Is Low-Carb Really The Way To Go?
The latest trend in the area of weight loss is low-carb diets such as the Atkins Diet. First, let's talk about why the low-carb approach is so popular. To my knowledge, there has not been but one study that actually measured body fat of individuals following a low-carb both before and after to see exactly how much body fat was lost. So, not only does following a low-carb diet cause you to lose water, it also depletes muscle glycogen which leaves you feeling sluggish when trying to be active or workout. Cut the carbs and all you do is hold less water! This artificial weight loss is the main reason so many people are going low-carb.

 Saint Valentine Never Had it So Good
Now, if you will excuse me, I have some low- carb shopping to do. A low-carb Valentine's Day just might be good enough to turn Romance Grinches into LC Lovers. With every new love affair there would be two low carbers living the life together, listening to love songs with titles like, Low-Carb Cupid, and The One I Love Belongs to the Atkin's Center. Bread would only be two net carbs per slice and the national lunch snack would be sugar-free chocolate and natural peanut butter. Some believe it originated on February 14, 269 A.

 Staying Healthy on a Low Carbohydrate Diet
Although fruits and most vegetables are restricted in the initial phase of some low carbohydrate diets, they are then allowed back in limited amounts. Regardless of the actual advantage or disadvange to following a low carbohydrate diet, there are three recommendations for maintaining good health while following such a diet. We can now find 'low net carb' chips, crackers, ice cream, popcorn, even low carb pizza! As Americans start to increase their intake of these foods, we will soon see a slowing of the weight loss many had seen initially. Today, though, much like in the 80's, manufacturers are now developing 'low carb' and 'low net carb' snack foods. It is estimated that about 32 million Americans are following some type of low carbohydrate diet.

 Lose Weight and Keep it Off Permanently Without Fancy Diets
I have several personal friends who have lost significant weight on the new low carb diets. Very few of the fad diets, or the diets where you buy special food, can or will be followed permanently. For a full proven program to keep your weight off, click below. Things like cutting down your meal portions by one third, and eating slower, can make a big difference. For years the experts have been telling us that diets do not work, and my experience in the field for almost twenty years confirms that.

 Carb Crazed
Low Carb diets have become as popular as apple pie (although apple pie wouldn't be allowed!. Proponents of low carb diets claim that when carbs raise blood sugar and insulin levels, the process can make our bodies store fat more readily. Recent studies have found that low carbohydrate diets are deficient in as many as 19 vitamins and minerals and as many as 11 micronutrients. Very low carbohydrate diets would not be of concern to health professionals and nutrition experts if they weren't so significantly low in important nutrients and so high in saturated fats. By removing all carbohydrates from your diet you are setting yourself up for potential health problems not to mention bad breath (side effect of ketosis), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and low energy levels.

 The Simplest Diet Plan Ever - 3 Easy Steps to Healthy Living
But just think what your diet would be like if you dropped the processed fats and the low-fiber carbs. Most people do not need an ultra low carb diet. And when food manufacturers create low fat foods, they tend to replace the fat with junk carbs, that tend to pile on the pounds. Cut the fat! Cut the carbs! Cut the calories! Eat a balanced diet! But how can you cut though all of the confusion, and eat a diet that's balanced and healthy. You've heard the popular advice on weight loss diets.

 Reading Labels
The FDA's recommended daily allowance for carb intake is around 330 grams per day. This is the evil demon among low-carb dieters. The bad carbs would be considered Sugars. This is recommended daily allowance set by the FDA. In regards to carb intake this is a good product.

 Atkins Diet -- The Final Verdict
Atkins Diet and other ketogenic diets (low Carb) can be safe and effective in causing weight loss. Many supporters of low Carb diets claim that ketosis is safe. Supporters of the Atkins Diet claim that a low carbohydrate diet is a safe and effective method for losing weight. But in the context of a low Carb diet, the normal breakdown pathway of fats is altered and an alternative pathway kicks in. So, the Atkins Diet (and any low Carb diet) produces a low energy state (low glucose) that causes the breakdown fat using an alternative pathway that leads to the development of ketosis.

 Law of Attraction Resolves Diet Controversy
Low fat, no fat, good fat, high protein, vegetarian, no sugar, low carb, good carb, juice fasts, vegan, food combining, whole foods, raw foods - the list of alternative diets can be exhausting even to the initiated. One person can thrive on a vegetarian diet, while another develops intense cravings and low energy. However, someone who is able to consistently see herself in the body of her dreams, and feel fantastic in the skin she's in, will soon find reality conforming to her expectations - regardless of what she eats or how she exercises. As an attraction coach specializing in helping women get the bodies they want, I find the biggest obstacle we experience in our weight loss success is the inability to focus on the end result. Invariably those who fail time and again habitually focus on what they don't want, rather than what they do.

 Low Carb and Lowfat Diets...A Scam?!
Research shows the higher insulin levels of a low-fat, high-carb diet may predispose you to adult onset diabetes, hypoglycemia, and even heart disease. These diets claim that limiting carbs, like sugars, grains, fruits, and some vegetables, is the solution. Although a low-carb diet can cause weight loss, the goal of any program should be life long radiant health. Popular diets of today encouraging low-fat approaches, such as the diets of Dr. Generally, high-carb, low-fat meals have the opposite effect.

 Spring Forage
Feel the vitality of the low carb way of life, and eat guilt-free. However, as low carbers, we are in a terrific position. Although we must be mindful of where we forage and graze, low carbers have a distinct advantage over those who eat the old way. Graze through the fresh salad greens and tender dark green veggies, root through the nuts and berries, forage for pork rinds, bacon bits and a myriad of cheeses, and rejoice in the low- carb lifestyle we have chosen. We are instinctively following nature's urges to forage through the season's fresh and plentiful bounty.

 Low-Carb Diets: Are You Losing More than Weight?
People on low-carb diets are consuming up to 34% of their total calories in the form of protein and up to 53% of total calories from fat. Another reason weight loss is achieved on these low-carb diets, at least temporarily, is due to water loss. Some people, in the pursuit of thinness, are going on low-carb diets and are eating up to four times the protein their body needs. By replacing animal protein with vegetable protein, and replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat (like olive and canola oils), you can avoid the pitfalls of the typical high-protein low-carb diet. Many people on these diets also experience an elevation in their LDL (the bad) cholesterol when they remain on this diet for long periods.

 Diets, Diets, Diets?Do They Work?
Almost everyone has attempted to follow diets and weight loss programs at some time in their lives. The trouble with so many diets and low fat diets is that they are hard to follow. As with all new diets, weight loss and exercise plans, it's always best to consult with your physician and have a complete physical examination before starting. There are many different diets products to choose from. When choosing from among the many diets available, keep in mind what your reason is for altering your eating and exercise habits.

 The South Beach Diet
The South Beach diet is always confused with Atkins Diet, which is a low-carbohydrate diet. Good carbohydrates have low glycemic index which means that they are slowly digested and absorbed. Agatston, South Beach diet is neither a low carb nor low fat diet but the restrictions placed in the induction phase cut big time the carbohydrate and fat intake of dieters. In the first two weeks, dieters attempt to eliminate bad carb such as grains or fruits. After this phase, grain-based foods and fruits are returned to the diet with the concentration on foods with low glycemic index.

 The Evil of Carbohydrates (?)
In fact, athletes who consume a high-carb diet (60%) can maintain higher-intensity exercise longer than those following a low-carb diet . In recent years, carbohydrates have been labeled as the nutrition 'bad guy' because of the increases in insulin that occurs during metabolic processes. Also, as insulin efficiently clears the blood of excess sugar, blood sugar levels oftentimes dip below normal and will produce the infamous 'sugar blues' or a 'downer', followed by a possible craving for more sugar consumption. The Food Guide/Pyramid recommends about 50% of kcal in the average individual's diet to be in the form of carbohydrate. The more active a person, the more carbohydrate he or she should consume.