Carb Carnival - Low Carbohydrate Diet

Thinking About Starting A Low Carbohydrate Diet?

Many people have jumped on the low carb bandwagon because of the great success others have had with it. And people who have had great success with it generally don't talk about the downside. But there is a downside to being on a low carbohydrate diet.

Why A Low Carbohydrate Diet is Good

A low carbohydrate diet is a good idea if that's all it is--a low carbohydrate diet--not these diets that allow practically no carbs. The fact is, our bodies need 130 grams a day to be effective. And carbs are one of the only nutrients that feed the brain. So cutting carbs to below 130 grams a day simply isn't a good idea. On the other hand, most of us eat far more than 130 grams of carbs a day. Count your daily carbohydrate intake for awhile and see for yourself. You'll probably be surprised at what you find. Because most of us eat more carbs than we should, cutting carbs can be a good idea.

Why A Low Carbohydrate Diet is Bad

When you've been on a low carbohydrate diet for so long that it's become a way of life for you, there's a good chance your doing damage to your heart and kidneys, not to mention putting yourself at higher risk for cancer and osteoporosis. This happens for a lot of reasons. First of all, the foods allowed on most low carbohydrate diets are meats, cheeses and eggs. Unless you choose lean cuts of meat, fish and poultry, you're loading your arteries with fat. You could substitute lower fat cheese for regular cheese, but lower fat cheeses have more carbs, which defeats the purpose of a low carb diet. Therefore, you run the risk of heart disease.

Similarly, when your body doesn't have carbs to burn for fuel, it burns fat and protein. In fat burning mode, ketones are released into your bloodstream and excreted through urine--a state known as ketosis. Ketosis causes tiredness, bad breath, headaches and in some cases, nausea. When your body is burning protein for fuel, uric acid is released into your bloodstream and released through urine. Uric acid causes kidney damage.

Since milk and vegetables aren't considered to be low carb foods, most people cut them from their diet when they go low carb. This means there's a loss of fiber, which causes constipation. You're also missing out on key nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are all key in cancer prevention. And cutting milk out of your diet can lead to a lack of calcium, which can lead to osteoporosis. This is part of the reason why a low carbohydrate diet can be bad if not moderated.

Some of these side effects can be remedied with supplements like a multi-vitamin, fiber capsules and calcium supplements. But other effects of low carbohydrate foods cannot be avoided. So what's a low carber to do? Instead of going on a low carbohydrate diet that cuts carbs so low, choose better carbs. Just cut desserts and anything made with white flour and/or refined sugar from your diet and you'll be well on your way.