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Carb Dieting Secrets
THE ROLE OF INSULIN
There are three basic units the body uses for energy:
1 Fats
2 Proteins
3 Carbohydrates
All three can be converted to blood glucose. However, while fats and
proteins are converted slowly, carbohydrates are converted quickly
causing quick spikes in the body’s blood sugar levels. These
spikes in blood sugar levels cause the pancreas to create and release
insulin until the blood sugar level returns to normal.
Meanwhile, insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas that lowers our
blood’s glucose levels is released into the blood as soon as the body
detects that blood sugar levels have risen above its optimal
level.
Insulin is a very efficient hormone that runs the body’s fuel storage
systems. If there is excess sugar or fat in the blood insulin
will signal the body to store it in the body’s fat cells. Insulin
also tells these cells not to release their stored fat, making that fat
unavailable for use by the body as energy.
Since this stored fat cannot be released for use as energy, insulin
very effectively prevents weight loss. The higher the body’s
insulin levels, the more effectively it prevents fat cells from
releasing their stores, and the harder it becomes to lose weight.
According to many authorities, over the long term, high insulin levels
can lead to insulin resistance and cause serious health problems like
the ones listed below:
1 Raised insulin levels and insulin resistance
2 Lower metabolism leading to weight gain
3 An increase in fatty tissue and reduction in muscle tissue
4 Accelerated aging
5 Increased food allergies and intolerances
6 Overworked immune system
7 Increased risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer
Carbohydrates, especially simple carbs like sugar and starch, are
quickly turned into sucrose by the body entering the blood stream
quicker thereby causing the release of large amounts of insulin.
The fewer carbs are eaten, the less insulin is produced by the body,
and the fewer calories are stored as fat. Less fat storage equals
less weight gain and fewer carbs eaten equals less insulin in the blood
and the body using its fat stores for fuel.
The premise behind every low-carb diet plan is that a body that
produces less insulin burns more fat than a body that produces lots of
insulin. Some plans encourage a period of extremely low
carbohydrate intake so that the body will enter a state of ketosis and
more quickly burn fat stores.
These are usually called induction periods. The length of extreme carb
control varies from seven days to however long it takes you to reach
your ideal weight. After this period of extremely low carb
dieting, maintenance levels of carb consumption are followed to prevent
weight gain. The amount of carb you can safely eat will depend on
your unique body system. And you will probably have to experiment to
find out what level of carb intake is best for you.
No matter what your carb intake, it will be lower than the norm and you
will still eliminate white flour and white flower products and certain
other sugary and starchy foods. This is why these diet plans are
known as low-carb lifestyles.
Low-carb success requires that you be willing to give up simple carbs
for the long-term.
Click here for the next Chapter
 Did you know that 60-70% of cancers are due to dietary factors? And, that many of these may be prevented by changes in dietary habits?
Click here.
Here is today's feature Lowcarb article.
Kids and The Low-Carb Lifestyle
by: Philip J. Goscienski, M.D.
Some pediatricians have been prescribing a low-carb diet for a select group of children for decades, and what they have seen is very unsettling. The ketogenic diet was developed more than 80 years ago in order to control seizures that did not respond to the anticonvulsant medications that were available then. There are now dozens of medications that help to control seizures but the ketogenic diet is still used. The good news is that it does stop or slow down the frequency of seizures. The bad news is that it has some unhealthy effects on the heart.
Click here to read the whole article.
Note that the contents
here are not presented from a medical practitioner, and that any and
all dietary planning should be made under the guidance of your own
medical practitioners. This content only presents overviews of low-carb
research for educational purposes and does not replace medical advice
from a professional physician. .
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