by Lynn Jordan

Created on: January 09, 2008

Are you overweight? Are you tired most of the time? Is your blood pressure and cholesterol higher than you or your doctor would like? Do you need help lowering your triglycerides or blood sugar?

Can you stand the thought of cutting out most bread products without thinking of committing suicide? Do you enjoy eating meat and dairy? Are you willing to try eating more servings of certain fruits and vegetables?

If so, you might want to try a low carb diet. You can follow a low carb lifestyle if you are a vegetarian, but it's harder to get the proper amount of protein if you don't eat meat or dairy.

When you lower your carbohydrate intake, your body doesn't crave them for long. Vegetables start tasting a whole lot better. Eating fresh, real food instead of processed food really makes a difference in the way you feel. Your energy level improves, so you can exercise more to bring your weight down even faster.

If you like to research understand exactly what is happening in your body, pick up the book PROTEIN POWER by the Dr. Michael R. Eades and his wife Dr. Mary Dan Eades. They are cardiologists who found that their heart patients greatly improved after eating a low carb diet. They lay out all the facts they've discovered over many years of practice.

If you need a social network to help you stay on track, there are several groups, both on-line and off-line that meet and compare challenges and successes. Groups share ideas and recipes for delicious foods including treats and desserts. You can track your eating on your own or on websites such as www.fitday.com.

If you think that not eating breads, pasta, and other high carbohydrates will drive you crazy, or at least off your diet, there are several substitutions you can make to allow you to still enjoy some of your favorite foods. You can eat breads and rolls made from flours other than wheat. Almond flour makes a great replacement and is rich in other vitamins and minerals. Vital wheat gluten flour is a much healthier substitute for white flour and has far fewer carbs.

Because there is usually a quick loss of a few pounds, a low carb diet rewards you faster than most other diets. This helps you stay on track while your body is adjusting to this new way of eating.

If you are pregnant or nursing, this way of eating is probably not for you. Talk with your doctor before starting any kind of diet program.

Whether you need to lose a few pounds are many, you can reach your weight goal without feeling hungry or deprived when you follow a low carb diet.

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