Low carb food diets are designed to help you lose excess weight by reducing your carbohydrate intake, MayoClinic.com explains. The specifics of how this objective is met may vary from low carb food diet to low carb food diet. Each low carb food diet may suggest certain kinds of food and restrict the consumption of foods containing carbohydrates. Low carb food diets can affect your body in certain ways. You may even be elevating your risk of developing certain health conditions.
Low Carb Food Diet Premise
Low carb food diets labor under the premise that the carbohydrates from bread, pasta, potatoes and rice cause your body to gain weight, the University of Maryland Medical Center explains. Your weight gain is because eating these types of food elevates your blood sugar levels. Your elevated blood sugar in turn elevates your insulin levels. The elevated insulin levels can increase your food consumption resulting in weight gain. If you can remove foods containing carbohydrate from your diet, then your insulin levels should drop along with your level of food consumption.
Types of Low Carb Food Diets
The Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet are examples of low carb food diets, the University of Maryland Medical Center notes. Both diets break the weight loss process into different stages. The Atkins Diet has four phases, Atkins.com notes. The South Beach Diet has three stages, SouthBeachDiet.com explains. These diets differ mainly in that the Atkins Diet allows high protein consumption whereas the South Beach Diet does not. Low carb food diets generally prescribe the consumption of certain types of food at the various stages of their weight loss programs.
Effects
Aside from weight loss low carb food diets also give you other benefits, MayoClinic.com explains. The South Beach Diet, for example, emphasizes the consumption of food that is rich in nutrients, SouthBeachDiet.com explains. This diet also encourages eating your fill of their prescribed food so you will generally experience a sense of fullness instead of feeling deprived of food.
Negative Effects
Low carb food diets are not without risks or negative effects, the University of Maryland Medical Center cautions. The Atkins Diet's emphasis on high protein consumption elevates your risk of developing colon cancer. You may also run the risk of kidney damage and bone loss. The South Beach Diet on the other hand restricts your consumption of food that may also be beneficial to you such as bananas and carrots.
Types of Low Carb Food
Low carb food diets generally promote the consumption of certain fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and protein, MayoClinic.com explains. The Atkins Diet prescribes the consumption of poultry, fish, and soy products, Atkins.com notes. The diet also encourages your consumption of broccoli, blueberries, and spinach. The South Beach Diet suggests you eat loads of fish and skinless chicken meat, SouthBeachDiet.com notes. This diet does not allow you to eat fruits until its second phase.
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