by beth king

Created on: December 22, 2009

The idea of low carb dieting has been around for a long time and has gone through several changes. The reason that many diets eliminate or restrict carbohydrates, is that when they are not burned by the body, they turn to sugar and then to fat.  

Carbohydrates are important in a well balanced diet, however, it is the quality and the type of carbs that will make a difference.  Some raise the blood sugar rapidly while others do so slowly and therefore help to maintain stable insulin levels.  

What are good carbs versus bad carbs?  As a rule of thumb, think about eliminating all foods that include white flour and white sugar.  These are the highly processed carbs that contain very little if any nutritional value.  These are also the ones that will quickly raise your blood sugar.  What follows is the drop in sugar, creating hunger and more cravings.  

For the best results, have a menu planned and look for a carbohydrate counter.  These can be found online and in most of the low carb diet books.  Get familiar with the good versus bad carbs so when you are out you know what to order and eat.  

Following is a list of tips that can be used if you are on a low carb diet or planning to start one soon. 

1.  Eliminate completely all processed carbohydrates, including; white bread, white rice, cake, cookies and other desserts made with these ingredients. 

2.  Eliminate foods containing white sugar.  

3.  Increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables with every meal. 

4.  Limit the high sugar fruits and eat them early in the day to have a chance to burn them off. 

5.  Eat high quality grains such as whole-wheat (read the labels to be sure), brown rice and other grains.  Eat these early in the day as well so you have time to burn them off. 

6.  Increase the amount of beans and legumes.  Although these are carbohydrates, they are a good quality choice and will raise the blood sugar slowly.  

7.  Add some sort of fitness or exercise to your plan and get moving every day. 

8.  Be sure to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses (8 ounces) of water per day and space it out over the day.  With the increase in good quality grains and added fiber, this will help with waste removal.  

It’s important in any diet to include a wide variety of fresh and unprocessed foods and not eliminate completely a certain food group.  A low carbohydrate diet can be a great way to lose weight and keep it off when done with common sense.  Since so many carbohydrates are important in providing many of the vitamins and minerals we need, choosing the right ones are the key to success and health.

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