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low-carb diet is synonymous with a high-fat and moderate protein diet. Those on a
low-carb diet should get at least 60 to 70 percent of their daily calorie intake from fat. Carbohydrates should make up less than 10 percent, and in some cases, less than 5 percent of your daily calorie intake. There are many different versions of the
low-carb diet, such as Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, Protein Power,
Neanderthin, The Carbohydrate Addict's Lifestyle Plan, Life Without Bread, and others. All of them, however, have one thing in common -- a very strict reduction in the consumption of carbohydrates. Most
low-carb diets replace carbohydrates with fats and proteins.
When On a low-carb diet, you can eat all you want until you're full, as long as you eat foods that are allowed in the plan. Allowed foods are Poultry, eggs, fish, meats, and cheese, plus a limited amount of green vegetables. Stay away from foods that are on the "Not Allowed" list.
How does a Low Carb Diet work?
Much research has proven that dietary fat is not necessarily converted into body fat. Carbohydrates, on the other hand, are readily converted into fat by the action of insulin. 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 increased blood sugar stimulates insulin production by the pancreas. Insulin is the hormone that allows blood sugar to be used by the cells. However, a side effect of insulin is that it also causes fat to be deposited, and it stimulates your brain to produce hunger signals. So what do you do? You eat more carbohydrates, and the cycle repeats. In time, your body cells become resistant to insulin, meaning that your pancreas has to work overtime, producing up to four or five times as much insulin just to keep up with the demand. It has been shown that high levels of insulin have a deleterious effect on the body, including premature aging.
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.
If you severely restrict carbs, your body goes into a state of ketosis--burning fat with the subsequent production of
ketone bodies in the bloodstream. The condition is called
"ketonuria" if ketones are spilled out into the urine. The result of ketosis is that your blood sugar levels stabilize; your insulin level drops; and because your body is burning fat, you lose weight! You can easily test to see if your diet is inducing ketosis with the use of inexpensive ketone test strips.
When your diet causes your body to go into a state of ketosis, you are said to be on a ketogenic diet. For most people, restricting your carbohydrate intake to fewer than 30 grams a day will induce
ketonuria. Most people on
ketogenic diets lose weight fairly quickly. However, although some diet experts believe that ketosis is a safe condition, it is not necessary to be in ketosis to lose weight. Keep in mind, however, that when you choose a higher level of carbohydrates than what is needed to bring on ketosis, you may have to limit your total food intake (calories) somewhat in order to lose weight.
Also, for diabetics who are not obese, it certainly is not necessary to induce ketosis to reap the benefits of a
low-carb diet. It is quite possible to bring your blood glucose levels under control without being in ketosis. However, if you must lose considerable weight, a ketogenic diet is the most efficient method for bringing your weight back down to where it should be.
Here are some
other weight loss programs we feel confident in recommending. Click
below:
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