Go Low Carb Instead of NO Carb

People will try all kinds of diet fads in an effort to lose weight. Almost everyone you talk to will have a different opinion of what works and what doesn’t.

One thing that will definitely NOT work is a diet where carbohydrates are cut out completely. A healthy eating plan includes fats, carbohydrates, and protein. To follow any diet that excludes any of those components would be endangering your health.

Carbohydrates are the most plentiful of all the nutrients. Carbs can be found in most of the foods we eat. They are made of simple and complex sugars that the body will metabolize to use for energy or store as fat when no more is needed.

Fruits and dairy products such as milk and cheese are examples of simple carbohydrates. Heavier foods like pastas, breads, potatoes, rice and cereals are complex carbohydrates. Eating more of the simple carbohydrates and less of the complex carbohydrates may be a good way to lose weight.

Diets that cut out all carbohydrates force the body to obtain all of its energy from fats and proteins. When protein from food is no longer available to meet the body’s energy needs, your body will begin to siphon energy from the muscle tissue of your body. In essence, the body begins feeding on itself for fuel. No one wants that. The body needs glucose (sugar) to function. In fact, the glucose needed by the brain must come from carbohydrates and not protein sources.

Carbohydrates have been classified by their glycemic index (GI) number. This method of rating carbohydrates helps people to make wiser choices about what they include in their diets. Foods with high GI’s (larger than fifty) cause the body to store fat while foods with lower GI numbers (less than fifty) case the body to burn fat.

On a diet that features low GI carbohydrates, the insulin level in the body is maintained at a steady level. These carbs are processed at a slower rate by the body. Glucagon, the other hormone, can work to burn the sugars for energy in the cells. When the insulin hormone level in the body has no major fluctuations, you won’t feel hungry all of the time.

When you expend energy during physical activity, the body starts to release fat stored to use for energy metabolism. Low carb diets provide the body with energy without putting the body in crisis mode.

Choosing fresh vegetables and fruits means you are consuming the right carbohydrates. Beans and nuts are great for a low carb diet. Whole grain pastas and breads are preferred to those made with white flour. If you must have potatoes, try sweet potatoes. The GI number is lower and they are great with non-fat spray butter.

On another note, there are a lot of lean, slim trim people that refuse to give up their potatoes …. You can fit it into your diet, if you don’t want to give them up.

Do not try to cut out all carbohydrates from your diet. This is dangerous. Instead, reduce them to lose weight, and more importantly make sure you choose the right types of carbohydrates. This is just as important as how much you consume.

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