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Starch, Sugar And Low Carb Diets

November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In a low-carb diet, the carbohydrate intake is limited to about 5 to 10 percent, such that protein and fats take precedence in one’s eating habits, to be able to keep sated and avoid bouts of hunger. It is in maintaining that feeling of fullness that one is able to avoid craving for sweets, and this is a good reason for diabetics to adopt a diet that is low in carbohydrates to control their condition. Following this type of diet prevents excessive consumption of carbohydrates, which leads to higher levels of blood sugar.

Diabetes is a condition in which the body is unable to properly take in starch and sugar. For a diet to work in favor of a diabetic, it has to be low in fat, high in fiber, and packed with minerals, vitamins, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. Keeping to the kinds of food with low glycemic index is also important. Foods that are permitted in low-carb diets are meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, fish, and some selected vegetables.

Although some sources say that to eliminate carbohydrates altogether is not recommended for diabetics, as carbohydrates in the diet are vital, because they serve as the main resource of energy and nutrients within our bodies. In a diabetic’s diet, carbohydrates in excessive amounts may be frowned at, but authorities recommend a daily dosage of not less than 130 grams. On the other hand, studies have shown that the low-carb diet caused no undesirable effects on the levels of insulin, glucose, blood pressure or cholesterol. It is also worthwhile to note that one can alter a diet according to his or her specific needs. In this regard, before following any diet, be sure to check with your physician to make sure you will be getting all the right nutrients that will help you control your condition. Doing so will also help you pinpoint areas of the regimen that you should alter for a more appropriate eating habit.

The effects of limiting the amount of carbohydrates in your diet manifest as loss of weight due to a lesser calorie intake, or the successful maintenance of your ideal weight. Remember that with weight loss, the body’s blood sugar and insulin levels naturally improve. Even just a 10 percent weight loss is a substantial improvement towards being in better control of diabetes.

Also, when weight loss is part of your goal of achieving better health to make your condition more bearable, then a carefully planned diet is best paired with an exercise routine that is easy enough to follow. Daily walks and a couple of dozen repetitions with free weights are good low-impact exercises you can adopt. Regular exercise doesn’t only help combat diabetes; it also promotes a sense of well-being that helps you maintain the right attitude towards living a healthier life for good.

It is the constant feeling of being hungry that causes many people to fail in their diets. Another thing with the low carbohydrates is that they help you avoid the big ups and downs in blood sugar. The big issue with the high protein and low carb is that there is no long term evidence to support the theory nor to show whether there are long term detriments to following such a diet. Short term studies have supported the use of these programs for a short period of time but the weight loss attained seems to be mostly from reduced caloric intake. This same thing can be accomplished with a balanced diet reducing calories.

Besides the fact that the efficiency of these low carb diets in maintaining long term weight loss is questionable the other issue is that they may cause you long term health problems. Because these diets are high on red meats, cheese and other saturated fats and low in vitamins and minerals they may increase the chances that you may get heart disease and certain types of cancer such as colon cancer. In women these high protein diets can even cause osteoporosis because of the leaching of calcium from the bones to deal with the acids that come from the body working to deal with trying to digest large amounts of protein.

You should keep you protein consumption in moderate amounts of about 4 grams per ten pounds of body weight. Try to get the majority of this from vegetable proteins instead of animal sources. Also eat balanced carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables.

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Nutrients And Low Carb Diet

November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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.

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Health Benefits of a Low Carbohydrate Diet

November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Although not as wildly popular as they were several years ago, the low carbohydrate diet still has a sizeable following. The simple reason for this is because it works! Clinical studies show that people on a reduced-carb regimen lost more weight than those on a traditional low fat diet within six months. But there’s a downside to this, not the least of which is health experts’ concern about the diet’s recommendation of fatty foods. Before you go on a low carbohydrate diet, weigh the positives against the negatives and decide whether it’s the right weight loss strategy for you.

Arguably the most popular low carb diet is the Atkins diet, founded by the late Dr. Robert Atkins several decades ago. Since its explosion onto the scene, similar diets have sprouted, including the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, Sugar Busters, and Protein Power. All these diets require you to vastly reduce the amount of carbohydrates you consume, but not eliminate them (as so many people assume). Your primary carbohydrate sources should be natural foods like vegetables and certain fruits. You will then find yourself eschewing many of the starchy and nutrient-deficient goodies that so many of us consume on a daily basis, like junk food and fast food (which, health experts agree, are bad for you anyway) and going for low carb foods.

Refined flour and sugar are perhaps the vilest villains that cause weight gain. Excessive intake of food products rich in these two ingredients can cause your blood glucose levels to increase, triggering the additional production of insulin, and causing the body to convert carbs to fat. Eating low carb foods would ensure that you get only the amount needed by your body. Deprived of surplus carbs, your body would then burn its fat stores instead of carbohydrates, and you start losing weight. What’s more, if you stick to the diet, you’ll find that you’ll tend to shed pounds at a faster pace.

Several studies show additional benefits of consuming low carb foods aside from weight loss. Lowered blood sugar levels will make you less vulnerable to diabetes. Also, clinical evidence shows that a low carb diet helps improve blood cholesterol, reducing your risk for heart disease and stroke. Another finding suggests a relationship between acne and carbohydrates. A diet high in carbohydrates increases insulin production, which would cause a series of hormonal changes that lead to clogged pores and oilier skin – fertile ground for the bacterium that causes pimples.

If the low carb diet has so many health benefits, why have many people abandoned it? One major reason is the diet’s advocacy of fat that is found in food like meat and dairy products. While it is true that low carb diets permit the consumption of fatty, low carb foods like butter, cheese, and pork chops, they do not in any way encourage the gluttony. You should eat only up to the point you don’t feel hungry anymore – there’s no “eat all you can” mentality involved.

Healthy low-carb options

Another reason may sound mundane, but is a serious challenge for many people: food boredom. A number of dieters find that they can’t do without the starchy, carb-rich they have become accustomed to; things like bread, pasta, candy, chips. However, if you do decide to go on a low carbohydrate diet, remember that there are many substitute products out in the marketplace that would still enable you to enjoy comfort food, but without the burden of carbs and sugar. For instance, instead of bread products made with refined flour, you can opt for whole grain breads or those made with soy flour and the like.

The abundance of naturally low carb foods cannot be underestimated. Fish, shellfish, and other seafood are rich in protein and low in carbs; so are poultry, meat, and many vegetables. Once you start incorporating all these natural and healthy foods back into your diet, you will find that you won’t miss the junk that you used to consume. And this practice of choosing nutrient-rich foodstuff will be something you will carry with you even after you reach your ideal body weight.

Whats more important – Diet or Exercise?

It’s not enough to go on a low carbohydrate diet, or any other diet for that matter, without getting the right amount of exercise. Even though the diet does not focus on calorie-counting, a calorie is still a calorie and if you eat more than what you burn, then you’ll become fat. So if you do decide to go on a low carbohydrate diet, make sure you do it right.

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Great Recipe Item Substitutions for Your Low Carb Diet

November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are two types of substitutions that deserve consideration by anyone on a low carb diet plan. One of those is recipe substitutions. Some recipes call for forbidden carbohydrates. A dieter can try that recipe, if he or she finds an item that can substitute for the unwanted carbohydrate.

In these low carb pages you will find other references to diet foods. If any diet food is a sweet food, then it is usually made with a sugar substitute. The home cook can use sugar substitutes in the preparation of baked goods.

In the previous section, there was a reference to the preparation of salads. Some people like to put croutons on a salad. Croutons do not belong on a salad that will be eaten by someone on a high protein, low carb diet. That salad can, however, be topped with nuts or beans.

When a dieter has sworn off all or most carbohydrates, then any talk of item substitutions should include information about the substitutes for starchy meal contents. A person on a low carb diet might not want to attend a barbeque, if he or she can find only meat and potatoes at that barbeque.

A person on a low carb diet might feel compelled to eat a fair number of low carb snacks before going to any barbeque. Many barbeques lack any sort of low carb food other than meat. It can be hard to mix the enjoyment of a barbeque with low carb living.

A person who is planning a barbeque and who is inviting a friend, one known to be on a low carb diet, does not have to have mastered the preparation of low carb recipes. The host can prepare a few simple foods that might substitute for a potato or an ear of corn.

The host of the barbeque might want to offer his or her guests some grilled artichoke hearts. The host might want to serve some refried beans. The host might care to serve a slaw with a low fat dressing (possibly one made with vinegar).

Those foods are not difficult to prepare. They do not require the purchasing of large numbers of ingredients. Those foods demonstrate the extent to which proper substitution can guide the person who is planning a meal for someone on a low carb diet.

Finally, do not forget about how seasoning can enliven any meal. A dieter might want to keep a small container of McCormick’s seasoning handy. Then any food on the menu can be flavored in a manner that suits the tastes of the low carb dieter.

So here are some short words of advice: Use sugar substitutes. Do not hesitate to top salads with beans and nuts (not crotons). Be prepared to dress salads with a low fat substance. Have a kitchen well-stocked with seasonings. The person who follows those rules should manage to prepare tasty meals for anyone on a low carb diet.

Follow the above rules, and then eat to your heart’s content.

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The Truth about Diet Pills and Supplements

November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We are bombarded with ads promising to make us trim and slim without any effort – simply pop those magic pills and your appetite will vanish, your metabolism will increase and you can just about eat anything and still keep that hour-glass figure.

These natural diet pills or supplements seem to work like miracles. Endorsed by those slim and trim individuals who show their ‘before’ and ‘after’ bodies with pride and conviction, the pills and supplements are simply amazing. After all, the promises made by the manufacturers of the diet pills and supplements are definitely tempting. Who on earth would not like to have that desirable body, without having to starve, without having to exercise and without having to take any effort? But watch out. Just because the products are ‘natural’ does not mean they are safe and healthy.

Weight loss is one of the most important issues affecting both the mind and the body of an average American. The whole world seems to be obsessed by a slim and trim body. Otherwise why would Americans spend nearly $40 billion every year, just on products which promise a slim body? It is simply because most people do not have the will power to avoid his or her favorite food coupled with lack of time and inclination to go for workouts. So depend on the magic pill to do all the work for you, while you relax and enjoy life in your own terms.

The most important thing to observe before you pop in a diet pill or start depending on supplements is that since these brands are marketed as ‘natural’ products, the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) does not regulate it. This means that none of these products have been clinically tested for their efficacy as well as their long-term effects on the body. Their safety record is not established.

Calorie burners, appetite suppressants and carbohydrate blockers are some of the different categories in which diet pills and supplements can be classified under. Increment of metabolism is one of the claims made by calorie burners which in turn may result in increase in heart rate, which may turn into irregular beating of the heart, increase in blood pressure, nervousness, insomnia and depression. These adverse side effects are a result of the common ingredient that these products contain: ephedrine, which is methylamino-l phenyl-l propanol. This can either be a derivative of the ma-huang plant or could be made from combining several herbal combinations. Unfortunately, this ingredient is not only responsible for a host of illnesses, it may even cause death.

An appetite suppressant, as the name explains, on the other hand decreases our hunger levels and reduces our yearning for food. This in turn results in less consumption of calories which helps in weight loss. Since lower calories will result in reduced metabolism, the resulting lower metabolic rate will automatically result in losing weight. But the important thing to remember is that metabolic functions depend on the calorie intake which is transformed to energy to perform the basic body functions. This means that if we take lesser calories than is necessary to maintain our body functions, we might be harming the body in some way.

Fat and carbohydrate blockers bar the intestines from absorbing these elements. We must remember that there are many nutrients which are transported to our blood stream with the help of fat, so putting a clamp on such absorption may deplete the body of essential nutrients. Side effects of these types of diet pills or supplements include cramping, diarrhea and bloating.

Our bodies gradually gets used to these diet pills and supplements and the weight loss reaches its peak within 6 months of use. The after effect could mean regaining the lost pounds faster than you lost it. If weight loss is a priority in your agenda and you are aiming for one of these diet pills or supplements, remember to back it up with a healthy and balanced diet and lots of physical exercise. But before you begin your diet program, visit your health provider. He is the best person who can advise you on any expected adverse reaction or side effects caused due to the current medication that you are already taking.

In summary, it is important to remember that weight loss can not be achieved miraculously over night. It has to happen gradually with a strong commitment from your side. The process of weight loss is a combination of a healthy diet with a regular routine of physical work out. As a responsible adult, stop believing in those hyped claims of ‘natural’ products which reduce weight without any hard work or diet control. Control what you are eating in stead and how fast you can burn the calories which you have consumed. Remember, ‘natural’ need not always mean that they are safe as well.

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