Carb Commando - Low Carbs

Low Carbs

Are you thinking about starting a low carb diet? Lots of people are, and lots of people have success with low carbs. It can work, but keep in mind, you should not cut carbs out of your diet completely, concentrating of foods with low carbs is best.

Why Low Carbs are Good

Many experts agree that people who are overweight are in that state because of hyperinsulinemia, which is high insulin levels in the blood. Insulin is what allows your cells to use blood sugar, but it also causes fat to be deposited, which tells your brain that you're hungry. Then you probably eat more carbs, and when you eat a lot of carbs, more insulin is produced (up to four or five times as much, in fact), and the vicious circle starts all over again. In a nutshell, eating carbs makes you hungry. So it makes sense that switching to low carbs will help you lose weight.

A diet that's low in carbs causes your insulin levels to decrease and glucagon levels to increase. This is a good thing because glucagon enables your body to burn fat and helps remove cholesterol from your arteries. That's why many people on a low carbs diet see their cholesterol levels go down. And when you really restrict your carbs, your body goes into ketosis, which means that your body is burning fat and depositing ketones in the bloodstream that are released in your urine. Then your blood sugar levels stabilize, your insulin level goes down, and because your body is burning fat, you begin to lose weight, and it's all due to low carbs.

Why Low Carbs are Bad

When you switch to a low carbs diet, you are missing out on vital nutrients that are found in a more balanced diet. First of all, you need carbohydrates for energy. Since low carb diets only allow small amounts of fruits and vegetables, you aren't getting enough of the vitamins, minerals and fiber to meet your recommended daily allowance. Plus, you take in more fat on low carb diets, which isn't good for your heart. Studies are being done that might indicate otherwise, but for now, there's no solid proof that a low carb diet helps your heart and kidneys. Some experts contend that these diets may cause kidney, bone and liver problems if followed for a long period of time.

Good vs. Evil

Most often, the bad carbs you hear about are these:

White bread
Pasta
White rice
White flour (and anything made with it)
Starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas and some types of beans

Good carbs include:

Whole wheat bread
Whole wheat pasta
Long grain rice
Fruits and most vegetables (other then the ones mentioned in the list above)

Good carbs don't have the same effect on insulin that bad carbs do. In fact, they make you feel full longer, so you don't eat more. Overall, a balanced diet that includes good carbs is the best way to lose weight. Sure, it might take you longer, but you're more likely to keep it off that way. Keep a wide variety of low carb recipes on hand in the kitchen for even better results and more time saved. Eat more food with low carbs or good carbs and feel healthy.

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