Posts Tagged ‘Low Carb Diet Plan’

A Simple Low Carb Diet Plan

Monday, August 24th, 2009

At last estimate as many as 30 million Americans are following a low carb diet. Advocates contend that the high amount of carbs in our diets has led to the increase in such health problems as obesity and diabetes.

Some diets restrict carbohydrates to a point where the body becomes ketogenic. Ketosis is a physiological condition in response to chronic starvation and causes most of the body to utilize fatty acids as an alternative source of energy.

Most of us don’t need to reach such an extreme. Most of us just need to follow a few simple rules.

And most often these rules won’t mean total abstinence from the foods you love. Just a small deviation from your normal dietary routine. Better choices when it comes to which breads you choose and which snacks you choose too.

It’s not totally off limits to snack, just know that what most people consider snack food’s definitely out of the question.

With that in mind here’s a few ideas as to what should and shouldn’t be included in your low carb diet plan.

Cut out the processed fats including hydrogenated fats, polyunsaturated oils that have been heated, and fats that are combined with junk carbs. Processed fats are the culprits that put on flab and clog your arteries.

Cut the simple carbs like sugar, fructose, bleached flour, cornstarch and fruit juice. Stick with the whole fruit instead, with its fiber intact.

What you want to include are natural proteins, vegetables and whole fruits along with complex carbs such as whole grain breads.

Simple carbs are converted into fat which is stored by the body. This is exactly the problem that causes weight gain. Your body stores the fat for use later, when it thinks you are starving.

Complex carbs, on the other hand, are used for energy. These are good carbs. Yes, there are good carbs too.

This gives you a well balanced low carb diet that doesn’t completely rob you of energy producing carbs. Also by eating high fiber whole grains you’ll keep your insides clean and healthy and you’ll be more regular.

Personally, I like to snack on cheese and pepperoni slices. You get a good amount of protein and fat and virtually no carbs.

Drink plenty of water, excercise regularly and make a low carb diet a part of an overall lifestyle and you’ll surely lose weight, look better and improve your overall health.

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Michael J. Harris is an avid weight lifter who believes in a good low carb diet plan as a part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Visit his blog at Low Carb Diet Tips

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Low Carb Diet – Eat More, Not Less

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

A good low carb diet can actually have you eating more food than you’re eating right now.

Think about it, when most people want to lose weight what’s the first thing they do? They tend to stop eating or cut way back on their food intake.

Well my friends I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way.

A healthy diet should consist of eating less of the foods that contain calories from simple carbohydrates (sugar and processed flour) and more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and good sources of protein. This is the basis of a good low carb diet plan.

In fact, a good diet should have you eating more instead of less! Not more food, but more often in smaller portions.

Your body’s a truly wonderful machine geared towards one important goal. Survival. When you cut way back on your food intake your body feels threatened and automatically assumes that you’re starving.

This built in survival mechanism dates back to the stone age and is simply nature’s way of keeping you alive for as long as possible. Long enough to get to your next meal.

To combat this condition the body will start breaking down muscle tissue to use as energy and saves its fat stores for the last ditch effort to save itself from what it thinks is immanent death. Fat is just that, a storage material.

This is not good because first, by using muscle tissue for energy you’re losing precious lean mass which is metabolically active. This means that you need energy to support muscle which helps to keep your metabolism running at a higher pace. Higher metabolism means more calories burned even in a resting state.

Fat, on the other hand, doesn’t need any energy to support it. It’s simply “dead” weight.

Secondly, the body will start storing more fat because it’s preparing itself for the worst. Your survival is your body’s most important concern so it’ll do whatever it can to stay alive.

So what can you do if you want to eat less without starving yourself and sending your body into this defense mode?

Eat smaller meals more often throughout the day.

This works on two levels.

By eating more often you won’t get hungry as quickly and your metabolism will stay raised because you’ll be digesting food more often. Digesting food uses calories just like any other physical activity.

So here’s a simple low carb diet plan that anyone can follow. Eat four or five small meals a day, each consisting of a small portion of protein along with some fresh fruits and veggies.

Try to eat every three hours or so to keep your metabolism and energy up. This’ll help you stay away from those snacking binges too.

Also, drink lots of water. Water will help to cleanse your body and make you feel full.

So you see, with a little planning and by adhering to a low carb diet plan eating more can actually be better!

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Michael J. Harris is an avid weight lifter and adheres to a low carb diet plan as part of his routine. To find out more about how a low carb diet can help you visit his low carb diet blog.

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Low Carb Diets; Just How Safe Are They?

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

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: www.mrgymfitness.com

Article Source: http://www.thecontentcorner.com

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Why a Low Carb Diet Plan?

Sunday, July 26th, 2009

Have you looked around lately at the people in your neighborhood, at the grocery store or at your place of employment? You may notice that more and more people becoming overweight. This confirms what researchers have discovered over the years.

There are numerous ways to lose weight and the individual does not have to stand by for his or her physician to describe the patient as being obese. The person can go to the doctor and be given a prescription of pills or supplements. Some of these can even be purchased over the counter at the local drug store. The best way should be to combine this alongside an exercise program and diet plan.

The primary cause of being overweight is merely eating too much. People who want to lose those extra pounds can also execute this by beginning a low carb diet plan.

When the words low carb diet plan come to mind, the first thought is the person will need to give up eating certain foods. This is not actually true. The only thing that needs to be done is eating less or in moderation since a good and balanced diet comes from all the food groups.

The body needs energy to be able to function the whole day and eating too much food that is high in carbs is the reason why numerous people are overweight. Most dietitians and other health experts believe that reducing the amount of carbs taken in is the superior way to lose those extra pounds.

A low carb diet plan works by eating food with less carbs and more of protein and fat. This burns the stored fat in the body as a result making a person lose weight.

This is the cause that there are many low carb diet plans for people to try out such as the Atkins Diet in 1972, Protein Power in 1995, the Schwarzbein Principle in 1999, Life without Bread in 2000 and the South Beach Diet in 2003 .

Each of these methods has proven effective in helping people lose weight. The individual should keep in mind that losing weight does not happen quite easily. The results on one patient on a low carb diet plan may be totally different for another.

This has to do with the persons genes. If the individual comes from a family of big people, there is just a definite limit where dieting can go. The patient can still lose a few pounds and then just maintain this with exercise.

Prior to going on a low carb diet plan, the person should do some research. There are programs available and choosing the best with the support of a physician and a dietitian is the best way to start.

Not everybody may like certain fruits and vegetables. Part of a low carb diet plan is being familiar with those the person likes to eat and being open minded regarding consuming others things that are also all healthy.

The low carb diet plan is completely safe. There are no known side effects that are commonly known with the use of diet pills. A lot of patients have seen results in a few months when this is combined with a good exercise program.

Although more people are interested these days about a persons physical appearance, being overweight can lead to a host of health problems in the future. A change in lifestyle is the best way to prevent this from happening. Sticking to a low carb diet plan will make a tremendous difference in your overall health and appearance.

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J. Purdy operates Low Carb Diet Plans, Winsor Pilates Review and Exercise Treadmill. Visit his sites today for the latest information, products and resources on diet and exercise: www.low-carb-diet-plans.net

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