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Diets: The Hidden Truth
Quick, what's the first thought that pops into your head when you hear the word "diet?" Probably that when you're on one, you feel like you're going to "d-i-e" right?! WHAT EXACTLY IS A DIET? Most people believe that a diet is something that...
Herbs: Burdock
Common Name: Burdock Botanical Name: Arctium lappa (LINN.) Family: N. O. Compositae Genus: Arctium, derived from the Greek arktos Other common names: Lappa, Fox's Clote, Thorny Burr, Beggar's Buttons, Cockle Buttons, Love Leaves, Philanthropium,...
How to get rid of your belly fat or pooch
The best way you can get rid of your pop belly or pooch is not by doing a certain AB exercise or by using the latest AB gadget---its through Proper diet and exercise. Sit-ups, crunches, AB lounges, & other AB gadgets all play a very small part in...
It's Not Your Fault You're Overweight
If you are overweight, experience overwhelming cravings or puzzling fluctuations in weight, and dieting has been to no avail, then overeating or deep seated psychological problems may not be the culprit of your problem. You may have undiagnosed...
Life Is One Damn Diet After Another
A common expression is that we're "going on a diet." The phrase
suggests that, like a vacation trip, there is a beginning and an
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The Five Most Important Powers Mid-life Women Must Use to Stay Young
Gerontologists say that 70 percent of the aging process is controllable with the right lifestyle choices. Anti-aging expert Barbara Morris agrees, and has written a hot new book, Put Old on Hold that explains how and why at 75, she feels and...
The Healthy Secret Behind a Rich Spinach Diet
Spinach is a rich source of Vitamin A and Vitamin E and has folic acid in plenty. It contains an abundance of antioxidants including carotenoids. Let’s have a look at the healthy secrets that Spinach contains Spinach is high in Vitamins...
The Holidays and Weight Loss Dieting - Still Oxymoronic to you?
By Marjet Heitzer, Ph.D.
The Plateau-proof Diet Foundation
Although the holidays are a time of celebration as well as
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Almost as a rule, each holiday party contains a...
The Secrets of Online Weight Loss Pills
I know a lot of people out there would like to loss a few pounds, or more importantly would like to feel and look better. Most people want to loss weight to look better, the bigger issue is to fell better and have a healthier life style without the...
The Sneak Attack of Trans- Fats
If you are like most people, you are probably confused about trans fats. What are they? Which foods have them? What is the health risk? The truth is, trans fats are everywhere. They are lurking on the shelves in almost every aisle of our grocery...
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The Low Carb Diet F.A.Q
When most people think of low carb diets they automatically think Atkins. For obvious reasons. Dr. Robert Atkins formulated the original low carb diet in 1972 and was met a with a hail of ridicule and negativity from the medical community at large.
The Atkins Diet, since renamed to the Atkins Nutritional Approach, works on a very simple principle. Carbohydrates are what our body normally use to produce energy. If you restrict the carbohydrate intake of a normal person their metabolism changes. Changes? Yes your body looks to the next available energy source which is....fat. So now instead of burning carbohydrates for energy your body does the same thing with your existing fat deposits.
In a low carbohydrate diet you actually increase your intake of fat and pure protein as opposed to reducing it. In theory the more fat you eat the more fat you burn because your body is now using fat for energy. It's common to see low carb dieters eating enormous steaks smothered in butter with fried eggs and mushrooms on the side. A very high fat meal but also a perfect low carbohydrate meal.
The fat burning process is called lipolysis. As the fat is being broken down for energy a secondary phase called ketosis occurs. Ketones are the fragments of fat being broken down in the process of lipolysis hence the name ketosis.
Ketosis has a single nasty side effect -bad breath. For whatever biological reason the conversion of fat to energy can lead to really, really bad breath. This is a common complaint amongst followers of Atkins and
similar low carbohydrate diets.
Amongst some of the bad press that low carb diets receive are worrying stories of people dying while on a low carb diet. These hyped up media tales are tied to one word - ketoacidosis. This particular condition occurs when a person goes on a zero carbohydrate diet and/or suffers from diabetes. During the ketosis phase the blood becomes overly acidic to a critical point. Coma and death can follow quickly if medical attention is not immediately sought.
Does everybody following a low carb diet run the risk of ketoacidosis? Not unless you have a history of diabetes (diagnosed or undiagnosed) and you also totally eliminate carbohydrates from your diet. Even then only a small number of people are actually susceptible to the effects of ketoacidosis when compared to the general population.
The results that low carb diets produce are hard to argue with. Rapid weight loss in a short space of time whilst on a high fat, high protein diet. These results fly in the face of conventional medical wisdom and serve to constantly annoy the established medical community.
Low carb dieting is not going to disappear any time soon. Especially not as long as major Hollywood celebrities are successfully using Atkins and showing off their results to the world media.
About the Author
This article was submitted courtesy of the Low Carb Advice website. You can find tons of useful information on low carb diets there.
(C) Copyright 2005 Low Carb Advice
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