|
|
Tips for Low Carb Diet
-Adjusting your diet according to your results; understanding that a common definition of insanity (and/or stupidity) is to continue to do the same things over and over again
, while expecting a different result.
-Knowing that dieting is the worst way to lose fat and that exercise is the best way to lose fat (Burn The Fat, donˇ¦t starve the fat).
-Realizing that tex
book definitions of ˇ§essentialˇ¨ can be taken out of context to promote a fad diet and that just because thereˇ¦s technically no ˇ§essentialˇ¨ carbohydrates (as there are essential amino acids and f
cids) doesnˇ¦t mean carbohydrates arenˇ¦t ˇ§essentialˇ¨ in other respects.
|
The basic premise of all low carb diet plans is this: EATING FAT does NOT make us fat! Rather, eating an over-abundance of processed carbohydrates (as in the normal American diet) is what causes us to
become obese and to suffer from all kinds of obesity-related diseases. While plans differ in the amount and type of carbs "allowed" - from as low as 20g per day in the "Induction Phase" of the Atkins
Diet to quite a bit more but only from very whole grain, low glycemic carbs in the SugarBusters Diet, to somewhere in between in the Carbohydrate Addicts Diet - keeping the amount of carbohydrates ea
ten lower than the average is the cornerstone of the low carb diet lifestyle.
|
The core concept of The Atkins Diet is Dr. Atkins' theory that over-consumption of and hypersensitivity to carbohydrates is the root of our problem with being overweight. The principle he bases his pl
an on says that it is the way your body processes the carbohydrates you eat -- not how much fat you eat -- that causes you to gain weight.
-Atkins says that many overweight people may be "insulin
resistant," that is, the cells that convert carbohydrates into glucose (which becomes energy) do not work correctly. While most diet experts say that not everyone who has a weight problem is insulin r
esistant, Atkins says it is more likely than not.
|
|
|
|
According to many experts, most overweight people became overweight due to a condition called hyperinsulinemia -- elevated insulin levels in the blood. When you eat a high-carbohydrate meal, the incre
ased blood sugar stimulates insulin production by the pancreas. It causes fat to be deposited, and it stimulates your brain to produce hunger signals. You eat more carbohydrates, and the cycle repeats
.
-Restricting the intake of carbohydrates puts a halt to this vicious cycle. When you restrict your carbohydrate intake, your insulin levels decrease and the levels of glucagon increase. Glucagon
is a hormone that causes body fat to be burned and cholesterol to be removed from deposits in the arteries
|
The Atkins Diet: Induction
-Its purpose is to induce a change in your body chemistry that leads to lipolysis (burning fat for energy) and a secondary process known as ketosis. According to Dr. At
kins' New Diet Revolution, Induction does a number of good things for you. Among other benefits, Atkins says induction...
-Switches over your metabolism from burning carbs for energy to burning fa
t, leading to significant weight loss.
-Results in a stabilization of blood sugar levels.
-Alleviates blood sugar-related ailments such as headaches.
-Curbs cravings and food addictions.
-
Induction is not the Atkins Diet itself, only the introductory period you follow for the first two weeks. It requires that you follow some rather precise rules in order to be effective.
|
The most widely used low-carbohydrate diet is the one advocated by the late Robert C. Atkins, M.D., of New York City. His 1972 book Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution sold millions of copies within the first
two years. His 1992 update, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, has sold even more. The current plan has four steps: a 2-week "induction" period, during which the goal is to reduce carbohydrate intake t
o under 20 grams per day, and three periods during which carbohydrate intake is progressively raised but kept below what Atkins calls "your critical carbohydrate level" for losing or maintaining weigh
t [1]. The dieter is permitted to eat unlimited amounts of noncarbohydrate foods "when hungry," but ketosis tends to suppress appetite.
|
|
