While there are huge and growing numbers of fans of the many popular low carb diets, there are also plenty willing to knock them down.
We've all heard criticisms of low carb diets, and while there are often valid points hiding within the stinging attacks, often the root of the problem is not the diet, but a misunderstanding or misapplication of the low carb approach.
Here are some of the most common claims made against low carb diets, along with an explanation of the reality:
- "Low carb diets are bad for your heart". This claim came about because some low carb diets seems to permit you to eat as much fat as you like, hence potentially increasing cholesterol levels (some cholesterol blocks the flow of blood to the heart. In truth, low carb diets are about reducing fat by eating fewer carbs and sensible diets don't encourage people to eat an excess of food that are rich in saturated fat. There are lots of foods containing healthy fats and, of course, lean protein foods like chicken and fish that you can eat without taking in high levels of 'bad' fats.
- "Low carb diets lack enough fiber". Fiber is a carb so people often assume it's banned on low carb diets but actually fiber is so tough it doesn't tend to digest too well so it won't get broken down into sugar like other carbs. That's why most low carb diets allow foods that are high in fiber.
- "Low carb diets don't allow fruit or veg". It's true that fruit and vegetables are mainly made up of carbs but they don't have the same fat-generating properties as the carbs found in starchy vegetables like potatoes. So in fact, low carb diets do allow fruit and veg (in varying portions) and in many they are encouraged (green vegetables more so as fruits are rich in sugar and therefore more likely to be stored as fat if eaten to excess. Read about low carb diets and the glycemic index for more on this.
- "Low carb diets leave you feeling tired". We need carbs for energy so people often think that low carb diets will leave you tired. And when people go overboard and turn their low carb diet into a no carb diet it's no surprise that they feel tired! But sensible low carb diets recommend eating just the right amount of carbs according to your body's needs so there is no reason why you would feel tired. The tired, low feeling you might have experienced in the afternoon which causes a sugar/carb craving is much more likely to occur on high carb diets when the blood sugar levels are going up and down like a yo-yo. The steady sugar-release that results from a healthy low carb approach should give you a steady stream of energy and eliminate the hunger-binge cycle that is all too familiar.
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