Low Carb Tips

Happy Birthday Ira

You’ve heard the popular advice on weight loss diets. Cut the fat! Cut the carbs! Cut the calories! Eat a balanced diet! But how can you cut though all of the confusion, and eat a diet that’s balanced and healthy?

Here’s the advice from nutritional science:

Cut the JUNK fats: Most people do not need an ultra low fat diet. But most of us could improve our diet by cutting out the junk fats. Basically, these are the processed fats: hydrogenated fats, polyunsaturated oils that have been heated, and fats that are combined with junk carbs. Processed fats are the fats most likely to put on flab and clog your arteries.

Cut the JUNK carbs. Most people do not need an ultra low carb diet. But unfortunately, so many people who go on a low fat diet continue to eat highly processed foods - they switch from processed high-fat to processed low-fat. And when food manufacturers create low fat foods, they tend to replace the fat with junk carbs, which tend to pile on the pounds. Basically, junk carbs are low-fiber carbs, like sugar, fructose (and all the other *oses), flour, cornstarch, fruit juice. Yes, fruit juice is a junk carb too! - After all, how much fiber is there in fruit juice? - Virtually none - it’s yet another junk carb. You should eat the whole fruit instead, with its fiber intact.

Cut the JUNK calories. Most people do not need an ultra low calorie diet. But just think what your diet would be like if you dropped the processed fats and the low-fiber carbs. You’d be eating mainly natural proteins, with lots of vegetables plus whole fruits - and the odds are that you would be eating far fewer calories as well. That’s the kind of calorie cutting most of us should be doing.

Eat a balanced NATURAL-FOODS diet. By natural foods, we mean the foods that would have been eaten by your hunter-gatherer ancestors: - lots of whole vegetable foods for vitamins and fiber; moderate to small portions of meats, fish, seafood, and other animal and protein foods, grilled, stewed or baked; and small portions of fresh whole fruit in season. This is the diet on which the human race evolved, and the diet which, for the vast majority of people, makes for optimum health

So the next time you’re about to order a meal with fries and sugary soda, think about how it could be improved. Replace the fries with a salad, and the soda with mineral water, and you’ve already made significant progress towards a healthier, balanced meal.

And at home, look for recipes that use whole, fresh foods, with a minimum of processing. Make sure your meals include natural unprocessed foods, with lots of healthy vegetables, both cooked, and raw in salads. Avoid processed fats and processed low-fiber foods.

A sample menu: - grilled fish with steamed green beans, and peppers - large mixed salad, dressed with small amounts of olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice - fresh fruit platter

Yes - A healthy, balanced diet can be that simple!

About the author:

Find out more about Diet and Nutrition at healthandfinesse.com

Written By: Nicky Pilkington

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Very complex carbs (dietary fiber) also have a very complicated molecular structure, and also are resistant to most digestive enzymes produced by the human body. As a result, they cannot be broken down into glucose or other nutrients at all. This is why fiber transits the intestinal tract largely undigested. This has a knock-on effect on the speed of digestion of other carbs around them. For example, where certain starches are “protected” by indigestible fibrous wrapping, the enzymes cannot get to grips with the starch as fast as normal. Also, the presence of soluble fiber in the stomach and intestine typically creates a viscous mass of digesting-food in which carbs and enzymes take longer to mix. Result? Carb digestion slows down.

As we have seen, because the human body runs on glucose all carbs are converted into glucose in the digestive tract. The glucose then enters the bloodstream and thus contributes to a rise in “blood-glucose”.

Blood Glucose Must be Kept Within Limits

A very high level of glucose in the blood is toxic, while a very low level is detrimental to bodily functions. Therefore the body has a system to regulate the amount of glucose in the bloodstream to ensure that it remains balanced within safe parameters. This glucose balancing system depends upon two mechanisms: hunger and insulin.
Low Blood Glucose Triggers Hunger

If blood-sugar levels drop, the brain causes us to feel hungry. Result? We eat food that is then converted into glucose and our blood glucose levels rise. If we don’t eat and blood-glucose levels fall too low, we trigger the condition known as hypoglycemia.

If we eat a diet that contains too many high GI carbs (carbs that are rapidly converted into blood glucose) we force our body to respond by releasing equally large amounts of insulin into our bloodstream to cope with the glucose. Over time this excessively high level of insulin can cause the “insulin-receptors” in our cells to become less sensitive to insulin.

The hunger-or-insulin see-saw mechanism works well, provided that we don’t eat too many high glycemic index (GI) carbs that are rapidly converted into glucose. When this happens, when a LARGE amount of glucose enters the bloodstream (called a “sugar spike”), the system responds by releasing a LARGE quantity of insulin. (It thinks we’ve eaten a huge amount of food.) The amount of insulin is so large that not only does it disperse the food-glucose we have just eaten, it disperses a lot more. Result? Our blood glucose falls too low. So, within a short time (about 2-3 hours) the brain tells us to feel hungry and we recommence eating. This rapid rise and fall in blood glucose, caused by excess production of insulin, is not good for our health or our eating habits.

About the Author:

Which Diet Pill works? That is a million dollar question! Find out about Diet Pill at http://www.smartreviewguide.com

Written By: James C.Cameer

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We all get to that place in out weight loss plan where we seem to be getting less results if any. Many of us may feel like it is hopeless and that we have gone as far as we can. A plateau refers to an extended period of time during our weight loss efforts where there is no weight loss according to the scale AND no loss of inches according to the tape measure. This can happen even if you are sticking to your low-carb diet plan. If this seems to be your case chances are that you arent as stuck as you may think. There are a few things you can do to keep your body in check:

*First, take your measurements. There is a chance that if you arent seeing the pounds drop in numbers that you are still loosing inches. So dont stop your low-carb eating plan.

*Second, check to see if your clothes that used to be a little tight now seem a little looser. Your body may still be loosing fat. Now your body is at the point where it is starting to add lean muscle. And since fat is more bulky then lean muscle your cloths will begin to change the way that they fit you.

These plateaus can last for about three to four week. This is normal, so keep up with your low-carb eating plan as well as your regular exercise, and you will soon see the results. The changes that low-carbing makes to your body will last a lifetime so dont worry about a few weeks.

Now perhaps you have reached plateaus in your low-carb weigh loss plan that is lasting longer than the regular four weeks. There are a few things that could be causing this upsetting stall in your weight loss.

#1) Your Carbohydrate intake may be too high. Some people need to keep there introductory low-carb diet level there entire weight loss period.

#2) Hidden Carbohydrates. You may be eating foods that you think are low-carb and yet you can be fooled. By sneaking into your diet these unwanted carbohydrates can add up fast. Know what foods you are able to eat and stick to those in your low-carb diet.

#3) Overeating. Eat when you are hungry and dont over do it. Just because you are eating the right foods doest mean that you can eat until you are overfull.

#4) Not Enough Exercise. You need to be exercising to boost your metabolism and help your body to burn unwanted fat. Especially weight training, which builds muscle that will essentially eat that same fat.

#5) Not drinking enough H20. A bare minimum recommendation is 64 fluid oz (that’s 8 - 8 oz glasses) of water a day. If you arent consuming enough water you can try to substitute with non-caffeine teas and diet sodas. Remember that these arent the same as water but will help a little and are low in carbs.

Remember these tips and dont give up on your low-carb diet.

About The Author

Melissa “Granny” White is a Low-Carb Diet fan and has been making delicious Low Carb recipes for years. You can get all 800 of her delicious recipes at: http://www.grannys-low-carb-recipes.com.

granny@grannys-low-carb-recipes.com

Written By: Melissa White

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When most people think of low carb diets they automatically think Atkins. For obvious reasons. Dr. Robert Atkins formulated the original low carb diet in 1972 and was met a with a hail of ridicule and negativity from the medical community at large.

The Atkins Diet, since renamed to the Atkins Nutritional Approach, works on a very simple principle. Carbohydrates are what our body normally use to produce energy. If you restrict the carbohydrate intake of a normal person their metabolism changes. Changes? Yes your body looks to the next available energy source which is….fat. So now instead of burning carbohydrates for energy your body does the same thing with your existing fat deposits.

In a low carbohydrate diet you actually increase your intake of fat and pure protein as opposed to reducing it. In theory the more fat you eat the more fat you burn because your body is now using fat for energy. It’s common to see low carb dieters eating enormous steaks smothered in butter with fried eggs and mushrooms on the side. A very high fat meal but also a perfect low carbohydrate meal.

The fat burning process is called lipolysis. As the fat is being broken down for energy a secondary phase called ketosis occurs. Ketones are the fragments of fat being broken down in the process of lipolysis hence the name ketosis.

Ketosis has a single nasty side effect -bad breath. For whatever biological reason the conversion of fat to energy can lead to really, really bad breath. This is a common complaint amongst followers of Atkins and similar low carbohydrate diets.

Amongst some of the bad press that low carb diets receive are worrying stories of people dying while on a low carb diet. These hyped up media tales are tied to one word - ketoacidosis. This particular condition occurs when a person goes on a zero carbohydrate diet and/or suffers from diabetes. During the ketosis phase the blood becomes overly acidic to a critical point. Coma and death can follow quickly if medical attention is not immediately sought.

Does everybody following a low carb diet run the risk of ketoacidosis? Not unless you have a history of diabetes (diagnosed or undiagnosed) and you also totally eliminate carbohydrates from your diet. Even then only a small number of people are actually susceptible to the effects of ketoacidosis when compared to the general population.

The results that low carb diets produce are hard to argue with. Rapid weight loss in a short space of time whilst on a high fat, high protein diet. These results fly in the face of conventional medical wisdom and serve to constantly annoy the established medical community.

Low carb dieting is not going to disappear any time soon. Especially not as long as major Hollywood celebrities are successfully using Atkins and showing off their results to the world media.

About the author:

This article was submitted courtesy of the Low Carb Advice website. You can find tons of useful information on low carb diets there. (C) Copyright 2005 Low Carb Advice

Written By: Niall Roche

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A low carb diet, also known as a low carbohydrate diet, is a diet program designed to promote weight loss while restricting the consumption of carbohydrates. The theory behind a low carb diet is that carbohydrates consumption is linked to increased insulin levels and obesity. Some nutritionists have varying opinions regarding the validity and safety of a low carb diet, but others refer to the strong evidence lending truth to the claim that a low carb diet can actually promote weight loss.

A low carb diet specifically consists of eliminating or reducing foods that contain sugar, grains and starches. With each of these products being labeled as carbohydrates, they are replaced with other foods containing increased fat and protein. Many people enjoy vegetables as part of a healthy diet and while they too are classified as carbohydrates, they are believed to be much healthier than grains.

As with most diet programs, there are two sides to the story with individuals who oppose and those who agree with the approach. Specifically, some experts believe that low carb diets carry their own risks and possible side effects, including headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness and/or dehydration. By lowering or eliminating dietary fiber, many believe that constipation may also occur as a result of the fiber absence. In addition, some believe that the replacement of cholesterol and foods high in saturated fat my increase the risk of developing heart disease. There are also some concerns that kidney problems may ensue as a result of the organs becoming overworked, but there are no scientific studies to support this theory as of yet.

The acceptance of low carb diet foods have had various impacts on some of the worlds largest food producers. Pasta makers, for example, suffered a reduction in the need for their products and believed that the loss was connected to low carb diets. A popular doughnut manufacturer admitted that earnings were lower than usual and associated the reduction with low card diets, which reduced the demand for their product as well. Several companies, on the other hand, watched as their profits were on the rise as they promoted low carb products in stores and restaurants.

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.

About the Author:

To find out more about low carb diet, please visit our website at www.best-low-carb-diets.info . It contains tons of free low carb diet articles, resources and tips.

Written By: Rory Peters

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The main building blocks of good nutrition that people are always talking about are fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Let’s briefly describe what these nutrients are.

Protein is found in plant and animal sources. Animal proteins include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Plant proteins include beans, nuts, breads and cereals.

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy and they generally come in the form of starches and sugars. Common starch sources of carbohydrates are wheat, rice, potatoes and corn. Sugars are also carbohydrates because they provide energy in the form of calories, but they don’t provide any additional nutritional value. Although sugars do not provide nutritional value, complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables are valuable to the body because of the vitamins, minerals and fibre they provide.

Fats are also a valuable source of energy to the body and serve many other necessary functions as well. Saturated fats, sometimes referred to as ‘bad fats,’ contribute to the production of cholesterol and LDL. Meat and poultry, whole or reduced-fat milk, and butter are main sources of saturated fatty acids. Trans fatty acids act like saturated fatty acids in the body. Trans fatty acids come from processed vegetable oils like margarine and shortening. Unsaturated fats, also known as ‘good fats’ , help lower LDL levels and decrease risk of heart disease. Different forms of unsaturated fats include monounsaturated fatty acids, which mainly come from vegetable oils like canola, olive and peanut and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which come from safflower, sunflower, corn, and flaxseed oils. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are also the fats found in seafood.

There are many different opinions around as to the best combination of these all important nutrients. It is not my intention here to go into all the various points of logic regarding the ratios of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. I simply want to point out that I feel you should be cautious of any diet plan that recommends an unusually high or low ratio of any of these items. This type of diet is often referred to as a “fad diet”. Although these diets can sometimes help a person to lose weight quickly, the results are very often short lived. Even worse, some fad diets have been found to be dangerous to our long term health.

About the author:

2005 Thomas D. Manfredi, MS

Online fitness coach Tom Manfredi is the creator of the site fitness-after-50.com. He has a master’s degree in exercise physiology and over 20 years of practical exercise experience.

This site is designed with the mature adult in mind. Learn more by going to fitness-after-50.com

Written By: Thomas D. Manfredi, M.S.

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There has been a lot of talk in recent years about the important of cutting out carbohydrates, or carbs, from a normal diet. I cannot tell you how many articles I have read and how many news clips I have watched about the benefits of a low-carb eating plan. Frankly, I’m a little tired of hearing all the reasons that I should alter what I eat. I’m sick of hearing about all of the consequences if I don’t make these changes. I do not, therefore, want to attempt to convince anyone reading to make the change to a low-carb diet. I simply want to share that changing to a low-carb diet completely worked for me and my lifestyle.

I cannot remember exactly what it was that led me to taking the plunge into the world of low-carb for myself. I think perhaps I was just tired of being overweight and of feeling lethargic all the time. I guess it is true that life has to get really bad and that we have to want to make changes before we actually will. My physical health got bad enough that I really desired to make changes. So I spent a few afternoons at my local bookstore and came away with a few books that seemed the most reasonable and the most helpful at the end of my search. One of them was all about going low-carb.

I was leery of going low-carb for one main reason: I liked carbs and most foods that were carb-filled a lot. I liked eating breads, pastries, sandwiches, cookies and many other carb-friendly things. I knew that if I attempted to cut back on carbs it would really alter my diet. It took me a few days of debating before I came to realize that yes, I did want to try the low-carb plan and see if it worked.

I began my trial of low-carb eating by going through my pantry and refrigerator and tossing out everything that went against what the low-carb book said I should be eating. I was amazed at how little was left. Only at that moment did I truly see how unbalanced my diet had been. I went to the store and replaced the carbs with fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean protein foods. I picked up a couple of whole-grain items to fulfill the small amount of carbs I was supposed to be eating.

This marked the beginning of a sixty day trial eating a low-carb diet. Within days I was shocked by how different I felt and by how much my cravings had changed. Sixty days after I started my low-carb diet I was many pounds lighter, full of more energy, and I looked better than I had in a decade. So, take this for what it’s worth. I’m not saying you should do a low-carb eating plan. I’m simply saying that doing a low-carb plan radically changed my life.

About the Author:

Martin Stoleman has been advocating for a low-carb lifestyle ever since his life was changed by it. See more for yourself at www.lowcarbgroup.info

Written By: Martin Stoleman

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There are an increasing number of people who take on the process of low carb eating believing that it will help them for their weight loss.

However, there is still an existing and hottest question when dealing with low carb eating, and that is if low carb eating a healthy way of life. So what then is the answer? Find out here.

Speaking of the low carb eating, it is a common consideration that it is not important to count calories in the low carb eating lifestyle. As such, you have the freedom to eat as much as you want and whenever you want. But despite this truth behind the low carb eating lifestyle, many experts have noted this is never a healthy way of life.

Many people are indeed metabolically resistant. So in instances like this, the proper way of reducing food intake may aid the dieters to motivate or sustain the consistent weight loss that they wish. Still, when talking about low carb eating, it is the carbohydrates that must be kept low, not the calories.

To further support the view, it is a given fact that in low carb eating lifestyle, you are definitely been eating fats and oils. As such, you rarely ever be hungry for in general, those foods that are high in fat are ever satisfying. A high fat eating coupled with a low carb eating supplements will tell your body that it is not starving just like the case of fasting, but rather your metabolism in this stage maintains a normal level. So while consuming fat is one of the prerequisites for a healthy low carb eating, it is then necessary to limit the consumption of trans-fats like margarine. Instead of that, it is recommended that you use real butter, for it is a good fat. And for your interest, good fats are found in olive oil, flax seed oil, canola oil, and oils that are greatly found in nuts.

So then, is low carb eating healthy? Well, on a low carb eating, you can definitely lose weight constantly and it can reduce your insulin levels, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and even stabilize your blood sugar, which is of course great for diabetics. And since in low carb eating, you will be taking less fruits and vegetables, it is then necessary that you take a good full-spectrum multi vitamins and fiber supplements.

It is also important to consider that the main purpose of the low carb eating is to bring your body chemistry and insulin level back into balance. And so to make this, you need to take a diet that is unbalanced in the opposite direction of the way that you have been eating for the rest of your life.

About the Author:

To find out more about weight loss and low carb diets just visit Ling’s blog at: http://www.obesity.blogonline24.com

Written By: Ling Su

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