe and ineffective. A study by Linda van Horn of Northwestern University in Chicago assessed more than 4,000 people in the United States, Britain, Japan and China, asking them to write down everything they had eaten over two 24-hour periods. “Lo and behold, what we did find is that without exception, a high complex-carbohydrate, high-fiber, high vegetable-protein diet was associated with low body-mass index (the standard measure of healthy weight),” Van Horn said. The more animal protein a person ate, the higher his or her weight, she said.

It’s easy to see that the research conflicts on this issue, as it does on many topics.

* THE ROLE MODELS:

In a previous article we examined the diets of professional bodybuilders and (female) fitness models. Almost without exception, we found that these extremely healthy people did not eliminate all carbohydrates from their diet. Again, almost without exception, these folks did strictly limit the intake of ‘garbage’ carbs (donuts, cake, cookies, etc.).

Bodybuilders and fitness models get their carbs from quality sources including brown rice, vegetables, fruit and yams.

* PHONE A FRIEND!

Yikes! The experts don’t agree and the research doesn’t agree! What to do? Let’s phone a friend…..

Most of us have a friend or family member that has lost weight on a low-carb plan. Sometimes they’ve even lost a significant amount of weight. All that anecdotal evidence can’t be wrong, can it?

As we learned in a previous article on this topic, low-carb diets will help you lose weight! There’s enough research and evidence out there now to fully support that claim. But is it the ‘right’ weight, and is it ’safe’ weight?

Especially during the first two weeks on a low-carb diet, much of the weight loss is attributable to water loss. Falling off the diet, or introducing carbohydrates back into the body, will result in faster-than-normal weight gain from replenished glycogen stores.

Another huge concern with low-carb weight loss success is whether or not it is ’safe’ weight loss. We’re not talking about heart health or cholesterol levels, but right now we’re discussing fat loss vs. muscle loss. After all, nobody wants to lose muscle, do they? When we talk about wanting to lose weight, it’s just understood that we want to lose fat! On a low-carb diet, it is very possible to lose far too much weight from muscle and not enough weight from fat.

So although our friends and family may have experienced weight loss on a low-carb diet, that fact alone is not enough to convince us to try it too.

* CAN WE STICK WITH IT?

As we’ve said time and time again, no diet is going to work for you if you can’t stick with it. The Idaho Press Tribune ran and interesting article in defense of low-carbing (3-25-04, LeAnn Coffelt, Your Health section), where some of the challenges of low-carbing were disclosed: carb withdrawal (compared to nicotine withdrawal), hair loss, etc. Perhaps the most intriguing quote of the story was “One of the silliest things I’ve ever heard is that you will put the weight back on after you stop the diet. Well, of course you will.”

Before attempting to lose weight on a low-carb (or any) diet, you simply must ask yourself ‘Can I stick with it?’. If you love pasta and pizza, then the answer is probably no.

* THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION:

Okay, okay, enough talk about the pros and cons of low-carb life! Should you or shouldn’t you ‘go low carb’?

Sorry to disappoint you, but nobody can answer that question for you. You, and only you, know if a low-carb diet is something you can stick with for life. There is, however, a list of questions you can (and should!) ask yourself before taking the plunge into low-carb mania:

1. Have I discussed this with my doctor?

2. Do I have a family history of heart disease and/or high blood pressure?

3. Do I have a family history of cholesterol problems?

4. Do I have a family history of cancer?

5. Do I think I can stick with it, even through the ‘carb withdrawal’ phase?

6. Have I scheduled regular bodyfat tests to make sure I am losing fat and not muscle?

7. Do I have a support system in place to help me stick to my new lifestyle?

8. Have I taken the time to educate myself on the specific diet, or am I simply following the advice of friends?

Low-carb (or even no-carb) dieting may be safe and effective for you. Only your doctor can help you answer that question. In addition, Low-carb (or even no-carb) dieting may be something you can stick with for life. Only you can answer that question.

* OUR FINAL ANSWER:

You didn’t really think that we’d conclude this article without a reminder to exercise, did you? After all, exercise is the only thing that all the doctors and experts agree on!

Melanie Polk, RD, is the Director of Nutrition Education at the American Institute for Cancer Research. “We already know how to lose weight and keep it off,” said Polk. “It’s not a secret: eat less, exercise more. Instead of eliminating all carbohydrates, choose whole-grain options and beans with the fiber to fill you up and provide energy throughout the day. Add vegetables and fruits while cutting back on animal protein and fat.”

Doctors agree that exercise is critical to achieving a healthy fitness level for life. Not just a healthy weight, but a healthy fitness level!

About the author:

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com/ for more information.

Written By: Tracie Johanson

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With the popularity of low-carb diets today, most of us have at one time or another considered cutting carbs. In this series of articles we have discussed ‘low-carbing’ and whether or not it’s right for everyone.

In this article we’re going to talk about carbohydrates and how they are stored in the body. Does a large supply of excess carbs make us fat?

Many people believe that only dietary fat will lead to body fat. False! Actually, eating more calories than your body needs to perform daily activities and daily metabolism is what causes body fat. It is as simple as putting 20 gallons of gas in a 15 gallon gas tank…..the excess must go somewhere. In the case of human nutrition, the excess is stored as fat.

Just as excess protein can be stored as body fat, excess carbohydrate can be stored as body fat. Unfortunately for the American public, our consumption of simple carbohydrates has skyrocketed over the last ten years! Too many of us took the popularity of the low-fat and fat-free diets as an excuse to fill up on empty carbo-calories. After all, it’s okay to eat the entire package of licorice since it’s all fat free….right? Again, False!

Carbohydrates that the body cannot use are stored as body fat, plain and simple. Carbohydrates usually are ingested in the forms of polysaccharides (starches), disaccharides (sucrose and lactose) and monosaccharides (glucose and fructose). Essentially what occurs in the digestive process is a breakdown of the polysaccharides and disaccharides to the monosaccharides. The primary site of digestion is the small intestine, where the monosaccharides are then absorbed into the blood. Of the three monosaccharides, glucose is of most importance to human physiology. This is called blood sugar. Fructose and galactose are converted to blood glucose either in the intestinal wall or the liver.

A high-carbohydrate meal will lead to a rapid increase in the blood sugar level, usually within an hour. Naturally, the higher the food is on the glycemic index (refined sugars), the higher the blood sugar level will rise. The maintenance of a normal blood sugar level is very important for proper metabolism. The human body regulates blood sugar levels by a hormone called insulin. The rises in blood sugar levels stimulate the pancreas to secrete the hormone insulin into the blood. Insulin then facilitates the uptake and utilization of blood sugar by various tissues in the body, most notably the muscles and adipose tissue.

The fate of blood sugar is dependent on many factors, with exercise being one of the most important.

1) Blood sugar may be used for energy, particularly by the brain and other parts of the nervous system.

2) Blood sugar may be converted to either liver or muscle glycogen. Liver glycogen may then be later converted to blood sugar. Muscle glycogen is, for the most part, locked into the muscle cell once it enters, where it is converted to energy.

3) Blood sugar may be converted to and stored as fat in the adipose tissue. This situation occurs when the dietary carbohydrate, in combination with caloric intake of other nutrients, exceeds the energy demands of the body, and the storage capacity of the liver and muscles for glycogen.

4) Some blood sugar also may be excreted in the urine if excessive amounts occur in the blood, because of rapid ingestion of simple sugars.

So, what happens if we don’t consume enough carbohydrates? Because the carbohydrate stores in the body are rather limited, and because blood sugar is normally essential for optimal functioning of the central nervous system, it is important to be able to produce blood sugar or glucose internally if the stores are depleted by starvation or a zero-carbohydrate diet. This process is called gluconeogenesis, meaning the formation of glucose. In this process, protein is converted to glucose, and fat is converted to glucose by breaking down glycerol in the liver. The by-products of carbohydrate metabolism, lactate and pyruvate, may also be converted back to glucose in the liver.

With this understanding of how carbohydrate is metabolized in the body, it is clear that low-carb or no-carb diets may lead to decreased levels of energy.

Low-carb diets, however, have been proven to take off the weight. In some cases, weight loss has been dramatic when the subjects abruptly switched to a no-carb diet. Such rapid weight loss is attributed to water loss. Low carbohydrate intake depletes liver and muscle glycogen (stored sugars) and water molecules linked to these sugars. This depletion triggers a drop in body weight.

Especially during the introduction phase of a low-carb diet (2 weeks), the dieter is encouraged to eliminate virtually all carbohydrates from the diet. Even a slight intake of high glycemic foods during this phase would cause immediate weight gain by rebuilding glycogen stores.

Because carbohydrate is the body’s preferred fuel source, this first phase of the diet would most certainly challenge exercise enthusiasts.

So, is the low-carb lifestyle right for you? Maybe. We hope that this series of articles has helped you understand low-carb diets and their potential impact on the body.

SOURCE: (International Sports Sciences Association; Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D.; 2001)

About the author:

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com/ for more information.

Written By: Tracie Johanson

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Since so many people in the United States are currently in the middle of a “carb-frenzy”, this series of articles has focused on the pros and cons of the low-carb diet. Topics of discussion have been 1) Can you stick with a low-carb diet for the long term, 2) Conflicting messages about carbs and 3) bodybuilders and low-carb dieting.

This article will define and describe carbohydrates and what role they play in the human body.

Carbohydrate - Chemical compound of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, usually with the hydrogen and oxygen in the right proportions to form water. Common forms are starches, sugars, cellulose, and gums. Carbohydrates are more readily used for energy production than are fats and proteins. One of the three basic foodstuffs (proteins and fats are the others), carbohydrates are a group of chemical substances including sugars, glycogen, starches, dextrins, and cellulose. They comprise the body’s main source of raw material for energy. Carbohydrates can be classified as either a simple carbohydrate or a complex carbohydrate.

Digested carbohydrate enters the circulatory system in the form of monosaccharides, primarily glucose. Lesser amounts of fructose and galactose are also absorbed, but these are eventually converted into glucose in the liver. Before they can be absorbed into the bloodstream, polysaccharides and disaccharides must be broken down into monosaccharides by specific enzymes during the digestive process.

When you comsume carbohydrates, your digestive system converts them to blood sugar (glucose). This glucose is stored in your muscle cells and in your liver. Your brain operates with the help of glucose in your blood as energy. When training is intense, glycogen stored within your muscles provides most of the energy for contractions. When training with low intensity, your blood-borne sugar acts as an energy source. A problem occurs when there is leftover glucose in your blood following a refill of carbohydrate stores. The remaining carbohydrates are stored as fat.

There are several types of carbohydrates, some better than others. Starch, sugar and dextrose are all types of carbohydrates. The three main types of carbohydrates are:

* Monosaccharides (one-sugar molecule)

* Disaccharides (two-sugar molecule)

* Polysaccharides (three or more sugar molecules)

Monosaccharides and disaccharides are commonly called sugars, while polysaccharides are called complex carbohydrates or glucose polymers. Some of the more commonly encountered carbohydrates in these three categories include the following:

* Monosaccharides: glucose, fructose, sorbitol, galactose, mannitol, mannose

* Disaccharides: sucrose = glucose + fructose; maltose = glucose + glucose; lactose = glucose + galactose

* Polysaccharides: Starch, dextrin, cellulose and glycogen, all of which are made of chains of glucose. Found in whole grains, vegetables, nuts, some fruits and legumes. Fibers are mainly the indigestible complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) that make up plant cell walls.

The Glycemic Index is a handy rating system that tells you what carbohydrates provide the best energy for prolonged training periods. By consuming a food with a low glycemic rating, you will experience a more stabilized blood sugar level.

Remember, carbohydrates are your body’s preferred energy fuel source, although fats work well too., particularly during aerobic training. Remember that protein and carbohydrates both have 4 calories per gram, while fat has 9 calories per gram.

SOURCE: (International Sports Sciences Association; Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D.; 2001)

About the author:

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com/ for more information.

Written By: Tracie Johanson

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Papa Murphy’s has a new low-carb pizza. Burger King has a low-carb hamburger. Applebee’s has rolled out a new low-carb menu, as have dozens of other national restaurant chains. There are low-carb tortillas, breakfast cereals, breads, and just about anything else you’d care to eat! No doubt about it…..low-carb dieting is the biggest trend since deep-fryed turkeys!

But as we’ve discussed in the last few articles, low-carbing may not be right for everyone. While the evidence does support the claim that a reduction in carbohydrates will help you lose weight, conclusive evidence on the long-term impact of low-carbing remains elusive.

In this article we’re going to take a look at some professional bodybuilders. With single-digit bodyfat and loads of muscle, bodybuilders are arguably among the most fit people on the planet. After all, professional bodybuilders are paid to exercise!

Jay Cutler, the IFFB 2002 and 2003 Arnold Classic Champion, includes brown rice in his diet when preparing for a contest. The sample menu shown on his website, jaycutler.com, states that Jay eats brown rice at least twice per day. With 32 grams of carbs per serving, brown rice certainly would not make the grade with some low-carb diets.

Garry Holmen, who among other things gives nutritional advice to bodybuilders, advises his clients to ‘carb cycle’ when preparing for a competition. Without going into a long explanation, carb cycling is simply reducing carbohydrate intake for 3 days and then replenishing carbohydrates stores on day 4. On carb depletion days, Garry recommends that bodybuilders still get 20% of their calories from carbohydrates.

Female competitor Debbie Patton (debbiepatton.com), on her FAQ page, says: “I eat a diet high in protein, with moderate carbs. Lots of chicken breasts, egg whites, tuna, protein shakes, brown rice and potatoes.” Debbie is the November, 2002 NPC Mid States Muscle Classic 1st Place Women’s Middleweight Overall Title & Best Abs Champion.

While there are literally hundreds of other examples of bodybuilding diets, these three are sufficient for our purposes: how do bodybuilders eat to get them so lean?

The consistent theme you’ll find when examining the diets of all bodybuilders is that they do not ever completely eliminate carbs from their diet. That’s because not all carbs are bad. On the contrary, some carbohydrate in your diet helps you maintain a balanced diet.

Although most bodybuilders do not completely eliminate carbs from their diet, it is important to note that they do restrict carbohydrate intake. Rarely, if ever, will you see a professional bodybuilder eating the ‘garbage carbs’ that are so popular today: french fries, cake, cookies, crackers, white bread, etc.

Bodybuilders are also very careful to get their carbohydrates from quality sources like brown rice, vegetables, and whole grains. So although they are not eliminating carbs altogether, they are eliminating ‘garbage carbs’.

So what’s the bottom line? Can we learn more about low-carbing from bodybuilders? After all, they’re paid to be healthy! Most of them employ a personal doctor, trainer and nutrition expert!

Here are the low-carb lessons from professional bodybuilders: 1) Most people should not remove all carbs from their diet. 2) Get your carbs from high-quality sources. 3) Don’t consume ‘garbage carbs’ which are those high in fat and/or have no other nutritional value. 4) If you do follow a restricted-carb diet, consider cycling in some moderate-carb days. 5) Talk with your doctor before starting a low-carb diet. 6) Don’t forget to exercise!

About the author:

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com/ for more information.

Written By: Tracie Johanson

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In our last article we talked about the low-carb diet, and whether or not we can stick with it for life. In this installment we’re still going to talk about carb control, but from a slightly different perspective. Let’s take a look at who is endorsing which diet plan, and what is their motivation?

Without a doubt, the most popular low-carb plan is the Atkins diet. Atkins is the fuel in the rocket, so to speak, that has put the low-carb phenomenon into orbit. Prior to Atkins, few (if any) of us had considered low-carbing as a weight loss plan. Of course, carb control as a concept existed long before Atkins; we called it the glycemic index!

Since the birth of the Atkins plan, many have followed. The South Beach Diet is probably the most successful derivative of Atkins. South Beach teaches a more balanced approach to carb-control eating, pointing out the difference between “good” carbs and “bad” carbs. Yes, there is a difference! South Beach doesn’t advocate eliminating ALL carbohydrates from your diet, just some.

Along with these two low-carb heavy-hitters, there are hundreds (even thousands?) of companies out there making a living off the low-carb mania. There’s even a new magazine dedicated to low-carb living. Should we believe what they say? Why or why not?

What do all of these people and/or organizations have in common? Well, most of them are trying to sell us something. Atkins, of course, has books and a growing line of food products. The South Beach folks are following that retail receipe for success as quickly as they can. Just because they’re making money off the low-carb diet, does that automatically discredit what they’re saying? Of course not! But, it should be enough to make us dig a little deeper, to seek out more facts.

How about the federal government…..one of the reasons we have a government is to protect us from fraudulent claims and give us the truth. Right? Well, hold on a minute: for decades the government has told us that a high-carbohydrate diet is the sure road to weight management (remember the food pyramid?). Now, all of a sudden, we’re not so sure about that.

So in whom do we place our trust? On the one hand, most of us DO trust the FDA to give us the straight-scoop about health and nutrition, so we should have 6-11 servings of carbohydrates per day. On the other hand, most of us know someone who has lost 25-50 pounds on a low-carb diet. Who’s right? Who do we trust?

We join other fitness experts in encouraging you to trust the most unbiased source available: your doctor. Not only will your doctor have the most knowledge to answer your questions, but perhaps more importantly your doctor has no vested interest in pushing any particular diet plan.

Think about it. If you’re planning to buy a new car, who’s word are you going to trust more: the car salesman or the automotive expert at Consumer Reports? The car salesman has a vested interest in what you hear, while the Consumer Reports expert (probably) doesn’t care what kind of car you buy!

Many of us seek out fair, impartial resources when we’re making a major purchase (car, boat, house, etc.). Shouldn’t we do the same when we’re investing in our own body?

Please understand that we’re not saying you should ignore everything from low-carb promoters. We’re not saying that at all. Companies and corporations play an important role in educating the public. What we are saying, however, is that it’s critical to consult with your physician before starting on the low-carb diet…..or on any diet for that matter. As we discussed in the last article in this series, low-carb plans are not right for everyone. Your doctor is in the best position to tell if it’s right for you.

Once again, we must include a reminder to exercise! No matter what nutritional approach you take, all of the experts recommend that you exercise on a regular basis. Think about it: there are hundreds of diet plans out there in the world today, and many of them offer conflicting information, but the one thing they all have in common is that they all encourage you to exercise. So although the experts may disagree on what you should eat, they do agree on what you should do: exercise!

About the author:

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com/ for more information.

Written By: Tracie Johanson

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