Important Facts on Low-Carb Diets
What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates, are a source of energy found in grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy foods.
They supply your body with the sugar (glucose) it needs for energy.
Extra sugar is stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen, your body's energy reserve.
Carbohydrates can are divided into simple and complex carbohydrates.
Simple carbohydrates (sugars) are absorbed fast by the body and will give you quick energy.
They are found in foods that have little or no nutritional value like soda, cookies, candy, and sugary cereal but are also found naturally in some nutritious foods like fruits and milk.
Complex carbohydrates require longer time to digest but they also make you feel fuller longer.
Some complex carbohydrates are a good source of fibre.
Whole grains such as whole grain breads, brown rice, and bran-containing cereals are healthy food for weight loss as compared to low-fibre complex carbs or refined grains such as white bread, white rice, white pasta, and sugary cereal.
Is it healthy to eat carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are present in very nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and milk.
They give your body energy.
There is a myth that consuming carbs will make you gain weight, but carbs, just like all other nutrients, will get stored as fat only if you eat too much of it.
Carbohydrates with high fibre content have also been shown to prevent chronic bowel disorders, reduce colon cancer, and reduce cardiovascular disease.
A lot of nutrients are available from carbohydrate foods.
People who chose a low carb diet may be robbing their bodies of necessary nutrients and increasing their health risks.
Safe to follow Low Carb Diets? Carbohydrates are required by the body as a source of fuel.
If you do not eat enough carbs, your body will use stored energy from your muscle or fat cells.
In a balanced diet, both protein and fats are required, but if you are on a low carb diet, there is a chance that you may be eating more fat and protein than the body needs.
High protein diets are usually high in unhealthy saturated fat as the food source are mainly meat, milk, eggs, cheese, butter etc.
And to digest protein, calcium is needed.
This means extra work on the kidneys, which is a danger if you are on low carb diet for long term.
In addition, low carb diet can cause ketosis.
This happens when the carbohydrates intake is too low to provide glucose to the cells and hence the fatty acids form ketones.
This will disturb the body's acid balance and may result in loss of calcium from bones (increase osteoporosis risks) and increase chance of kidney stones.
Can low-carb diets help you lose weight? As this diet limits your food choices, you may end up losing weight.
But bear in mind that this may be a result of you eating lesser food.
So it is very easy for you to gain back the weight when you stop this diet.
A good idea would be to focus on eating good carbs, choosing high fibre foods than eliminating the whole food group totally.
They supply your body with the sugar (glucose) it needs for energy.
Extra sugar is stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen, your body's energy reserve.
Carbohydrates can are divided into simple and complex carbohydrates.
Simple carbohydrates (sugars) are absorbed fast by the body and will give you quick energy.
They are found in foods that have little or no nutritional value like soda, cookies, candy, and sugary cereal but are also found naturally in some nutritious foods like fruits and milk.
Complex carbohydrates require longer time to digest but they also make you feel fuller longer.
Some complex carbohydrates are a good source of fibre.
Whole grains such as whole grain breads, brown rice, and bran-containing cereals are healthy food for weight loss as compared to low-fibre complex carbs or refined grains such as white bread, white rice, white pasta, and sugary cereal.
Is it healthy to eat carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are present in very nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and milk.
They give your body energy.
There is a myth that consuming carbs will make you gain weight, but carbs, just like all other nutrients, will get stored as fat only if you eat too much of it.
Carbohydrates with high fibre content have also been shown to prevent chronic bowel disorders, reduce colon cancer, and reduce cardiovascular disease.
A lot of nutrients are available from carbohydrate foods.
People who chose a low carb diet may be robbing their bodies of necessary nutrients and increasing their health risks.
Safe to follow Low Carb Diets? Carbohydrates are required by the body as a source of fuel.
If you do not eat enough carbs, your body will use stored energy from your muscle or fat cells.
In a balanced diet, both protein and fats are required, but if you are on a low carb diet, there is a chance that you may be eating more fat and protein than the body needs.
High protein diets are usually high in unhealthy saturated fat as the food source are mainly meat, milk, eggs, cheese, butter etc.
And to digest protein, calcium is needed.
This means extra work on the kidneys, which is a danger if you are on low carb diet for long term.
In addition, low carb diet can cause ketosis.
This happens when the carbohydrates intake is too low to provide glucose to the cells and hence the fatty acids form ketones.
This will disturb the body's acid balance and may result in loss of calcium from bones (increase osteoporosis risks) and increase chance of kidney stones.
Can low-carb diets help you lose weight? As this diet limits your food choices, you may end up losing weight.
But bear in mind that this may be a result of you eating lesser food.
So it is very easy for you to gain back the weight when you stop this diet.
A good idea would be to focus on eating good carbs, choosing high fibre foods than eliminating the whole food group totally.
