Nutrients And Low Carb Diet Articles | Low Carb Lifestyle Pages

By: Darren Williger

It is possible to lose weight on Atkins, and you can do it quickly. The problem is that you could be potentially denying your body of essential nutrients. You must understand that carbs are initial source of energy. So, if you cut carbs out of your diet completely, you will be a zombie. You might be a skinny zombie, but you will not have the energy to enjoy everyday activity and eventually your body will retaliate.

Another negative affect of Atkins is that as soon as you start to introduce carbs back into your diet, you will regain everything that you lost. Our bodies are set up to store essential nutrients, so by depriving your system of a food group you are essentially starving yourself. So, once your body has those nutrients again, it is going to store as much as possible in case of another bout of deprivation.

It is possible to be on a low-carb diet and still maintain a healthful balance of nutrients in your body. An everyday diet should consist of a ratio of foods. Protein should comprise anywhere from 20-40%, fat should make up 10-30%, and carbs should consist of 45-75% of your diet. As long as you are staying in that range, you can be sure that your diet is achieving a healthful balance.

Be aware that different bodies require different things. Some people have naturally higher metabolism than others so they can afford to consume a higher ratio of carbs and fats.

Carbs provide your body with energy throughout the day. If you are burning a lot of calories, you can afford a higher ratio of carbs. The problem is that whatever carbs you don't burn will eventually turn to fat. If you have a slow metabolism, or are not very active, it is best to limit your carbs and fat and get most of your calories from protein and vegetables.

There are a few rules of thumb that will help you on a low carb diet. Start replacing any white foods (white bread, plain pasta, white rice) with brown foods (whole wheat bread, pasta, and brown rice). Oatmeal and sweet potatoes are also a good source of carbs. Also make sure you are getting plenty of vegetables. At meals fill your plate 2/3 with vegetables and 1/3 with lean protein (white meat chicken or turkey, and fish).

Just remember, in order to lose weight, on a low carb diet, just like with any diet, you must burn more calories than you consume. Being on a low carb diet still requires that you watch your calorie intake. The difference that you get with a low carb diet is that you can eat a larger volume of food. Carbs naturally carry a lot of calories per food weight. For example breads to vegetables, it's not exactly the carb that's loading on the calories, but the food that it's in is. A four ounce portion of bread may have up to 150 calories while a four ounce serving of vegetables will have around 15-30 calories. Limiting carbs will generally limit calories per ounce of food weight.

It has long been understood that the basic equation of weight loss and weight gain is: take in more calories than you burn, you gain fat. Burn more calories than you take in, you lose fat. Each individual is different, but there are some basic tips which will allow anyone to move towards better weight management.

If you have a "weight problem" it is almost certain that you need to increase your activity level. It should not be necessary to become a championship athlete, and it may take a while to "train up" to the level of fitness which will help you burn the calories effectively, but increasing activity is almost certainly a step.

If you have a "weight Problem", then you almost certainly have an eating problem also. The goal, however is NOT to quit eating or to cut huge chunks of food out of your diet. Rather, you should concentrate on getting a balance in your life, and cut out such empty high carbohydrate foods as sugar, refined flour breads, potato chips and the like. Snacking on "good" carbs can provide energy to get through the day while curbing the body's desire for more carbs. Eating MORE meals per day, as many as six, but stretching them over the entire day often helps. Heavy meals should be earlier in the day, with breakfast being of great importance.

For good health, eat a balanced diet (supplemented with a multivitamin and mineral supplement if you have any doubt), increase your daily activity, get the rest you need (which really should include at least eight hours of sleep to avoid the effects of cortisol), and try to enjoy life more. You are a good, loveable, worthwhile person no matter what your weight or outward appearance. Start with that and you can't go wrong.