http://www.carveoutcarbs.com/low-carb-diets.html Low carb diets are the latest dieting trend, but low carb diets aren't necessarily the greatest. en-us Tue, 06 Dec 2005 23:24:26 EST Tue, 06 Dec 2005 23:24:26 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 In the past eight years or so, low carb diets have been the hottest weight loss trend. It's easy to see why--lots of people have lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time this way. But are low carb diets really good for you? Requirements of Most Low Carb Diets The most well-known low carb diets around are the Atkins diet and the South Beach diet. These diets have a couple of things in common: They both have a two-week period during which you're only allowed to have 20 grams of carbs a day. After the two-week period, you get more carbs, but your carb intake is still severely restricted. The fact is, our bodies need 130 grams of carbs a day. Period. No more, no less. However, most of us eat far more than that without realizing it. In that sense, low carb diets aren't a bad idea. Since most of us eat an average of 225 grams of carbs daily (or more) . Try counting your daily carb intake for a week. You might be surprised at how many carbs you're eating. If it's in the neighborhood of 225-250 or more, cutting back to 130 can be a job in and of itself. Now imagine cutting yourself down to only 20 grams a day for two weeks, then 60 grams a day after that until you've lost the weight you want to lose. Bear in mind that when you eat less than 130 grams of carbs a day, you're likely to experience any or all of the following side effects: Nausea Bad breath Headaches Moodiness Mental sluggishness Constipation These are all short-term side effects of low carb diets. Done for a long period of time, you put yourself at higher risk for the following conditions: Heart disease Kidney disease Cancer Osteoporosis So before you go on a low carb diet, consider these things. Do more research into the whys and wherefores. Make an informed decision. Your health is a terrible price to pay. Tue, 06 Dec 2005 23:24:26 EST