A low-carb diet contains food materials that have limited
amounts of carbohydrates and give more importance to fat and proteins. There
are various kinds of low-carb diets and each of them have different levels of
restrictions on the amount and type of carbohydrates. Some of the popular
low-carb foods are Zone diet and Atkins diet. People who follow such diets do
it for various purposes. The most important reason is to lose weight. Many
others follow the diet just because they enjoy eating the types of foods used
in the diet. Many people follow the low-carb diet because they feel that it can
help them to lose weight easily and quickly.
Carbohydrates are usually found in dairy products, grains,
vegetables, fruits and some legumes. They are also found in sweets and sugars.
Carbohydrates serve as a source of energy. While digesting foods, the body converts
the carbohydrates into sugar. When the level of blood sugar rises, the level of
insulin also increases. This is responsible for producing more energy. The
extra sugar produced is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. The
principle behind a low-carb diet is that insulin stops fat breakdown and helps
the body to use the stored sugar as energy. When there are low levels of
insulin, the stored fat is used up as energy.
If you want to follow a low-carb diet, do not avoid it
completely. You need it to metabolize the fat in your body. So, choose foods
that are unprocessed or unrefined including fruits, vegetables and whole grain
foods. Foods with very low levels of carbohydrates are not recommended if you
want a healthy body.
