Low Carb Diet Review - Understanding The Atkins Diet

Probably the best known, yet most misunderstood
low carb diet plan is the Atkins Diet.

Read below for a short review of the Atkins Diet.

Low Carb Diet Review - Understanding The
Atkins Diet

Perhaps the most widely known of all low carb diets is
the Atkins diet. Created by Dr. Robert Atkins in the 1970s
the Atkins diet is considered by some to be the most
extreme low carb diet plan.

Dr. Atkins believed that nearly all obesity is caused by
overactive insulin production and not by overeating. He
believed that overeating could be caused by carbohydrate
addiction and that most overweight people actually ate
less than their slim counterparts. However, they crave
and eat carbohydrate, which raises their insulin levels
and suppresses fat burning.

Dr. Atkins is a proponent of ketogenic fat burning, which
is achieved by eating fewer than 40 grams of carbohydrate
each day. He advises his followers to buy testing strips so
that they can measure the amount of ketones in their urine
daily to confirm that they are in a constant state of ketosis.
He also recommends the use of dietary supplements to help
balance nutrition and the bodies systems.

The Atkins Diet is divided into four stages: the Induction
diet, the Ongoing Weight Loss diet, the Pre-Maintenance
diet, and finally the Lifetime Maintenance diet.

The Induction diet is very strict as far as carb elimination
(20 grams or less per day), but generous in the allowance of
fat and protein. It should be noted that low starch vegetables
are the recommended source of carbs. This phase of the diet
lasts 14 days and is followed by the Ongoing Weight Loss diet
(OWL).

The OWL phase allows for the reintroduction of certain good
carbs but the levels are kept below 40 grams a day. Dieters
stay on OWL until they reach their ideal weight. Once the
ideal weight is reached dieters transition into the Pre-Maintenance
diet, where they experiment with reintroducing certain good
carbs until they discover their carb tolerance level (the total
carb grams they can consume in a day and not gain weight).

When dieters understand how much carb they can consume
and they maintain their ideal weight, they will enter Lifetime
Maintenance. Here they will continue to avoid sugar, processed
foods, white flour and hydrogenated fat/oils.



low carb diet

Low Carb Diet Plan - History and Background

I'll bet you didn't know that the low carb diet has actually
been around for over 100 years!

Read below to find out how low carb diets really got started
and see just how effective they can be.
=======================

Low Carb Diet Plan - History and Background


The terminology "low-carb" wasn’t really coined until
around 1992 when the USDA announced America’s
model food pyramid included six to eleven servings daily
of grains and starches. However, low-carb dieting dates
back more than 100 years before the trendy Atkins diet
to 1864 with a pamphlet titled Letter on Corpulence
written by William Banting, as close to the first commercial
low-carb diet as you could get.

Banting had suffered a series of debilitating health
problems due mainly to being overweight or “corpulent”.
He searched in vain for cures to his weight problem,
which many doctors at that time believed to be a
necessary side effect of old age. He also tried eating less
but he continued to gain weight and have various health
problems. He could not understand how the small
amounts of food he was eating led to his weight problem:

"Few men have led a more active life - bodily or mentally -
from a constitutional anxiety for regularity, precision, and
order, during fifty years' business career, from which I
had retired, so that my corpulence and subsequent
obesity were not through neglect of necessary bodily
activity, nor from excessive eating, drinking, or self
indulgence of any kind, except that I partook of the
simple aliments of bread, milk, butter, beer, sugar,
and potatoes more freely than my age required…"

Many contemporary Americans on the go may recognize
Banting’s previous unhealthy daily diet:

"My former dietary table was bread and milk for breakfast,
or a pint of tea with plenty of milk, sugar, and buttered
toast; meat, beer, much bread (of which I was always very
fond) and pastry for dinner, the meal of tea similar to that
of breakfast, and generally a fruit tart or bread and milk
for supper. I had little comfort and far less sound sleep."

Just substitute a Pop tart, doughnut or muffin with coffee
and plenty of cream and sugar for breakfast, a fast food
burger and fries with a supersized soft drink for lunch
and a frozen pot pie or pizza for dinner followed by dessert
and you can see how Banting’s diet was so much like the
typical fast-paced modern day Americans.

When his physician placed these items on a
"forbidden foods list," Banting lost 50 pounds and
13 inches in one year! He kept it off, living a long and
much healthier life.

His new diet plan consisted of a number of meat dishes
and he listed it as follows:

"For breakfast, at 9.00 A.M., I take five to six ounces of
either beef mutton, kidneys, broiled fish, bacon, or cold
meat of any kind except pork or veal; a large cup of tea
or coffee (without milk or sugar), a little biscuit, or one
ounce of dry toast; making together six ounces solid,
nine liquid.

For dinner, at 2.00 P.M., Five or six ounces of any fish
except salmon, herrings, or eels, any meat except pork
or veal, any vegetable except potato, parsnip, beetroot,
turnip, or carrot, one ounce of dry toast, fruit out of a
pudding not sweetened, any kind of poultry or game,
and two or three glasses of good claret, sherry, or
Madeira- Champagne, port, and beer forbidden; making
together ten to twelve ounces solid, and ten liquid.

For tea, at 6.00 P.M., Two or three ounces of cooked
fruit, a rusk or two, and a cup of tea without milk or
sugar; making two to four ounces solid, nine liquid.

For supper, at 9.00 P.M. Three or four ounces of meat
or fish, similar to dinner, with a glass or two of claret or
sherry and water; making four ounces solid and seven
liquid.

For nightcap, if required, a tumbler of grog (gin, whisky,
or brandy, without sugar)-or a glass or two of claret or
sherry."

So great were the changes in his appearance and health
that his friends and acquaintances began to notice and
just like today wanted to know what diet he was on.
Most important of all Banting could feel and see a
difference himself.

"I am told by all who know me that my personal
appearance greatly improved, and that I seem to bear
the stamp of good health; this may be a matter of opinion
or friendly remark, but I can honestly assert that I feel
restored in health, 'bodily and mentally,' appear to have
more muscular power and vigour, eat and drink with a
good appetite, and sleep well. All symptoms of acidity,
indigestion, and heartburn (with which I was frequently
tormented) have vanished. I have left off using boot-hooks,
and other such aids, which were indispensable, but being
now able to stoop with ease and freedom, are unnecessary.

I have lost the feeling of occasional faintness, and what I
think a remarkable blessing and comfort is, that I have
been able safely to leave off knee-bandages, which
I had worn necessarily for many years, and given
up the umbilical truss."

His how-to dieting book became very popular and was
translated into multiple languages. However, over time it
was abandoned.

Banting noted in Letter on Corpulence that a common
health paradox of our time did not exist in his. This was
the paradox of obesity, widely believed to be a problem
of excess, among the poor. The poor of the 19th century
could not afford the refined sugary foods that cause
weight gain. But poor people of the 21st century sure can
today.

In a recent Associated Press article titled, "Health Paradox:
Obesity Attacks Poor", the reporter noted that many poor
families are stretching their food dollars by purchasing
unhealthy processed and refined foods. Of one family
Barbassa wrote,

"During winter, jobs are scarce, so Caballero feeds her
husband and three children the cheapest food she can get:
potatoes, bread, tortillas… As processed foods rich in
sugar and fat have become cheaper than fruits and
vegetables, the poor in particular are paying a high price
with obesity rates shooting up, followed by diabetes."

Unfortunately for the Caballero family, these cheap staples
are bad for their health. Fresh meat, low-starch fruits and
vegetables may be more expensive and have a shorter
shelf life, but they are definitely worth the price in saved
medical expenses and better health.

Throughout the years, as "calories" became known,
variations of counting them were included in dietary
solutions. And a variety of other issues were explored
like how many of which foods should be eaten and how
frequently.

While Banting’s diet eventually fell out of favor, low-carb
diets did begin appearing again in the 20th century. The
most famous of these are the Atkins and Scarsdale diets
that came to popularity in the 1970s. While Scarsdale has
a set 14 day meal plan that must be followed and greatly
restricts calories, the Atkins diet allowed for unlimited
calorie consumption as long as those calories were from
protein, fat and vegetables and carbs intake was kept low.

Atkins and Scarsdale fell out of favor in the 1980’s as
the U. S. Department of Agriculture encouraged the
consumption of grains and grain products with the USDA
food pyramid.

It was only in the 1990’s that we began to see a return
to low-carb dieting that seems to be more than a fad. It’s
a lifestyle! As more and more people realize the weight
loss and other health benefits that are available to people
who eat low-carb, the number of diets and stores that sell
specialty low-carb products continue to rise.

In a nutshell, most low-carb diets carry the same basic
premise: that too much of simple, refined carbohydrates
leads to over overproduction of insulin, which leads to the
storage of too much fat in the body. This fat storage is
especially prominent around the middle.

While there are degrees of difference among the many
diets, they all agree on the negative effects that excess
insulin production have on our systems.
---------------------------------------

As you can see from Banting's own experiences - being able
to discard the knee wraps and truss - losing the weight through
a low carb diet is truly beneficial.




low carb diet plan

"Cookie Cutter" Low Carb Diet Plans Explained

Here's a good article that points out the fact that we're
all different, we're all individuals. Therefore, you have to
base your diet on YOUR OWN needs.

Don't forget though, exercise and drink plenty of water
along with your sensible low carb diet plan to get the
maximum benefits and maintain your weight loss.

"Cookie Cutter" Low Carb Diet Plans Explained
by Jenny Mathers

Most diet plans, including low carb diet plans are best
taken with a grain of salt, because although one may work
for your best friend, it may not work for you. For those
with serious weight problems and have co-existing issues
such as hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar levels) or like
some of us hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels) etc.,
the popular diet plans usually will not be able to cater to
individual needs.

We are all individuals and as such we need to feed
ourselves as individuals, having said this some diet plans
will be more beneficial for the general population that
others. To assess which particular diet plan will be beneficial,
you can follow these guidelines. They are very much common
sense points, and provide a good framework which many
nutrition professionals would broadly follow, and within
which you can divide the scammy diet plans from those that
can offer you safe and healthy diet ideas.

1. Diet offers sufficient balance and a variety of carbohydrates,
   protein and fats.
   
2. Diet does not exclude one particular food group, and encourage
   excessive consumption of another.
   
3. Diet encourages exercise to complement sensible eating habits.
   
4. Diet encourages awareness of portion sizes.
   
5. Diet does not encourage unrealistic quick weight loss.
   
6. Diet is backed up with medical research data.

In addition to these points, I've broadly outlined the low carb
diet plans, which seem to be occupying the minds of dieters
and researchers alike, as well as the research for and against
pertinent to the low carb diet plans.

Low Carb Diets

A lot of the diet plans these days center around the low
carb diet plans. These low carb diet plans are considered
by some diet fads, others consider it the new wave in
healthy eating. Diets such as The New Atkins Diet Revolution
maintain that obese people are insulin sensitive and
carbohydrates make them gain weight. Low carb diet plans
such as The Zone lay down specific proportion of
carbohydrates, protein and fats that should be consumed in
order to lose weight and while fats are reduced, the main
source of energy comes from the consumption of protein.

Low carb diet plans such as Sugar Busters, believe that
sugar is your bodys most heinous weight loss enemy and
since carbohydrates are the foods that are processed into
sugars - carbohydrates should be limited. The Scarsdale
Diet also is a low carb, high protein diet and offers a 2 week
crash dieting plan.

Popular diets such as the South Beach Diet and the
Carbohydrate Addicts Diet are also low carb diet plans that
have become popular with dieters who have tried and failed
at the Atkins diet. All these diets see themselves as the
worlds answer to the obesity problem.

To be fair, there are significant and many research papers
that support and argue against the low carb revolution, as
yet the wider medical community has not fully made its
mind up as to whether the diets are something that is
favourable in the long term.

Recent research by Layman et. al., and Saris have found
that the low carb and high protein diets provide little
benefit to dieters. Researchers found that when protein
was moderately increased and carbohydrates proportionately
decreased, insulin levels stabilised but no significant weight
was lost. Saris in his review concluded that it is probable
that a low carb, high fat diet will increase the likelihood of
weight gain.

While there is a lot of evidence against the low carb philosophy,
there is also a lot of evidence to support it. Research published
in May, 2004, found that when patients on a low carb diet were
compared with patients on a low fat diet, those patients who
had consumed a low carb diet had a greater weight loss,
decreased triglyceride levels and increased levels of HDLs -
in other words their cholesterol levels had improved. To put
the icing on the cake research has just been published to
support the long term efficacy of eating a low carb diet.

Despite the evidence to support low carb diet plans,
mainstream medicine still does not recommend them. The
main points of contention with the low carb, high protein
diets is that they dont offer balance and variety and could
prove dangerous for people at risk of heart disease. Particularly
with low carb diet plans such as the scarsdale diet, they are
not realistic and cannot be maintained in the long term
causing yo-yo dieting and no one wants that !

References:

Wim HM Saris Sugars, energy metabolism, and body weight
control Am J Clin Nutr 78: 850S-857S
Donald K. Layman, Harn Shiue, Carl Sather, Donna J. Erickson
and Jamie Baum Increased Dietary Protein Modifies Glucose
and Insulin Homeostasis in Adult Women during Weight Loss
Nutrition.org

Yamashita T, Sasahara T, Pomeroy SE, Collier G, Nestel PJ.
Arterial compliance, blood pressure, plasma leptin, and plasma
lipids in women are improved with weight reduction equally
with a meat-based diet and a plant-based diet. Metabolism.
1998 Nov;47(11):1308-14.

Yancy WS Jr, Olsen MK, Guyton JR, Bakst RP, Westman EC.
A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-fat diet to
treat obesity and hyperlipidemia: a randomized, controlled
trial. Ann Intern Med. 2004 May 18;140(10):769-77.

Copyright © 2004 Jenny Mathers. All Rights Reserved.

Want more great ideas about which foods to eat and which to
avoid ? Research fat burning foods at Savvy Fat Burning Foods

The Basics Of The Low Carb Diet And How To Succeed With It

Does being overweight make you feel deformed? Well here's
one author who seems to think so!

Please read this guest article about how a low carb diet
could help keep you lean and healthy.
=======================
FEATURED ARTICLE

The Basics Of The Low Carb Diet And How To
Succeed With It
Author: Sarah Williams

Dieting is one of the favorite past times of many people
today.But what then is the reason for such activity? Well,
there are only two main reasons for dieting, the first is to
lose weight, and the other one is to improve health, or even
both.

So today, those who are deformed and overweight are
engaging in the low carb dieting for their better health and
vitality. However, it is interesting to know that not only
those who are deformed and overweight who are after the
low carb diet. In fact, even those who are healthy and who
are not overweight were able to maintain their vitality and
health by following the basics of the low carb diet.

The low carb diet is noted to have given great benefits to
most of the people. In fact, the low carb diet is considered
as the best diet fad that strikes at the true cause of obesity,
high cholesterol, hypoglycemia, high blood pressure, and
diabetes. With such effect that the low carb diet contributes,
many doctors and nutritionists are now starting to recognize
the nature about the low carb diet.

Generally, the low carb diet has various versions. Among the
well-known versions of the low carb diet include the Protein
Power, Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, Neanderthin, The
Carbohydrates Addict’s Lifestyle Plan, Life without Bread, and
much more. It is then considered that all of these versions of
the low carb diet have one thing in common, and that is a very
strict diminution in the intake of carbohydrates. And this
particular thing in common among these mentioned versions of
the low carb diet is the main reason that they are considered
as part of the low carb diet.

Most of these kinds of diet largely replace the carbohydrates
with fats and proteins. Even though the diet differ in their
recommendations, it is very nice to recognize that the low carb
diet, as the general rule applies, is synonymous with a high-fat
and moderate protein diet. It is then noted that those on such
kind of diet must get at least sixty to seventy percent of
their regular calorie consumption from fat. The carbohydrates
should then make up for less than ten percent, and in some
instances, for less than five percent of their daily calorie
consumption.

Lastly, on the low carb diet, you are given the opportunity to
eat until you are full, as long as you eat only those foods
that are allowed for your diet. So to mention, some of the
allowed foods for low carb diet include meats, fish, poultry,
and cheese, which are then coupled with a limited amount of
green vegetables. It is just necessary to stay away from those
not allowed foods if you want to have the best results.

About The Author: Check out http://www.lowcarbdomination.com
for low carb recipes. Feel free to redistribute this article as
long as there is an active hyperlink pointing to our site. Enjoy.





low carb diet plan