Top 10 Diets » Low Carb Diet

Low Carb or Low Fat? Which is Healthiest?

BJ — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:16:39 +0000

I thought you might be interested in a new study done by Dr. Gary Foster, Ph.D., of Temple University. Dr. Foster and his team recruited 300 obese adults and followed them for two full years. Half the participants followed a diet low in carbohydrates and the other half followed a diet low in fat.

The results, after two years were that people in both groups lost the same amount of weight.

(But now read the really interesting part.)

The group on the low-carb diet enjoyed a significant decrease in blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides and had an increased in HDL (good cholesterol) of more than 20%. And this is not the first study of this type. In 2003, an almost identical study was performed and the results then were equally impressive and very much the same.

In the Temple study, participants on the diet low in carbohydrates were limited only as to their consumption of carbohydrates. There were no restrictions on the type of protein they ate or the amount of animal fat they consumed. They could eat all the animal fats they wanted.

So the real question is, would you rather lose weight and improve your health or simply lose weight?

For a diet low in carbohydrates that will fit your lifestyle take a look at these plans: the G.I. Diet (Glycemic Index Diet), The Diet Solution, the Idiot Proof Diet, South Beach Diet, The Mediterranean Diet and the Zone Diet.

Atkins Diet Bars

BJ — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:59:40 +0000

For those on a low carb diet like such as The Atkins Diet or a reduced carb diet such as the G.I. Diet (Glycemic Index Diet), Fat Loss 4 Idiots, South Beach Diet, The Diet Solution, The Mediterranean Diet and the Zone Diet, a great low calorie meal replacement bar would be the Atkins Diet Bars.

70 Bars Atkins Advantage Bar Chocolate Chip Granola 17 oz 48g

$22.27

5h 3m

70 Bars Atkins Advantage Peanut Butter Granola Bar 17 oz 48g

$31.00

5h 3m

Fresh Atkins Advantage 4 pack Chocolate chip Cookie Dough low carb meal bars

$5.50

15h 27m

85 Bars Atkins Day Break Apple Crisp Bar 12 oz 35g

$26.00

1d 7h 9m

80 Bars Atkins Advantage Caramel Double Chocolate Crunch Bar 16 oz 44g

$41.00

1d 7h 11m

78 Bars Atkins Day Break Chocolate Oatmeal Fiber Apple Crisp Bar

$10.50

1d 7h 12m

79 Bars Atkins Advantage Caramel Chocolate Peanut Caramel Double Chocolate

$41.00

1d 7h 12m

51 Bars Atkins Day Break Oatmeal Cinnamon Bake Square 14 oz 40g

$6.50

1d 7h 15m

And while I wouldn't recommend eating these bars on a regular basis, I call them my emergency bars and only have them when I have little or no other option, such as when I'm traveling or some last minute emergency won't allow me to have a proper meal.

This is a great source for these bars, and you will save quite a bit of money ordering here rather than going to your local Wal-mart or grocery store.

What’s The Healthiest Diet To Follow?

BJ — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:24:58 +0000

There are hundreds of diets out there, and it can be mind boggling to keep track of them all. But whether you're trying to lose weight, or are simply wanting to stay healthy by eating a healthy diet, you're going to have to weed through them to find the one that's best for you.

The truth is, there are a lot of very healthy diets out there. And unless you have some underlying health issues that require you eat a certain type diet, probably the best all round diet on the market today is the The Diet Solution.

The Diet Solution is high in fruits and vegetables, low fat meat, fish and complex carbohydrates. And research shows The Diet Solution excels at maintaining your blood sugar at constant levels. And for those of you who are saying my blood sugar is fine, I'm not worried about it. It's those spikes in your blood sugar and consequently your insulin levels that make you so doggone hungry.

In addition to making you hungry, high blood sugar and caffeine levels as well as aged fats are the culprits when it comes to high cholesterol. And though your cholesterol levels may be fine now, as you grow older, it will become more and more difficult to maintain them. And after all, we're all about eating a healthy diet.

But The Diet Solution is not the only healthy diet around. All of the following diets are both reduced carbohydrates and reduced fat, which is the basic criteria for a healthy diet. G.I. Diet (Glycemic Index Diet), the Fat Loss 4 Idiots, South Beach Diet, and the Zone Diet

Related Posts

Reduced Carbohydrate Diets

BJ — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:05:09 +0000

Most of us find when we eat a meal high in carbohydrates, even if they are complex carbohydrates, we get hungry more rapidly and the hunger pains are stronger. And to add insult to injury, we remain hungry (or at least hungrier) for the rest of the day.

So if this happens to you, you may need a reduced carbohydrate diet. A reduced carbohydrate diet doesn't actually go low carb or low fat for that matter, but rather reduces the amount of carbohydrates you take in along with some reduction of fat as well. Diets that are reduced carb and fat are the G.I. Diet (Glycemic Index Diet), the Fat Loss 4 Idiots, South Beach Diet, The Diet Solution, The Mediterranean Diet and the Zone Diet.

Each of these diets are very healthy and if you stick with them you will lose weight. However, if after two full weeks on any of these diets, without cheating, you are still having problems with strong food cravings, you may want to shift to a low carb diet such as The Atkins Diet, or you may need to see your doctor and discuss insulin resistance.

Weight Loss Success With Low Carb Dieting

BJ — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:06:07 +0000

Low carb diets have become fashionable ever since the Atkins diet and Hollywood made eating carbs a no-no. There are all sorts of diets out there including low carbohydrate diets and most of them will help you lose weight if you follow them. But with low carb dieting you are expected to do exactly what the diet says; often a slip up will send you back to the most strict induction phase of the diet.

It's very important how you deal with the inevitable occasion when you’ve had too much to eat or end up eating foods not on your diet plan.

If you can forgive yourself, and move on, returning to your diet plan without punishing yourself for your transgression or worse yet giving up, you are likely to succeed. Everybody messes up once in a while - the important thing is to accept that this will happen or has happened and move forward. None of us eats a perfect diet.

Once you're through with the first and most difficult phase of the diet, a single slip up - while still a no-no, won't necessitate going back to the beginning again.

That's why it's so important to find a healthy diet you can live with. Low carb diets suit many people because the rules are simple. No calories to count, no fat grams to watch, you just cut the simple carbs. These foods would include anything containing grain or sugar. Once you have a good understanding of what these foods are, this diet is quite simple to follow.

Most criticism of low carbohydrate diets is because dieters will get many of their calories from meat and dairy products which contain saturated fat. Conventional thought is this can lead to high cholesterol and other problems related to a high fat intake. However, quite to the contrary, most individuals find their cholesterol numbers will go down drastically on a low carb diet if it is followed correctly.

Weight loss on low carb diets is very good in the early stages though some people find restrictions difficult in the longer term and start to deviate from the diet.

Many people find it difficult to give up breads and pastas. This means no more toast, pasta or pizza! Beer and other alcoholic beverages are out as well.

Carbohydrates are cheap and easy to prepare, they just aren't necessarily good for us. But then we know fast food is seldom the best food. In addition to the problems these foods cause our waistlines, some doctors now believe as many as 10% of adults have an intolerance for Gluten products (the protein in most grains).

Still there are many foods that can be enjoyed on a low carb diet. This diet has been popular for any number of years and is drawing followers as more and more doctors are embracing and endorsing the healthy lower carb lifestyle. But as with all diets, you have to determine what suits you best.

The top three low carb diets are the tried and true Atkins and South Beach Diet, and the newcommer, and top selling diet on the internet today, Fat Loss 4 Idiots also known as the Idiot Proof Diet.

Low Carb vs. Low Fat

BJ — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:49:25 +0000

What's the Best Diet for Me?

Because most of us have a richly mixed ancestry, few of us really know what type foods best satisfy our bodies. While some of us respond better with a diet higher in carbohydrates, others of us are more satisfied with a protein rich diet.

Why Does It Matter?

If a person needing more protein were to go on a low-fat diet, they would probably be hungry - constantly - or would become hungry more quickly after eating. Conversely, if you are a person who requires more carbohydrates to feel satisfied and you go on a low carb diet, you will feel weighed down by your diet and often constipated.

Get It Wrong and It Won't Work.

In either scenario, the likelihood of your staying committed to any diet plan if you are constantly hungry, bloated or constipated is extremely low. You are virtually destined to fail. You need to choose the best diet for your body type.

Take a few days to find out whether your body needs more carbohydrates or more protein. If you already know whether your body needs more carbohydrates or more protein, click the link.

Here's What You Do

Tomorrow for lunch eat a nice healthy meal, with equal amounts of protein and carbohydrates. No simple carbohydrates (ie, no cookies, crackers, white bread, potatoes or sugar), if you have bread, it must be 100% whole wheat and no sodas or fruit juices of any kind. And last but not least, don't over eat. Eat only until you're comfortably satisfied.

Then an hour later, write down how you feel and what you ate.

Do you feel great, or are you hungry, sleepy, tired, bloated, grumpy or do you have a stuffy nose. Do the same thing two hours after lunch and then again three hours after lunch.

Now, Check Your Results

If you wrote down sleepy, tired or hungry at any of the intervals (and didn't over eat) tomorrow, try having a little more protein and fewer carbohydrates, percentage wise.

If you were bloated or grumpy, or if your lunch seems to be heavy on your stomach, try for a few more carbohydrates and less protein.

And if you had a stuffy nose, you might want to omit dairy products if you had any, and if that doesn't solve the problem, try eliminating wheat products.

Your goal is to feel satisfied, energetic and well able to coop with your afternoon. If you feel sluggish, bloated, hungry, tired or out of sorts after lunch you may resort to extra caffeine, snacks or you may just suffer through, making mistakes you could have avoided if you'd felt better.

So what does this tell us?

If you need more carbohydrates, you will probably do best on a low fat diet. This would include most of your calorie counting diets, Weight Watchers, DASH and the Ornish diet. (To calculate the number of calories you should take in to lose weight click here.) These diets will give you the carbohydrates your body craves.

If you need more protein, you should look at a low-carb diet, such as the Atkins Diet. This will help balance your blood sugar and keep you from feeling hungry all the time.

And if you're like most of us, you're somewhere in the middle and you need a reduced carbohydrate diet without going low carb, the G.I. Diet (Glycemic Index Diet), the Idiot Proof Diet, South Beach Diet, The Diet Solution, The Mediterranean Diet and the Zone Diet will be more effective for you.