Best Low Carb Diet

Poll

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Author:
Jim O'Neill

Whether you’re in a grocery store, a restaurant or just watching the commercials on TV during your favorite show, you are bombarded with ads and special menu’s singing the praises of the virtues of the low carb diet. This low carb craze has virtually swept the western world and has dieters everywhere seeking out low carb this and low carb that with many reporting weight loss as a result!!!

This is great news right? Finally, an easy diet plan that makes you lose weight and you can eat lots of food as long as they have almost no carbs in them!!! But have we really struck gold, or have we simply struck fools gold? Is the idea of eating a low carb diet for weight loss really a good idea or are there any side affects that may come with these diets that adversely affect our health?

Consider this, many people want something for nothing and this way of thinking also applies to those looking to lose weight but unfortunately there is no miracle substitute to good sound nutritional practices. Our society is one that values “quick fixes” which is why the low carb diet plan is a perfect fit for this society’s way of thinking. This is what makes it so appealing.

It is true that a large amount of weight will be lost as glycogen (stored carbohydrate) depletes in the muscles and liver, but this weight is from water, not fat loss which is not good for body composition or overall health. It is also true that the body will rely on free fatty acids for fuel when muscle glycogen is depleted, but the body will rely much more on amino acids (protein) from the breakdown of lean (muscle) tissue as well so while you may burn fat, you will also burn more muscle as well and remember, your heart is also a muscle! In addition to this, those on a carb-restricted diet have lower energy levels and shorter time to fatigue during physical activity which means any activity will likely be in shorter durations.

The fact is you need carbohydrates for your brain, heart, and muscles as well as other vital organs. The main fuel of the brain and central nervous system is glucose, which is obtained most easily from carbohydrates. If carbohydrates remain unavailable for several days the body tries to conserve protein by producing an alternate fuel source known as ketones from the partial burning of fatty acids. As this breakdown continues, these ketones build in the blood causing a condition known as ketosis. Initial weight loss is not from fat but from water from the kidneys trying to rid the body of excess ketones.

Low carb diets make the blood more acidic, causing potentially serious and unwanted side effects like headaches, bad breath, dizziness, fatigue and nausea. Also when carbohydrate stores are depleted in the body, the rate at which fat is metabolized is reduced meaning that carbohydrates are necessary for the ability to metabolize fat effectively. And keep this in mind, carbohydrates do not make you fat, calories in general make you fat so the most effective weight loss plan is simply to adjust your calorie intake to be in the right range for your own individual needs with the proper balance of nutrients.

The fact is, just because you seem to notice a loss of overall body weight in the initial stages of a low carb diet doesn’t mean it is a good solid safe means of going about embarking on a weight loss venture. There is no substitute and there will never be a good substitute to a good sound nutritional plan coupled with a moderate exercise plan and making that plan a lifetime venture.

Jim O'Neill gives you tons of valuable information on the subjects of weight loss, fitness, and nutrition to make it easy for you to live a healthy lifestyle. Sign up now for his free 7 part mini e-course at: http://www.mrgymfitness.com

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Popular Diet... Zone Diet The Zone diet helps in loosing weight slowly and maintaining an ideal weight. It is recommended to manage blood sugar level. It is a calorie restricted plan.The zone diet is consuming calories in a balanced ratio of 40:30: 30. That is 40 percentages of carbohydrate 30 percentage of protein and 30 percentage of fat with special emphasis on lean proteins fruits and vegetables. Zone diet also insists on control of the portions you eat and the timing of your eating. Zone diet promotes weight loss or weight maintenance depending on your health condition and physical activity. According to zone diet blood sugar can be managed by eating at proper time and certain foods and can produce low glycemic index. Zone diet was developed by Barry Sears Ph D a former researcher in biotechnology at Massachusetts institute of Technology. Zone diet has several products which can be used for convenience but it is not necessary to buy to follow the zone diet. The product from Zone diet are ZonePerfect Meals, ZonePerfect Nutrition Bar, ZonePerfect Shake Mix.The ZonePerfect Meals contain 4 blocks each. ZonePerfect Nutrition Bar is two ZonePerfect Food Blocks.The ZonePerfect Shake Mixes contain 2 ½ blocks each.One mini block is equal to 7 grams of protein or 9 grams of carbohydrate or 3 grams of fat. Proteins can be lean meat, while carbohydrates can be half an apple and fat can be nuts or olive oil. A mini block from each category of cryohydrate, protein and fat is a ZonePerfect Food Block. At least 11 ZonePerfect Food Block should be consumed daily.Fats consumed should be from monounsaturated fat sources like olive oil, olive, almonds, avocado and macadamia nuts. Main beverage consumed should be water that is 6 ounce or 8 cups per day. Even though there is no...