Low Carb Diet Guide
Source of Recipe
3 Fat Chicks on a Diet
Ask 10 different people what a low carb diet is, and you will probably get 10 different answers. The difference in opinions can be extreme! Some dieters profess that low carb means 10-20 carbs a day, where others might tell you 10-20 carbs per meal. This is a subject that many people disagree on. The variety that is before us surely calls for a guide to low carbohydrate dieting. It seems like such a difficult process to the low carb novice, but it isn't as hard as it sounds.
What happened to low fat diets?
Depending on how you feel about the research, some low carb plans may seem unbelievable, some may sound like quackery, and some may sound heavenly! One idea they all have in common is that excess carbs cause obesity. Such a simple theory should be easy to grasp, but it isn't! Why? It goes against everything we have learned for years. For most of the 30-something and 40-something dieters out there, 'low fat' has been all we have ever learned of safe, effective dieting. Our doctors and teachers, along with scores of magazine articles, talk shows, cookbooks, textbooks and weight loss clinics told us that low fat diets promised a healthy cardiovascular system and life-long weight loss. Americans have learned the Food Pyramid since we were children, but low carb diets have turned the food pyramid on its head.
We've been told all of our life to eat low fat, and that high fat diets cause obesity and heart disease. In recent years, scientists have been finding in independent studies that a low fat diet might not be what it's cracked up to be. With low carb, we are told to eat fat...butter, cheese, eggs, meat, and that low fat, high carb foods are the guilty culprits in the battle of obesity. Many low fat diet staples are composed of low fat frozen dinners, snacks, breads, desserts, pastas, rices and ready made mixes and concoctions that comply with a lowfat lifestyle. Low fat is very common and easy to find on our grocery shelves. One thing many of them have in common is increased sugar and other added carbohydrates. Sugar has been found in numerous studies to be a cause of higher saturated fat in humans. As a whole, some research shows we are living longer than ever, but research also shows us to be fatter than ever. American's have spent billions of dollars on diets, but we still grow fatter! Could carbs really be the link? Some researchers think so.
In retrospect, we should consider what low fat dieters say is wrong with low carb diets. Some researchers and authors of low fat plans say that it is unhealthy, that low carb means high fat, which will surely congest the arteries with saturated fats, leading to heart disease. Some members of the medical community think that low carb diets may lead to kidney problems, colon cancer or osteoporosis.
What does Low Carb Mean?
Here are the basics of a low carb diet: Foods generally fall into three categories. Protein, fat, and carbohydrates. If your food isn't a fat and it isn't a protein, then by default it is a carbohydrate.
In a nutshell, one thing that low-carbers do agree with is that these excess carbohydrates are stored as fat. However, the amount of carbs that is considered excessive may vary! The basic principle of low carb diets is simply that, to dump the carbs.
Another low carb principle is how the body burns fat. Some research shows that dietary fat is not stored as fat. These researchers feel it is the excess carbs that are converted to fat by insulin. Insulin also causes your fat to be stored for later, so the body doesn't starve. If that isn't enough, the insulin also tells your brain you are hungry, then the cycle starts all over.
The body's first choice of fuel is a carbohydrate. If a person cuts down on carbohydrates in the diet, the body will burn more fat as energy. This process is taken to a high, for instance, with the Atkin's plan. This plan focuses on ketosis, which is the process in which our body burns our own fat for energy, versus carbohydrates. The safety of this process is very controversial in the weight loss community. This type of dieting is called a ketogenic diet. Very few of the low carb diets being followed today are ketogenic.
Low Carb Research
In the past, low carb and restricted carb diets haven't gotten a positive review in the media, but as of recently, some good news about low carbing has come to surface. News articles were formerly inundated with criticism of low carb diets, but finally there is some research from credible, independent researchers that back up some of what is said by the developers of the low carb plans.
In this section of our site, we will present to you the research and counter research on different kinds of diets, including low carb and low fat diets, so you can decide for yourself. One thing is clear - many low carb dieters aren't too concerned with the negative publicity that low carb dieting receives. Many of these low carbers insist that their quality of life has much improved since lowering the carbs. Reports of lower cholesterol, lower glucose, renewed energy and vitality, lack of food cravings and lack of hunger are just some of the benefits that are reported. To read various news articles for and against low carb dieting, visit our Low Carb Diet News section.
What programs do I have to choose from?
There are different types of diets that restrict carbs. The most popular ketogenic diet is Atkin's New Diet Revolution. Some of the 'caveman' type diets are also ketogenic. Protein Power is a similar program to Atkin's, but involves more carbohydrates and is not ketogenic. Combining your carbs with other foods is another method that some diets use, such as Somercizing and The Schwarzbein Principle.
Other diets are not considered low carb. Instead they consider themselves to be low glycemic, such as the SugarBusters plan. These low glycemic diets only allow carbs that are low or moderate on the Glycemic Index. Those diets are not listed in the low carb section. You can find them on the 3FC Guide to Low Glycemic Diets. These diet plans and more are listed below with easy to read summaries of each plan.
It is hard to decide which plan to choose. Diets are not one-size-fits-all. Two things that we think are important in choosing a diet are research and your doctor's approval! Low carb may not be for you. Please do not begin a new diet without discussing this with your doctor. If you don't have one, find one and get a physical. Various medical conditions may dictate what kind of diet you need to be on.
In this low carb segment of our site, we will give you an all around guide to the various 'carb restricted' diets available. Additionally, in 3FC's Guide to Diet Plans, we will present research on different low carb, low glycemic, and low fat diets, so you can choose the plan that is right for you! Many of these guides are provided by the ones who can explain them the easiest - the dieters themselves!
Members from our own forum have played a vital role in bringing this information to you with 3FC. You may learn more about them in their specific review.
In addition to the basic review, we will provide you with links to the official web pages of each low carb plan, and we will also include other resources, meal ideas and recipes to help you make low carb a successful way of eating. The plan reviews that are linked at right are some of the most popular low carb diet plans being followed at the current time. For a complete list of diet reviews for low carb, low glycemic and low fat plans, please visit 3FC's Complete Diet Guide.
Disclaimer: 3FC does not endorse or support any one particular plan for weight loss. We are not doctors and we do not claim this as medical advice. Some members of the medical community stress that Low Carbohydrate and/or Low Glycemic diets are ONLY beneficial if you have specific health concerns, such as Diabetes or Insulin Resistance. Otherwise, these diets may not work for you, and could have negative effects on your health. Please see your physician before beginning any of the diets that fall under this category to ensure that you are taking the correct step towards your weight loss.
We have written 3FC's Diet Guides with the viewpoint from all sides, not just our own. Some sections are written and contributed by people other than 3FC. Each view will be written in a positive manner based on the research as to why each kind of diet is thought to (or not to) work. With the numerous diets that are available, this is the most neutral way to make it easy for you to choose the plan that works for you! 3FC is not responsible for any actions you take with your diet and health.
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