Low Carbohydrate Diets

Any diet program is going to have its fans and its detractors. Also, many diet plans may have good points and bad points, and the low carbohydrate diet is no exception.

WHAT IS A LOW CARBOHYDRATE DIET?

First of all, you are going to hear a lot of things called “low carbohydrate”, the most famous of which is the Atkins diet. Other programs which do not claim to be low ca犀利士
rb, such as the Nutrisystem weight loss program, and the South Beach diet may find themselves dumped into the “low carb” category because their eating plans either control carb intake or concentrate on “good” carbs…that is, carbohydrates that in essence not only fuel the body, thus providing energy, but which also are less likely to wind up as fat deposits in the body.

As a rule, and as their name implies, low carbohydrate diets generally recommend a higher consumption of protein and fat, with decreases in consumption of carbohydrates. Again, as a rule, these eating plans are going to recommend as much as 70% of daily calorie intake coming from fat, with only 5% to 10% coming from carbohydrates. Additionally, most will recommend eating until you are full, as long as you avoid the high carb foods.

THE BODY NEEDS CARBOHYDRATES

The major purpose of carbohydrates is to fuel the body. They provide the energy needed to make it through the day. For athletes, they are the fuel to make it through marathons, bicycle races, basketball games, and every other sort of athletic endeavor. Carbohydrates are also necessary for the proper function of some organs. However, there are “good” carbs and “bad” carbs.

TWO TYPES OF CARBOHYDRATES

While no carb is inherently evil, or “bad”, there are many which are not “good” for most of us.

When we talk of bad carbs, we are generally referring to things like high sugar, refined flour foods that are quickly digested and which can be quickly transferred into fat. This is because the glut of carbohydrates signals the body to increase the supply of insulin which in turn tells the body to store the carbs as fat. Sadly, your breakfast bagel and the bag of chips you had with your greasy burger are included in the “bad” carb category.

Good carbs, on the other hand tend to be more “nutrient dense”, and demand more digestion and processing by the body. Sweet potatoes, brown rice, grapefruit, fat-free milk, apples, and other fruits, vegetables, and whole grains cause the blood sugar levels to rise more slowly, thus avoiding the insulin “instructions” to store the calories as fat. Instead, they are gradually used as energy. Additionally, these types of foods tend to have more nutritional value in terms of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber. They also seem to be possibly indicated as being involved in better overall health and longevity as well as the avoidance, at least temporarily, of such debilitating conditions such as heart disease and some cancers.

Diabetes is usually directly affected by your diet. Some low carb diets can be quite beneficial for most people who suffer from diabetes because it keeps the excess sugar that comes from food low. This is very important for people who take insulin in order to regulate their sugar levels. As you may already know, insulin is currently one of the most expensive substances on the planet. There are people who get lucky and find an insurance plan that saves them a bit of money on these drugs. Sadly, this isnt always the case. Not to mention the fact that most people don’t even know they can get these drugs through programs for much cheaper. Drug advocacy programs specialize in these types of scenarios. You can get drugs like Novolog at a lower price just by joining one of these programs. So do your research, and start saving even more on these medications.