What is a Low Carb (Low Carbohydrate) Diet?

Low-carb diets substitute carbohydrates with fats and proteins. Many low-carb diet plans vary depending on recommendation, but it generally consists of a high-fat and moderate-protein diet plan. Going on a low-carb diet would mean getting around 70% of calorie intake from fat, not carbs. Daily carbohydrate intake must only be 10% or less of the total diet.

The Low Carb Diet is a ketogenic diet whose best known proponent is Dr. Robert C. Atkins.

How does a Low Carb Diet work?

Researches have shown that dietary fat does not convert into body fat, but carbohydrates do. Eating a high-carbohydrate diet would mean the increase of sugar levels, which would then stimulate the body’s insulin production. An increased insulin production deposits fat into the body, which would send hunger signals to the brain. The person, in this situation, would tend to eat more carbohydrates, thereby repeating this cycle. To restrict the intake of carbohydrates is to put a stop to this cycle. This is the way an Atkins Low Carb Diet works.

The Atkins low carb diet centers on less consumption of carbohydrates, with fewer than 20g of carbohydrate intake a day, for a period of 2 weeks. After two weeks, the diet is modified and the daily intake of carbohydrates is increased, still at a level that allows losing weight. This process is termed as Induction. Induction is a preparation for the next dietary phase called Ketosis. Ketosis is a state wherein the body is able to turn stored fat into energy, in the absence of carbohydrates.

On a ketogenic diet one eats food that allows the body to achieve a state known as ketosis – lipolysis (the process of dissolving fat). When fat is used up metabolically, it breaks down into glycerol and free fatty acids, which in turn break down into pairings of two-carbon compounds called “ketone bodies”, leaving a newer fatty acid, shorter in chain length by the loss of the carbon fragment that has entered the metabolic pool to be used as fuel.

What are the benefits of going on a Low Carb Diet?

Low-carb diet plans do not mean you have to count calories or stay away from certain food groups in order to lose weight. The diet plan allows you to have anything you want to eat as long as the body is not stuffed or you are not craving. One has to recognise the difference between hunger and appetite in that an appetite lets you feel the desire to eat whether your body needs it or not.

In a low-car diet, your appetite is kept in control because curbing the carbohydrate intake decreases the cravings. A low-carb diet also causes a dieter to lose weight faster than any other diet plan because metabolism is maintained at an ideal level.

Advantages:

· Weight loss is sustained

· Insulin level is lowered

· Blood pressure is lowered

· Body has more energy

· Blood sugar is stabilized

What can I eat on a Low Carb Diet?

First of all, don’t try this without a diet plan. A low-carb diet plan must consist of a worktable for losing weight, for it to take effect. With a diet plan mapped out, notice that your diet will consists of eating whatever you want, but being careful to avoid sugar, white flour and processed foods.

In a low-carb diet, the rate of weight loss is generally proportional to the exclusion of carbohydrates. The level of carbohydrates you consume can be measured and controlled. Thus, you can attach numerical quantities to the carbohydrate food eaten and decide just how much of any macronutrient you wish to consume.

Some things to remember:

· Carbohydrate intake should not be more than 10% of your calorie intake daily.

· Stay away from sugar as this converts to carbohydrates

· Avoid caffeine

· Drink vitamin and mineral supplements

· Drink water, lots and lots of it

· Visit a doctor before starting on any diet.

Do I have to buy specialty food for this diet?

Some low carb diet food specialties may be bought but these are not necessary.

In a low-carb diet, deciding on what to eat and what is healthy, in accordance to your diet plan, relies on you as each dieter needs a different amount of carbs in their diet everyday. You shop for your own food; you decide what to buy; and you recognise what healthy low carb food you need to take.

When shopping for food, read the labels carefully. Take note of the total carbohydrate count.

Where can I find Low-Carb Diet Recipes?

There are many books on low-carb diets that include sample low-carb recipes. Also, the internet provides many link and resources for these. This website alone consists of 1000+ low carb recipes.

Consequently, when already used to the low-carb diet, you can modify your own low-carb recipes to fit your needs.

Is it hard to follow a Low-Carb Diet?

 Like any diet plan, following a low carb diet requires discipline. To follow an effective low carb diet plan, you must remember to read the labels carefully and keep track of the amount of carbohydrates taken daily. The key to succeed in this diet is to learn what you need to eat.

How do I know this diet is for me?

If you have answered YES to these questions:

· Are you overweight despite the fact that you don’t eat that much?

· Do you have an inexplicable obsession with food?

· Do you have a single food or beverage you feel you could not do without?

· Do you feel no sense of fulfillment when you eat a normal meal?

· Do you have a craving for such foods as sweets, pastas and breads?

…chances are you may have a metabolic problem, manifested either by a relative inability to lose weight or maintain weight loss or by a hunger or inability to achieve and maintain satiety. Or, you may have glucose intolerance, commonly known as hypoglycemia. Or, you may be one of those identified as a carbohydrate ‘addict’.