Media13.com is a source of free to republish or reprint articles, writers may submit your articles in our database as long so you agree that your article will be freely republish or reprint by other.

Submit Article

Search our database

Received article from us.

Name

Email Address

Friends

Bollywood News
Link building
Article submission service
Freelance Writers
Laser hair removal

We have been looking for freelance writers. Contact us

Weighing in On Low Carb Diets by Arnel Ricafranca

With all of the conflicting studies and fuzzy interpretation of information, it`s no wonder that confusion reigns when it comes to the value and safety of low-carb diets. It seems like heated debates are raging everywhere!

Whether it`s Atkins, the South Beach or some other low-carb plan, as many as 30 million Americans are following a low-carb diet.

Advocates contend that the high amount of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. Critics, on the other hand, attribute obesity and related health problems to over-consumption of calories from any source, and lack of physical activity. Critics also express concern that the lack of grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals.

Any diet, weather low or high in carbohydrate, can produce significant weight loss during the initial stages of the diet. But remember, the key to successful dieting is in being able to lose the weight permanently. Put another way, what does the scale show a year after going off the diet?

Let`s see if we can debunk some of the mystery about low-carb diets. Below, is a listing of some relevant points taken from recent studies and scientific literature. Please note there may be insufficient information available to answer all questions.

- Differences Between Low-Carb Diets

There are many popular diets designed to lower carbohydrate consumption. Reducing total carbohydrate in the diet means that protein and fat will represent a proportionately greater amount of the total caloric intake.

Atkins and Protein Power diets restrict carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like Sugar Busters claim to eliminate only sugars and foods that elevate blood sugar levels excessively.

- What We Know about Low-Carb Diets

Almost all of the studies to date have been small with a wide variety of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric intake, diet duration and participant characteristics varied greatly.
Most of the studies to date have two things in common: None of the studies had participants with a mean age over 53 and none of the controlled studies lasted longer than 90 days.

Information on older adults and long-term results are scarce.
Many diet studies fail to monitor the amount of exercise, and therefore caloric expenditure, while participants are dieting. This helps to explain discrepancies between studies.

The weight loss on low-carb diets is a function of caloric restriction and diet duration, and not with reduced carbohydrate intake. This finding suggests that if you want to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a long time period.

Little evidence exists on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. Despite the medical community concerns, no short-term adverse effects have been found on cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels among participants on the diets. But, adverse effects may not show up because of the short period of the studies. Researchers note that losing weight typically leads to an improvement in these levels anyway, and this may offset an increase caused by a high fat diet. The long range weight change for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.

Most low-carb diets cause ketosis. Some of the potential consequences are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and confusion. During the initial phase of low-carb dieting some fatigue and constipation may be encountered. Generally, these symptoms dissipate quickly. Ketosis may also give the breath a fruity odor, somewhat like nail-polish remover (acetone).

Low-carb diets do not enable the consumption of more calories than other kinds of diets, as has been often reported. A calorie is a calorie and it doesn`t matter weather they come from carbohydrates or fat. Study discrepancies are likely the result of uncontrolled circumstances; i.e. diet participants that cheat on calorie consumption, calories burned during exercise, or any number of other factors. The drop-out rate for strict (i.e. less than 40 grams of CHO/day) low-carb diets is relatively high.

What Should You Do? - There are 3 important points I would like to re-emphasize:

- The long-range success rate for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.

- Despite their popularity, little information exists on the long-term efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets.

- Strict low-carb diets are usually not sustainable as a normal way of eating. Boredom usually overcomes willpower.

It is obvious after reviewing the topic, that more, well-designed and controlled studies are needed. There just isn`t a lot of good information available, especially concerning long-range effects. Strict low-carb diets produce ketosis which is an abnormal and potentially stressful metabolic state. Under some circumstances this might cause health related complications.

The diet you choose should be a blueprint for a lifetime of better eating, not just a quick weight loss plan to reach your weight goal. If you can`t see yourself eating the prescribed foods longer than a few days or a week, then chances are it`s not the right diet. To this end, following a moderately low fat diet with a healthy balance of fat, protein, carbohydrate and other nutrients is beneficial.

If you do decide to follow a low-carb plan, remember that certain dietary fats are associated with reduction of disease. Foods high in unsaturated fats that are free of trans-fatty acids such as olive oil, fish, flaxseeds, and nuts are preferred to fats from animal origins.

Even promoters of the Atkins diet now say people on their plan should limit the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat. Atkins representatives are telling health professionals that only 20 percent of a dieter`s calories should come from saturated fat (i.e. meat, cheese, butter). This change comes as Atkins faces competition from other popular low-carb diets that call for less saturated fat, such as the South Beach diet plan. Low-carb dieting should not be considered as a license to gorge on red meat!

Another alternative to `strict` low-carb dieting would be to give up some of the bad carbohydrate foods but not `throw out the baby with the bath water`. In other words, foods high in processed sugar, snacks, and white bread would be avoided, but foods high in complex carbohydrates such as fruit, potatoes and whole grains, retained.

www.fitness-vip.com

Author Info:

Founder of Fitness VIP
fitness expert
personal trainer
www.fitness-vip.com

Latest 20 articles

Most Common California Overtime Law Violations – Find Out Now! Before discussing the California overtime law, it’s important to know who is eligible to receive overtime. There are two types of employees: “exempt” and “non-exempt”. Exempt employees are often referred to as salaried employees and non- exempt employees are often referred to as hourly employees. However, an employee may be salaried and still be considered non-exempt and entitled to overtime. Exem

Attention IT Pros: The California New Overtime Law – What’s the Impact? California overtime laws were created to protect the California workforce and ensure an employee’s standard of living with a reasonable work week schedule. In keeping with this “reasonable” work week concept, there were also strict guidelines for California overtime wages established to protect California employees. In general, under California overtime laws, if a non-exempt employee works more th

Lush Lawns, The professional Way Are you one of those people who give more importance to internal beauty that superficial appearance? Well, while it may be a good thought talking so about individuals, when it comes to your abode the idea needs correction. Picture this. Your new house looks beautiful complete with the designed interiors and great furniture, but the area outside is nothing but an eyesore. It will definitely kill th

Discipline Your Pet in a Ziffy We all love pets, don’t we? Having a pet is therapeutic; it not only entertains and alleviates worries but also makes up for a very good companion. Playing with the pet is soothing and scientists vouch for the unlimited benefits, both physical and psychological a human receives by being with a pet. Having a pet teaches the children the virtues of caring and sharing, and instills in them a sens

Underground fencing to keep your Pet In A pet is a cute addition to a family and brings about a new zeal to life. Playing with the pet is one of the biggest stress busters, and alleviates worries like nothing else. It also makes up for a good and faithful companion along with doubling up as a playmate for the kids. However, just as the pet brings joy and happiness to our lives, we must also ensure that it is taken care of. Keeping a pe

Train Your Dog the way Vets recommend Pets are perhaps one of the most cherished companions by kids and adults alike. They are not just cute but also therapeutic for the nerve-calming effect they have on people. The safety factor that a pet such as dog provides cannot be overlooked. Pets are selfless creatures; however keeping one requires maintenance and keeping up to the regime to keep the pet healthy and safe. This is because when

Dog Trainer in Your Lawn! Are you one of those proud pet owners who can go any lengths to ensure the safety and well being of your pet? If you own a pet you must be concerned about its health and lifestyle. Having a pet can bring about positive changes in the lives of the family members, but it also becomes the responsibility of the owners to look after the needs of the pet. Many pet owners commit the mistake of keeping th

California Employee Break Laws: Know Your Rights! All over the United States, as well as in the State of California, Americans began developing labor laws during the industrial age to set standards of what was acceptable in the work place. During this time in our country, child labor and 16 hour days without breaks were commonplace. As time progressed, workers began to stand up for their rights in their workplace, fostering the progress that has

California Exemptions: Are you REALLY Exempt from Overtime Pay? One of the most common and often expensive mistakes an employer can make is to misclassify their employees as being exempt from overtime, if they are, in fact, non exempt employees by law. Exempt employees are often referred to as salaried employees and in very basic terms it means that the employee is therefore is not eligible for overtime. California labor law addresses what criteria are necess

Pet Stuff Warehouse - Your home for all your pet supplies Dogs are a joy to have at home. It feels so good to come home to a cute little fur ball who loves you unconditionally and asks so little in return. Playing with our dogs is not only fun, but it also eases the stress of the day and makes us feel happier. But besides being fun to play with, a pet dog is also our responsibility and it is your duty as his owner to provide him with best possible car

When You Need California Brain Injury Lawyers: SUV Rollovers and Truck Crashes! It is well known fact that California has a substantial amount of traffic and that motor vehicle accidents occur daily. What might not come to mind immediately is that a good portion of those accidents involve SUV’s and Big Rig trucks. These SUV crashes or truck crashes often times result in injury. The NHTSA reported that there were 5,987,000 non fatal accidents in 2007; of which 2,491,000 of tho

IRS Offer in Compromise – Can It Solve Your IRS Tax Debt Problems? Taking on IRS tax debt is a daunting task that presents many confusing issues. The majority of taxpayers are aware of the option to pay their IRS tax debt in full or pay the tax debt in monthly payments or installments. But there is another option, the IRS “Offer in Compromise.” Knowing the steps to success with an IRS Offer in Compromise, also commonly called IRS tax settlement is important, bec

IRS Tax Debt Settlement Help – When You Need Expert Tax Debt Help With the recent downturn in the economy, Americans find themselves not only facing unsecured credit card debt problems, and difficulties handling their home and vehicle loans, but oftentimes unable to pay their IRS taxes in a timely manner. There is IRS tax debt help available to anyone who finds they owe money for back income taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. The federal government offers

Hidden Dog Fence for your dog Almost everyone who has a pet at home knows value of added exercise and the troublesome task of confining him within the boundaries of their own property. This task is especially difficult with dogs as they take it as a personal challenge to try and defy the fence boundaries. However, you can train your dog to respect his boundaries with the help of an invisible, underground wired dog fence /

Top Dog Containment Solution to make you Worry Free Is your dog driving you crazy? Are you sick of listening to your neighbors’ complaints about your dog running around in their yard? Then you are not alone; almost every pet owner suffers with this problem. Often they confine their dogs to the house due to fears that their dog may wander away. This is a valid fear, as dogs, especially the ones who are new to the house or have not been trained prope

Outdoor Services in Virginia A front lawn is the face of a house and no matter how beautifully you have decorated your house, if your lawn is not beautiful then all your efforts will be useless. It is very important to take care of your lawn because, as it is said, “the first impression is the last impression”. For most people, lawn care is a very tedious task. Most people don’t have the time or energy to spend hours in th

Hidden Dog Fence – Perfect Dog Containment Solution Does your dog refuse to listen to you? Are you tired of telling your dog to not go outside the confines of your house? Does chaining or locking up your dog makes you feel guilty? Is your dog ruining the interior of your house because you cannot let him go in the yard because you are afraid to let him out? Then stop worrying! The perfect solution for all these problems is here. There is a pet co

Debt Settlement: Your Bankruptcy Alternative? There are several different paths you can travel to achieve effective credit card debt reduction and pursue living a debt free life. The method which will be covered here is called debt settlement, and there are numerous debt settlement services to choose from if you determine this is the “debt recovery path” you are going to take. Credit card debt settlement is a credit card debt reduction solu

Los Angeles Brain Injury Lawyers Assist California Motorcycle Accidents Victims Last year over 6,686,147 motorcycles were registered within the United States and the number of registrants has been steadily increasing by at least 7% each year since 2003 according to the NHTSA. Consequently the NHTSA also reported that nation wide last year there were 103,000 motorcycle injuries that did not result in a fatality and California has the second highest motorcycle fatality rate in