Josh Ford
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Why Low-Carb is a Lifestyle and NOT a Fad

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You’ve likely heard of the low-carb diet, or even tried it at one point in your life. Maybe you had some success but found the “fad” diet too hard to maintain, and this is what happens with most people who choose fad diets to lose weight.

Well, news flash… low-carb is not a “fad,” but rather a lifestyle. While you can follow it for a short period, if you do, you’re merely scratching the surface of what you can achieve.

Not sure if you can manage the low-carb lifestyle? It can be pretty straightforward, but that’s not to say it’s effortless.

However, you’re in luck; following the low-carb lifestyle for the rest of your life can be achievable, at least by following our tips outlined below:

Low-Carb Has Been Used For More Than 100 Years

Fad diets come and go. Low-carb has been in use for many years, and before they demonized saturated fat (erroneously as it turns out); low-carb was the way to lose weight.

Dr. Atkins published his infamous low carb diet book in 1972, long before the low-fat guidelines came out.

Studies Support Low Carb Diet Many Times Over

There have been more than 20 randomized controlled trials published since 2002 in respected, peer-reviewed journals. These trials show low-carb diets to be useful for weight loss and completely safe without a single adverse effect. You can’t say this about other fad diets.

Additionally, many studies show low-carb eating to have better results both in bodyweight loss and in support of heart disease prevention than the typical low-fat plan.

Low carb leads to more weight loss, especially visceral fat, and also helps to improve HDL cholesterol, insulin levels, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. (Volek et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2004) (Foster GD et al.; A randomized trial of a low-carbohydrate diet for obesity) (Keogh et al.; Effects of weight loss from a very-low-carbohydrate diet on endothelial function and markers of cardiovascular disease risk in subjects with abdominal obesity) (Westman et al., The effect of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-glycemic index diet on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus) (Gardner et al.; Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors among overweight premenopausal women: the A TO Z Weight Loss Study: a randomized trial).

No More Hunger!

Most fad diets are notorious for making you feel starved and desperate as you white knuckle your way through them to lose a few pounds. Crashes in energy levels and mood fluctuations are also frequent with fad diets.

With a low-carb plan, you feel satisfied and eat to satisfaction! Most people who go low-carb find their appetite stays satisfied, which happens because they’ve minimized bad carbs that cause erratic blood sugar spikes. Carbs and sugary foods are responsible for out of control cravings and overeating.

There is no white-knuckling involved as you get to eat an abundance of real whole food, including steaks, chicken, bacon, eggs, butter, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, and seafood.

These factors make low-carb sustainable for the long term. As you reach your weight loss goals, you can begin to re-introduce new carb foods as you continue to monitor your weight. Yes, low-carb is a valid lifestyle plan and not some useless temporary solution.

Mistakes Are Ok

On a fad diet, a lapse of one day could ruin your overall goal, placing undue pressure on you. However, when adopting a lifestyle of low carb, it is understood that lapses happen from time to time, and that is ok.

It will not wreck your metabolism, or cause you to gain weight lost back in the space of 24 hours. You will likely find that your cravings for carbs decrease significantly over time, making it less likely from the get-go that you will have significant lapses.

Don’t think of it as a stringent diet, but forging a new relationship with the right foods.

You Learn To Eat Healthy

Another reason that low-carb is a lifestyle and not a fad is that you learn to eat healthy and to make healthy choices in carbs, protein, and fats. The ability to choose makes this a lifestyle over the often very rigid rules of the typical fad diet.

You want to know the differences between different carbs, and practice planning healthy meals instead of just following some “one for all” fad diet that offers little variation.

You Can Eat Out

Eating out on low-carb is easy once you learn to make the right choices, which allows you to maintain a social life and enjoy dining out without compromising your weight loss. Nothing is more supportive of a lifestyle plan than that!

Sustained Weight Loss

When you go on fad diets, you typically see some weight loss, and then when you get off the diet and go back to eating, as usual, the weight returns and then some. With low-carb, there is no “end” or “getting off the diet.” It’s intended for life, and so you can lose the weight and keep it off by continuing to make healthy choices and monitoring their effects on your weight.”

You’ll be able to eat more carbs down the road, but you’ll continue to choose wisely based on your weight loss maintenance.

Conclusion

As you can see, low carb is far from a fad diet. For many people, carbs are the main culprit in their obesity. When they reduce their carbs, they find they have more energy, lose weight, and can keep it off. This gives you a lifestyle that’s successful, motivational, and sustainable.

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Josh Ford
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How The Low-Carb Keto Lifestyle Can Improve Your Health

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A low-carb diet is what it says – it is a diet that greatly reduces intake of carbohydrates. This is not as easy as it sounds.

Carbohydrates are found in foods such as sugary snacks, bread, pasta, starches, fruit, and many processed foods. Typically, the most strict low carb diets limit intake to 20 grams of net carbs per day, at the very least less than 60 grams and the main source of these carbs should be non-starchy vegetables.

Although it may seem drastic, there is plenty of scientific research that shows low carb eating to be beneficial to your health, from weight loss, medical reasons, or a wish to simply eat better. Whatever your reason for starting the low carb lifestyle, there are several key health benefits that can be attributed to this kind of diet.  

Weight Loss

With many diets, people often end up hungry and then snacking and fail to lose weight. They try to restrict their food intake too much and end up ‘falling off the wagon’. This is a very real issue for many people and the ultimate reason why they do not lose the weight they are trying so hard to shift.

In contrast, with the low carb lifestyle you do not get the hunger cravings or need to eat like you do with other diets. Research has shown that people who reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat and replace these with additional protein and healthy fats will eat less and reduce their overall calorie consumption.   

If you are trying to lose weight then this can be an effective method, as you actually want to eat less. When you are eating a low carb lifestyle, you lose weight in different ways.  

For example, a lot of the body is made up of excess water and the low carb diet can help to get rid of some of this.  

A low carb lifestyle leads to lower levels of insulin, which causes the kidneys to work more efficiently and by eliminating insulin triggers, most people lose weight and often very quickly.   

Lower Levels Of Visceral Fat

When we do lose weight from following this diet there is an important point to consider. Not all weight is the same, and visceral fat is the bad kind that sits around our organs and can cause serious health problems.  

Research has shown that a low carb diet can help to reduce levels of visceral fat specifically rather than the other type of fat, the subcutaneous type.  

Stabilize Blood Sugars – Prevent And Manage Type 2 Diabetes

When a low carb diet is followed long term, there is a clear reduction in the chance of developing diabetes and other health issues.

Eating less carbs reduces the need for the body to produce insulin; insulin is used to break down all the sugars in carbohydrates and too much of this can lead to diabetes in later life.  

By simply reducing the amount of carbohydrates (insulin trigger foods) that you are eating, you are reducing the production of insulin the in the body and reducing the body’s resistance to it.

A low carb diet prevents erratic blood sugar spikes that may lead to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Similarly, research has shown that diabetes, both type 1 and type 2 can be better controlled with a low carbohydrate diet. Of course, anyone who is considering changes to their diet should consult their doctor. This is particularly the case if you are taking medication for your diabetes, as this may need to be adjusted too.

High Blood Pressure

Like diabetes, high blood pressure has been connected to many serious health disorders such as heart attacks and strokes. Ultimately, we should all aim to keep our blood pressure within the healthy range, but this can be hard with our lifestyles.  

Research is therefore focused on finding ways everyone can realistically lower their blood pressure. The low carb diet can help to keep blood pressure where it should be and prevent it from getting too high.  

Bottom Line

The overall message is that a low carb diet can be beneficial in many ways and can help with certain health issues.  

However, there is always a risk when making drastic changes to your diet such as significantly reducing the amount of carbohydrates you consume. It is therefore best to consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet; this is particularly the case if you have been diagnosed with any current health issue.  

Ask your doctor, a low carb lifestyle may really work for you.

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Josh Ford
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The Health Benefits Of Low-Carb Besides Weight Loss

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Low-carb has been studied and it is well documented that their effectiveness is multi-faceted.

Of course, the thousands of people who have lost a lot of weight and were able to keep it off makes a low carb eating plan something of an attractive proposition, especially since it is not your typical fad diet, but an actually lifestyle change.

Harvard completed a study that explored just how impressive the results of a low carb diet can be for weight loss, in comparison to a low fat diet that people tend to rely on for all of their weight loss needs.

By now, most people are aware how excellent low carb diets can be for rapid weight loss, but do they offer any other health benefits?

Yes, they do, and that is what makes a low carbohydrate diet such an attractive option when deciding what path to follow.

Additional Health Benefits

The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition explains what other effects a low carb diet has on the human body. Medical professionals have been using it since the 20’s to help epilepsy sufferers reduce the symptoms, furthermore in some cases has rendered the use of medication unnecessary.

There have also been strides made in proving that a low carb diet can be use a therapeutic tool for a number of other conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, a number of strains of cancer, diabetes and even acne.

The point of the study was to determine whether the preconceived notions surrounding ketogenic diets have prevented doctors from relying on it as a therapeutic method.

The Mayo Clinic has also explored the other effects that are seen when on a low carb diet. While citing many of the same issues listed by the EJCN, the Mayo Clinic has added cholesterol levels and high blood pressure to our list.

There are variations on what is considered a low carb diet

Anything from 20 grams to 150 grams can be considered low carb. 150 grams will not kick start ketosis to burn fat stores that actually requires less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day.

Dr. Judith Wylie-Rosett led a study that makes mention of The American Diabetes Association belief that a low carbohydrate, low fat diet can be used to achieve improvement in both weight and metabolism, pointing to the Mediterranean diet as evidence.

The Mediterranean Diet

This is an interesting point, because it’s well documented that the residents of countries in the Mediterranean have higher life expectancies, and while they do eat carbs, their carb intake is much lower than it would be in the United States, or the United Kingdom.

The Mayo Clinic breaks down the Mediterranean diet which hinges on eating plant based foods, nuts whole grains, and legumes. Olive oils are used in place of butter, and herbs and spices replace salt. It is more common to eat white means and leave red meat to the odd occasion, and meals are spent with family and friends and consumed over a few hours.

WHO has a list of life expectancies for every country and the United States average is 79, while Greece is 81, Spain is 83, and so is Italy.

Conclusion

There are a number of low carb diets that you can follow; you can be as strict or as lenient as you wish. Whether you are looking to lose weight, maintain muscle, or reduce your risk of heart disease.

In addition to the benefits listed above, a low carb diet can also serve as an appetite suppressant. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition explored the reasons why, concluding that the high protein diet could be an explanation as to why.

Additionally, another similar study saw that participants on a diet that was high in protein and fat, but low in carbohydrates didn’t have the same food cravings as the participants did that were on a low calorie, low fat diet. This is because greatly reducing carbs and eliminating sugars, actually helps to regulate blood sugars so that the appetite is naturally suppressed eliminating those horrid out of control food cravings.

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Josh Ford
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What Is Keto Flu?

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The “keto flu” is a label given to a set of carbohydrate withdrawal symptoms that may occur in people who start a low carb diet that results from altered hormonal states and the electrolyte imbalances that may occur with it. In other words, it describes a cycle in the body adapting to a newly started low carb diet.

Keto stands for ketone, ketosis or ketogenic, a very strict low carb eating plan. The term should really be “low carb flu” since the ketogenic diet is not the only low carb plan.

Symptoms

No two individuals are alike, so the symptoms can range from nothing to mild to a full-blown flu-like condition, and include

  • Lightheadedness
  • Nausea
  • Fatigue
  • Mental fog
  • Cramps
  • Headaches
  • Diarrhea
  • In some extreme cases, high blood pressure and arrhythmia

How Long Does Keto Flu Last?

The duration for keto flu varies for each person. While some may have slight and even unnoticeable symptoms for a day or two, others might have an over the top symptom for a week or more, it really depends on how quickly your body adapts to a reduction in carbs.

Once keto flu is over you can expect a huge surge in energy levels, and once that sugar habit is fully kicked, often people feel better than ever.

Being patient as your body adapts is key, and know that it will pass, and if it does not you should seek the attention of a qualified medical professional. For most people any symptoms that occur end within two weeks’ time.

A Misunderstood Condition

People who experience keto flu after going on a low carb diet are sometimes forced to believe that they are suffering due to the diet they are on and carbs are good for the health after all.

However, this only shows how dependent they have been on carbs, as their body is trying to survive without carbs and sugary substances.

In truth, carb intake, and especially refined carbs that come from processed food, sugar, sugary foods and drinks is at epidemic levels, and carb addiction is rampant in the United States and other parts of the world.

It’s not your fault, those carbs are everywhere, congratulate yourself on making changes for the better with a low carb diet!

How To Reduce Keto Flu Effects

Keto flu can be nerve wrecking, no doubt, it is also sometimes a necessary evil, however, there are some things that can be done to reduce the symptoms if they appear.

Replenish your electrolytes: Lack of electrolytes in the body is one of the major causes of keto flu. Electrolytes are the minerals found in the body and they affect its water content, acidity of the blood and functionality of the muscles.

Additionally, low carb diets feature lower insulin levels that can signal the kidneys to discard excess water, making you drink more and this results in flushing out electrolytes, where sodium, potassium and magnesium deficiencies can occur. You will have to replenish them by using supplements and with food.

  • Add in some sea salt: Normally, the average diet is overloaded with salt, but a ketogenic diet eliminates refined and processed food and focuses on eating whole real food so when you start keto you will naturally reduce salt intake, which reduces water retention. Since a low carb diet is naturally diuretic, there is no need to worry about water retention.

Generally, 5 grams of sea salt daily is ideal for keto flu and to replenish electrolytes, you can also get it from drinking 2 cups of broth or adding potassium containing foods to your meals.

Bone broth works well, and only requires the simmering of chicken, beef, lamb or any meat bones in water for about a day, or even canned broth or stocks from the store works well too, just make sure to read the labels for added ingredients or preservatives that you do not need. Drippings from cooked meat have a high concentration of potassium, so use them to make sauces.

  • 300 mg of magnesium can be taken in supplement form.

Keto flu is a process that most dieters undergo while starting their weight loss or weight gain journey. While it cannot be avoided for some, you can reduce symptoms while your body adapts.

Please contact a doctor if the symptoms become too severe to handle alone.

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Josh Ford
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What is Ketosis?

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The body typically gets its fuel from dietary carbohydrates, which includes foods like rice, bread, pasta, and other grains, along with fruit, sugars, and vegetables.

When carbohydrates, specifically starches and sugars enter the body they are broken down into glucose, and used by the body for energy. The hormone insulin then steps in to remove glucose from the bloodstream and the body either uses it for energy or stores any that is unused.

Any glucose that is not immediately used as fuel will be sent to the liver and muscles to be stored as glycogen as a fuel reserve, and any unused glycogen in the muscles, such as through exercise or energy expenditure turns to stored body fat.

For people with a carb sensitivity or those with insulin resistance it’s a grim outlook that can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes…

High carb diet = high glucose in the blood = high insulin = high amounts of body fat

Lipolysis And Ketosis

An alternative source of fuel for the body is its own body fat, this process is triggered when the intake of carbs is limited, and their sources controlled, the body enters a state called lipolysis, the most efficient biochemical pathway to weight loss and a scientifically proven alternative to the body using or needing glucose for energy.

Lipolysis occurs as the body begins to burn the body’s own fat stores for energy instead of dietary carbohydrates and the by-products of this fat burning process are ketones and so ketosis is the secondary process of lipolysis.

When you eliminate carbs, the body is forced to use its fat stores instead, which literally turns into a fat burning machine. Ketones are the byproducts of ketosis and provide fuel for the body.

The only true exception to the body not needing glucose for fuel is ketones. Ketosis not only provides adequate energy for the cells within the body, it also fuels the brain and other organs just as glucose from carbs does BUT, unlike what may occur during the use of glucose, ketosis does not store fat, and actually allows the body to burn stored fat for fuel.

This is the reason that low carb diets are so popular and have allowed thousands of people to lose weight and keep it off.

Low Carb Diets

There are cases where doctors will induce ketosis to medically intervene for various conditions, like epilepsy and diabetes. This involves a patient being placed on a low carb diet, such as the Ketogenic diet to increase fat and protein intake to provide fuel for energy, while reducing card intake.

WebMD explains that kicks in when consumption is limited to less than 50 grams per day.

The ketogenic diet and the Atkins diet are two of the most popular strict carb intake plans.

One of the greatest benefits of low carb diets and using fat for fuel is that this type of eating greatly regulates the appetite, so there is no starvation or out of control hunger and erratic cravings become a thing of the past. One of the reasons for this is that carbohydrates trigger blood sugar spikes that can wreak havoc on hunger and cravings.

A study by the Academic Department of Surgery, Consultation, and Training Center at the Faculty of Medicine located at Kuwait University put it to the test. They took 83 obese patients (39 men, 44 women) and over 24 weeks studied the results of a low carb diet.

The subjects were given carbohydrates in the form of green vegetables, and salad. In the end, the subject’s glucose levels, cholesterol levels, weight, and BMI numbers all fell.

Low Carb Wins Over Low Fat

The ketogenic diet has been around for decades, and while the medical community has long believed that a diet high in fats would cause weight gain and increase the risk of heart disease, many studies and randomized trials have shown low carb to actually be more effective in not only the amount of weight lost, but in reducing markers and risk factors for heart disease.

Several experts now advise that the public should be more mindful of their carb intake versus their fat intake, since obesity rates in US adults have increased during the same time that fat intake was decreased and carb intake increased.

The Keto Flu

Some people may experience keto flu when they begin a low carb diet. While not everyone will fall prey to it, you should be aware of the symptoms: sleepiness and fatigue, brain fog, nausea, headaches and upset stomach.

It doesn’t last long and to be honest, most changes in diet result in similar side effects so it is to be expected.

The best way to ease your symptoms is by increasing salt intake with 2 cups of broth daily or using soy sauce over food to re- balance electrolyte levels in the body. The symptoms will likely disappear within a few days and you will be on your way to ketosis success.

 

 

 

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