The world is full of low carb diet plans. There are plans to lose weight, plans to gain weight, plans to build muscle, and plans for just about anything else under the sun. So, when someone introduces a new free low carb diet plan, it may be difficult to get excited about it.
What Is a Low Carb Diet?
Of all the diets you can find, it seems that the low-carb diet is the most popular. This eating plan is very basic: eat what you want as long as it is low in sugary foods, and limit your intake of pasta, breads, and any other kind of starchy foods. While these are quite often the favored food for countless people, the recommendation is that our diets should be rich in foods containing lots of protein, natural fats, and plenty of veggies.
Does It Work?
Research has shown that low-carb diets are very successful methods for weight loss and are very effective for improving one’s overall health. Talk to just about anyone who has tried it and you’ll hear loads of success stories with every one of them. Results aside, it is one of the easiest diet plans to try. There’s no counting calories, calculating fat grams, or even measuring portions. Just limit your carbs and you’ll be fine.
Still, even with all those success stories, the free low carb diet plan has come under attack. A better understanding of why this diet works will help you to understand the reason so many people are now rising up against it.
Low-Carb Basics:
For years, the health industry has bombarded us with warnings that fat is our most dangerous enemy so we’ve avoided fat at all costs. The free low carb diet plan on the other hand has changed our perspective. These diet plans usually encourage eating more fat and limiting the carb intake to only healthy carbs instead. It may seem counterproductive to think that you can eat more fat in order to lose it. This is a point of contention for many who think that fat is the culprit behind the excessive weight gain many people are struggling with but it helps to understand the reasoning behind the low-carb diet.
What Does Research Say?
After years of careful research, studies have shown that fat is not the enemy as long as you eat healthy fats. The reasoning is simple: when you go on a free low carb diet plan, you limit the amount of sugar you consume and are allowed to eat to satisfaction any other foods you enjoy. This is because when you limit the amount of sugar you take in the body’s blood sugar level begins to stabilize helping your insulin to drop. The result is you feel more satisfied when you eat, causing you to eat less and as a result, you lose weight.
Low-Carb Basics:
This diet is really very simple. People can eat their fill of meat, fish, eggs, and above ground veggies. They are also able to enjoy nice natural fats like coconut oil, avocado oil, and butter. They should avoid any intake of sugary or starchy foods like bread, pasta, beans, and potatoes as much as is reasonably possible.
There is no meal scheduling like other diets that recommend that you eat 5 small meals every day or you eat larger meals in the morning and smaller meals at night. The low-carb diet has very few rules. You eat when you’re hungry and eat until you’re full. So, no more wasting time reading labels and pulling out your diet calculator when you go out to a restaurant.
Who Should Avoid a Low-Carb Diet?
The free low carb diet plan is a great weight loss tool but it is not for everyone. While the majority of people could start the plan with no problems and see immediate weight loss results there are certain groups of people who are at a higher risk of complications when they try it.
Diabetes: Those who are diabetic or are taking insulin shots every day should avoid this type of diet. At the very least they should consult with their doctor before they start. He may have to make certain modifications that could help improve the results and protect your health at the same time. This is especially true if you’re on medication prescribed to control your diabetes.
Hypertension: Other people that need to be cautious about starting a low-carb diet are those with high blood pressure. Often, the medication prescribed to control the blood pressure may create complications for your overall health. Those who are struggling with keeping their blood pressure under control would do well to discuss the diet with their doctor first to see if they can lower the risk of their pressure dropping too low after they start the diet.
Women Who Are Breastfeeding: Women who are breastfeeding often want something that can help them to quickly lose their baby fat but caution is definitely warranted here. Medical experts say that while the low carb diet is very healthy and you are not consuming foods that could be potentially harmful to the baby, you should not go strictly low carb. Instead, a more moderate consumption of fats is a better option.
As is the case with any new diet or nutrition plan you must do your homework. While friends and family members will happily give you recommendations keep in mind that everyone’s health is different. The more you understand about this new eating plan, the better you will be able to plan so you can get the most benefit out of it. The free low carb diet plan has helped countless people to shed those excess pounds and will likely be of benefit to more in the future. Still, the best person to discuss your needs is your doctor. He knows all the minute details about your health and can identify problem areas that could cause your trouble in the future. Start your diet with him on your side and you have a much better chance of reaping positive results that could change your life forever.