Written by Niall Roche

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.

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 Nathan Lynch

Lo carb diets are the newest dieting trend, and seem to be effective. Here are some tips for following a balanced lo carb diet: Eat more fruit and vegetables, aiming for at least five portions a day. Include fruit at breakfast and salad at lunch. Reduce the amount of salt by eating less processed food, such as ready meals, and adding a smaller amount of salt to food. Eat a varied diet. Change your shopping list every week to help keep you out of unhealthy food ruts and make eating more enjoyable. Eat regular meals - although it doesn’t matter when you eat your food, a consistent schedule helps most people to control their diet and their weight. Control your portion sizes so that over time, if not necessarily every day, the amount of energy you consume matches your level of activity. Try to be more physically active. Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. Activity helps to regulate your appetite, and means that you can eat more without gaining weight. Drink alcohol only within sensible limits: not more than 14 units per week for women, and no more than three in any one day, and not more than 21 units per week for men, and no more than four in any one day. The current most popular fad diet is the Lo Carb or Atkins diet. It restricts carbohydrate rich foods, thereby restricting total daily calories. Phase One of the four in the Atkins Diet consists of between 1400 to 1500 total daily calories. The average adult female consumes around 2200 calories daily and the average adult male consumes around 2800 calories daily. Almost any adult will lose weight if they consume 800 to 1300 fewer calories daily. Phase One of the Atkins Diet also restricts carbohydrate intake to only 20 grams of net carbohydrates daily. The definition of net carbohydrates is total grams of carbohydrates per serving minus dietary fibre per serving. Dietary fibre is the non-digestible remains of plant products found in beans, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel source. In the near future there will be a recommended dietary allowance, or R.D.A., for carbohydrates of 130 grams daily. 130 grams of carbohydrates our body needs daily is for the proper functioning of the central nervous system and production of red blood cells. Only during Phase Four of the Atkins Diet are participants allowed up to 120 grams of net carbohydrate daily. Low carbohydrate diets are nothing new, they have been around since the 1860’s and the Atkins Diet first came out in the early 1970’s. Most nutrition experts agree that to be successful in weight loss a person needs to keep the weight off for 5 years. Over 90%25 of people who take weight off through a fad diet like the Atkins Diet gain the weight back in less than one year. Participants on the Atkins Diet lose between 10 to 12 pounds in the first several weeks but this is only water loss, not fat. One pound of fat contains 3500 calories. Therefore to lose 10 pounds of fat in several weeks you would need to consume 35,000 fewer calories or burn 35,000 calories more through exercise. Neither is likely to happen. So, the best way to lose weight and become more healthy is to eat a balanced diet. Don’t cut out all your carbs, but don’t go overboard with them either. In addition to eating well, exercise in a proportional amount to what you are eating. Exercising too much is as bad as exercising too little.

Your carb dessert dietpoundsaway.com low recipe
headquarters. Find quick answers to your low carb alcohol
questions.

Written by Olga Graham

When you’re dieting, Identifying relevant sources of information on a variety of low carb free recipe can be a very difficult undertaking. You’ll most likely find that accessing a list of low carb food, will necessitate your having to join one of the many on-line low carb dieting programs, for which you will undoubtedly have to pay. Or that you have to spend money in another way to get at the low carb free recipe information you need.

If you’re embarking on a do-it-yourself weight loss program then this option will obviously not be to your advantage, especially if funds are tight. But what if you could get your hands on an extensive list of low carb food and a low carb free recipe collection that set out all the information you could possibly need, at no cost to you? More on that later!

For now though, lets consider some of the specifics in relation to eating healthy on low carb food diets. The atkins diet is probably the most popular and well- known low carb food diet of all time. This model of carb low food dieting will provide you with a good grounding in carb low diets. You’ll find more on the atkins diet by clicking on the link below.

Before committing yourself to a diet based on low carb food, you might be interested in learning about the concerns that have been highlighted in relation to low carb food diets and in particular, the atkins diet risks. Do remember, before you rush into acquiring that all- important list of low carb free recipe, that knowledge is one of the key ingredients to your success with your weightloss goal.

Work on your development skills by ensuring you gain all the information you need, prior to making a start. For example, you might want to learn more about the atkins diet risk and the implications for you personally. That way, any decision you make - will be an informed one, making your success all the more assured. Don’t decide on a carb low diet just because there’s a promise of a list of low carb free recipe, or because your friends are doing it, or even because it seems to be the ‘in thing’. You must ensure that your choice is a healthy one for you and that all your nutrition needs are going to be adequately met. You will also need to carefully Weigh up the pro’s and con’s, for instance:

1. How practical will it be to follow a diet based on your newly acquired list of low carb free recipe or free atkins recipe?
2. How easy or difficult will it be for you to eat these types of low carb foods at your place of work?
3. What impact will following a low carb free recipe diet make on the rest of the family?
4. How do you feel about the prospect of having to give that little bit more attention to your needs at meal- times or even preparing your own meals in addition to those for the rest of the family?
5. What time constraints have you identified? For instance, if you work long hours - how would this issue be resolved, should you decide on using the low carb free recipe list?
6. What additional health food vitamins will you need to take to supplement your diet, should you decide on following a low carb diet?
7. Where and from whom will you get expert advice on your proposed change to your diet, prior to starting?
8. How will you know that following the low carb free recipe list is a healthy eating option for you?

It is all to easy to jump into a new situation without doing your homework. However, you must ensure you fully research any diet that calls for changes in what you eat and in the way you eat. With knowledge, you can ensure your healthy eating, nutrition and your correct intake of food health vitamins. You can find out how to access your low carb free recipe list by clicking on the link below. In the meantime, stay knowledgeable! Stay healthy! “There is very little difference between one who cannot read and one who will not read” (Jim Rohn)

Olga Graham is a qualified social care practitioner, life coach and founder of:
http://www.health-womens-healthy-living-goals.com A health and Personal Development website for
women, that provides free guidance and goalsetting
tools, enabling women to set and achieve all
aspects of their health goals.

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