High Carb VS Low Fat Dieting

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Atkins-Like Plan Won't Hurt Cholesterol Levels, but Critics Aren't Impressed with the results.

If you are a new addition to the low carb diet way of life The Carb Free Diet The guide is your first step to a healthy low carbohydrate lifestyle.

By following our range of suggestions and advice you can get great insights as to what to eat to maintain a healthy diet.

Adapting to a diet that is devoid of carbohydrates can prove to be a difficult task, and most individuals making the change find it hard to give up foods such as bread and pasta that have traditionally been staples of every meal. Most people are daunted by the task of finding nutrient-rich foods that are versatile for use in a range of meals and that provide a sense of consulting the following no-carb diet insights and food suggestions, you will be well on your way to achieving success and satisfaction with your new choice of diet lifestyle. Keep in mind that it is always wise to consult with a relevant doctor or dietician before proceeding to make any of the available low carb diets.

Macronutrients

There are plans on the market today that preach the idea of eliminating this macronutrient from your diet altogether as a means of eating to lose weight, and for the most part that is true, but there is one time from time to time that your body needs this group of foods.

Before divulging that information, one thing to note is that your body does not need carbohydrates all day. It only really needs protein, one of the building blocks to all things in your body, and fat the most efficient energy source you can find at the grocery store. Both of those should be staples of the group foods you need to be eating to lose those unwanted pounds.

Truth be told there is one time when you should absolutely consume carbohydrates, and consume them in a large quantity, and that is in the window of time after an intense workout.

When we go to the gym our muscles need the energy to function, and they need an easily accessible and quick-burning source so it has enough energy to power through whatever it is that you are doing.

This means that it is going to start pulling that energy from glycogen, or sugar stores within your muscles. It would pull from your fat stores, but since fat is nine calories per gram it takes more than twice as long for your body to break it down for energy.

Since we are unable to burn fat immediately for energy our glycogen stores within our muscles will have to suffice. This means that once we deplete those stores with an intense workout we need to replenish them.

The best options for putting these sugars back into your muscles is the fruit, and namely berries.

These tasty little nuggets are high in sugar and antioxidants, which is critical for your body post-workout because it has endured some oxidative stress as well as running down its own immune system ability.

Low Carb Dieting for Vegetarians

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If you're a non-meat eater, you obviously face a unique challenge in attempting to start a low carbohydrate diet. After all, most of the foods in the average vegetarian's daily meal plan are high in carbs. 

After losing 45 pounds on a low carb diet herself, DeMello wrote The Low Carb Vegetarian, a cookbook to help other vegetarians plan low carb meals. "Tofu, seitan and a lot of the different fake meat products" make good staples, she suggests. "For the hot dog and hamburger products though, you do have to look at the ingredients because some do have a lot of carbs." As far as vegetables, "carrots are out, and potatoes are out," says DeMello, "but I include a ton of the different kinds of greens, and cauliflower is a good substitute for potatoes or rice."

Get your greens

Anthony Leone agrees on the benefits of green leafy vegetables. Leone is the founder and owner of New York City-based low carb eatery Energy Kitchen.

"The best vegetables that are low carb are the ones that are low on the glycemic index, such as spinach, broccoli, romaine lettuce, cucumbers with the skin on, etc," he says. "The vegetables you would want to stay away from are carrots, beets ... and potatoes."

Advantages of Soy

Jason DeMoranville, the author of The Core of a Balanced Diet, believes strongly in the benefits of soy. "As a staple food for vegetarians, you can't beat soy as the number one vegetarian source for good digestible meat and low carbs every day," he says.
But what about beans? Vegetarians commonly know beans as a great source, but most varieties of beans tend to be high in carbs.

"Beans definitely have a place," says Les Harris, executive chef of the South Glastonbury, Connecticut-based Glastonbury Gourmet LLC. But since people tolerate different levels of carbohydrates in trying to lose weight, "the early stages of a low carb diet plan may require the abstinence of beans for a limited amount of time."

Chef Jacki Pearson of St George, Utah-based Green Valley Spa agrees. "Beans also, provide a healthy alternative in moderate portions of half a cup," she says. "Even though a 1/2 cup serving of kidney beans has about 20 grams of carbohydrates, eaten in moderation of no more than one 1/2 cup serving of beans a day, the overall carbohydrate count can be kept down." A half-cup of kidney beans also contains about 7g of fiber.