Every day, all sorts of ways to lose weight are flashed before us on magazines, television, and the internet. These could be in the form of an exercise program or a diet. For sure, you may have heard about low carb diet and wondered about its efficacy and safety.

Low Carbohydrate Diet: What It Is

Normally, a balanced diet includes a hefty amount of carbohydrate accompanied by a good amount of protein and a small portion of fats. These three components make up a basic meal that is enough to maintain daily body processes. However, for people who want to make changes in their body, certain alterations in these portions are done in order to tone, gain muscle, or lose weight.

A usual diet contains 130–225g of carbohydrates. Theoretically, weight gain is caused by surplus calories from all three portions. However, excess carbohydrates are said to be notorious when it comes to this. With this fact in mind, low carbohydrate diets have been conceptualized. Low carbohydrate diets contain at most 130g of carbohydrates, while very low carbohydrate diets only have under 30g.

The Upside of a Low Carbohydrate Diet

You may have wondered, "Is a low carb diet healthy?” Truth be told, eating a diet low in carbs in the form of sugars and starches is actually good for your body for numerous reasons. In fact, many chronic diseases are associated with too many sweets in the diet. For this reason, cutting down on sugars can be beneficial and may manifest in some good ways.

1. Weight Loss

As mentioned, weight gain is a result of surplus nutrients in the body. Too many carbohydrates, proteins, and oils would usually result to increase the buildup of stored fats in the form of adipose tissue. Decreasing all three would be difficult to comply with. The most feasible way is to cut off the nutrient with the largest component in a usual meal: carbohydrates. This way, excess calories are avoided while your body is able to maintain other functions with the usual amount of proteins and fats in the diet. While other plans involve cutting a certain percentage off of the usual carbohydrates in the diet, some would even go as far as replacing the lost portion with additional protein or fats – both of which are healthy as long as normal ranges are followed.

2. Insulin Surges

Sugars and starches make up most of the carbohydrates that we eat. These substances enter the body and are processed to become glucose, which is the usable form needed by most of our body's organs. The hormone insulin regulates glucose levels in the body. In cases where there is too much intake of carbohydrates and resulting blood glucose levels, insulin production can be overwhelmed. This can lead to notable signs and symptoms including tiredness, sluggishness, and sleepiness, not to mention the risk of developing metabolic and cardiovascular diseases if chronic. By decreasing the number of carbohydrates that we take in, insulin needs are subsequently reduced, keeping a healthy level of glucose in check.

3. Decreased Risk for Diabetes and Heart Disease

Of course, keeping a healthy level of glucose in the bloodstream is followed by a reduced risk for developing metabolic syndromes and cardiovascular diseases. The most popular ailment associated with the question, "Is a low carb diet healthy?” is hypertension and diabetes mellitus. This is because excess glucose leads to numerous problems in the blood vessels. It follows that the organs supplied by these and the blood vessels themselves are affected when there is an increased intake of carbohydrates.

The Downside of a Very Low Carb Diet

A very low carbohydrate diet or a "keto diet” is very popular nowadays. One might ask, "Is keto diet safe?” Hypothetically, sharply cutting off carbohydrates from the diet is said to cause dramatic weight loss. However, these are not without side effects that are just as disturbing as effective in causing weight loss.

1. Constipation

Entirely replacing carbohydrates with proteins and fats can cause problems in your gut. Aside from the fact that your intestines may have a hard time adjusting to the mechanical aspects of digesting food made up entirely of meats and oils, cells in your gastrointestinal tract may have a hard time adjusting in absorbing too little glucose. This leads to bowel immobility problems, resulting in constipation.

2. Muscle Cramps

Skeletal muscles in the body primarily use glucose in order to function. As already discussed above, glucose can be processed from the sugars and starches that we eat. If these are completely cut off from the body as in a ketogenic diet, muscles are deprived of their primary fuel, causing them to go haywire as manifested by soreness and cramps.

3. The Ketogenic Flu

In diets consisting mainly of proteins and fats, ketones are the fuel produced, hence the term "ketogenic.” These metabolites are actually usable in certain organs like the brain and the heart. The problem is that for most of the time, glucose is the fuel used by the majority of the organs. In sharply cutting off glucose from the diet, the body experiences signs and symptoms of withdrawal from glucose. Especially during the first periods of getting into a ketogenic diet, your body has a hard time shifting from using glucose to using ketones for fuel. This is manifested in flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and dizziness.

Low Carb Diet Recipe

For those still wondering, "Is a low carb diet healthy?” many researchers would say yes. The next question would be is if it is easy to follow. Here is an example of a recipe that might allow you to gauge whether a low carb diet is for you:

1. Ingredients

• Beef
• Carrots strips
• Broccoli cut into florets
• Cabbage cut into strips
• Oyster sauce
• Onion roughly chopped
• Garlic cloves
• Oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

2. Directions

• Heat oil in a pan. Add beef cuts and cook until brown.
• Stir in cut vegetables until tender.
• Add oyster sauce. Add water until your desired thickness of the sauce is achieved.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

In Summary

Engaging in a diet that involves alterations in the components of the nutrients involves certain risks. In order to know what diet works for you, take a careful study of how your body works. Sure, committing to a low carbohydrate diet can be daunting, but with a little help from your doctor, you could actually gain so much out of the deal - other than weight.