Low Carb Diets – Fast Weight Loss or Big Let Down?

One of the most widely held beliefs among the weight loss community is that low carb diets are the key to a fast slim-down.

Just think of all of the “low carb” diets available…

– Atkins — South Beach — Zone

…just to name a few.

But why do so many weight loss professionals promote carbohydrate restriction?

Four words… it appears to work.

Those who restrict carbohydrates, often do lose weight quickly. And for individuals who are desperate to lose weight this quick slim-down seems like the “light at the end of the tunnel”. It appears to them that they have found the “holy grail” of weight loss in cutting carbs.

But have they only been fooled?

The answer is a resounding yes!

The truth is that your body depends on GOOD carbohydrates for the majority of its functions and when there is an absence of GOOD carbohydrates (As there is with carb restricted diets) your body will actually manufacture its own in order to maintain tissues that absolutely need them! Because the manufacturing of carbohydrates takes additional energy your body will burn an excess amount of calories… something that promoters of low carb diets call the “Metabolic Advantage”.

Along with the excess use of energy by the body to produce carbohydrates, people who are on low carbohydrate diets are also eating fewer calories because they are consuming far fewer BAD carbohydrates than they typically would on a day to day basis…

– French fries

– Boxed cereals

– Soda (diet or regular)

– White Bread

– Refined Pastas

– Salad Dressings

– White sugar

It’s this combination of an increased use of energy by the body to manufacture carbs and fewer calories from refined carbs going into the body that makes low carb diets produce quick weight loss…

…giving the illusion that the diet is actually working, when really it’s only a set up for massive failure!

So what’s the problem?

The problem is that most carb restricted diets make no distinction between good carbs and bad carbs. These diets simply teach the elimination of most carbs from your caloric intake. This is a huge mistake because eliminating good carbs from your diet causes the body to go into survival mode, meaning that it will store and ration the food you consume.

As a result, when a person who has been on such a diet begins to eat normal again, the body will store increased quantities of the food they eat as fat!

Your body needs good carbs like whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Vital organs such as your brain, kidneys and liver absolutely will not function without carbohydrates and when these carbs are cut out of your diet for any extended period the affects can be extremely dangerous! At some point you will have to consume good carbs or you will seriously impact your health!

There’s no need to partake in low carb diets to lose weight. There are other alternatives that produce faster, healthier and longer lasting weight loss!

Are Low Carb Diets Effective?

There is a huge difference between no carb diets and low carb diets. The no carb diet is where there is total elimination of all carbohydrates in everyday meals. This means that the person has to rely on fats from animal source foods as the main source of energy. This diet is particularly well suited for people who need to go on ketogenic diets, particularly a small number of epileptic children with difficult-to-cure conditions. People often mistake this kind of diet with the low carb diets. It should be noted here that the unsupervised or uncontrolled use of the no carb diet can lead to a lot of unfavorable and permanent medical conditions.

On the other hand, the Atkins diet is one of the more popular examples of low carb diets. The Atkins diet, in particular, also advocates the substitution of fats and proteins to supplement the loss from carbohydrates in the diet. Some of the basic principles of low carb diets include limiting most processed grain-based and starchy products like breads, breakfast cereals (specifically the sugar frosted ones,) pasta, potatoes and heavy rice meals. Most meat and diary products are allowable in limited portions. But the key to achieving the so-called balance in this kind of diet is to eat more foods like green leafy vegetables and raw fruits because these are high in nutrition but low in carbohydrates.

Again, there are several limitations to low carb diets. For one thing, most people who undergo such diets usually experience constipation due to the lack of fiber inherent in most carbohydrate based products like corn bran, wheat and whole wheat. Some people would need either need to eat more fiber rich foods that are not carbohydrate based like celery, green beans and prunes. In most cases though, there is already a need to add fiber supplements and laxatives to the diet in order to solve the constipation problem.

Another limitation to this kind of diet is the fact that there is an increase in proteins via the consumption of animal based products. High levels of protein in everyday meals have been linked to permanent kidney failures. For people who have had one or more forms of renal diseases (whether past or present) are especially susceptible to kidney failures while undergoing long term low carb diets. This is due to the fact that the increase of proteins means additional work for the organ in question, and since the kidneys are working more than normal “comfortable levels,” a breakdown in inevitable.

Lastly, such diets like the Atkins diet has a structured program that the person subscribing to it must rigidly adhere to – and that task alone is quite difficult to do. Most, if not all low carb dieters deviate from the program more than once, and this can wreak havoc in the use of low carb diets. The makers of these diets do not make contingency measures for people who deviate. And for the people who do deviate, they are usually left to their own devices. They often swap portions, alter frequency of intake or even substitute different foods altogether in order to keep up with the program after they “cheated” a little.

The best way to lose unwanted pounds (and fast) is to find a healthy and sensible eating program that is not too rigidly structured, and at the same time affords you a more balanced food list. The Fat Loss For Idiots diet plan gives its subscribers such services without the need to drastically lower carb count or spike up protein consumption.

A Change In Food Labels Regarding “low-carb” Products Content Is Looming

Just a moment before you pick up that low-carb salad dressing from the grocery store shelf. Low cal, low carb, reduced fat, reduced carbs, and other so called healthy promotional phrases may all take on a entirely new meaning in the not too distant future.

FDA Deputy Commissioner Lester Crawford has indicated a food content labeling mandate will probably cause a substantial number of products to have their labels changed. Crawford indicated it will be an effort to “demystify the current confusion about carbohydrates.”

Many food makers have jumped on the “low-carb” band wagon. Companies hawk everything from traditional creamy and/or vinaigrette salad dressings, to low-carbohydrate Easter chocolate, as formulated and manufactured reduced in calories and carbs.

The FDA is concerned how food producing companies count carbohydrates, as it varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some do indeed significantly cut carbohydrates. Others promote their products as reduced-carb, but only cut a single gram per serving. Surprisingly, these are priced to cost more too. Then there are some companies that leave ingredients out of their carb-count altogether. In some instances these practices actually yield good results. Take for example some breads: carbohydrates are cut by increasing fiber content, this is a change many low-carb critics embrace because most Americans don’t consume enough fiber.

As early as this summer, the FDA plans to determine precisely how many carbohydrates are allowed for a food product to be promoted or advertised as low-carb or reduced-carb.

It is expected the Food and Drug Administration will also tell the food manufacturers how they should count the grams as well.

The mystery, what exactly is ‘low-carb’?

Until FDA defines the terms, “reduced carb” or “low carb” these promotional descriptions will not be allowed on food labels. In fact the FDA has ordered some companies to quit using them. Pure De-Lite stopped labeling its dark chocolate bar “low-carb.” The manufacturer of Nature’s Own Wheat ‘n Fiber bread decided to change its name from the original “reduced carbohydrate” just before receiving FDA’s directive last year.

One trade group, the Grocery Manufacturers of America, represents most major brands. They have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to define “low-carb” as 9 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams of food, determined as a typical serving.

GMA nutrition director Alison Kretser, is not endorsing any particular weight-loss plan, but believes putting carbs on a level playing field with fat and other food ingredients is fair and prudent.

CSPI is a consumer advocacy group who wants low-carb defined as 6 grams per serving, and for “reduced carb” foods to have at least twenty-five percent less carbohydrates than original product versions.

You would think we could “all just get along” by eating green salads and using home made vinaigrette recipe dressings wouldn’t you?

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Low Carb Diets?

Before starting a low carb diet, you’re probably curious what the actual pros and cons of low carb diets are, right? Looking at both pros and cons can help you make a more informed, educated decision as to whether a low carb diet is right for you, so let’s summarize some of the common pros and cons of low carb diets here…

Pros: The pros of low carb diets are fairly easy to list, and they include things like: Quick weight loss, never going hungry, eating really great foods, still having sweets, and it’s easy to get started.

Cons: The cons of low carb diets are also fairly easy to list off, and these include: Giving up bread, giving up pasta, giving up real sugar, pastries, cakes, cookies and other common snacks. Other cons of low carb diets can include having bad breath, seemingly bland or boring food choices, and going through withdrawals.

Now that we’ve summarized those pros and cons though, let’s look at some of them in detail.

1. Pro: It’s easy to start low carb diets, but Con: It can get a little expensive. Unfortunately buying lots of meat and fresh veggies can be hard on the budget. High carb and high starch foods are cheaper to buy, but you will pay the price eventually with obesity and associated health problems.

2. Pro: You never go hungry on low carb diets, but Con: You can’t always eat what you’re craving. One of the best reasons to choose a low carb diet is because part of the goal is to never allow yourself to go hungry. You don’t usually restrict how much food is eaten, just what kinds. The downside of course is that you can’t always eat anything you want on a low carb diet. But this is true of any kind of sensible eating plan. If you want to lose weight, you have to be willing to give up certain types of food. And with low carb diets, you give up major sources of bad starches and sugars.

3. Pro: Going on a low carb diet will finally get your daily cravings under control. But Con: You have to go through withdrawals first. When you first start a low carb diet, you will experience sugar withdrawals – usually in the first three to five days. And these can be difficult to wait out. You’ll have headaches, sometimes a bit of dizziness, and you might be a bit lethargic too. You’ll also have severe sugar cravings.

Once you get past those initial days though, you get to experience a wonderful thing: You no longer have massive sugar cravings. You no longer get the urge to grab some candy or a soda at two or three in the afternoon, and you no longer feel bloated and gassy every time you eat. Many people also experience much more energy at this point, and of course they’re thrilled to see the weight is already starting to come off by now too.

So now that you know some of the biggest pros and cons of low carb diets, you might find it easier to decide whether starting a diet of this type is something you feel would be right for your personal lifestyle and preferences.

Low Carb Dieting, But Without All The Dieting

There’s a new kind of diet pill available that works by basically putting you on a low carb diet, but without forcing you to give up goodies like french fries and pancakes. It’s called a “carb blocker,” and it works by blocking the digestion of the carbohydrates in the food you eat. Seeing as how giving up things is what people generally think of when they think of dieting, and giving up carbs is pretty much what a low carb diet is all about, this little diet pill could be a small wonder.

It’s actually a pretty simple recipe that makes this impressive effect possible. It’s a simple, natural compound that is extracted from white kidney beans called “phaseolamin.” What it does is to interfere with the stomach enzyme that breaks down starches into simple sugars, so that the carbs that you eat are never absorbed into your bloodstream. Of course, if they’re not absorbed, they can never be stored as fat! And if they’re not stored as fat, then you get skinny! It’s a good deal.

As far as diet pills go, phaseolamin has been tested fairly extensively. Remember, this is a natural compound extracted from kidney beans, so there are millenia of epidemiological data to say that small doses are safe. And, from the research that has been done over the last few decades, it appears that larger doses are also perfectly safe. Taking carb blockers appears to be just as safe for you as eating beans.

There is no evidence that carb blockers interfere with the absorption of other nutrients, and it is probably unlikely given that no major nutrients that I know of are ever bound up in the starchy parts of your food. Typically important nutrients are bound to fats and proteins, which you will still be absorbing with no trouble while taking carb blockers. All the same, if you’re going to use carb blockers over a very long period of time it couldn’t hurt to have your doctor check your nutrient levels periodically to make sure that everything is alright.

One last thing you should know is that carb blockers don’t have any effect on the absorption of sugar, so any sweet treats you eat will still interfere with your diet. If you eat a cake, for example, your will still absorb all the sugar from the frosting even though you are blocking out the carbs from the flour.

Finally, carb blockers are not perfect; they don’t block 100% of the carbs you eat. The actual effectiveness appears to be about 60%, which is still pretty good! Let’s take a look at what that means. It means that if you were eating 100 grams of carbohydrate per day, which is pretty low compared to the average American diet but not quite low enough to really be “low carb,” these carb blockers would pull you down to just 40 carbs per day. Forty carbs a day is definitely a very solid low carb diet that would ordinarily be quite restrictive. So you can see that carb blockers are not a total replacement for a low carb diet, but they are fantastic in combination with a restricted-carbohydrate diet.

The Low Carb Diet Does It Actually Work?

Yes, people have lost weight on a low carb diet. That is the truth. However, bare in mind that people tend to lose a lot of weight early with this method of weight loss because of all of the water they are losing. Due to eating only low carb foods, glycogen is used for energy, and this causes a decrease in water weight. Also bare in mind that limiting carbs is also limiting calories. A decrease in calories often leads to a decrease in weight.

My personal opinion…

As I mentioned before, the low carb diet can lead to weight loss. People have indeed lost weight using it. If the whole low carb foods craze appeals to you, then by all means, give it shot. If the whole theory behind it all seems like something that is right for you, go for it. I want to make that point clear. Some diets fit certain people better, and maybe this one fits you. However, to me the low carb diet is like hopping on 1 leg to get somewhere when you could have just walked. You may still get there, but your method of travel was unnecessary. My personal opinion? I prefer to walk instead of hop. However you get there is completely up to you.

Here’s a popular question. I weigh “this much” and I’m “this tall”, I workout like “this” and I’m looking to get “these results”, how many grams of carbs should I eat a day? Some people, websites and magazines will tell you to take your body weight and multiply it by your height, divide that by the number of days a week you workout, then add the grams of protein you eat every day, take this number and divide it by the 3rd digit of your telephone number, then pick your favorite number between 1 and 1000 and add that in too, then do the magic carb dance and your final total is the number of carbs you need to eat every day.

Okay, maybe that isn’t the exact carb formula, but it is something like that. Anyway, my method for figuring out how many carbs you need to eat each day has nothing to do with math formulas and won’t require you to have a calculator handy. It is actually quite easy.

I’m sure everyone knows by now that if you want to lose weight, eating a lower number of carbs seems to help. (For more information, go here: low carb diet and foods) And if you want to gain weight, you should eat a higher number of carbs. We all know this, but people want to know the EXACT number of carbs they need to eat.

Here’s my way of figuring it out. Throughout this website I try to stress the point that you should listen to your body. Is your workout routine not giving you results? The fact that you aren’t getting results with that routine is your body saying “this isn’t working, change it!” In my opinion, your diet, in this case carbs, is no different.

I say listen to your body to figure out how many grams of carbs you need to eat a day. How do you do this? It’s simple and takes just 3 easy steps… eat, listen, change. Eat a certain number of carbs for a little while, listen to your body and see if it starts to do what you want it to do (lose weight, gain weight, etc.). If your body did what you wanted it to do, then you got your magic number of carbs, if it didn’t, then change it.

Eat more or less depending on what your results were. Did you eat a certain amount of carbs and you maintained or even gained weight when you wanted to lose weight? Then eat a little less carbs for a little while and see what happens! Did you maintain or lose weight when you were looking to gain weight? Then start eating some more carbs for a little while and see what happens.

Sounds simple right? That’s because it is simple. People want EXACT numbers to go by, and nothing and no one will give you more EXACT numbers than your own body. So, try something, if it works, keep doing it, if it doesn’t, then change it until it does work. Write that down somewhere and read it over and over again when you think you have some type of diet or workout question. That phrase will probably answer your question for you most of the time.

Low Carb Recipes – Surprisingly Doable

The low carb diet movement has taken the world by storm. Nearly everyone has heard of it – who could avoid doing so? Variations of this reducing diet have been endorsed by celebrities and other popular figures. Advertisements for low carb food products and low carb recipes have been portrayed prominently in magazines and television, with the promise that you WILL lose weight even if you eat large food portions; you just have to make sure that the food you are eating has little or no carbohydrate content.

Perhaps one of the most surprising things is that low carb recipes are doable and once your system has gotten used to them, they are easy to follow. People are of the apprehension that it will be hard to make dishes because of the scarcity of ingredients. After all, we have become accustomed to using things like sugar, flour, bread, potatoes, etc. – all of which are a no-no for low carb dieters – in the dishes we eat.

But as the low carb diet movement started to become more popular and as the clamor for appropriate ingredients increased, the food industry rose up to the occasion and started introducing products to meet demand. Take for instance, sugar. Normal sugar is known to trigger certain mechanisms in the body that would make a person feel hungrier more often. Add this to the fact that sugar is full of empty calories that will only add to the ones that your body already is trying to burn. Now, however, dieters can take comfort in the fact that they can use artificial sweeteners – such as Splenda – that do not have the same effect on the body as sugar, but still impart the sweetness that so many of us want and crave.

Entrees or main dishes pose no problem since low carb diets usually promote the consumption of high-protein food products, such as meat. It is those appetizers, desserts, snack foods – and even beverages – that pose a problem. But with the introduction of substitute products, a dieter need not look at dishes like breaded chicken or chocolate cake with vain longing. Just look at the variety of low carb recipes online and offline, and you will see that there is a plethora of ingredients with the label “low carb” attached to them.

Want to make some brownies? No problem, just use low carb chocolate. Breaded pork chops or chicken can be enjoyed guilt-free if you use bread crumbs derived from low carb bread. Are you a pasta lover who cringes at the thought of having to give up lasagna and spaghetti? Then you will appreciate the fact that there are low carb pastas out on the market, enabling you to continue enjoying your favorite dishes – just make sure that the sauces and other ingredients you use are not laden with carbohydrates.

Low carb reducing diets, such as Atkins and South Beach, do not ask the dieter to totally give up food items that have carbohydrate content. The key is to control one’s carb intake in order to promote faster metabolism: burn more calories faster to lose weight faster. Fruits and vegetables are still an essential part of the diet, but it is important to know which types of fruits to avoid and to enjoy, especially if you are just starting your diet. For instance, you can enjoy grapefruit, peach or strawberry shakes, smoothies or juices without compunction; the same cannot be said for dishes that contain bananas, pears, or grapes.

If you find yourself running out of recipe ideas and you are determined to stick with a low carb diet plan, there are numerous books, web sites, and other resources that you can avail of in order to plan a daily or weekly menu. This is assuming that you like to cook for yourself or someone else on a low carb menu. On the other hand, if you are not the type who is fastidious about home cooking, then you will be glad to know that many restaurants serve food especially for the low carb consumer. There is also a variety of microwaveable and ready-to-eat meals that are suited for such reducing diets.

Before a person goes all out on a carbohydrate-controlled diet and starts hoarding and following low carb recipes, it is always a wise thing to get a professional medical opinion on whether such a diet is safe for him or her. Persons with certain health issues, such as kidney disease, should not embark on a low carb reducing diet. Barring that, almost any person can enjoy great-tasting – even gourmet – foods and drinks and still lose weight in the process.

Low Carb Foods – what fits in your Low Carb Diet?

A person starting a low carbohydrate diet needs to know which types of food he or she should consume and which ones to shun. Getting a list of low carb foods sometimes fools people into thinking that the diet is a hard thing to do. Instead of thinking “What can’t I eat?” you would be better off with a mindset that asks “What CAN I eat?” You will then discover that natural, low carb foods are in abundance everywhere! And you might just discover that you’re not missing the food that you were regretting giving up a short time ago.

Once you start your low carb diet, you will be pleased to discover the many things that you can keep on (and add to!) your shopping list. As a general rule, most high protein foods are allowable on your diet. So push your grocery cart to the meat section and feel free to plan meals that feature pork, beef, lamb, venison, and veal dishes. But be careful when it comes to processed meat; many of them are cured with chemicals or sugar, which can pack on the carbs.

Mosey along over to the poultry section and think about recipes for chicken, turkey, duck, and pheasant. These are rich in protein and other nutrients (but not carbs) and can be cooked and served in many attractive and great-tasting ways. Want to take advantage of the bounties of the ocean and lakes? Choose from among fish and other seafood, which are also high in protein and fatty acids that are good for your heart.

Feel like serving a salad as a side dish? You’ll be pleased to know that most salad vegetables are allowed on low carb diets. And this is a good thing because you should be getting your carbohydrate quota from vegetables, not from junk food, not from starchy goodies. Although the intake of a number of fruits should be kept to a minimum, fruits like berries can be enjoyed without guilt. What about snack food? Snacks exist in a reduced-carbohydrate diet, too, but not the processed kind. Go au naturel – nuts are perfect for something to munch on in between meals. They’re high in protein and contain the much-praised good oils and fats.

But what if you’re the type of person who’s all thumbs in the kitchen and can’t even scramble some eggs? You’ll be glad to know that there exist a wide variety of low carb convenience foods that will make your dieting life much easier. You can choose from juices, shakes, protein bars, morning cereals, pancakes and pancake syrup, baking mixes, cookie mixes, low carb bread and related products, even low carb chocolate cake and cheesecake!

Dairy products are encouraged in low carb diets. Most cheeses can be enjoyed either by themselves as a snack or as an ingredient in dishes. But keep in mind that cheese contains carbohydrates, so you should limit your portions. Eggs are perhaps one of the main staples of the controlled-carb dieter; they are high in protein, have no carbs, and are very versatile. Plus, they’re inexpensive, too! Drinking milk is also a good idea; it’s a good source of calcium. But if you are lactose-intolerant, it would be a good idea to drink milk in small quantities periodically until you find that you no longer have any adverse reactions to it.

Eating out also used to be a problem for low carb dieters. Restaurant staff didn’t have a clue about the carb content of food. Today however, many dining establishments have taken measures to accommodate carb-counting consumers. A number of them even list what type of low carb foods they offer and the nutritional information of each dish. Do you want a hamburger without the buns? A salad with low carb dressing? All of these and more are possible today.

As you have perhaps realized, finding low carb foods is not at all that hard, especially the natural ones. In fact, it’s entirely likely that you have been consuming these foods all your life without realizing that they are suitable for weight loss or weight maintenance. And if you concentrate on these foods, you’ll probably find that you won’t have time anymore to bemoan and worry about carbohydrate-rich foods that you have had to give up.

Prevent Diabetes With High Protein Low Carb Diet

Low carb diet by Dr. Atkins continues as possibly one of the most accepted low carb diets on the market today. Low carbohydrate, high protein Atkins diet attractiveness has helped spring numerous similar diets who operate on the same values of high-protein, low-carbohydrate eating diet. Nowadays people who want to lose weight have a lot of high protein diets to choose from.

Tests have verified that high-protein, low-carbohydrate intake has numerous good effects as well as create considerable fat burning with no need to limit calories. Lots of people who make use of the low carb, high protein diet invented by Dr. Atkins have for a long time been reporting this effect. There are studies that show that low carbohydrate eating improves triclycerides, lowers blood sugar for diabetics and people with beginning diabetes and boosts good cholesterol (HDL). Low carb, high protein diet plan has been continuously confirmed to enhance insulin sensitivity, decrease blood pressure and cut blood insulin levels. If we judge it against diets low in fat, high protein, low carb dieters also lose a reduced amount of muscle mass.

Although not medically proven, there are numerous various positive effects testified by people on low-carb, high-protein diet by Dr.Atkins. Some of these include energy increase, reduced longing for candys, enhanced attentiveness, improved temper and decrease of depression kind of signs.

Nonetheless there are also several advantages that are exclusive to the high-protein, low-carbohydrate Dr. Atkins diet. If you are one of countless people who have been trying to lose weight with low fat diets in previous years you will get pleasure from eating all of those forbidden foods that once you could not touch. Butter, steak and cream are a regular element of low carb diet devised by Dr. Atkins. Many people enjoy eating foods once off limits to them. People on high protein diet devised by Dr. Atkins are permitted to consume their full of rich meats, cheeses and fats and oils.

Diet invented by Dr. Atkins is also undemanding to make use of if compared with majority of other protein high diets that are on the market today. There are a few of simple carbohydrate calculations that you are going to need to learn, but when you do that, you are going to be free to have a meal of any food you want from the acceptable food listing.

Dr. Atkins furthermore emphasized the need of finding your own individual carb level. Various individuals have unique degree of carbohydrate tolerance. While some of us put on weight on just 90 grams of carbs per day, other people can eat as many as 120 grams of carbs daily. During your ongoing dieting phase and pre-maintenance stage of the low carbohydrate, high protein diet by Dr.Atkins, you will ascertain your individual carb count that is going to help you establish your carb goal from now on.

The status of high-protein, low-carb diet devised by Dr. Atkins can even be a double-edged sword for the anyone trying to lose weight with it. Given that there is plenty of tips accessible about the low carbohydrate Dr. Atkins diet, which makes it simple to get resources and support, but can at the same time confuse you. There have been scores of Atkins books written and furthermore there are infinite amounts of websites that provide you with group support, information and tips. However nearly everyone has heard of diet by Dr. Atkins and almost has his or her own outlook about it. You need to be aware that there are scores of misconstructions around the world regarding the features of the Atkins diet, and you are going to, without a doubt, have to stand up for your newly discovered eating technique from time to time.

There are also some of the other downsides for using the high-protein, low-carb Atkins diet. You should count carbs in every piece of food you eat to be assured that you are keeping within your individual carbohydrate boundary. Additionally, there is the matter of Induction, the most intensely contested phase of the plan. Induction can be tough to come through if you have been on a diet that centers on carbs and sugar. Moreover, loads of individuals have a go at Induction and mistakenly judge that this is the method that the whole diet will be. They quit without even starting the genuine diet by Dr.Atkins.

Every now and then even if it does not occur very often, some individuals are going to live through a carbohydrate crash frequently during the 3rd and up to 5th day of the Dr. Atkins diet. Such sort of reaction is a result of their body experiencing the ketosis phase or using fat as fuel instead of carbs. The sensation is short-lived but lots of people trying to lose weight have sworn off high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets entirely because of this small accident.

Overall, with the few trivial shortcomings considered, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet invented by Dr. Atkins continues to be one of the most used high protein diets because of one simple reason. It works. A lot of people have succeeded with the high protein, low carbohydrate diet by Dr.Atkins and the high-protein, low-carbohydrate approach to dieting.

Low Carb Foods Can Make You Happy – Boost Your Mood With the Right Low Carb Diet Foods and Drinks

For low carb diet foods to make you happy, they need to be the right kinds of low carb foods and drinks. If you’re reading this and thinking about things like ice cream, cookies or sweet rolls as foods that make you feel good, that is not where we’re going with this. Also, we’re not talking about low carb snack foods that are usually lacking in any real nutrition. To understand precisely what we’re discussing, let’s take a look at how certain nutrients affect the brain, the nervous system and your overall mood.

Let’s say you’ve got an important business presentation and your nervous about standing up in front of a group of your peers. Which of these would you choose to calm your anxiety?

A. A diet soda
B. A glass of milk
C. A handful of Gummy Bears
D. A low carb food formula in a health drink

Believe it or not, C is a correct answer if you want a quick fix that’s not really very good for you in the long run. In some people, sugar from candy acts as a short energy boost followed by a quick drop while some people go straight to the crash. However, D, a low carb food formula in a health drink is the best choice. This is because liquids are digested more rapidly and absorbed right away. Assuming that your low carb diet food health drink is made with natural ingredients, including whole foods with complex carbohydrates, then you will gain the most calming effect.

If you thought a glass of milk was the best choice for relaxing, you should know that mixing protein with carbohydrates reduces the carb’s calming properties. So, next time you are eating a high carb cereal, don’t put milk on it if you want to feel less anxious as you get ready to face the day.

Drinking a diet soda with artificial sweeteners is the worst choice you could make. Low carb diet foods and drinks that contain aspartame and saccharin do anything but calm the brain and nervous system. Avoiding these chemical ingredients in low carb foods or drinks is always a good idea, but especially if you are trying to relax. Look for natural low carb drinks without artificial stuff.

The bottom line is that when you want to calm down, you can eat high carb foods, like potatoes, pasta, breads and other starches, or you can drink a naturally formulated low carb food mixture that will give you more benefits. Not only will your brain and nervous system get quick anxiety reduction, your body will get complex carbohydrates it can use for long lasting energy.

An ancient Chinese proverb states, “In times of stress, sweeten the tea”. Our ancestors commonly consumed a spoonful of honey before bed to induce restful sleep. This may run contrary to the popular opinion that sugar gives you quick energy. Instead, recent research suggests that, “all carbohydrates, including sugar and starches have the opposite effect on most ordinary people” (Food-Your Miracle Medicine by Jean Carper-Harper Collins Publishers-1993). There are numerous experiments that show carbohydrates to be more like mild tranquilizers than pick-me-ups.

How some high carb foods act as sedatives, according to experts, could be due to complicated biochemical reactions. One theory is that carbs clear the way for the brain to receive more tryptophan, an amino acid that gets converted into serotonin. Now, researchers are learning more about the ability of serotonin to act as a calming chemical in the brain and nervous system. That’s why you hear about people with low serotonin levels developing greater stress. If you are eating low carb foods on a regular basis and feeling some nervousness or overly revved up energy, make sure you are getting tryptophan and serotonin by eating the right low carb diet foods.

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