Carve Out Carbs - Low Carb

What You Need To Know About Low Carb Eating

Low carb diets have been getting a lot of press lately.
Not all of it positive, either.
Just a few years ago, low carb diets were all the rage.
People were losing weight fast by eating bacon and eggs and steaks. Sound too good to be true? Well, the latest press seems to think so. Read on to learn more.

The good and the bad points of low carb dieting

The general appeal of a low carb diet is that you can seemingly lose a lot of weight fairly quickly. Not only that, but you can do it eating as much meat and protein as you want. That in itself helps people stick with it. But eventually, you miss the potatoes that accompany "meat & potato" meals. And most fruits, vegetables and grains are forbidden; therefore, you aren't getting any fiber, and lack of fiber leads to constipation.

In addition, carbs cause your brain to produce the hormone serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical that aids in mood. When you reduce your carb intake as dramatically as some Low carb diet plans would have you do, you aren't getting enough serotonin, which puts you in a bad mood. Thus, going entirely low carb may not be without risk.

When you're on a low carb diet, the reason it works so well is because instead of burning carbohydrates for fuel, your body is burning fat and protein. This releases ketones in your system which are expelled through urine -- a state known as ketosis. (A side effect of ketosis is bad breath, so if you are in ketosis and wonder why you suddenly have bad breath all the time, now you know!)

The long term low carb impact

Long term effects of a low carb diet have not yet been determined, but doctors think it may cause kidney damage and possibly heart disease due to the high amount of fat you're allowed to ingest. (Generally, the lower the amount of fat in a product, the more carbs it has, so people on low carb diets opt for the full fat version of the food in question.)

Another problem with low carb dieting is that just like on any diet, in order for it to be effective, you have to continue it for the rest of your life. If you stop, you will likely gain all the weight back--possibly more. In addition, it's not realistic to cut out fruit and vegetables from your diet for the rest of your life. It is true that after the two-week induction period, complex carbohydrates are added back in to your diet, so you do get some fruits and vegetables back. But your best bet is probably just making healthy food choices.

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