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Realistic Low Carb Diet Plans

Jun 14, 2011 | By Karen Frazier
Realistic Low Carb Diet Plans
Photo Credit Shana Novak/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Dieters on low-carbohydrate plans such as Atkins, PaNu, Protein Power, South Beach and Zone all indicate success at losing weight and keeping it off. A realistic diet plan is one that you will follow. If a diet plan contains foods you don't enjoy or can't afford, then sticking with it will be difficult. When seeking a realistic plan, be honest with yourself about the type of diet you are willing to follow. Always check with your doctor before going on a low-carbohydrate diet.

Identification

Low-carbohydrate diets restrict both simple and complex carbohydrates. All carbohydrate foods contain sugars. Simple carbohydrates contain one or more sugars. Syrup, table sugar, fruit, dairy products, candy and baked goods are all simple carbohydrate foods. These types of foods have the most dramatic impact on your blood glucose levels, causing it to rise sharply after you eat them. Complex carbohydrate foods contain three or more sugars and have a less dramatic impact on blood glucose. Complex carbohydrate foods such as pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals and whole grains all cause your blood glucose levels to rise, although the increase is slower than with simple carbohydrates. Many low-carbohydrate diet plans such as Atkins recommend that you eat animal proteins, fats and non-starchy vegetables for the bulk of your food intake.

History

Your body may be evolutionarily primed to eat a low-carbohydrate diet, suggests Dr. Michael Eades, who designed the Protein Power diet. Obesity is primarily a construct of modern civilization, Eades contends, and its onset can be traced back to the beginning of societies centered around grain agriculture. By eating in a manner similar to prehistoric man, who were hunter-gatherers, Eades suggests that you can reverse obesity and return to the weight that you were evolutionarily designed to be. To accomplish this, Eades recommends eating mostly animal protein, animal fats and vegetables.

Theories/Speculation

Insulin appears to be a key player in growing obesity rates. According to "Good Calories, Bad Calories" author Gary Taubes, when blood glucose rises after you eat simple and complex carbohydrates, your pancreas releases insulin. When insulin is present in the bloodstream, your body is incapable of using stored fat as fuel, and insulin management through controlled carbohydrate eating allows your body to rely on stored fat as its primary source of fuel. The result is weight loss.

Recommendations

Various low-carbohydrate diets have differing recommendations; however, a realistic diet may be one that allows higher intake of vegetables, some fruits and a small amount of grains. This is the type of diet that will allow you to eat a balanced diet that comes closest to what is recommended by the USDA food pyramid, which suggests 3 to 6 ounces of grains, three to four servings of fruit, four to seven servings of vegetables, two to three servings each of lean proteins and low-fat dairy, and sparing use of sugar and fat.

Paleolithic-style diets such as PaNu allow fruits and vegetables, while modified low-carbohydrate diets like Zone and South Beach allow some grains, as well. Some low-carbohydrate diets such as Atkins are very high in saturated fat and may be low in fiber, although Dr. Atkins contends that when you eat a variety of the foods allowed on the diet, you can meet the USDA recommendations for all nutrients.

Research

A recent study at Temple University measured a low-carbohydrate diet against a low-fat diet. The study followed 300 participants for two years, and included behavior modification support for participants. At the conclusion of the study, researchers found that both diets were equally efficacious at reducing the weight of study participants. A 2008 Ben Gurion University Study conducted by Iris Shay, Ph.D. et al. examined the effectiveness of low-carbohydrate diets, Mediterranean-style diets and low-fat diets and concluded that all diets were equally effective at producing weight loss. Research into low-carbohydrate diets is ongoing.

Considerations

Low-carbohydrate diets have their critics, who feel that the diets are high in saturated fats, protein and cholesterol but low in fiber. This can lead to a host of health problems including increased risk of certain cancers, heart disease, kidney disease and gastrointestinal problems. Dr. Atkins also suggests that if you don't follow the diet exactly as prescribed, or you revert to previous eating habits, weight regain is likely.

References

Article reviewed by M. Gladden Last updated on: Jun 14, 2011

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