Low Carb-ers: Self Imposed Weight Loss Guinea Pigs, Ground Breakers and the Health Conscious Today
It's a well known fact that the weight loss industry is a profitable one. There are thousands of books, gyms and health spas, nutrition and exercise services available to the overweight consumer and the net is riddled with them.If the consumer is not receiving advise from a dietition or doctor, it is up to them to verify for themselves what is fact and what is fiction. For many years, the low carb establishment has maintained that you can lose weight by changing the amount and in some cases the types of carbs, protein and fats consumed. And for many years the mainstream medical establishment has scoffed at the Atkins weight loss theory of losing weight through ketosis not through maintaining a negative calorie balance and labelled it irresponsible and unhealthy. There are cries of cardiovascular and cholesterol risks not just because of the red meat, but because of the lower carbohydrate and therefore lower fiber intake recommended.
Many authorities will not recommend it as a viable weight loss solution, and indeed is censored by relevant government authorities in many countries. Despite the bad press, there have been thousands of reported cases of individuals losing weight by eating more protein and fewer carbohydrates.During the last couple of years, findings of research have been filtering through that there may be some merit to the low carb diets, that have been promoted in weight loss books and websites. Atkins press releases seize the opportunity to validate what they've been saying for years.Some would say (particularly dietitions and nutritionists) that the people who joined the low-carb band wagon were naive, unkowledgeable and ready to try anything. There are those who have taken aspects of the low carb diets out of context and have done silly things like eating nothing but pork rinds and Atkins bars and wandered why they weren't losing weight. This is the danger of popular diet books where no individual professional support can be given.However, to be fair, many low carb-ers today are forward thinking, health conscious (not just weight conscious) and intelligent and logical thinkers and do receive some support as I believe there is an Atkins telephone helpline available to U.S.
residents, which if you're interested is 1-800-2-ATKINS. As to whether this is purely a promotional tool or truely a helpline, I am not sure.For many low carb-ers eating a low carb diet is similar to eating the way we did years ago before we had access to soda and bagels in mass proportions. Now, I am not an advocate of low carb diets, in fact I don't recommend "cookie cutter" diets, but I do see that for many, it is providing welcome relief to stubborn weight and health problems that previously have been difficult to treat, and that independent research is starting to support the results that have been seen in thousands of low carb success testimonials.As a side note, I feel I must add, if you're new to the diet scene and assessing whether or not low carb eating is for you, I do have one word of warning, please be aware that research findings can be manipulated and that findings of research that have been funded by commercial interests such as those within the low carb community may not be as impartial as it appears. I am not saying that their research isn't impartial or accurate, but to be really sure, a truly independent study should not have links to interested commercial parties.References:Due A, Toubro S, Skov AR, Astrup A. Effect of normal-fat diets, either medium or high in protein, on body weight in overweight subjects: a randomised 1-year trial. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord.
2004 Oct;28(10):1283-90. Atkins Press Release July 2004: Controlled-carbohydrate research from around the world.USA Today: E.J. Mundell, HealthDay 10/29/2004 Low-carb diets may hurt heart healthCopyright ? 2004
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Hypnotize the Pounds Away: Weight Loss Motivation Through Hypnosis
Many individuals these days, male or female, young or old, are struggling with weight management. Concerns with rising cases obesity are no longer based upon a Hollywood conception of what is the appropriate body size. Instead of doctors wanting their patients to be "thinner", they want them to be healthier. The patients, however, are not necessarily discerning the difference.What Has This Lead To?Both women and men alike are becoming hooked on yo-yo diets. What is a yo-yo diet? Yo-yo dieting describes the process of going on a diet, losing a few pounds and then going off the diet.
When the pounds come back, the dieter then begins another diet and the process continues. Repetitive weight loss and gain is hard on the body, especially the heart and of course, it is hard on the emotional state of the dieter as well.In addition to this, many dieters are using unhealthy methods of losing weight. Many take dieting pills which are often just glorified caffeine pills claiming to be the...
Hypnotize the Pounds Away: Weight Loss Motivation Through Hypnosis
Diets > Hypnotize the Pounds Away: Weight Loss Motivation Through Hypnosis
Are You Confused By All The Different Diets? Here's A Quick Diet Comparison
It would not be surprising to hear your answer is "yes, I'm confused by all these so called diets." You may read from one expert that low carbohydrate (low carb) and high protein is the way to lose weight. Another will try to convince you that low fat, lots of carbs, fresh fruits and vegetables, is the right way to go. Yet another will try to convince you that you need to count the amount of sugar; or another that main culprit for your being overweight is white flour. So, if you are serious about losing weight, who should you listen to?The brief summaries below give a quick overview of the pros and cons of each of the popular types of diet plans.1. Weight Loss ProgrammesThere are quite a few well known weight loss programmes, for example SlimFast, Jenny Craig, and NutriSystem.
These and a number of other weight loss programmes rely heavily on pre-packaged 'diet' foods. However, they incorporate professional coaching into the programme; plus, they also offer some sort of social...
Are You Confused By All The Different Diets? Here's A Quick Diet Comparison
Diets > Are You Confused By All The Different Diets? Here's A Quick Diet Comparison
Research Findings Reveal Interesting Aspects of Gout
Gout is a type of rheumatoid arthritis that causes pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints. Statistics indicate that there are more than 3.5 million people in the United States confronted with gout, most of them developing the disease after the age of 50. Although gout can be developed by both men and women, it predominantly affects the male gender. For many years, gout sufferers have been advised to limit the intake of purines and proteins in their diet, by avoiding fatty meats, seafood and even some purine-rich vegetables. Dairy products have also been considered to influence the development of gout, but in the absence of any clinical evidence.
Until recently, these recommendations were based solely upon the theory that purine-rich foods and a high protein intake are directly related with the occurrence of gout, by increasing the blood levels of uric acid. In order to reveal conclusive evidence regarding the contribution of a purine and protein-rich diet...
Diets > Research Findings Reveal Interesting Aspects of Gout