Are low carbohydrate diets the answer to healthy weight loss?

It has long been known that increased fat storage raises blood cholesterol. And a high level of cholesterol in the blood is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease can lead to heart attack or stroke.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol such as whole milk dairy products, fatty meats, oils, hydrogenated vegetable oils and egg yolks. Instead, the AHA recommends substituting foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, fat-free and low-fat milk products, skinless poultry and lean meats.

Is weight loss as simple as dropping carbohydrates?

Scientists have long probed the assertion that avoiding carbohydrates or dropping them altogether can reduce the storage of fat, which leads to lethargy, junk food addiction and health conditions such as heart disease and cancer. But is dropping carbohydrates from your diet the answer to dropping fat from your waistline? Is it true that saturated fat and cholesterol are not really the cause of heart disease? The American Heart Association, American College of Sports Medicine and the American Diabetes Association disagree.

Low-carbohydrate gurus argue that carbohydrates make us secrete insulin. And since insulin is driving fat accumulation, if people were to eat fewer carbohydrates, fat accumulation would decline.

So which diet is better? Low fat or low carbohydrate?

Scientists state that if weight loss were a race, low carbohydrate diets would win hands down. Weight loss on low carbohydrate diets is most likely faster because a low-carbohydrate diet helps to suppress appetite, which in-turn makes it easier to achieve the ultimate goal of reducing calorie consumption. But a chief complaint of low carbohydrate diets is that they can increase levels of bad cholesterol. However, according to a study performed by the Harvard Health Letter, both low carbohydrate and low fat diet plans had the same effect on LDL cholesterol levels. And low carbohydrate diets won with respect to other blood fats related to heart disease.

Improvement to the low carbohydrate diet

According to the Harvard Health letter, a low carbohydrate diet plan can be improved by sticking with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and choosing whole grains as your carbohydrates. If you are planning on losing weight, talk to your doctor first about getting a cholesterol test. Before following any diet plan, it is highly recommended that you seek the advice of a doctor or health care professional.

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Low Carb Diets and Strength Training

A low carbohydrate diet combined with a consistent strength training (muscle toning) workout regimen is a powerful combination that creates lean, tone muscle.

Low carbohydrate foods are foods like most cheeses, meats, fish and poultry and they are not always low fat and low calorie. Their fat and calorie content is dependent on how they are prepared. They are, however, always very high in protein. Low carbohydrate dieters should limit their intake of fat rich foods and should supplement their diet with large amounts of low carb vegetables and fruits, which are low fat and low calorie.

Processed Foods Should be Limited

Processed foods are full of chemicals and extras that a body does not need. Simple carbs contain sucrose, or table sugar, which is something that you want to avoid while on a low carbohydrate diet. In order to reach the goal of eliminating simple carbs from a diet, you will need to eliminate your intake of processed foods. Processed foods are packed with simple carbs and extra chemicals.

Weight Training - Circuit Training Adds More Fun

Most gyms have stations that are positioned around the facility. A complete a workout schedule includes planned trips to the gym three times a week, with alternate areas of the body trained. A well thought out training routine should include one day of training for each of the following body parts: legs, arms & shoulders, and back. By participating in such a routine whereas each station consists of 9-20 repetitions with low weight, with 45 or so seconds between each routine, one could improve cardio respiratory endurance while at the same time burning fat and building lean muscle.

In conjunction with a low carbohydrate - low fat diet, this weight training routine will jump start a workout program and help one to more quickly achieve an ideal body weight. This is not intended to be a quick weight loss program, but instead is a way of life that should be consistently followed. Within a period of two to three months, significant results will be achieved.

The Muscle Builder - Protein

It's no secret that in order to build muscle, you need to eat protein. Therefore, the low carb diet and muscle toning go hand-in-hand. This extremely powerful fat-loss plan helps to increase the fat burning process and builds lean, strong muscles. Whether you want to lose fat, build muscle or both - the combination of a low carbohydrate diet in conjunction with a strength training workout three times a week will help you achieve the goal of gaining a lean, tone shape.

Low Carb for Dummys - A Review

For those of you that have never researched a low carb diet before, this video can help. There are many low carb recipes on the Internet that will help you to keep your low carb diet routine tasty and easier to maintain. Take a moment to review this video and decide for yourself if a low carb diet is something that will work in your life.