Low-carb Diets

Question: Low carb diets?? What do you think about low carb high fat/protein diets? Do you think they really work?

Answer: I don't think there's anything smart about a high fat diet. High protein is okay, as long as you don't go overboard. In the end, the best bet is a balanced, healthy eating habit. A diet is temporary and won't work for the long haul. Learn to eat well, and exercise, and you'll be all set. That said, I'm personally on a low-carb diet, but because of high blood sugar, not for weight loss. Still gotta watch the fat, or I'll be a blimp.

Question: Low Carb Diets!? I am considering going on a low carb diet! Any advice which low carb diet works the best? What type of meals can i prepare! Thanks! I am not planning on cutting out carbs completely! I just want to reduce my carb intake and eat more low or fat free foods! Any ideas on meals?

Answer: We can all lose weight on low carb diets, but then we produce ketones. We all need carbohydrate for energy so do not even go there, it is not healthy. Instead, educate yourself about foods and what they do for your body. It is time to forget about all these (huge money making diets, get rich schemes for them) and learn about what will be healty for you. The best advice I can give you is to eat natural, whole foods.

Question: For low carb diets, is it best to eat high-fat or high-protein? I have discovered that low-carb is the best diet for me, but there seems to be conflicting advice as to whether or I should eat more protein or more fat.

Answer: You loose weight faster with more fat. But longterm, it is healthier to eat more protein.

Question: Do low carb diets work better than low calorie diets? What foods are considered low carb? What diet works the best? Explain and please give tips. Thanks.

Answer: Low Calorie Diets DON'T WORK. You won't lose weight using a Low Calorie Dieting Plan. In fact, eating low calories is the worst thing that you can do to your body, since that will only slow down your body's fat burning engine and ruin all chances of losing weight (low calorie diets may allow a few pounds of weight loss for the first few days, but then after that all weight loss comes to a halt --- known as a dieting plateau). You can never get slim by starving yourself. If you want to learn the 10 easy rules of dieting and fat loss, check out this site http://best-fat-cleanser.info Hope this help,

Question: Which is best Low Carb or Low Calorie Diets? I'm starting to working out again and I want to lose about 60lbs but I can't figure out which is best to do a low calorie diet or a low carb diet.

Answer: Low Carb Plans DON'T WORK. You'll probably find it extremely difficult to get slim using a Low Carb Dieting Plan. Low carb diets have recently become popular over the last couple years, but the problem with low carb menus is that they are too strict and TOO HARD TO FOLLOW for average people. Low carb menus tend to rob your body of too much energy (carbohydrates) and make it nearly impossible to remain on the program for very long. This is why so many dieters find it difficult to follow a strict low carbohydrate menu. Low Calorie Diets DON'T WORK. You won't lose weight using a Low Calorie Dieting Plan either. In fact, eating low calories is the worst thing that you can do to your body, since that will only slow down your body's fat burning engine and ruin all chances of losing weight (low calorie diets may allow a few pounds of weight loss for the first few days, but then after that all weight loss comes to a halt --- known as a dieting plateau). You can never get slim by starving yourself. http://revealweightlossfacts.blogspot.com/

Question: why do people on low carb diets avoid eating grains while fruits and some veggies have just as much carbs? i'm not a fan about low carb dieting.i know the dangers. however, i do want to reduce some of my carb intake. i still eat bread and other grains, but i try to avoid it later in the day. is this okay? also why is that people avoid eating grains on low carb diets but still eat fruits and vegetables when they have about just as much carbohydrates? what are your opinions about low carb dieting? and how many servings of grains should a 5 feet 110 pounds 15 year old girl should eat daily? thanks sooooooooooooooooooo much!!!

Answer: I never bought into the Atkins diet - eating high fat high protein diet. He had a heart attack and died. Fruits and veggies never killed anyone. You can have all you want and not get fat. It is a misnomer to compare natural fruit sugar with cane sugar. As for how much to eat. Eat as you are hungry. Most people eat more than they need. If you are active you body will tell you its hungry. I would not worry how many servings of food you need to eat. The gov pyramid does not consider physical activity. If you are sitting around watching TV, your body will not be hungry.

Question: What are some low carb diets that are good for insulin resistant people? I am Carb intolerant & insulin resistant. HELP!

Answer: South Beach phase 2, Atkins phase 4, Pritiken, Zone Diet, Dr Bernstein, all are good low carb, protein and fat sufficient to make most of us happy most of the time. Do watch out for any root veggies, soft sweet fruits, all grain products, milk products, and a few other things that will cause problems. If you have sufficient natural saturated fats in your food plan you won't be hungry. And they slow the digestion and absorbtion of the carbs you eat as well. The food gurus who say to all of us to eat a low fat diet with very few if any natural saturated fats really are missing the boat. For the 50+ years we have been avoiding the whole milk, cream, butter and better steaks, the incidence of heart disease has not diminished at all. So eat to please your palate and glucose levels.

Question: What are some good low calorie, low carb diets that I can do myself? I am looking for a diet that I can follow at home. I am also interested in finding low fat recipes or websites to use, any help? Also I am wondering what would be a healthy amount for me to lose? I am 165cm and currently weigh around 66kg ( 140pound?) I feel that I am not fat but am stocky if this makes sense

Answer: You don't need to do this kind of diet. They don't really work. Read this site about the reason. http://revealweightlossfacts.blogspot.com/

Question: Does too much red meats on low carb diets cause spots? everytime I go to do a low carb diet, and have the occasional red meats my face blows up in lots of spots, will this dissapear over time, or could water or anything else help?

Answer: Water always helps the skin so drink lots, am sure your face will be better soon, am not sure if meat can cause spots but i no too much dairy products can

Question: Do High Protein- Moderate Carb - Low Fat Diets work as well as Low Carb Diets to Bun Fat? It's just that I feel so uncomfortable on low carb high protein diets, they have brought results to me, but I feel like shit really. I also swim a lot, i know that exercise part helps build muscle and burn fat as well.

Answer: The first week is rough, there is no denying that but most people feel better than ever after the first week. Carb cycling will stop the conversion process so the body won't be able to perform athletically while being fueled by fat. Carbs trigger insulin. Insulin is the fat storage hormone & while it's dominating the bloodstream, fat cannot be released from fat cells. This study: http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/1/1/2 seems to suggest that after one has become fat adapted, endurance exercise performance returns to normal, but sprint performance remains poor. The suggested reason is that this type of exercise can not be fueled by fat, it must be fueled by glucose. from the article below - Numerous current studies show that dieters who follow high-protein low-carb strategies--even plans with higher fat intake--lose more fat and maintain or gain more muscle mass than dieters who rely on higher carb diets. Yes, you read that right--many dieters actually gained muscle mass without working out, simply by eating a high-protein diet. This is due to several factors. First, amino acids from protein drive muscle growth. When you consume a high-protein meal, amino acids from the protein travel to muscle cells and actually initiate the processes that cause muscle growth. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KFY/is_4_23/ai_n13790123/?tag=content;col1 I highly recommend adding virgin coconut oil to your diet. All fats can be used for sustained energy, but coconut oil is the (only) fat that can be used for quick energy like a carb. It takes awhile to convert the body from being fueled by glucose to being fueled by fat but it does convert. It can take several weeks for the body to be able to compete athletically while using fat for fuel. The body does not become fat adapted though it "carb cycling" techniques are employed. Low carb marathon runners don't "hit the wall" with mid race fuel changeovers. It's not being fueled by fat that slows them down, it's the immediate fuel conversion period. If you eat protein without sufficient fuel calories from fats or carbs, then you convert dietary protein to fuel leaving no protein for cellular needs, forcing the body to catabolize it's own lean tissues. Carbs may be optional, but fuel calories are not but they can come from fat or carbs, but not protein. There are not enough calories in fruits & vegs to fuel the body. If you don't keep your calories high enough, the body will strip it's own lean tissue for nutrition. Although that may look great on a scale it will make it MUCH easier to accumulate fat in the future (since all that pesky lean tissue burning up calories will be gone). Protein is a very inefficient fuel to use exclusively for long term & the byproducts of the conversion to fuel can be dangerous if they overwhelm the body faster than the body can clear out the nitrogen & ammonia.. Just for example - Someone asked "what if" about a diet of 500g of pure protein (2000 calories a day) 500g protein with no fat would be fatal. Fat is essential but protein without fat will cause diarrhea & then death. So this next bit is only hypothetically speaking. 500g of protein only would turn the protein into a fuel source and not be able to be used for tissue repairs & cellular regeneration. So although you would think 500g of protein would be sufficient for these needs, it would be converted to a very inefficient fuel source with a dangerous buildup of nitrogen & ammonia (byproducts of gluconeogenesis). The body can handle some of these byproducts but not large quantities for long term. So in essence, all this protein would be processed as fuel and the body would STILL have to catabolize it's own lean tissues for a protein source. 100% of the protein would be needed to convert to 58% glucose - it would be equal to fueling the body with 1160 calories of carbs and NO protein (IF your only ingestion was 2000 calories (500g) in pure protein). It's confusing to eat SO much protein and have none bioavailable but your body requires FUEL calories (which can come from fat OR carbs or both) AND protein. BUT if you ate more than sufficient protein with more than sufficient dietary fat calories AND controlled carbs to less than 9grams per hour (Maximum carbs would be 144grams day or 576 calories) the balance of fuel calories would HAVE to be from dietary fats - at 9 calories per gram. As long as you have <9grams carbs per hour, you will maintain insulin control & shouldn't gain weight, no matter the calories because insulin, the fat storage hormone is not activated. Controlling insulin levels will balance out other hormones & allow sex hormones (testosterone in males) & human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced naturally so lean tissue will be gained even without exercise.

Question: Low-carb diets claim that carbs create human fat. What may contribute to this belief? Having a hard time with my homework.

Answer: Carbs don't make you feel full right away. They main reason though is media attention, diet commercials are always trying to sell the latest gimmick or weight loss fad. Some stick, some don't. 10 years ago people thought that a lot of sodium was good for you cause a famous advertisement said it was. Obviously, a load of ****. We also now know (or we should) that carbs make you feel fuller longer, and are very good for losing weight if you exercise.

Question: What are carbohydrates and why do some people go on low-carb diets? Please help. Need help.

Answer: I am on a very carbohydrate controlled diet. I am a diabetic. I have to monitor carbs in order to maintain an acceptable glucose level in my blood. Too few and I can pass out, enter a coma and eventually die. Too many and I damage internal organs and my nervous system to the point that organ failure could kill me. I strive to maintain a diet with as close to 45 grams of carbohydrates per meal as I possibly can. If you start reading the nutrition labels on food products, paying particular attention to the serving size and the Total Carbohydrates per serving, you will soon come to realize why diabetics complain about their diets. Reducing or eliminating refined sugars such as candy, cake, pies, donuts and the like is just the tip of the iceberg. Just remember "TOO" much of anything can be bad. Even protein in too high of concentrations can cause kidney damage. Just eat a balanced diet. It's the easy way to health. If I can be of any further assistance, contact me through my profile.

Question: what is a good diet to follow with excersize. which is better lo calories or low carb diets? i want to loose 40 to 50 lbs i started doing the shaun ts rockin body last week so far i lost 7 lbs but i want a healthy diet to follow.

Answer: You can lose more body fat eating protein & fat (don't eat protein alone) than not eating AT ALL. To lose weight fast, eat all you want, but nothing but meat, eggs, healthy oils, mayo, butter & half an avocado a day (for added potassium). Keep the calories high & the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace. The first 2 weeks eat several cups a day of (mostly) lettuce & celery, cucumbers, radishes, mushrooms, peppers & more variety of vegetables thereafter - add 5 grams per day additional every week (20 grams day first 2 weeks, 25grams 3rd week, 30grams 4th week etc) til you gain weight, then subtract 10grams. That will be your personal carb level (everyone is different & depends on how active you are.) Start with meat, fats & salads for 2 weeks and then slowly add in more green veg, wk4 fresh cheeses, wk5 nuts & seeds, wk6 berries, wk7 legumes, wk8 other fruits, wk9 starchy veg, wk10 whole grains. You will learn how your body reacts to different foods. The first week is just water weight but fat is lost thereafter if you keep your calories high enough. Otherwise the body will strip it's own lean tissue for nutrition. Although that may look great on a scale it will make it MUCH easier to accumulate fat in the future (since all that pesky lean tissue burning up calories will be gone). The body won't release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow metabolism to compensate & store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering calories, it will continue lowering the set point, til it can survive off nothing & store fat on anything. The body will only release it's fat stores if it knows there is plenty of nutritious food. Eating carbs while trying to lose body fat is terribly inefficient. When in glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) you have to lower your calories (which slows your metabolism) & exercise heavily to deplete your glycogen stores before burning body fat. The core of Atkins program is converting the body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). Dietary fat levels need to be at >65% of total calories, if not, the body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis). It takes minimum of 3 days to convert a body to ketosis, (but only one bite to convert back to glycolysis). People feel sluggish the first week but most feel better than ever thereafter. Simple carbohydrates (sugar, flour, bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice) trigger insulin which can store the calories eaten into fat. The more protein the more the fat burning hormone glucagon is released. The more carbohydrate the more the fat storage hormone insulin is released. Simple carbs are addictive & can be disastrous to health. The best way to break the addiction is NO carbs for 3 days. Make a huge batch of deviled eggs, eat one every time you want "something" - have huge omelets with bacon, sausage, peppers, mushrooms & cheese. Pork chops smothered with peppers, mushrooms & cheese - pork rinds & dip or tuna/chicken/turkey/egg salad - steaks - a huge sugar free cheese cake. Eat so much you won't feel deprived of anything. By the 4th day, the addiction will be gone & you can start making healthy choices. High insulin levels promote inflammation, weight gain, hunger & unbalance other hormones. Controlling insulin levels will balance out other hormones & allow human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced naturally so lean muscle will be gained even without exercise. Any exercise will greatly increase muscle mass with high HGH levels. Ground flax seed (2 Tbsp) 1/4 cup water, artificial sweetener, mix in a raw egg - let sit 10 min. to absorb liquid, put some cream cheese in the middle & nuke 2 minutes. Suggested for daily fiber needs. As long as you have <9grams carbs per hour, you will maintain insulin control & shouldn't gain weight, no matter the calories because insulin, the fat storage hormone is not activated. Many people gain weight on high carb, do low carb to lose weight & then are shocked when they return to high carb & gain weight. Many people can return to moderate carb levels but very few can really eat all they want of sugar & maintain weight or health. Dr.Atkins was a cardiologist, low carb was a health plan easier sold as a "diet" Read any of his books for easily understandable science. Normalizing blood pressure, blood sugar, insulin, cholesterol, triglyercerides & hormone levels are all bonus features of doing a low carb way of eating. Lutz "Life without Bread" & Taubes "Good calories, Bad calories" are excellent books that dispel all the nutrition myths. http://www.atkins.com/Program/FourPhases/WhatIsInduction/AcceptableFoodsList.aspx http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html

Question: do low carb diets actually work? Do low carb diets ( like south beach ) really work, or is it just a gimmick?

Answer: There is no better way to bring the body to the state of optimal health than with a low carb way of eating. Low carb doesn't cause high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high cholesterol, it cures it. It is actually dangerous to take meds that lower these levels and do low carb at the same time because the levels will become dangerously low. Carbohydrates trigger insulin. High insulin levels unbalance other hormones. Anything less that 9 grams of carbs per hour controls insulin and is considered low carb (up to 144 grams per day). U.S. government guidelines were changed 35 years ago to suggest we lower our fat intake & increase our carb intake. American society followed these recommendations & lowered their fat intake by 11% & increased their carb consumption. In this same time frame obesity, diabetes, heart disease are all at epidemic levels. Through their direct effects on insulin & blood sugar, refined carbohydrates are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes. A low carbohydrate diet is a high fat diet. The protein should only be a little higher than adequate. Although it is completely possible to live on a fat/protein only diet for long term (as proven by research done in a hospital setting) it becomes boring fairly quickly. Luckily many vegetables & some fruits, nuts & seeds are low in carbs & greatly expand the diet. Most long term low carbers eat as many, if not more non starchy vegetables than vegetarians. Glucose is the bodies preferred fuel (if you want to get technical, it actually burns alcohol most efficiently, but that doesn't make it any healthier for the body than carbs), the body can convert 100% of carbs, 58% of protein & 10% of dietary fat into glucose. The body can also be fueled by fat (dietary fat & fat cells) but only in the absence of carbs. Your brain actually prefers* to be fueled by ketones (part of the fat burning process), it does require glucose also, but glucose can be easily converted from excess protein if needed or dietary fat. Plaque build up in the arteries is more attributable to carb consumption than dietary fats, which seems to be the conclusion of the following study. Carb consumption raises triglycerides & VLDL (bad cholesterol). Fats raise the HDL (good cholesterol). High triglyceride levels & low HDL levels are an indicator of plaque & glycation - the precursors to a heart attack & heart disease. http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/after-eating-effects-carbohydrates-vs.html study from the Oxford group examining the postprandial (after-eating) effects of a low-fat vs. low-carbohydrate diet. (Roberts R et al, 2008) Postprandial lipoproteins, you'd think, would be plentiful after ingesting a large quantity of fat, since fat must be absorbed via chylomicrons into the bloodstream. But it's carbohydrates that figure most prominently in determining the pattern and magnitude of postprandial triglycerides and lipoproteins. Much of this effect develops by way of de novo lipogenesis, the generation of new lipoproteins like VLDL after carbohydrate ingestion. Gary Taubes who wrote "Good Calories, Bad Calories" spent 7 years going through all the studies over the last century & dividing up the real science from the faulty science & concluded that low carb was the best way to control insulin levels which balances out other hormones & allows the body to function properly. His main points are: 1. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease or any other chronic disease. 2. The problem is refined carbs in diet, their effect on insulin secretion & the hormonal regulation of homeostasis. 3. Sugars - sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup specifically - are particularly harmful, the combination of fructose & glucose simultaneously elevates insulin levels & overload liver with carbs. 4. Through their direct effects on insulin & blood sugar, refined carbs, starches, sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes. They are likely dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer's & other diseases. 5. Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating. 6. Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter. 7. Fattening & obesity are caused by an imbalance in the hormonal regulation of adipose tissue & fat metabolism. Fat synthesis & storage exceed the mobilization of fat from adipose tissue & its subsequent oxidation. 8. Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels fall, we release fat from fat tissue. 9. By stimulating insulin secretion, carbs make us fat. 10. By driving fat accumulation, carbs also increase hunger & decrease the amount of energy we expend in metabolism & physical activity.

Question: What are some low carb vegetarian diets? My fiance is a vegetarian, no big deal to me. I would love to cook for her, and I have no problem eating vegetarian food myself, but I am a meat eater too. I do, however, watch my carb intake. Where can I find some dishes that are low in carbs and vegetarian? FYI, she will eat eggs, fish, and drink milk products. FYI, I have already given 3 of you bad marks for either questioning her decision on being a vegetarian, or being one because she eats fish. I am looking for constructive feedback, not bad-mouthing.

Answer: Pretty much any vegetarian diet is low-carb friendly. A vegetarian's diet should be mostly plant based anyway. Just make sure to get lots of good fruits and veggies, and since your girlfriend eats fish, it shouldn't be too difficult to come up with some recipes that will please the both of you. If you are going to eat pasta or rice, make sure it is whole grain and use it as a side to accompany vegetables, as opposed to making it a main dish.

Question: How do I getting back to burning fat quicker (like the 1st time)the second time around on low-carb diets? I am having a hard time getting back to fat burning mode even though I have stayed at 25 carbs per day and workout 2 hours per day, 5 times per week. I was wondering if there is something that can help kick back into fat burning mode so I can go back to 40 carbs per day or more and still loose weight.

Answer: use a acetylene torch