by Priya
Shah
According to
a recent survey by the National Health Institute,
about a third of overweight Americans who are
trying to lose weight, are doing so by eating
less carbohydrates (carbs) largely because of
the increased popularity of fad diets like Atkins
Diet and the South Beach Diet.
Who Invented
Low-Carb Diets?
The term "low-carb"
was coined around 1992 when the USDA recommended
that Americans include six to eleven servings
daily of grains and starches in their diet.
In fact, low-carb
dieting dates back more than 100 years to 1864,
before the trendy Atkins diet, when a pamphlet
titled "Letter on Corpulence" was
written by William Banting. This was as close
to the first commercial low-carb diet as you
could get.
Banting's diet
eventually fell out of favor, but low-carb diets
began appearing again in the 20th century. The
most famous of these are the Atkins and Scarsdale
diets that came to popularity in the 1970s.
While Scarsdale
has a set 14-day meal plan that must be followed
and greatly restricts calories, the Atkins diet
allows for unlimited calorie consumption as
long as those calories are from protein, fat
and vegetables and carbohydrate intake is kept
low.
Atkins and Scarsdale
fell out of favor in the 1980's when the USDA
encouraged the consumption of grains and grain
products.
It was only
in the 1990's that we began to see a return
to low-carb dieting that seems to be more than
a fad. Low-carb is now a lifestyle!
As more and
more people realize the weight loss and other
health benefits that are available to people
who eat low-carb, the number of diets and stores
that sell specialty low-carb products continue
to rise.
In a nutshell,
most low-carb diets carry the same basic premise:
that too much of simple, refined carbohydrates
leads to over overproduction of insulin, which
leads to the storage of too much fat in the
body. This fat storage is especially prominent
around the middle.
While there
are degrees of difference among the many diets,
they all agree on the negative effects that
excess insulin production have on our systems.
While it might
be great to lower the body's sugar content and
be healthier, wouldn't it be great to learn
how to do so while being part of this fast-paced
world?
People want
and need simpler solutions. And they need simpler
dieting plans.
Forget spending
mega bucks on gourmet, hard-to-find items. Forget
spending hours just to prepare meals. And forget
counting, measuring, and weighing ingredients.
Either a low-carb
plan fit into real-world lives, or it doesn't.
So how do low-carb diets fit into the real world
today?
Low Carb, Slow
Carb
In a nutshell,
there are two kinds of carbohydrates, simple
and complex. Some refer to them as bad and good
carbs, fast and slow digestion carbs and other
possibly confusing lingo. Here's the scoop.
Simple Carbs
Foods with simple
or refined carbohydrates most often have a low
nutrient content and a high-glycemic index.
They are quick to digest and can cause blood
sugar to soar then fall dramatically within
a short span of time.
In order to
keep the body running more healthy and stable,
health advisors recommend that these type foods
be limited.
Examples of
these simple carbs are white bread, potatoes,
bananas, and sugary treats like cookies, candy,
cupcakes and cakes, and soda beverages like
popular cola products.
Complex Carbs
Foods with complex
carbohydrates contain many nutrients and have
a low- to moderate-glycemic index.
Higher fiber
content in these foods means slower digestion,
which is healthier for the body. And these foods
are considered good choices by health advisors.
Examples of
these complex carbs are whole grains, most fruits
and vegetables. Legumes, plants of the pea or
bean family, are also in this category.
Which Is Best?
While studies
like one from the University of Arkansas for
Medical Sciences in January of 2004 show that
low-carb diets can help with weight loss; the
carbs need to be of the complex, low-glycemic
type.
However, it
is not necessary to totally avoid the simple
carbs. A treat now and then, in moderation (and
approved per your dietary advisor or in accordance
with your health practitioner), should be fine.
As a side note,
your teeth will also be healthier without the
build up of sugar decay from simple carb foods.
So healthier smiles will shine with healthier
bodies.
Priya Shah is
the Editor of The
Glutathione Report and the webmaster of
Glutathione
- Your Whey To Health. Read our online report
on Low-Carb
Dieting Secrets and get a Free
Booklet titled "Low Carb Recipes and Food Ideas
People On The Go"
