Low Carbohydrate Diet – a scientifically Proven Method?

Although not as wildly popular as they were several years ago,
the low carbohydrate diet still has a sizeable following. The
simple reason for this is because it works! Clinical studies
show that people on a reduced-carb regimen lost more weight than
those on a traditional low fat diet within six months. But
there’s a downside to this, not the least of which is health
experts’ concern about the diet’s recommendation of fatty foods.
Before you go on a low carbohydrate diet, weigh the positives
against the negatives and decide whether it’s the right weight
loss strategy for you.

Arguably the most popular low carb diet is the Atkins diet,
founded by the late Dr. Robert Atkins several decades ago. Since
its explosion onto the scene, similar diets have sprouted,
including the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, Sugar Busters,
and Protein Power. All these diets require you to vastly reduce
the amount of carbohydrates you consume, but not eliminate them
(as so many people assume). Your primary carbohydrate sources
should be natural foods like vegetables and certain fruits. You
will then find yourself eschewing many of the starchy and
nutrient-deficient goodies that so many of us consume on a daily
basis, like junk food and fast food (which, health experts
agree, are bad for you anyway) and going for low carb foods.

Refined flour and sugar are perhaps the vilest villains that
cause weight gain. Excessive intake of food products rich in
these two ingredients can cause your blood glucose levels to
increase, triggering the additional production of insulin, and
causing the body to convert carbs to fat. Eating low carb foods
would ensure that you get only the amount needed by your body.
Deprived of surplus carbs, your body would then burn its fat
stores instead of carbohydrates, and you start losing weight.
What’s more, if you stick to the diet, you’ll find that you’ll
tend to shed pounds at a faster pace.

Several studies show additional benefits of consuming low carb
foods aside from weight loss. Lowered blood sugar levels will
make you less vulnerable to diabetes. Also, clinical evidence
shows that a low carb diet helps improve blood cholesterol,
reducing your risk for heart disease and stroke. Another finding
suggests a relationship between acne and carbohydrates. A diet
high in carbohydrates increases insulin production, which would
cause a series of hormonal changes that lead to clogged pores
and oilier skin – fertile ground for the bacterium that causes
pimples.

If the low carb diet has so many health benefits, why have many
people abandoned it? One major reason is the diet’s advocacy of
fat that is found in food like meat and dairy products. While it
is true that low carb diets permit the consumption of fatty, low
carb foods like butter, cheese, and pork chops, they do not in
any way encourage the gluttony. You should eat only up to the
point you don’t feel hungry anymore – there’s no “eat all you
can” mentality involved.

Another reason may sound mundane, but is a serious challenge for
many people: food boredom. A number of dieters find that they
can’t do without the starchy, carb-rich they have become
accustomed to; things like bread, pasta, candy, chips. However,
if you do decide to go on a low carbohydrate diet, remember that
there are many substitute products out in the marketplace that
would still enable you to enjoy comfort food, but without the
burden of carbs and sugar. For instance, instead of bread
products made with refined flour, you can opt for whole grain
breads or those made with soy flour and the like.

The abundance of naturally low carb foods cannot be
underestimated. Fish, shellfish, and other seafood are rich in
protein and low in carbs; so are poultry, meat, and many
vegetables. Once you start incorporating all these natural and
healthy foods back into your diet, you will find that you won’t
miss the junk that you used to consume. And this practice of
choosing nutrient-rich foodstuff will be something you will
carry with you even after you reach your ideal body weight.

It’s not enough to go on a low carbohydrate diet, or any other
diet for that matter, without getting the right amount of
exercise. Even though the diet does not focus on
calorie-counting, a calorie is still a calorie and if you eat
more than what you burn, then you’ll become fat. So if you do
decide to go on a low carbohydrate diet, make sure you do it
right.

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