Low carb diet plans

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in the body. There are two basic types of carbohydrates—simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. While the simple carbohydrates are easy to digest and assimilate into the body, complex carbohydrates are not that easily digested and make the body work hard in order to break them down. Simple carbohydrates can easily be converted in glucose, which releases energy in the body. If there is excess of glucose in the body, it is converted into fat cells in order to store the energy for later use.

Low carb diet plans essentially restrict the intake of simple carbohydrates, so that the amount of glucose in the body is restricted.

Most low carb diet menus contain complex carbohydrates instead of starchy foods like potatoes, yams, and rice. Though carbohydrates are collectively considered dangerous for health, the truth is that only simple carbohydrates like refined flours, simple sugars, and starches are bad for the health as they can be converted into sugars easily. On the other hand, complex carbohydrates contain roughage, which not only adds bulk to the food, but also helps increase the basal metabolic rate, allowing the body to burn off more calories in an attempt to digest the roughage.

Some of the low carb diet foods which also find their way into many low carb diet recipes include brown rice, whole grains like whole wheat, rolled oats and whole barley. These ingredients are used to make some of the low carb diets that work. It is not possible to completely eliminate carbohydrates from the diet, as they are the main source of energy. For a brief period of time, one may be inclined to stop consuming low carb foods, but on an average, most people simply begin to binge on refined foods after avoiding carbohydrates completely.

The best low carb diet tips are those that allow a person to consume limited amounts of carbohydrates. Low carbohydrate diet foods do contain some amount of carbohydrates, as carbs are one of the essential food groups and are required by the body for healthy functioning. It is however important to regulate the amount and the type of carbohydrates that you allow in your food. It is important to go easy on the potatoes and yams, but include lots of whole grains in your food. Whole grains contain a fibrous outer layer. Even though grains like rice are starchy and therefore rich in carbohydrates, the outer layer makes the structure of the grain complex. Polished grains like polished rice remove the outer layer, making the rice rich in starch. Brown rice is the unpolished rice with the outer layer intact. Similarly, whole grains of wheat, barley and rye, are extremely healthy because they contain soluble fibers, which are not only digestible but also satiate the hunger better, preventing you from eating excessively.

When you are following any of the low car diet plans, it is important to count the carbohydrates you are consuming everyday. Even when buying food items, pay attention to the labels and try to pick out foods which have lower carbohydrate and fat content. The best thing to do here is to read the total carbohydrate content on the label and then divide this number by the number of servings per packet. This will give you the ideal amount of carbohydrates and fats contained in a single serving. Compare different products and buy only those which you know contain fewer amounts of carbohydrates per serving than others. You can also replace refined sugars with brown sugars, which are healthier. Though, it is better to reduce the quantity of sugar in your food to a large extent.

Submitted on September 9, 2011