Are Low Carb Diets the Answer?
Even though the medical establishment has been pushing low fat diets as the answer to obesity and health problems for decades, the US population has only grown fatter. As an alternative to this approach, doctors and nutritionists began speculating that maybe the fat in our diets was not the root problem. They started wondering if cutting out carbohydrates, instead, would achieve the fat loss that makes us healthy, trim and slim.
One of the earliest proponents of this method was Dr. Robert Atkins who published his book The Atkins Diet in 1972. His basic theory (as is true for nearly all the forms of low-carbohydrate diets) is that carbs are the body's most easily accessible form of energy. If there are no carbohydrates readily available, then the body gets its fuel from fat. Since we all need to have some source of the energy necessary to keep bodily functions working, it makes sense to encourage our systems to burn up the unwanted, stored fat that we carry rather than relying on a constant influx of carbohydrate calories.
Since the seventies there have been numerous other versions of the Atkins diet that have come and gone. Protein Power, Sugar Busters, The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, and The South Beach Diet are just of few of the crazes that have swept the nation at different times. They are all based on the idea that the number of carbs a person consumes must be severely limited in order to achieve fat loss. What's more, to a certain extent, they all work. People who follow a low carb plan really can lose weight.
Problems With the Plan
There are several problems with this approach, however, and anyone who wants to try the method really needs to check with a doctor first. People with certain health conditions can actually cause themselves harm and even a healthy adult can have issues with such an eating plan. Here are some of the reasons that a low carb approach may not be the perfect solution for the person who wants to promote fat loss. Each potential trouble spot will be examined more closely in the paragraphs to follow.
- Dehydration can become a problem.
- Lack of fiber can cause constipation.
- Bad breath is often a side effect of low-carb eating.
- You may deprive yourself of vital vitamins and minerals.
- Extreme carb deprivation can actually result in muscle loss.
What About Dehydration?
When your body is deprived of carbohydrates as the simplest form of fuel to burn, it begins to burn stored fat. When taken to an extreme, a fat-burning process in the body is begun which is known as dietary ketosis. A by-product of this fat incineration is a rise in the level of ketones in the blood. A body in ketosis is definitely using fat, but the process also uses a lot of water. People who do not consciously drink lots of fluids while on a low carb plan can easily become dehydrated.
In this situation, the usual 8-10 glasses of water per day that is recommended by medical people as the ideal, is not enough. Instead, a low carb dieter should drink about twice that much! That's a lot of water to consume, and it's not easily done. When you consider that neglecting this could result in liver problems, lower brain function and other severe conditions, the matter of dehydration becomes a serious issue.
The Fiber Deficit
Since most folks get much of their dietary fiber from things like bread, cereal, fruit, and pasta, switching to a low carb diet will eliminate those sources. When you combine that fact with the potential for dehydration, it's easy to see why constipation could become a problem. Many low carbohydrate plans will suggest that you eat plenty of raw or lightly steamed vegetables like broccoli, celery, lettuce and asparagus, as well as drinking a lot of fluids to help provide needed fiber. This is a nice theory, and if you are a person who enjoys eating these kinds of foods enough to get five or more servings of them every day, you may not experience any digestive distress.
Many people, especially in the US, it seems, are not big fans of veggies, though. They find it very difficult to consume enough fiber while following a low carb plan. Fiber supplements like Metamucil may help, but people make a big mistake if they think that laxatives will solve their problem. Using or abusing these medicines can result in even more fluid loss from the body and lead to a dependence on them that can be hard to break.
Halitosis?
Some people have trouble taking the claims about bad breath while on a low carbohydrate diet seriously. They say that they can just brush and floss a little more often and avoid that problem. That's really not true, however, because the trouble does not begin in the mouth. It all stems from the ketosis that we talked about earlier. The ketones that are produced by fat burning are found throughout the body, and they are released in sweat, saliva and other fluids. That's why diligent low-carbers often have a kind of "chemical" smell that is described as something similar to nail polish remover.
The biggest way to combat this problem comes back once again to drinking lots of water. If the ketones are diluted, they give off less odor. You can also try chewing gum or sucking on mints, but they have to be the sugar-free type, or you are consuming the very carbs you are trying to limit.
Loss of Vitamins and Minerals
We've all been taught that a healthy, balanced diet consists of items from all the basic food groups. When you eliminate the bread and cereal group and lower your intake of dairy products, it only makes sense that you may not be getting all the nutrients you need for good health. One substance you have to be particularly careful about is folic acid. This is one of the B vitamins that is normally found in whole grains, and it's vital for many bodily functions.
You also need to be sure you are getting enough calcium and potassium when limiting carbohydrates. A good vitamin and mineral supplement is very important for folks on any kind of a restricted diet, but especially so for those eating the low-carb way.
Muscle Loss?
This drawback is potentially the most serious problem for anyone following a restricted carbohydrate plan. However, at this point, it remains mostly a theory and has not been proven through clinical studies. The thinking goes like this: your body burns all available carbohydrates first, then turns to fat. If there is still not enough fuel available, it will then burn lean muscle.
Of course this sounds like a horrendous problem. No one wants to lose muscle, and since the heart is one of our most important muscles, we could really be asking for trouble. The reason that the vast majority of folks have no worries in this area is that you would have to have an incredibly lean body for this to ever become an issue. People who are trying to achieve fat loss are usually doing so because they have too much body fat. (Of course those with eating disorders like anorexia are a special case, and need medical help.) If you get to the point where your body has no stored fat, you really need to modify your low carb approach to eating to be sure you are protecting lean tissue. But for most dieters, this is a problem that is far in the future.
Conclusion
In addition to the problems listed above, there is another drawback to a low carb plan that has to do with motivation. It seems that human nature tends to crave whatever it cannot have. Many people find that they begin yearning for carbo-rich foods as soon as they decide that they are going to limit them. A diet that eliminates bread, cereal, fruit, and sweets of all kinds, can get very boring and repetitive, and it's therefore hard to stay with.
All of these are good reasons for considering an eating plan like Fat Loss 4 Idiots. It allows all types of food, but they are to be eaten in carefully regulated combinations. The idea is to trick your body into maintaining a steady fat-burning rate while providing a healthy eating regimen. If fat loss is your goal, it's definitely a plan worth considering.
More Dieting Tips:
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Atkins: The Low-Carb Diet That Started it All
Bread for Life? And It's a Diet?
Can the South Beach Diet Really Get You Ready for Swimsuit Season?
Can Psychology Really Help With Fat Loss?
What's the Deal With the Eat-Clean Diet?
Do You Lose Fat if You "Eat To Live?"
Foolish Fads and Preposterous Plans That Can Derail Your Fat Loss
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The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet: Could YOU be Addicted to Carbs?
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