Learning the Facts About Low Carb Diets

The Low Carb Craze. Diets low in carbohydrates have been very popular for the last decade or so. Proponents of these diet plans seem convinced that significantly reducing a persons carbohydrate intake is the key to permanent weight loss. Various low carb based diets continue to appear on the best seller lists and the food industry has responded by offering many carbohydrate reduced products to meet the demand for low carb food options. So, do low carbohydrate diets really work? Before deciding whether or not to pursue a low carb diet, it is good to get an understanding of how carbohydrate rich foods are processed by the body.

How Carbohydrates Figure Into Nutrition
Along with protein and fat, carbohydrates are one of the three food groups classified as nutrients for your body. A healthy diet should be composed of all three nutrients, although not in equal amounts. Carbohydrates can be described as ant type of food that comes from a plant, plus milk and yogurt. Carbs provide the building blocks for energy and are frequently used by athletes to increase their endurance and stamina while training. There are two main types of carbohydrates, simple and complex. Simple carbs are received from natural sugars or glucose, while complex carbs are full of fiber and starch. While the body needs nutrients found in both types of carbohydrates, our bodies make better use of more complex carbohydrates to function properly. Simple carbohydrates include foods like sugar, honey, fruit juice, milk and candy. Complex carbohydrates are comprised of foods such as grains, bread, potatoes, rice and beans.

Healthy Ways to Cut Carbohydrates
While completely removing carbohydrates from your diet will negatively affect your health, cutting back on certain types of carbohydrates can help you to lose weight. Because carbohydrates can metabolize into fat, reducing the percentage of carbs in your diet will have a beneficial effect on your waistline. High carb diets generally consist of a caloric intake that is between 50% - 60% from carbs, while low carb diets trim that percentage to 30% - 40%. Some ways to maintain a healthy diet while reducing the overall carbohydrate intake include:

Avoid Processed Foods. Natural grains and organic vegetables provide more nutritional value than processed carbohydrates.

Remember that Milk and Yogurt are Carbs. While milk and yogurt also contain fats, there is also a carbohydrate content in dairy products. Do not forget to count dairy based foods in your overall carb intake.

Minimize Simple Carbs. While many consider bread products to be the ultimate carbohydrate villain, candies, cookies and other sugar based simple carbs actually do more ultimate damage.

Get Your Carbs from Fruits and Vegetables. The best carbs for your system include fresh fruits and vegetables. Along with maintaining important nutrients and fiber, fruits and vegetables have long been considered a staple of healthy diets.