• Home
• Diet Plans
• Diet Articles
• Diet Coupons
• About
• Contact

Is a Low Carb Diet Good for You?

Some people swear that following a low carb diet is the best way to lose weight. A low carb diet is one that encourages you to get the majority of your calories from protein and/or fat. Many nutritionists and medical professionals say that less than 30 percent of calories should come from protein. Some even say that a low carb diet is dangerous and should be avoided.

How Does a Low Carb Diet Work?

A low carb diet drastically restricts the amount of carbohydrates you can eat per day. While most balanced diets focus on healthy carbohydrates and healthy proteins, a low carb diet puts all emphasis on proteins. This isn't healthy because the body needs carbohydrates for fuel and energy. The theory behind the low carb diet is that by depriving your body of fuel from carbohydrates, you force it to burn fat.

When you follow a low carb diet, your body goes into a state of ketosis. Ketosis is when your body uses its own fat for energy. The body really has no choice but to fuel itself from the breakdown of fat stored within your body; it has no choice since you've deprived if of the carbohydrates that it needs. After your body becomes a fat burning machine, the fat is supposed to melt away. On a regular diet, your body uses carbohydrates for energy. But on the low carb diet, your body uses the fat from your belly, thighs, butt, or anywhere else to get the energy it needs.

Is the Low Carb Diet too good to be true?

Many people believe that a low carb diet is just too dangerous to use. High protein diets have been known to cause many health problems. And for some people, the risks are just too high. Some health problems associated with the low carb diet include: kidney failure, high cholesterol, increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and cancer. The bottom line is that the body needs healthy carbohydrates to function properly. When you fail to get enough carbohydrates in your diet, you severely limit your intake of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and anti–oxidants.

One way to make a low card diet healthier is to get your protein from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. The problem is that when most people think of protein, they think only of meat. Plenty of people think a low carb diet means eat all of the meat you want. When the Atkins diet was new, many dieters liked it only because they thought it meant they could pig out on meat all day and still remain healthy.

There hasn't been any proof that a low carb diet causes significant weight loss. But there is proof that a low carb diet can cause numerous health problems. Nutritionists say it's best to avoid any diet that doesn't encourage eating a healthy, balanced meal. They also say it's best to avoid fad diets that cause you to engage in dangerous eating habits, even if only for a short time. If you're really interested in a low carb diet, please speak to your doctor or a nutritionist first.