Go To Diet Home | Add to Favorites
The Low Carb F.a.q
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.
About the author:
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
Source: Article Directory
5 Simple Steps To Lower Cholesterol
You can lower cholesterol without drugs by following some basic steps that will not only change your cholesterol readings, but also improve your health today and in the future. So often we use a prescription drug and hope it will magically cure whatever ails us. The truth is prescription drugs for lowering cholesterol do work. The problem is both the short term and long-term side effects.Even more ...
Need To Lose Weight Fast For A Special Occasion?
If you have just a little weight to lose, and want to take it off fast (say, so you can fit into those great pants for your cousin's wedding), there are a number of diets that you can use. Most of these wouldn't be recommended for long-term weight loss, as they substantially restrict your intake of some essential nutrients, so using them habitually may not be healthy. But if you're normal diet is healthy, and you just want a quick boost to drop 8-10 pounds quickly, or to kick off a new diet with a bang, the Cabbage Soup Diet actually works. The cabbage soup diet has been around for nearly 30 years. It's based on the notion that your body actually uses more calories to digest cabbage than the amount that it derives fr...
Weight Loss Scams - What Have You Got To Lose!
There are literally Thousands of weight loss plans and equipment on the market today. Some are genuine in their promise of weight loss. Some although sincere in their promise, are flawed in their design. There are others that are blatantly fake. Analysts predict that the cost to dieters, desperate to loose weight will reach 35 billion dollars a year in the United States alone. While the cost is rising, the increasing numbers of people are becoming obese. Hyperactive salespeople advertising to as many as they can to try their product sell diet Plans that claim large amounts of weight loss in very little time. Dieter who are obese and are desperate to loose weight join these programs and take the products. Some lose weight, but almost all regain the weight they lost. Shows on cable Televis...
|
 |
|
|
[%%KEYWORD%%] - Drug Companies Hijack Clinton's Heart News
When Bill Clinton was scheduled for heart surgery, reporters spoke of how he had been a junk food addict, loving burgers, fries, and shakes, even eating a whole pie at one sitting. After his quadruple bypass surgery, the major TV news shows talked about how Bill had stopped taking his statin drugs, and showed many of the pricey brands of pills. Naughty, naughty, bad Bill.Whoa! Stop! Time out!Bad eating habits can clog arteries, despite any medications taken. Good eating habits can reduce blood cholesterol levels and the likelihood of plaque deposits. In fact, several medical studies have shown that lifestyle changes can even reverse heart disease, with or without drugs.For example, do a web search on "Dean Ornish".Dr. Ornish's "Life Choice... |  |
| [%%KEYWORD%%] - The New And Improved Nutrition Pyramid
Just when you were getting the Nutrition Pyramid down to an exact science, the USDA goes and releases an all new nutrition and diet... | |
| [%%KEYWORD%%] - Top 10 Questions And Answers On Atkins Diet
1. What is Atkins Diet?Dr. Atkins diet, first introduced in 1972, is strictly focused on limiting carbohydrate consumption. That is why it is called a low-carb, high-protein diet or sometimes simply ... | |
| [%%KEYWORD%%] - Diverticulitis And Diet
What Is Diverticulitis?Diverticulitis is another one of those conditions that has followed from industrialisation, and a fundamental change in eating habits to a diet of processed food. The condition emerged after milling became commonplace in Western countries, starting in the US. Milling grains strips out valuable fibre, and since the early 20th century a shortage of fibre in diets has been commonplace amongst the American, and other Western, population.Diverticulitis actually follows on from a condition called diverticulosis, which tends to come with age, particularly over 60. Diverticulosis is ... | |
| [%%KEYWORD%%] - Miso And Potato Soup Meal
I previously described a Hearty Miso Soup Meal which gets some of its protein and bulk from angel hair pasta. Here is a variation on the theme, replacing pasta with potato. Both recipes provide a high protein meatless meal, low in fat.These proportions are for one person, and can be adjusted to t... | |
| [%%KEYWORD%%] - Migraines Retreat With Diet Modifications
The research is clear, food intolerance, allergies, and hypersensitivities are key triggers of headaches and migraines. Although each migraine sufferer may react to a different food or group of foods, there are a few which seem to pop up as frequent offenders: dairy (including milk, cheeses, and yogurt), wheat, eggs, soy, corn, citrus, chocolate, coffee, beef, yeast, red wine, and processed foods with additives and preservatives.In the pursuit to identify these top offenders, scientists and physicians have enlisted the oligoantigenic diet. This is a hypoallergenic “elimination” diet, consisting of a selection of foods that are presumably well tolerated. During their studies, patients are told to eat only the “safe” foods outlined on their version of the oligonantig... | |
|
|