by Emily Kane

Created on: January 23, 2008

What's the best way to approach a low carb diet? There are a few considerations to look at before venturing down the path of diet success using this method. Figure out if the plan is right for you, for instance as a vegan or vegetarian it would be impossible to successfully complete a low carb diet due to the high animal protein content. Also if you're not the type to be able to follow a strict regimen, then this won't be the diet for you either. If you are thinking about embarking on a low carb diet, you should consider the advantages and disadvantages of the changes that affect your body in the diet.

A major benefit of a low carbohydrate/high protein diet is that the plan eliminates all refined carbs including white breads, white pasta, and sweets. This is good because these foods are all high on the glycemic index which indicates how fast your body is absorbing the sugars from the food we eat. In the case of refined carbohydrates the body absorbs these foods quickly causing blood sugar levels to spike, which means that the hormone insulin will be in higher demand. Insulin is a hormone that causes hunger from removing the sugar out of your blood to be used as energy, or for the case of someone who's relatively sedentary, it will be stored as fat. Since the body isn't fully satisfied by the glucose (sugar) being quickly utilized, it will often cause overeating and thus weight gain. Most of these foods lack the nutrients our body needs, so not only do they cause weight gain, but are often filled with what's commonly known as "empty" calories.

Despite some good advice from many low carb diets, there's also a downside. There are many risks associated with the diet such as Ketosis which is a condition where there are excess ketones in the body from the lack of carbohydrates which can cause nervous and digestive problems as well as bad breath. It has been shown to raise HDL cholesterol (aka the good cholesterol) but due to the saturated fat content of the diet, it also significantly raises the cholesterol you want to avoid. The lack of fruits and vegetables is very concerning due to the fact that most of our nutrients come from this food source such as vitamins, minerals, fiber and even water.

Although with correct application of the diet, you can experience rapid and significant weight loss, it's hard to say if the benefit outweighs the risk. If you are considering this diet, it's important to contact a physician before pursuing it. The diet should only be done on a fairly short term basis and regular health check-ups are needed. Take some key points from the diet such as eliminate processed carbs and refined sugars, but keep the fruits and vegetables. To obtain permanent weight loss, it's important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and that includes any changes you should make in your daily routine.

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