Time and again, it has been said that weight loss is not just about dieting, rigorous exercise, or drastic cosmetic surgeries. But people—being stubborn and not content beings they are—never listens. They continue to live the lifestyles that put their health to risk by trying out different means of losing weight without proper guidance from their healthcare providers.

Low Carb Diet 101

Indeed, a lot has been said about various diets and how these work for some people. There’ s the Atkins Diet, the South Beach, the After-Six Diet plan and so on goes on the list of diet crazes that swept the western world and even Asian regions. Among all these, one type of diet has become popular than the others—it’s called the Low Carb Diet.

Basically, low carb diet actually emphasizes cutting down on from a person’s daily food intake. This diet allows the dieter to take in all foods except those that have carbohydrates. Although there are many testimonies that prove that low carb diet really works, you must be very knowledgeable first about its pros and cons before deciding to go with the hype.

People who have tried low carb diets say that its advantages include:

1. Faster and quicker weight loss compared to fasting.

2. The diet may result to higher protein intake and absorption.

3. It stabilizes blood sugar levels and is extremely beneficial to those who suffer from diabetics.

Experts say that the disadvantages of low carb diets may include:

- High cholesterol levels due to the lack of protein-rich and fatty foods that has saturated fats.
- Increased blood pressure due to elimination of whole grains products that help lower blood pressure.
- It can lead to osteoporosis because there will be no enough supply of calcium.
- In some cases, this diet can lead to diarrhea, constipation, and severe headaches.
- Low carb diets increase the possibility of lower mental acuity.
- Instead of losing weight, this diet can lead to weight gain.
If you are planning on taking low carb diet, here are some helpful tips to keep you in track:

1. Make sure to drink lots of water to avoid dehydration and constipation.

2. Consider taking in more fiber and vitamin supplements.

3. Cease from consuming products that has sugar.

4. Cut down on taking in products that contain caffeine.

5. Monitor your daily carbohydrate intake.

6. Don’t mind calories, they are allowed in this diet.

7. Acquire a carbohydrate counter to keep you updated.

8. Do regular physical activities and exercise to reach ketosis easily.

9. Brace yourself for diarrhea that may last for a couple of days.

10. If possible, avoid eating foods that have saturated fats.

By Low Jeremy - diet-plans.articlesforreprint.com

Low Carb Diet Side Effects

Many people curious about starting a low carb diet wonder if there are side effects they need to be aware of before getting started. Many also wonder if there are harmful low carb diet side effects too, so let’s look at the most common side effects of low carb dieting, and talk about whether any of these are harmful.

Some of these low carb diet side effects can be problematic for people with health conditions, particularly if they’re taking medications for those conditions. Often the side effects are good, but you need to be aware they can happen and talk to your medical care provider because they’ll need to monitor your progress and possibly change, reduce, or eliminate medications as you progress.

For instance, a very common low carb diet side effect is lowered, or more even blood sugar levels. This is an important low carb diet side effect for any diabetic, particularly ones that take insulin shots or medication. Since low carb diets can drastically reduce your blood sugar levels naturally, your doctor may need to adjust your medication levels to compensate for those changes.

Another low carb diet side effect is of course losing a lot of weight. This by itself is not technically a side effect, but related effects of losing weight can include regulation of blood pressure, easing or disappearance of digestive tract problems, and resolution of breathing problems too.

If you’re taking high blood pressure medication, then the side effect of having that lowered from eating a low carb diet will need to be addressed by your doctor or medical care specialist. The same applies for digestive troubles, if you experience resolution to those problems as a low carb dieting side effect, your doctor will need to adjust or eliminate the medications you take.

Now if you don’t take medications for conditions such as those listed above, you may still experience low carb diet side effects, but they’re likely to be ones you’re happy to have.

Common, “good” low carb diet side effects include reduced cravings for sugars and starches; increased energy; reduced bloated and gassy, upset stomach feelings; improved bowel movements; regulated blood sugar levels and blood pressure levels; loss of excess water retention; and of course, loss of excess body fat.

There are some low carb diet side effects that are not harmful, but you need to be aware of them because they are uncomfortable at best. These low carb diet side effects are more common during the first one to five days on the diet, and are side effects of your body adjusting to your eating changes. These side effects can include headaches; nausea; dizziness; lethargy or low energy; severe sugar cravings; irritability; and constipation.

There are also a couple of women specific low carb diet side effects. In the first week or two of your new low carb diet, you may experience oddities with your monthly menstrual flow. Usually this side effect lasts a short time though, and is caused by your body adjusting to the new eating lifestyle you’ve chosen. A great low carb diet side effect comes later: Women’s menstrual flow is usually reduced, and there is generally much less pain or other problems involved while you’re on a low carb diet.

Many of those early low carb diet side effects can be reduced by drinking extra water and getting plenty of rest, plus making sure you don’t go hungry. In rare cases these initial low carb diet side effects can last as long as ten days, but usually they’re present from approximately the third to the fifth day of your low carb diet.

By Diane Crawford - lowcarb.healthanddiettips.com

What Really Qualifies As Low Carb Diet Food?

One of the unfortunate truths of the Western diet is that most of the foods we have learned to love are also the ones which are long on simple carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, and calories, and short on nutrition. Pre-processed foods, while they may save time in preparation, are also high in preservatives and sodium. A healthy eating plan simply does not look very much the average American diet, as the rising obesity rates in the US can attest.

There is no way to avoid carbohydrates, and carbohydrates, in fact, are essential to our survival. They are what our bodies burn as fuel, and even couch potatoes need carbohydrates to keep their resting metabolisms functioning. But eating too many carbohydrates, and especially eating those which have been stripped of their fiber and nutrients, puts a tremendous strain on the systems which regular blood sugar levels. Switching to low carb diet food, instead of eliminating carbs entirely, is one way to keep the good thing about carbs without suffering from the bad.

Learning to distinguish simple carbohydrates from complex carbohydrates is one way to find low carb diet food which will not be such a shock to the blood sugar level. Simple carbohydrates are those which contain refined sugar, or sucrose; fruit sugar, or fructose; and milk sugar, or lactose. Of the three, refined sugar or sucrose is far and away the most harmful to your health, simply because it has been stripped of all its fiber and nutrients.

Milk products contain essential calcium and Vitamin D, and many fruits are powerhouses of fiber and nutrients. So any truly low carb diet food would have only trace amounts of sucrose or none at all. Fructose and lactose are acceptable in small amounts.

Complex carbohydrates are those which have not had any of their nutrients removed through processing, like whole grain breads and cereals or raw or lightly steamed vegetables. Processing removes not only nutrients, but fiber, from foods, and fiber is what lets low carb diet foods a feeling of fullness so that we eat less. Fiber also means that low carb diet food will digest more slowly, helping the body to regulate its blood sugar levels much more efficiently.

Complex carbohydrates should be limited as low carb diet food; but even a small serving of a complex carbohydrate has many more health benefits than a large serving of processed, simple carbohydrate.

The foundation low carb diet food, of course, is high-protein meat, fish, cheese, eggs, nuts, and fats. But their low carb content does not mean that they can be eaten in unlimited quantities; and they must be accompanied by daily servings of low carb diet food like fresh vegetables and fruits to provide essential minerals and vitamins.

The best low carb diet foods, therefore, are lean meats or fish, monosaturated fats like olive oil, low fat cheeses, eggs, and low carb fruits like berries and vegetables like spinach, broccoli, onions, peppers, cucumbers, and celery. Any carbs you decide to add should be complex carbs, consumed in small amounts.

By Wade Robins - Origin of South Beach diet

Low Carb Diet Food was filed under Weight Loss Diet. Write your comment for Low Carb Diet Food.