Low carb diet
Lately there has been a lot of attention on low carbs and low carb diet, particularly the Atkins Diet but low carbs are a not a new phenomenon and have actually been around since the 1970’s.
Low carb diets are based on the principles that consuming carbs and simple sugar leads to gains in weight. Low carb diets go against the principles of traditional diets which focus on calorie counting and focus instead on carbs and sugar.
It is now known that many simple carbohydrates are turned in to sugar by the body, this along with the other forms of sugar you consume cause the body to react to these high sugar levels. Based on this the body releases insulin to store as glycogen in the liver and muscle cells. This will be used as energy later on, however the body is only able to store certain levels of glycogen and when that limit is reached the body cannot make use of the extra carbs and therefore stores them as fat – causing weight gain.
Over time as we consume excessive carbs the cells in the body become resistant to the amounts of insulin the body is producing and the insulin Is rejected by the cells – therefore creating more fat. This cycle continues and carbs are increasingly turned in to fat rather than energy.
As well as weight gain you may experience bloating, sleepiness, inability to concentrate, poor memory, fatigue etc. Low carb diets can help to overcome these problems.
In order to loose weight and improve health many people would benefit from a low carb diet. Essentially this involves eating less carbs! On a low carb diet intake of carbs such as bread, rice and grains as well as sugars such as soda, cakes and sweets are restricted. Beer is restricted too, but luckily for all of you who hesitate starting a low carbs diet for this reason, low carbs beer also exists!
If you eat less than 40 grams of carbs and sugars per day your body will return to a state of ketosis, in this state your body will turn to your fat and burn this to provide energy – in turn this leads to weight loss. Overtime your body will become less resistant to insulin, leading to a more stable weight.
Those used to eating a low carb diet will probably have noticed they crave carbs however after doing a low carb diet for a whole you’ll probably notice these cravings disappear.
It can be hard at first but your body will adapt and you will be able to introduce small amounts of carbs back in to your diet in the future and still maintain your low weight.
The best way to start is by reducing carbs and sugars and following a low carb diet recipe plan. You can sign up to our free low carb diet ebook to receive a free low carb diet ebook.