Ask 10 different people what a low carb diet plan is, and you will
probably get 10 different answers. The difference in opinions can
be extreme! Some dieters profess that low carb means 10-20 carbs a
day, where others might tell you low carb is 10-20 carbs per meal.
This is a subject that many people disagree on. The variety that
is before us surely calls for a guide to low carb dieting. It seems
like such a difficult process to the low carb novice, but it isn't
as hard as it sounds.
What happened to low fat diets?
Depending on how you feel about the research, some low carb plans
may seem unbelievable, some may sound like quackery, and some may
sound heavenly! One idea they all have in common is that excess
carbs cause obesity. Such a simple theory should be easy to grasp,
but it isn't! Why? It goes against everything we have learned for
years. For most of the 30-something and 40-something dieters out
there, 'low fat' has been all we have ever learned of safe,
effective dieting. Our doctors and teachers, along with scores of
magazine articles, talk shows, cookbooks, textbooks and weight
loss clinics told us that low fat diets promised a healthy
cardiovascular system and life-long weight loss. Americans have
learned the Food Pyramid since we were children, but low carb
diets have turned the food pyramid on its head.
We've been told all of our life to eat low fat, and that high fat
diets cause obesity and heart disease. In recent years, scientists
have been finding in independent studies that a low fat diet might
not be what it's cracked up to be. With low carb, we are told to
eat fat...butter, cheese, eggs, meat, and that low fat, high carb
foods are the guilty culprits in the battle of obesity. Many low
fat diet staples are composed of low fat frozen dinners, snacks,
breads, desserts, pastas, rice and ready made mixes and
concoctions that comply with a low fat lifestyle. Low fat is very
common and easy to find on our grocery shelves. One thing many of
them have in common is increased sugar and other added
carbohydrates. Sugar has been found in numerous studies to be a
cause of higher saturated fat in humans. As a whole, some research
shows we are living longer than ever, but research also shows us
to be fatter than ever. American's have spent billions of dollars
on diets, but we still grow fatter! Could carbs really be the
link? Some researchers think so.
In retrospect, we should consider what low fat dieters say is
wrong with low carb diets. Some researchers and authors of low fat
plans say that it is unhealthy, that low carb means high fat,
which will surely congest the arteries with saturated fats,
leading to heart disease. Some members of the medical community
think that low carb diets may lead to kidney problems, colon
cancer or osteoporosis.
What does Low Carb Mean?
Here are the basics of a low carb diet: Foods generally fall into
three categories. Protein, fat, and carbohydrates. If your food
isn't a fat and it isn't a protein, then by default it is a
carbohydrate.
In a nutshell, one thing that low carb dieters do agree with is that
these excess carbohydrates are stored as fat. However, the amount
of carbs that is considered excessive may vary! The basic
principle of low carb diets is simply that, to dump the carbs.
Another low carb principle is how the body burns fat. Some
research shows that dietary fat is not stored as fat. These
researchers feel it is the excess carbs that are converted to fat
by insulin. Insulin also causes your fat to be stored for later,
so the body doesn't starve. If that isn't enough, the insulin also
tells your brain you are hungry, then the cycle starts all over.
The body's first choice of fuel is a carbohydrate. If a person
cuts down on carbohydrates in the diet, the body will burn more
fat as energy. This process is taken to a high, for instance, with
the Atkin's plan. This plan focuses on ketosis, which is the
process in which our body burns our own fat for energy, versus
carbohydrates. The safety of this process is very controversial in
the weight loss community. This type of dieting is called a
ketogenic diet. Very few of the low carb diets being followed
today are ketogenic.
Low Carb Research
In the past, low carb and restricted carb diets haven't gotten a
positive review in the media, but as of recently, some good news
about low carb dieting has come to surface. News articles were formerly
inundated with criticism of low carb diets, but finally there is
some research from credible, independent researchers that back up
some of what is said by the developers of the low carb plans.
In this section of our site, we will present to you the research
and counter research on different kinds of diets, including low
carb and low fat diets, so you can decide for yourself. One thing
is clear - many low carb dieters aren't too concerned with the
negative publicity that low carb dieting receives. Many of these
low carbers insist that their quality of life has much improved
since lowering the carbs. Reports of lower cholesterol, lower
glucose, renewed energy and vitality, lack of food cravings and
lack of hunger are just some of the benefits that are reported. To
read various news articles for and against low carb dieting, visit
our Low Carb Diet News section.
What programs do I have to choose from?
There are different types of diets that restrict carbs. The most
popular ketogenic diet is Atkin's New Diet Revolution. Some of the
'caveman' type diets are also ketogenic. Protein Power is a
similar program to Atkin's, but involves more carbohydrates and is
not ketogenic. Combining your carbs with other foods is another
method that some diets use, such as Somercizing and The
Schwarzbein Principle.
Other diets are not considered low carb. Instead they consider
themselves to be low glycemic, such as the SugarBusters plan.
These low glycemic diets only allow carbs that are low or moderate
on the Glycemic Index. Those diets are not listed in the low carb
section. You can find them on the 3FC Guide to Low Glycemic Diets.
These diet plans and more are listed below with easy to read
summaries of each plan.
It is hard to decide which plan to choose. Diets are not
one-size-fits-all. Two things that we think are important in
choosing a diet are research and your doctor's approval! Low carb
may not be for you. Please do not begin a new diet without
discussing this with your doctor. If you don't have one, find one
and get a physical. Various medical conditions may dictate what
kind of diet you need to be on.
What are Low Carb diets and are they safe?
There has been a
lot of discussion of low carb diets. While it is obvious that they
do work, some diet experts claim that the weight loss is only
temporary or that there are health risks involved with low carb
diets.
There have been several new studies done recently that show that a
low carb way of life is a healthy way of life.
These diets
are not just a quick weight loss plan.
They are designed to be a new way of eating for life. Yo-yo
dieting is unhealthy and ineffective so taking a long term
approach is essential for success. As far as claims that the diet
causes kidney damage, calcium loss, high cholesterol etc, these
claims are based on a misunderstanding of the low carb diet.
There is no factual evidence that low carb dieting causes any of
the problems cited.
There are so many low carb diets - which is best?
This is largely a
matter of personal choice. Some of the low carb diets allow more freedom
than others. Some stress what you eat while others feel
that the combination of foods eaten or the time of day
they are eaten is the key to success. Read the books about the
various low carb diets and then select the one that best fits your
lifestyle. Many people switch between low carb diets perhaps starting with
the discipline of the Atkins diet and then switching to Protein
Power as they near their goal, for example. The one thing all the
low carb diets do agree on is this: sugar and processed
carbohydrates are not good for optimum health. When sugars
or carbohydrates are eaten, the body breaks them down into fat to
use for fuel. The body does this by releasing insulin (a hormone).
When the body has more fuel than it needs, it stores the remaining
fat and causes a weight gain. Sugar, refined flour, and caffeine
cause a spike in the insulin levels and should be avoided. |
