Do Low Carbohydrate Diets Work?
The Lowdown on a Low-Carb Diet
Low-carb diets restrict or limit carbohydrates to the recommended amount. Foods like pasta and bread are avoided for more protein-based foods such as meat and fish.
One of the most famous low-carb diets is the Atkins diet. This is a different type of diet where you don't have to count the calories and is said to help you lose weight while feeling full.
The following article explains what the need is for a low-carb food, deciding the amount of your daily carb requirement, the difference between good and bad carbohydrates and the possible dangers of this type of diet.
Read on and see if this is the diet for you
What Is The Need To Have Low-Carb Food?
Most weight loss management specialists over the years had been strongly recommending that we eat a calorie-restricted diet to avoid excess fat accumulation within the body.
However, diet planning based on a low carbohydrate diet had mixed results. Most of the people on a low-carb diet did not experience satisfactory weight loss results.
A fruit diet had been an alternative solution to avoid carbohydrate intake. Consuming less amount of food that has a high rate of sugar and starch is essential.
Many studies and research have suggested that low-carb diets also have the efficiency to suppress appetite. Feeling satiated with even less amount food helps in weight loss with strict avoidance of a rich carbohydrate diet.
There had been numerous comparisons of the results of low-carb diet versus low-fat diet groups. It was found that people on a low-carb diet have reported significantly more weight loss results compared to the low-fat diet group.
The low carbohydrate diet has a lot of other added benefits to the body. It brings about a healthy and balanced rate of blood sugar, triglycerides, and blood pressure.
Another notable benefit of a low-carb diet is its ability to improve good cholesterol (HDL) and reduce and manage the presence of bad cholesterol (LDL).
In the weight loss community, most of the popular dieticians are for low-carb diets than low-fat and calorie-restricted diets. This theory also has several scientific backings to prove the argument.
Deciding On The Amount Of Carbohydrate Required Daily
Some of the broad criteria that could be adopted to decide upon the right intake of daily carbohydrates will depend on body composition, activity levels, age, gender and metabolic health.
A person who lives a sedentary life does require very little of carbohydrates.
A person who engages in energetic physical activities requires more amount of carbohydrates. For example, a sportsman’s intake of carbohydrate-rich food should be much more than regular office goers.
Low Carb-Diet Warning
One should not mistake the low-carb diet plan for a “No-Carb” diet. Carbohydrate is essential for a healthy life. We only meant to say, that each one should limit the carbohydrate intake according to the requirement of their lifestyle.
A healthy and non-obese person need not care much about the carbohydrate intake till he/she does not face any obesity issues. One should fix the carbohydrate intake between 25 grams to 200 grams per day according to their physical need and obesity level.
One should not follow the above-suggested carbohydrate intake plan blindly. If you are already under medication for some ailments, no diet plan should be followed without consulting your doctor.
Difference Between Good And Bad Carbohydrates
It should be clearly understood that following low carbohydrate diet has two benefits. It promotes good health and effectively keeps your weight under control.
All sources of carbohydrate is not healthy. Some of the junk foods that come with “low-carb” label may not be of good-carbo most of the times.
Most healthy carbohydrate sources are those that include fiber. You can also have fish, meat, eggs, nuts and healthy fats for a balanced healthy diet along with a low-carb diet. Another good source of moderate carbohydrates is potatoes, oats, and rice.
The unhealthy carbohydrate sources are wheat and added sugar which needed to be avoided as far as possible, especially if you are obese with poor metabolic health. It is easy to lose weight with simple diet plan and by following a physically active and disciplined lifestyle.
Conclusion
A well-planned low-carb diet that exactly fits into your daily requirement of carbohydrate is good. However, extreme low-carb diet can cause many health hazards. Your body must receive a sufficient amount of carbohydrates according to the activities it has to perform daily. Your weight loss efforts will be much safer and faster if you combine a low-carb diet with good natural supplements.
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